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Flow report

Iowa River Levels & Streamflow

As of Nov 3, 2026, Iowa rivers are running at 196% of normal across 116 USGS gauges — the highest is 30,800 cfs on the Mississippi River At Clinton. Live discharge, gauge height, and percent-of-normal for every USGS streamgauge in Iowa.

USGS gauges
116
State percent normal
196%
0%normal200%
Paddle runs
0
Updated
Nov 3
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Flow briefing · Nov 3, 2026

Iowa river conditions today

Where rivers are running versus normal, what’s spiking and what’s coming — refreshed daily from USGS and NOAA.

Streamflow levels across Iowa are currently 196% of normal, with the Mississippi River At Clinton reporting the highest discharge in the state at 30,800 cfs and a gauge stage of 9.49 ft.

Meanwhile, the Iowa River Near Belle Plaine is seeing a spike today — up 45% 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.

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Active weather warnings for Iowa

# Iowa Storm Center Report

A Flood Watch remains in effect across eastern Iowa through early Friday as heavy rainfall tonight and Tuesday threatens to produce significant flooding along three major river systems. The Iowa River at Marengo (Benton and Iowa Counties), English River at Kalona (Johnson and Washington Counties), and North Skunk River near Sigourney (Keokuk County) are all expected to reach flood stage by early Wednesday. The Iowa River could crest at 15 feet, affecting levees and agricultural lands around Marengo, while the English River may flood farmland by Wednesday morning. The North Skunk River poses the greatest threat, potentially impacting agricultural areas, county roads, and farm structures in Keokuk County. Residents in these counties should prepare for possible evacuations and avoid flooded roadways.

Source: National Weather Service

Iowa vs normal

How Iowa’s rivers compare to normal

Every gauge placed by its own percent of normal, and three years of the statewide trend.

Where every gauge actually sits

One dot per Iowa streamgauge, placed by its own percent of normal. The state average is a single line through all of it.

State average 196%
0% 50% 100% · normal 150% 200%+
Much below normalunder 50% Below normal50–90% Near normal90–110% Above normal110–150% Much above normalover 150%

Percent of normal compares today's discharge with the historical average for this calendar day. Tap any dot to open that gauge.

Iowa streamflow, three water years

Statewide percent of normal, every day since Oct 2023. The dotted line is normal.

196% of normal today
+144pts vs this day last year (52%)
236of 366 days below normal, past year
1110% 3-year peak · Oct 2026 · above the axis
50% 100% normal 150% 200% 250%
Oct 2023 202420252026 Nov 3, 2026

799 daily readings from 116 reporting gauges. Percent of normal is today's statewide discharge against the historical average for the same calendar day — 100% is normal, not "good". The axis tops out at 250%: 71 readings above that — including the 1110% peak in Oct 2026 — are drawn along the top edge, so a few flood days cannot flatten three years of everything else. The line breaks in 2 places where the record skips more than five days — those are gaps in reporting, not readings of zero.

