Iowa River river
Total streamflow across the Iowa River was last observed at 23,537 cfs, and is expected to yield approximately 46,685 acre-ft of water today; about 47% of normal. River levels are low and may signify a drought. Average streamflow for this time of year is 50,369 cfs, with recent peaks last observed on 2014-07-04 when daily discharge volume was observed at 225,800 cfs.
Maximum discharge along the river is currently at the Iowa River At Wapello reporting a streamflow rate of 9,290 cfs. However, the streamgauge with the highest stage along the river is the Iowa River Below Coralville Dam Nr Coralville with a gauge stage of 51.01 ft. This river is monitored from 8 different streamgauging stations along the Iowa River, the highest being situated at an altitude of 1,187 ft, the Iowa River Near Rowan.
River streamflow levels
Daily aggregate streamflow across every monitored gauge along the Iowa River. Use the range buttons to zoom in on a specific period.
Total streamflow
Sum of all monitored streamgauges · daily
Every streamgauge along the Iowa River
All 8 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)▾ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Iowa River Near Rowan
IA
USGS 05449500
|
247 | 4.74 | -4.6 | 36% | 3 | 6,040 | 1,187 |
|
Iowa River At Marshalltown
IA
USGS 05451500
|
1,110 | 11.48 | -1.8 | 45% | 24 | 25,000 | 853 |
|
Iowa River Near Belle Plaine
IA
USGS 05452500
|
2,100 | 9.09 | -3.7 | 71% | 78 | 18,100 | 748 |
|
Iowa River At Marengo
IA
USGS 05453100
|
2,420 | 9.31 | -14.8 | 77% | 77 | 35,600 | 729 |
|
Iowa River Below Coralville Dam Nr Coralville
IA
USGS 05453520
|
2,390 | 51.01 | -5.5 | 70% | 62 | 19,200 | 669 |
|
Iowa River At Iowa City
IA
USGS 05454500
|
2,390 | 11.96 | -6.6 | 67% | 89 | 19,900 | 643 |
|
Iowa River Near Lone Tree
IA
USGS 05455700
|
3,590 | 7.95 | -0.3 | 75% | 144 | 43,600 | 601 |
|
Iowa River At Wapello
IA
USGS 05465500
|
9,290 | 14.42 | -5.2 | 67% | 714 | 106,000 | 554 |
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
Iowa River
The Iowa River is a tributary of the Mississippi River and runs about 329 miles across the state of Iowa. It has been an essential part of Iowa's history, being used for transportation of goods, power generation, and irrigation. The river's hydrology has been significantly impacted by agricultural practices, with high levels of sediment and nutrient runoff leading to water quality issues. Several dams and reservoirs have been constructed along the river to control flooding and provide recreational opportunities, including the Coralville Reservoir and Dam, Lake Red Rock, and the Iowa City Reservoir. These reservoirs provide water for irrigation and recreation, including boating, fishing, and camping. The Iowa River remains an important part of Iowa's landscape and economy, with efforts being made to improve water quality and preserve its ecological health.
Track the Iowa 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 Iowa River
Where does the data for the Iowa 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.