East Nishnabotna River river
Total streamflow across the East Nishnabotna River was last observed at 562 cfs, and is expected to yield approximately 1,115 acre-ft of water today; about 170% of normal. River levels are high. Average streamflow for this time of year is 330 cfs, with recent peaks last observed on 2025-06-26 when daily discharge volume was observed at 4,522 cfs.
Maximum discharge along the river is currently at the East Nishnabotna River At Red Oak reporting a streamflow rate of 348 cfs. This is also the highest stage along the East Nishnabotna River, with a gauge stage of 6.71 ft at this location. This river is monitored from 2 different streamgauging stations along the East Nishnabotna River, the highest being situated at an altitude of 1,109 ft, the East Nishnabotna River Near Atlantic.
River streamflow levels
Daily aggregate streamflow across every monitored gauge along the East Nishnabotna River. Use the range buttons to zoom in on a specific period.
Total streamflow
Sum of all monitored streamgauges · daily
Every streamgauge along the East Nishnabotna River
All 2 USGS gauges Snoflo tracks for this river, with current flow, stage, recent change, percent of normal, and the gauge's all-time min / max. Click any header to sort. Cells are heatmapped relative to the column min/max -- darker blue = higher.
| Streamgauge▾ | Streamflow (cfs)▾ | Gauge stage (ft)▾ | 24h Δ (%)▾ | % Normal▾ | Min (cfs)▾ | Max (cfs)▾ | Elevation (ft)▾ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
East Nishnabotna River Near Atlantic
IA
USGS 06809210
|
214 | 3.10 | -2.3 | 39% | 4 | 21,400 | 1,109 |
|
East Nishnabotna River At Red Oak
IA
USGS 06809500
|
348 | 6.71 | -1.4 | 31% | 19 | 25,700 | 1,013 |
Maximum streamflow discharge by year
The single highest aggregate discharge recorded each year. Spotting the multi-year trend reveals droughts vs. wet cycles long before the headline daily flow does.
Annual peak discharge
From the river's full record · one point per water year
Streamflow elevation profile
Each bubble is one gauge along the river, plotted by current streamflow (x-axis) vs elevation (y-axis), sized by gauge stage. Reading top-to-bottom traces the river from headwaters down to its mouth -- you can see flow accumulate as elevation drops.
Elevation vs streamflow
One point per monitored gauge · bubble size = gauge stage
East Nishnabotna River
The East Nishnabotna River is a river in western Iowa, United States. It flows for approximately 70 miles, beginning in Audubon County and ending at its confluence with the West Nishnabotna River in Pottawattamie County. The river was historically used for transportation and trade in the region. It is now primarily used for agriculture, with irrigation systems drawing water from the river. There are several reservoirs and dams along the river, including the Lake Anita Dam and the Lake Icaria Dam. These reservoirs provide recreational opportunities such as fishing, boating, and camping. The East Nishnabotna River is also home to several species of fish, including catfish, bass, and crappie.
Recreation along the East Nishnabotna River
Fishing access and paddle runs Snoflo tracks within the watershed.
Track the East Nishnabotna River in the Snoflo app
Set per-gauge push alerts (e.g. "alert me when flow at the Russian R Nr Healdsburg crosses 5,000 cfs"), and Snoflo's iOS app pushes the moment USGS reports the crossing.
About the East Nishnabotna River
Where does the data for the East Nishnabotna River come from?
Streamflow and gauge stage data are sourced from the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) National Water Information System. The aggregate flow shown at the top of the page is computed by Snoflo as the sum of all monitored gauges along the river.
How is "percent of normal" calculated?
Today's aggregate streamflow is compared to the historical average aggregate streamflow on this calendar day across the river's full record. 100% means right on average; values above 100% indicate above-normal flow (wet year); values below indicate below-normal (dry year or drought).
Why are some gauges showing very different flows?
Gauges along a river measure flow at different points: headwater gauges read what's coming off the snowpack or mountain runoff; downstream gauges integrate everything upstream, including tributary inputs. Wide spreads usually mean a tributary is contributing significantly between gauges.
What's the elevation profile chart showing?
Each bubble is one gauge along the river, plotted by streamflow (x-axis) and elevation (y-axis), sized by gauge stage. Reading top-down traces the river from headwaters to mouth -- you can see flow build as elevation drops.
Can I get alerts when a specific gauge crosses a threshold?
Yes -- alerts are managed in the Snoflo iOS app on a per-gauge basis. Open any individual streamgauge from the table above and favorite it to set a discharge threshold.