Iowa flow report

116 gauges
Streamgage Streamflow Gage height Water temp Air temp Elevation Watershed
Mississippi River At Clinton, Ia
13 hours ago · USGS 05420500
31,300 cfs 9.45 ft 60°F 61°F 593 ft Copperas-Duck
Iowa River At Wapello, Ia
14 hours ago · USGS 05465500
11,100 cfs 15.06 ft 49°F 63°F 554 ft Lower Iowa
Des Moines River At Ottumwa, Ia
13 hours ago · USGS 05489500
10,000 cfs 4.57 ft 62°F 66°F 635 ft Lower Des Moines
Des Moines River At Keosauqua, Ia
14 hours ago · USGS 05490500
9,700 cfs 13.30 ft 61°F 64°F 579 ft Lower Des Moines
Skunk River At Augusta, Ia
13 hours ago · USGS 05474000
8,350 cfs 8.31 ft · 63°F 553 ft Skunk
Des Moines River Near Tracy, Ia
14 hours ago · USGS 05488500
8,140 cfs 5.33 ft · 63°F 676 ft Lower Des Moines
Des Moines River Blw Raccoon Riv At Des Moines, Ia
14 hours ago · USGS 05485500
7,460 cfs 14.37 ft · 65°F 779 ft Lake Red Rock
Des Moines River Near Pella, Ia
14 hours ago · USGS 05488110
7,060 cfs 87.80 ft 61°F 65°F 689 ft Lower Des Moines
Cedar River Near Conesville, Ia
14 hours ago · USGS 05465000
6,970 cfs 8.33 ft · 63°F 593 ft Lower Cedar
Cedar River At Cedar Rapids, Ia
14 hours ago · USGS 05464500
5,680 cfs 5.07 ft 62°F 64°F 712 ft Middle Cedar
Cedar River At Waterloo, Ia
14 hours ago · USGS 05464000
4,460 cfs 6.80 ft · 61°F 823 ft Middle Cedar
South Skunk River Near Oskaloosa, Ia
13 hours ago · USGS 05471500
4,410 cfs 15.54 ft · 63°F 692 ft South Skunk
Iowa River At Marengo, Ia
14 hours ago · USGS 05453100
4,030 cfs 11.45 ft · 62°F 729 ft Middle Iowa
Raccoon River At Fleur Drive, Ia
14 hours ago · USGS 05484900
3,940 cfs 5.12 ft · 65°F 797 ft North Raccoon
Iowa River Near Lone Tree, Ia
14 hours ago · USGS 05455700
3,910 cfs 8.14 ft · 63°F 601 ft Lower Iowa
Raccoon River At 63rd Street At Des Moines, Ia
14 hours ago · USGS 05484650
3,840 cfs 23.74 ft · 65°F 797 ft North Raccoon
Cedar River At Cedar Falls, Ia
13 hours ago · USGS 05463050
3,830 cfs 78.70 ft · 64°F 853 ft Middle Cedar
Iowa River Near Belle Plaine, Ia
14 hours ago · USGS 05452500
3,730 cfs 11.67 ft · 62°F 748 ft Middle Iowa
Des Moines River At 2nd Avenue, Ia
14 hours ago · USGS 05482000
3,330 cfs 14.58 ft 32°F 65°F 808 ft Middle Des Moines
Des Moines River Near Stratford, Ia
14 hours ago · USGS 05481300
3,060 cfs 7.34 ft · 59°F 902 ft Middle Des Moines
Raccoon River At Van Meter, Ia
14 hours ago · USGS 05484500
3,040 cfs 5.65 ft 32°F 64°F 862 ft North Raccoon
Iowa River Below Coralville Dam Nr Coralville, Ia
14 hours ago · USGS 05453520
2,990 cfs 51.46 ft · 64°F 669 ft Middle Iowa
Iowa River At Iowa City, Ia
14 hours ago · USGS 05454500
2,980 cfs 12.52 ft · 62°F 643 ft Lower Iowa
Nishnabotna River Above Hamburg, Ia
14 hours ago · USGS 06810000
2,370 cfs 11.59 ft · 56°F 904 ft Nishnabotna
Iowa River At Marshalltown, Ia
14 hours ago · USGS 05451500
2,270 cfs 13.08 ft · 62°F 853 ft Middle Iowa
Des Moines River Near Saylorville, Ia
14 hours ago · USGS 05481650
2,190 cfs 4.78 ft · 64°F 819 ft Middle Des Moines
Wapsipinicon River Near De Witt, Ia
13 hours ago · USGS 05422000
1,990 cfs 7.67 ft · 61°F 646 ft Lower Wapsipinicon
North Skunk River Near Sigourney, Ia
13 hours ago · USGS 05472500
1,960 cfs 10.84 ft · 63°F 664 ft North Skunk
South Skunk River At Colfax, Ia
13 hours ago · USGS 05471050
