Flow report

Iowa River Levels & Streamflow

As of Aug 3, 2026, Iowa rivers are running at 90% of normal across 117 USGS gauges — the highest is 36,000 cfs on the Mississippi River At Clinton. Live discharge, gauge height, and percent-of-normal for every USGS streamgauge in Iowa.

USGS gauges
117
State percent normal
90%
Paddle runs
0
Updated
Aug 3
Open the Iowa flow layer on the map Every USGS streamgauge filtered to Iowa.
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August
3
2026
Flow briefing

Streamflow levels across Iowa are currently 90% of normal, with the Mississippi River At Clinton reporting the highest discharge in the state at 36,000 cfs and a gauge stage of 9.09 ft.

Meanwhile, the Maquoketa River At Manchester is seeing a spike today — up 751% since yesterday and currently running near peak.

Tap any gauge below for the full hydrograph, paired weather forecast, and historical context. Use the rivers panel to jump into Iowa's named rivers.

Iowa at a glance

State-wide streamflow overview

The Iowa flow picture in four data points -- where the state sits versus historical norms, what's flowing hardest, and what's spiking fastest.

Percent of normal

90%

100% is the historical norm. Below 70% indicates drought; above 130% can flag elevated flood risk.

Highest discharge

Mississippi River At Clinton 36,000 cfs

Gauge stage 9.09 ft

Biggest 24h spike

Maquoketa River At Manchester +751%

Now 1,600 cfs

Network coverage

Gauges + rivers tracked 117 + 0

USGS gauges feeding 0 named rivers in Iowa.

Full streamgauge inventory

Iowa USGS streamgauges

Every USGS gauge Snoflo tracks in Iowa. Sortable, quickly filterable. Numeric columns heat-mapped from light to deep. Tap any gauge for its full hydrograph and forecast.

