Middle Raccoon River river
Total streamflow across the Middle Raccoon River was last observed at 242 cfs, and is expected to yield approximately 480 acre-ft of water today; about 151% of normal. River levels are high. Average streamflow for this time of year is 160 cfs, with recent peaks last observed on 2025-06-24 when daily discharge volume was observed at 3,367 cfs.
Maximum discharge along the river is currently at the Middle Raccoon River Near Bayard reporting a streamflow rate of 242 cfs. This is also the highest stage along the Middle Raccoon River, with a gauge stage of 10.29 ft at this location. This river is monitored from 2 different streamgauging stations along the Middle Raccoon River, the highest being situated at an altitude of 1,054 ft, the Middle Raccoon River Near Bayard.
River streamflow levels
Daily aggregate streamflow across every monitored gauge along the Middle Raccoon River. Use the range buttons to zoom in on a specific period.
Total streamflow
Sum of all monitored streamgauges · daily
Every streamgauge along the Middle Raccoon 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)▾ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Middle Raccoon River Near Bayard
IA
USGS 05483450
|
242 | 10.29 | -3.2 | 53% | 12 | 11,600 | 1,054 |
|
Middle Raccoon River At Panora
IA
USGS 05483600
|
215 | 4.71 | 5.9 | 46% | 6 | 7,070 | 997 |
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
Middle Raccoon River
The Middle Raccoon River is a 70-mile-long river located in central Iowa, United States. It has played a significant role in the history of Iowa, serving as a source of water for irrigation, transportation, and industry. The river flows through several counties, including Carroll, Dallas, and Guthrie. The hydrology of the Middle Raccoon River is influenced by several dams and reservoirs, such as the Saylorville Reservoir and the Red Rock Reservoir. These structures help regulate the river's flow, provide flood control, and support recreational activities such as boating, fishing, and camping. The river also supports agricultural activities, including crop irrigation and livestock watering. Despite facing challenges such as pollution and habitat loss, the Middle Raccoon River remains an important natural resource for the state of Iowa.
Recreation along the Middle Raccoon River
Fishing access and paddle runs Snoflo tracks within the watershed.
Track the Middle Raccoon 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 Middle Raccoon River
Where does the data for the Middle Raccoon 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.