1,750 cfs 10.99 ft · 63°F 793 ft South Skunk
Big Sioux River At Akron, Ia
14 hours ago · USGS 06485500
1,590 cfs 7.52 ft · 51°F 1,151 ft Lower Big Sioux
Turkey River At Garber, Ia
14 hours ago · USGS 05412500
1,530 cfs 7.75 ft 58°F 60°F 646 ft Turkey
Cedar River At Janesville, Ia
13 hours ago · USGS 05458500
1,430 cfs 2.28 ft · 64°F 859 ft Upper Cedar
Maquoketa River Near Maquoketa, Ia
14 hours ago · USGS 05418500
1,390 cfs 11.90 ft · 63°F 646 ft Maquoketa
Wapsipinicon River Near Anamosa, Ia
14 hours ago · USGS 05421740
1,370 cfs 6.63 ft · 61°F 779 ft Lower Wapsipinicon
Des Moines River At Fort Dodge, Ia
14 hours ago · USGS 05480500
1,330 cfs 4.52 ft · 57°F 974 ft Middle Des Moines
Little Sioux River Near Turin, Ia
14 hours ago · USGS 06607500
1,230 cfs 8.34 ft · 53°F 1,029 ft Little Sioux
West Nishnabotna River At Randolph, Ia
13 hours ago · USGS 06808500
1,230 cfs 9.78 ft 61°F 56°F 956 ft West Nishnabotna
Cedar River At Waverly, Ia
14 hours ago · USGS 05458300
1,230 cfs 5.14 ft 58°F 63°F 895 ft Upper Cedar
Shell Rock River At Shell Rock, Ia
13 hours ago · USGS 05462000
1,220 cfs 8.57 ft · 61°F 882 ft Shell Rock
North Raccoon River Near Jefferson, Ia
14 hours ago · USGS 05482500
1,160 cfs 6.50 ft 37°F 58°F 978 ft North Raccoon
South River Near Ackworth, Ia
14 hours ago · USGS 05487470
1,150 cfs 9.26 ft · 65°F 805 ft Lake Red Rock
White Breast Creek Near Dallas, Ia
14 hours ago · USGS 05487980
960 cfs 9.83 ft · 62°F 773 ft Lake Red Rock
East Nishnabotna River At Red Oak, Ia
14 hours ago · USGS 06809500
953 cfs 7.52 ft · 57°F 1,013 ft East Nishnabotna
South Skunk River Below Squaw Creek Near Ames, Ia
14 hours ago · USGS 05471000
939 cfs 13.07 ft · 64°F 872 ft South Skunk
Little Sioux River At Correctionville, Ia
14 hours ago · USGS 06606600
854 cfs 5.85 ft · 57°F 1,106 ft Little Sioux
Rock River Near Rock Valley, Ia
14 hours ago · USGS 06483500
851 cfs 6.23 ft · 55°F 1,238 ft Rock
Boone River Near Webster City, Ia
14 hours ago · USGS 05481000
848 cfs 3.78 ft 35°F 62°F 1,028 ft Boone
Wapsipinicon River At Independence, Ia
13 hours ago · USGS 05421000
835 cfs 5.61 ft · 61°F 889 ft Upper Wapsipinicon
Turkey River Above French Hollow Cr At Elkader, Ia
13 hours ago · USGS 05412020
817 cfs 6.31 ft · 59°F 726 ft Turkey
West Fork Cedar River At Finchford, Ia
13 hours ago · USGS 05458900
816 cfs 8.24 ft · 64°F 859 ft West Fork Cedar
South Raccoon River At Redfield, Ia
14 hours ago · USGS 05484000
804 cfs 3.83 ft 32°F 60°F 917 ft South Raccoon
Cedar River At Charles City, Ia
13 hours ago · USGS 05457700
726 cfs 3.09 ft · 60°F 977 ft Upper Cedar
East Fork 102 River At Bedford, Ia
13 hours ago · USGS 06819185
670 cfs 13.61 ft · 63°F 1,084 ft One Hundred And Two
Upper Iowa River Near Dorchester, Ia
14 hours ago · USGS 05388250
631 cfs 7.49 ft · 59°F 668 ft Upper Iowa
Beaver Creek Near Grimes, Ia
14 hours ago · USGS 05481950
614 cfs 5.74 ft · 64°F 829 ft Middle Des Moines
Squaw Creek At Ames, Ia
14 hours ago · USGS 05470500
605 cfs 3.04 ft · 64°F 907 ft South Skunk
South Skunk River Near Ames, Ia
14 hours ago · USGS 05470000
602 cfs 5.27 ft · 64°F 928 ft South Skunk
Des Moines River At Humboldt, Ia
13 hours ago · USGS 05476750
592 cfs 4.14 ft · 56°F 1,066 ft Upper Des Moines
English River At Kalona, Ia
14 hours ago · USGS 05455500