117 gauges
Streamgage Streamflow Gage height Water temp Air temp Elevation Watershed
Mississippi River At Clinton, Ia
23 hours ago · USGS 05420500
49,500 cfs 9.43 ft 76°F 61°F 593 ft Copperas-Duck
Cedar River At Cedar Rapids, Ia
1 day ago · USGS 05464500
11,900 cfs 6.94 ft 62°F 63°F 712 ft Middle Cedar
Iowa River At Wapello, Ia
1 day ago · USGS 05465500
11,700 cfs 15.27 ft 49°F 64°F 554 ft Lower Iowa
Cedar River Near Conesville, Ia
1 day ago · USGS 05465000
10,000 cfs 9.52 ft · 62°F 593 ft Lower Cedar
Maquoketa River Near Maquoketa, Ia
23 hours ago · USGS 05418500
5,230 cfs 16.33 ft · 61°F 646 ft Maquoketa
Wapsipinicon River Near De Witt, Ia
23 hours ago · USGS 05422000
4,030 cfs 9.64 ft · 61°F 646 ft Lower Wapsipinicon
Cedar River At Waterloo, Ia
1 day ago · USGS 05464000
3,940 cfs 6.64 ft · 63°F 823 ft Middle Cedar
Des Moines River Near Tracy, Ia
23 hours ago · USGS 05488500
3,710 cfs 3.83 ft · 63°F 676 ft Lower Des Moines
Cedar River At Cedar Falls, Ia
23 hours ago · USGS 05463050
3,420 cfs 78.70 ft · 65°F 853 ft Middle Cedar
Des Moines River At Keosauqua, Ia
23 hours ago · USGS 05490500
3,320 cfs 11.31 ft 76°F 62°F 579 ft Lower Des Moines
Des Moines River Near Pella, Ia
23 hours ago · USGS 05488110
3,070 cfs 85.41 ft 79°F 63°F 689 ft Lower Des Moines
Des Moines River At Ottumwa, Ia
23 hours ago · USGS 05489500
3,040 cfs 2.61 ft 77°F 63°F 635 ft Lower Des Moines
Wapsipinicon River Near Anamosa, Ia
23 hours ago · USGS 05421740
2,940 cfs 8.67 ft · 64°F 779 ft Lower Wapsipinicon
Iowa River Near Lone Tree, Ia
1 day ago · USGS 05455700
2,450 cfs 6.77 ft · 65°F 601 ft Lower Iowa
Iowa River Near Belle Plaine, Ia
1 day ago · USGS 05452500
2,160 cfs 9.19 ft · 65°F 748 ft Middle Iowa
Iowa River At Iowa City, Ia
1 day ago · USGS 05454500
1,950 cfs 11.51 ft · 63°F 643 ft Lower Iowa
Iowa River Below Coralville Dam Nr Coralville, Ia
1 day ago · USGS 05453520
1,890 cfs 50.62 ft · 65°F 669 ft Middle Iowa
Skunk River At Augusta, Ia
23 hours ago · USGS 05474000
1,880 cfs 3.39 ft · 62°F 553 ft Skunk
Des Moines River Blw Raccoon Riv At Des Moines, Ia
1 day ago · USGS 05485500
1,880 cfs 10.06 ft · 66°F 779 ft Lake Red Rock
Cedar River At Charles City, Ia
23 hours ago · USGS 05457700
1,870 cfs 4.63 ft · 63°F 977 ft Upper Cedar
Iowa River At Marengo, Ia
1 day ago · USGS 05453100
1,860 cfs 8.66 ft · 62°F 729 ft Middle Iowa
Wapsipinicon River At Independence, Ia
23 hours ago · USGS 05421000
1,700 cfs 6.30 ft · 62°F 889 ft Upper Wapsipinicon
Turkey River At Garber, Ia
23 hours ago · USGS 05412500
1,640 cfs 8.10 ft 70°F 62°F 646 ft Turkey
Cedar River At Janesville, Ia
23 hours ago · USGS 05458500
1,370 cfs 2.23 ft · 64°F 859 ft Upper Cedar
Maquoketa River At Manchester, Ia
23 hours ago · USGS 05416900
1,320 cfs 7.99 ft · 62°F 920 ft Maquoketa
Des Moines River At 2nd Avenue, Ia
23 hours ago · USGS 05482000
1,220 cfs 15.37 ft 32°F 66°F 808 ft Middle Des Moines
Shell Rock River At Shell Rock, Ia
23 hours ago · USGS 05462000
1,090 cfs 8.47 ft · 64°F 882 ft Shell Rock
Des Moines River Near Saylorville, Ia
1 day ago · USGS 05481650
1,040 cfs 3.07 ft · 65°F 819 ft Middle Des Moines
South Skunk River Near Oskaloosa, Ia
23 hours ago · USGS 05471500
1,030 cfs 10.74 ft · 65°F 692 ft South Skunk
North Fork Maquoketa River Near Fulton, Ia
1 day ago · USGS 05418400
1,010 cfs 5.21 ft 39°F 62°F 689 ft Maquoketa
Cedar River At Waverly, Ia
23 hours ago · USGS 05458300
937 cfs 5.03 ft 74°F 64°F 895 ft Upper Cedar
Nishnabotna River Above Hamburg, Ia
1 day ago · USGS 06810000
871 cfs 8.76 ft · 64°F 904 ft Nishnabotna
West Fork Cedar River At Finchford, Ia
23 hours ago · USGS 05458900
796 cfs 8.19 ft · 65°F 859 ft West Fork Cedar
Upper Iowa River At Bluffton, Ia
23 hours ago · USGS 05387440
794 cfs 4.57 ft · 61°F 970 ft Upper Iowa
Upper Iowa River At Decorah, Ia
23 hours ago · USGS 05387500
777 cfs 2.64 ft · 64°F 854 ft Upper Iowa
Des Moines River Near Stratford, Ia
1 day ago · USGS 05481300
727 cfs 5.40 ft · 63°F 902 ft Middle Des Moines
Turkey River Above French Hollow Cr At Elkader, Ia
23 hours ago · USGS 05412020
726 cfs 6.15 ft · 62°F 726 ft Turkey
Upper Iowa River Near Dorchester, Ia
1 day ago · USGS 05388250