586 cfs 6.12 ft · 63°F 655 ft Lower Iowa
Indian Creek Near Mingo, Ia
14 hours ago · USGS 05471200
581 cfs 5.69 ft · 62°F 827 ft South Skunk
Nodaway River At Clarinda, Ia
14 hours ago · USGS 06817000
571 cfs 11.33 ft · 59°F 966 ft West Nodaway
Beaver Creek At New Hartford, Ia
14 hours ago · USGS 05463000
543 cfs 4.42 ft · 64°F 890 ft Middle Cedar
West Nishnabotna River At Hancock, Ia
13 hours ago · USGS 06807410
516 cfs 3.37 ft · 55°F 1,089 ft West Nishnabotna
Black Hawk Creek At Hudson, Ia
14 hours ago · USGS 05463500
509 cfs 8.05 ft · 63°F 897 ft Middle Cedar
Thompson River At Davis City, Ia
14 hours ago · USGS 06898000
500 cfs 2.17 ft · 64°F 910 ft Thompson
Little Sioux River At Linn Grove, Ia
14 hours ago · USGS 06605850
493 cfs 6.70 ft · 53°F 1,249 ft Little Sioux
South Fork Iowa River Ne Of New Providence, Ia
13 hours ago · USGS 05451210
480 cfs 5.09 ft · 61°F 963 ft Upper Iowa
Middle River Near Indianola, Ia
14 hours ago · USGS 05486490
479 cfs 8.94 ft · 65°F 794 ft Lake Red Rock
Upper Iowa River At Decorah, Ia
14 hours ago · USGS 05387500
474 cfs 2.19 ft · 60°F 854 ft Upper Iowa
Turkey River Near Eldorado, Ia
13 hours ago · USGS 05411850
473 cfs 6.01 ft · 60°F 897 ft Turkey
Boyer River At Logan, Ia
13 hours ago · USGS 06609500
456 cfs 4.47 ft · 53°F 1,014 ft Boyer
Big Bear Creek At Ladora, Ia
14 hours ago · USGS 05453000
451 cfs 13.22 ft · 62°F 771 ft Middle Iowa
North Fork Maquoketa River Near Fulton, Ia
14 hours ago · USGS 05418400
450 cfs 3.67 ft 39°F 63°F 689 ft Maquoketa
Wolf Creek Near Dysart, Ia
14 hours ago · USGS 05464220
446 cfs 3.69 ft · 62°F 835 ft Middle Cedar
East Nishnabotna River Near Atlantic, Ia
13 hours ago · USGS 06809210
446 cfs 4.09 ft · 58°F 1,109 ft East Nishnabotna
Middle Raccoon River At Panora, Ia
14 hours ago · USGS 05483600
432 cfs 5.09 ft 35°F 59°F 997 ft South Raccoon
Salt Creek Near Elberon, Ia
14 hours ago · USGS 05452000
396 cfs 8.27 ft · 61°F 802 ft Middle Iowa
Timber Creek Near Marshalltown, Ia
14 hours ago · USGS 05451700
392 cfs 6.03 ft · 62°F 862 ft Middle Iowa
Floyd River At James, Ia
14 hours ago · USGS 06600500
376 cfs 9.07 ft · 56°F 1,117 ft Floyd
Volga River At Littleport, Ia
13 hours ago · USGS 05412400
371 cfs 5.46 ft · 60°F 694 ft Turkey
Rock River Below Tom Creek At Rock Rapids, Ia
14 hours ago · USGS 06483290
368 cfs 8.33 ft · 51°F 1,316 ft Rock
Middle Raccoon River Near Bayard, Ia
14 hours ago · USGS 05483450
362 cfs 10.80 ft · 58°F 1,054 ft South Raccoon
North Raccoon River Near Sac City, Ia
14 hours ago · USGS 05482300
335 cfs 7.90 ft 75°F 55°F 1,179 ft North Raccoon
Walnut Creek Near Hartwick, Ia
14 hours ago · USGS 05452200
331 cfs 4.77 ft · 61°F 806 ft Middle Iowa
Cedar Creek Near Oakland Mills, Ia
13 hours ago · USGS 05473400
330 cfs 5.15 ft · 63°F 590 ft Skunk
East Fork Des Moines River At Dakota City, Ia
14 hours ago · USGS 05479000
325 cfs 8.46 ft · 56°F 1,043 ft East Fork Des Moines
North River Near Norwalk, Ia
14 hours ago · USGS 05486000
317 cfs 8.21 ft · 65°F 811 ft Lake Red Rock
Walnut Creek At Des Moines, Ia
14 hours ago · USGS 05484800
316 cfs 4.82 ft · 65°F 808 ft North Raccoon
Upper Iowa River At Bluffton, Ia
14 hours ago · USGS 05387440
309 cfs 3.66 ft · 59°F 970 ft Upper Iowa
Fourmile Creek At Des Moines, Ia