699 cfs 7.60 ft · 64°F 668 ft Upper Iowa
Wolf Creek Near Dysart, Ia
23 hours ago · USGS 05464220
666 cfs 4.22 ft · 65°F 835 ft Middle Cedar
Iowa River At Marshalltown, Ia
1 day ago · USGS 05451500
661 cfs 10.73 ft · 61°F 853 ft Middle Iowa
Volga River At Littleport, Ia
23 hours ago · USGS 05412400
635 cfs 6.19 ft · 62°F 694 ft Turkey
South Skunk River At Colfax, Ia
23 hours ago · USGS 05471050
635 cfs 8.81 ft · 63°F 793 ft South Skunk
Salt Creek Near Elberon, Ia
1 day ago · USGS 05452000
609 cfs 9.48 ft · 65°F 802 ft Middle Iowa
Des Moines River At Fort Dodge, Ia
1 day ago · USGS 05480500
605 cfs 3.87 ft · 62°F 974 ft Middle Des Moines
Big Sioux River At Akron, Ia
1 day ago · USGS 06485500
575 cfs 5.16 ft · 61°F 1,151 ft Lower Big Sioux
Little Sioux River Near Turin, Ia
1 day ago · USGS 06607500
561 cfs 7.19 ft · 62°F 1,029 ft Little Sioux
Raccoon River At Fleur Drive, Ia
23 hours ago · USGS 05484900
528 cfs 1.37 ft · 64°F 797 ft North Raccoon
Raccoon River At 63rd Street At Des Moines, Ia
23 hours ago · USGS 05484650
527 cfs 20.42 ft · 66°F 797 ft North Raccoon
Turkey River Near Eldorado, Ia
23 hours ago · USGS 05411850
501 cfs 6.07 ft · 64°F 897 ft Turkey
West Nishnabotna River At Randolph, Ia
1 day ago · USGS 06808500
496 cfs 8.31 ft 76°F 61°F 956 ft West Nishnabotna
Raccoon River At Van Meter, Ia
1 day ago · USGS 05484500
458 cfs 2.76 ft 32°F 62°F 862 ft North Raccoon
Raccoon River Near West Des Moines, Ia
23 hours ago · USGS 05484600
455 cfs 26.52 ft · 65°F 844 ft North Raccoon
Black Hawk Creek At Hudson, Ia
23 hours ago · USGS 05463500
351 cfs 7.52 ft · 65°F 897 ft Middle Cedar
Wapsipinicon River Near Tripoli, Ia
23 hours ago · USGS 05420680
337 cfs 9.00 ft · 62°F 1,019 ft Upper Wapsipinicon
South Skunk River Below Squaw Creek Near Ames, Ia
1 day ago · USGS 05471000
282 cfs 10.89 ft · 62°F 872 ft South Skunk
Little Sioux River At Correctionville, Ia
1 day ago · USGS 06606600
281 cfs 4.82 ft · 61°F 1,106 ft Little Sioux
Des Moines River At Humboldt, Ia
23 hours ago · USGS 05476750
247 cfs 3.33 ft · 61°F 1,066 ft Upper Des Moines
Little Cedar River Near Ionia, Ia
23 hours ago · USGS 05458000
245 cfs 4.36 ft · 61°F 1,000 ft Upper Cedar
North Skunk River Near Sigourney, Ia
23 hours ago · USGS 05472500
233 cfs 4.79 ft · 65°F 664 ft North Skunk
Indian Creek Near Mingo, Ia
23 hours ago · USGS 05471200
191 cfs 4.15 ft · 65°F 827 ft South Skunk
Boyer River At Logan, Ia
1 day ago · USGS 06609500
190 cfs 3.73 ft · 61°F 1,014 ft Boyer
Turkey River At Spillville, Ia
23 hours ago · USGS 05411600
179 cfs 2.69 ft · 61°F 1,067 ft Turkey
East Nishnabotna River At Red Oak, Ia
1 day ago · USGS 06809500
177 cfs 5.77 ft · 63°F 1,013 ft East Nishnabotna
Floyd River At James, Ia
1 day ago · USGS 06600500
176 cfs 8.38 ft · 61°F 1,117 ft Floyd
East Fork Des Moines River At Dakota City, Ia
1 day ago · USGS 05479000
171 cfs 7.91 ft · 62°F 1,043 ft East Fork Des Moines
Little Sioux River At Linn Grove, Ia
1 day ago · USGS 06605850
170 cfs 5.08 ft · 56°F 1,249 ft Little Sioux
Beaver Creek At New Hartford, Ia
1 day ago · USGS 05463000
164 cfs 2.41 ft · 64°F 890 ft Middle Cedar
South Skunk River Near Ames, Ia
1 day ago · USGS 05470000
154 cfs 3.55 ft · 62°F 928 ft South Skunk
South Raccoon River At Redfield, Ia
1 day ago · USGS 05484000
147 cfs 2.42 ft 32°F 64°F 917 ft South Raccoon
West Nishnabotna River At Hancock, Ia
1 day ago · USGS 06807410
142 cfs 2.11 ft · 62°F 1,089 ft West Nishnabotna
Yellow River At Ion, Ia
23 hours ago · USGS 05389000
137 cfs 5.85 ft · 64°F 681 ft Coon-Yellow
Squaw Creek At Ames, Ia
1 day ago · USGS 05470500
133 cfs 1.93 ft · 62°F 907 ft South Skunk
Rock River Near Rock Valley, Ia
1 day ago · USGS 06483500
133 cfs 4.44 ft · 61°F 1,238 ft Rock
North Raccoon River Near Jefferson, Ia
23 hours ago · USGS 05482500
132 cfs 4.92 ft 37°F 63°F 978 ft North Raccoon
Winnebago River At Mason City, Ia
23 hours ago · USGS 05459500
131 cfs 4.93 ft · 62°F 1,101 ft Winnebago
Maple River At Mapleton, Ia
1 day ago · USGS 06607200
123 cfs 4.48 ft · 57°F 1,114 ft Maple
English River At Kalona, Ia
1 day ago · USGS 05455500
120 cfs 4.20 ft · 65°F 655 ft Lower Iowa
Big Creek Near Mt. Pleasant, Ia
23 hours ago · USGS 05473450
112 cfs 4.53 ft · 61°F 672 ft Skunk
Monona-Harrison Ditch Near Turin, Ia
1 day ago · USGS 06602400
106 cfs 4.75 ft · 61°F 1,021 ft Monona-Harrison Ditch
Cedar Creek Near Oakland Mills, Ia
23 hours ago · USGS 05473400
105 cfs 3.24 ft · 64°F 590 ft Skunk
Boone River Near Webster City, Ia
1 day ago · USGS 05481000
103 cfs 1.96 ft 35°F 62°F 1,028 ft Boone
Old Mans Creek Near Iowa City, Ia
1 day ago · USGS 05455100
99 cfs 2.42 ft 46°F 63°F 654 ft Lower Iowa
Iowa River Near Rowan, Ia
1 day ago · USGS 05449500
97 cfs 3.92 ft · 62°F 1,187 ft Upper Iowa
Nodaway River At Clarinda, Ia
23 hours ago · USGS 06817000
97 cfs 10.66 ft · 60°F 966 ft West Nodaway
North River Near Norwalk, Ia
23 hours ago · USGS 05486000
84 cfs 5.87 ft · 63°F 811 ft Lake Red Rock
Soldier River At Pisgah, Ia
1 day ago · USGS 06608500
77 cfs 2.68 ft · 58°F 1,047 ft Blackbird-Soldier
Timber Creek Near Marshalltown, Ia
1 day ago · USGS 05451700
75 cfs 2.90 ft · 64°F 862 ft Middle Iowa
Fourmile Creek At Des Moines, Ia
23 hours ago · USGS 05485640
75 cfs 4.13 ft · 63°F 813 ft Lake Red Rock
Big Bear Creek At Ladora, Ia
1 day ago · USGS 05453000
75 cfs 11.19 ft · 64°F 771 ft Middle Iowa
Middle River Near Indianola, Ia
23 hours ago · USGS 05486490
75 cfs 7.28 ft · 63°F 794 ft Lake Red Rock
Clear Creek Near Coralville, Ia
1 day ago · USGS 05454300
66 cfs 1.52 ft · 65°F 660 ft Lower Iowa
East Nishnabotna River Near Atlantic, Ia
1 day ago · USGS 06809210
65 cfs 2.40 ft · 62°F 1,109 ft East Nishnabotna
Middle Raccoon River At Panora, Ia
1 day ago · USGS 05483600
57 cfs 4.14 ft 35°F 64°F 997 ft South Raccoon
Thompson River At Davis City, Ia
1 day ago · USGS 06898000
55 cfs 1.00 ft · 65°F 910 ft Thompson
Beaver Creek Near Grimes, Ia
23 hours ago · USGS 05481950
53 cfs 3.35 ft · 65°F 829 ft Middle Des Moines
South Fork Iowa River Ne Of New Providence, Ia
23 hours ago · USGS 05451210
50 cfs 2.58 ft · 61°F 963 ft Upper Iowa
Middle Raccoon River Near Bayard, Ia
23 hours ago · USGS 05483450
48 cfs 8.94 ft · 63°F 1,054 ft South Raccoon
North Raccoon River Near Sac City, Ia
23 hours ago · USGS 05482300
43 cfs 6.74 ft 75°F 62°F 1,179 ft North Raccoon
South River Near Ackworth, Ia
23 hours ago · USGS 05487470
38 cfs 5.00 ft · 66°F 805 ft Lake Red Rock
Fourmile Creek Near Ankeny, Ia
23 hours ago · USGS 05485605
37 cfs 2.50 ft · 65°F 911 ft Lake Red Rock
Walnut Creek At Des Moines, Ia
1 day ago · USGS 05484800
36 cfs 3.67 ft · 66°F 808 ft North Raccoon
Ocheyedan River Near Spencer, Ia
23 hours ago · USGS 06605000
31 cfs 1.96 ft · 56°F 1,317 ft Little Sioux
Cedar Creek Near Bussey, Ia
23 hours ago · USGS 05489000
28 cfs 4.63 ft · 63°F 696 ft Lower Des Moines
Bloody Run Creek Near Marquette, Ia
1 day ago · USGS 05389400
27 cfs 4.25 ft · 65°F 634 ft Coon-Yellow
Chariton River Near Moulton, Ia
23 hours ago · USGS 06904010
26 cfs 18.39 ft · 63°F 847 ft Upper Chariton
Rock River Below Tom Creek At Rock Rapids, Ia
23 hours ago · USGS 06483290
26 cfs 6.58 ft · 60°F 1,316 ft Rock
Rapid Creek Near Iowa City, Ia
1 day ago · USGS 05454000
24 cfs 4.31 ft · 65°F 688 ft Lower Iowa
White Breast Creek Near Dallas, Ia
23 hours ago · USGS 05487980
23 cfs 6.15 ft · 63°F 773 ft Lake Red Rock
Clear Creek Near Oxford, Ia
23 hours ago · USGS 05454220
22 cfs 2.08 ft · 65°F 722 ft Lower Iowa
Walnut Creek Near Hartwick, Ia
1 day ago · USGS 05452200
18 cfs 1.14 ft · 64°F 806 ft Middle Iowa
Richland Creek Near Haven, Ia
1 day ago · USGS 05451900
16 cfs 10.51 ft · 65°F 817 ft Middle Iowa
Chariton River Near Rathbun, Ia
1 day ago · USGS 06903900
12 cfs 2.24 ft · 64°F 855 ft Upper Chariton
Floyd River At Alton, Ia
1 day ago · USGS 06600100
12 cfs 5.29 ft · 56°F 1,289 ft Floyd
English Creek Near Knoxville, Ia
23 hours ago · USGS 05488200
9 cfs 8.30 ft · 66°F 749 ft Lower Des Moines
East Fork 102 River At Bedford, Ia
23 hours ago · USGS 06819185
8 cfs 10.80 ft · 61°F 1,084 ft One Hundred And Two
South Fork Chariton River Near Promise City, Ia
23 hours ago · USGS 06903700
8 cfs 3.06 ft · 62°F 922 ft Upper Chariton
Chariton River Near Chariton, Ia
23 hours ago · USGS 06903400
4 cfs 4.15 ft · 62°F 968 ft Upper Chariton
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Flow report FAQ