13 hours ago · USGS 05485640
305 cfs 4.81 ft · 65°F 813 ft Lake Red Rock
Maquoketa River At Manchester, Ia
14 hours ago · USGS 05416900
304 cfs 4.85 ft · 60°F 920 ft Maquoketa
Maple River At Mapleton, Ia
14 hours ago · USGS 06607200
264 cfs 5.03 ft · 52°F 1,114 ft Maple
Winnebago River At Mason City, Ia
13 hours ago · USGS 05459500
259 cfs 5.23 ft · 57°F 1,101 ft Winnebago
Ocheyedan River Near Spencer, Ia
13 hours ago · USGS 06605000
249 cfs 3.44 ft · 53°F 1,317 ft Little Sioux
Wapsipinicon River Near Tripoli, Ia
13 hours ago · USGS 05420680
248 cfs 8.51 ft · 63°F 1,019 ft Upper Wapsipinicon
Richland Creek Near Haven, Ia
14 hours ago · USGS 05451900
211 cfs 13.03 ft · 64°F 817 ft Middle Iowa
Monona-Harrison Ditch Near Turin, Ia
14 hours ago · USGS 06602400
197 cfs 4.91 ft · 53°F 1,021 ft Monona-Harrison Ditch
English Creek Near Knoxville, Ia
14 hours ago · USGS 05488200
190 cfs 10.83 ft · 62°F 749 ft Lower Des Moines
Turkey River At Spillville, Ia
13 hours ago · USGS 05411600
186 cfs 2.66 ft · 60°F 1,067 ft Turkey
Little Cedar River Near Ionia, Ia
13 hours ago · USGS 05458000
179 cfs 4.09 ft · 60°F 1,000 ft Upper Cedar
Fourmile Creek Near Ankeny, Ia
14 hours ago · USGS 05485605
168 cfs 3.15 ft · 64°F 911 ft Lake Red Rock
Yellow River At Ion, Ia
13 hours ago · USGS 05389000
164 cfs 6.05 ft · 59°F 681 ft Coon-Yellow
Soldier River At Pisgah, Ia
13 hours ago · USGS 06608500
160 cfs 3.20 ft · 52°F 1,047 ft Blackbird-Soldier
Floyd River At Alton, Ia
14 hours ago · USGS 06600100
151 cfs 6.20 ft · 52°F 1,289 ft Floyd
Old Mans Creek Near Iowa City, Ia
14 hours ago · USGS 05455100
145 cfs 2.97 ft 46°F 62°F 654 ft Lower Iowa
Cedar Creek Near Bussey, Ia
14 hours ago · USGS 05489000
127 cfs 5.38 ft · 63°F 696 ft Lower Des Moines
Clear Creek Near Coralville, Ia
14 hours ago · USGS 05454300
121 cfs 1.93 ft · 62°F 660 ft Lower Iowa
Iowa River Near Rowan, Ia
14 hours ago · USGS 05449500
118 cfs 4.19 ft · 57°F 1,187 ft Upper Iowa
South Fork Chariton River Near Promise City, Ia
13 hours ago · USGS 06903700
95 cfs 3.96 ft · 62°F 922 ft Upper Chariton
Big Creek Near Mt. Pleasant, Ia
13 hours ago · USGS 05473450
92 cfs 4.46 ft · 63°F 672 ft Skunk
Clear Creek Near Oxford, Ia
13 hours ago · USGS 05454220
74 cfs 2.70 ft · 62°F 722 ft Lower Iowa
Chariton River Near Moulton, Ia
13 hours ago · USGS 06904010
53 cfs 18.67 ft · 62°F 847 ft Upper Chariton
Chariton River Near Chariton, Ia
13 hours ago · USGS 06903400
48 cfs 5.73 ft · 62°F 968 ft Upper Chariton
Rapid Creek Near Iowa City, Ia
14 hours ago · USGS 05454000
35 cfs 4.17 ft · 62°F 688 ft Lower Iowa
Bloody Run Creek Near Marquette, Ia
14 hours ago · USGS 05389400
33 cfs 4.23 ft · 59°F 634 ft Coon-Yellow
Chariton River Near Rathbun, Ia
14 hours ago · USGS 06903900
18 cfs 2.30 ft · 62°F 855 ft Upper Chariton
Flow report FAQ

About Iowa streamflow

What are river levels like in Iowa right now?

As of November 3, 2026, Iowa rivers are running at 196% of normal across 116 USGS streamgauges, and the Mississippi River At Clinton is reporting the highest discharge at 30,800 cfs. The full sortable gauge table is below.

Which Iowa river is running highest right now?

As of November 3, 2026, the highest discharge in Iowa is 30,800 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.