About Iowa streamflow

What are river levels like in Iowa right now?

As of August 3, 2026, Iowa rivers are running at 90% of normal across 117 USGS streamgauges, and the Mississippi River At Clinton is reporting the highest discharge at 36,000 cfs. The full sortable gauge table is below.

Which Iowa river is running highest right now?

As of August 3, 2026, the highest discharge in Iowa is 36,000 cfs on the Mississippi River At Clinton. See the sortable gauge table for the full statewide ranking.

Are Iowa rivers high or low right now?

Compare the statewide percent-of-normal on this page: above 100% means Iowa rivers are running higher than the seasonal average for the date, below 100% means lower (a dry spell or drought). Each gauge also shows its own percent of median.

Where does the Iowa streamflow data come from?

The U.S. Geological Survey National Water Information System. USGS streamgauges report continuously (every 15 minutes) and the data is the canonical real-time record for U.S. rivers. Snoflo pulls the latest readings and joins them to a 7-day NOAA weather forecast for each station.

What is cfs?

Cubic feet per second — the standard unit for streamflow. One cfs is about 7.5 gallons per second. Small creeks run at single-digit cfs; the Mississippi at hundreds of thousands.

What does Gauge Height mean?

The water level at the gauge in feet above the reference datum. Used together with discharge to track river state. Flood stage and runnable levels are typically expressed in gauge height (e.g., "flood at 16 ft").

How fresh is the Iowa data?

USGS streamgauges report every 15 minutes; Snoflo re-pulls throughout the day. The AI briefing regenerates daily.

Can I get a flow alert for a Iowa gauge?

Yes. Save any USGS gauge as a favorite in the Snoflo iOS app, set a discharge or stage threshold (e.g. "alert me when discharge crosses 2,000 cfs"), and you'll get a push the moment it crosses.

Is this a substitute for an NWS flood warning?

No. Snoflo is informational. For flood life-safety decisions always follow guidance from your local NWS forecast office and state emergency management. Snoflo data is one input among several.