Upper Iowa River Flow
As of 2026-08-05, the Upper Iowa River is flowing at a combined 1,963 cfs across 3 USGS streamgauges — 145% of normal for this time of year, versus a seasonal average of 1,351 cfs.
Total streamflow across the Upper Iowa River was last observed at 1,963 cfs, and is expected to yield approximately 3,894 acre-ft of water today; about 145% of normal. River levels are high. Average streamflow for this time of year is 1,351 cfs, with recent peaks last observed on 2013-06-24 when daily discharge volume was observed at 34,000 cfs.
Maximum discharge along the river is currently at the Upper Iowa River Near Dorchester reporting a streamflow rate of 827 cfs. This is also the highest stage along the Upper Iowa River, with a gauge stage of 7.79 ft at this location. This river is monitored from 3 different streamgauging stations along the Upper Iowa River, the highest being situated at an altitude of 970 ft, the Upper Iowa River At Bluffton.
River streamflow levels
Daily aggregate streamflow across every monitored gauge along the Upper 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 Upper Iowa River
All 3 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)▾ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Upper Iowa River At Bluffton
IA
USGS 05387440
|
504 | 4.06 | -17.4 | 198% | 9 | 12,300 | 970 |
|
Upper Iowa River At Decorah
IA
USGS 05387500
|
632 | 2.47 | -15.9 | 158% | 12 | 11,300 | 854 |
|
Upper Iowa River Near Dorchester
IA
USGS 05388250
|
827 | 7.79 | -14.6 | 135% | 16 | 18,100 | 668 |
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
Upper Iowa River
The Upper Iowa River is a 156-mile-long tributary of the Mississippi River that flows through the northeast region of Iowa. The river originates in the highlands of Minnesota and flows through a series of rapids, pools, and limestone bluffs before entering the Mississippi. The river has a significant history, with early settlers using it for transportation and powering mills. Today, the river is mainly used for recreational purposes such as fishing, canoeing, and camping. There are several dams and reservoirs along the river, including the Lake Hendricks Dam and the Upper Iowa Dam, which provide hydroelectric power and serve as popular recreational areas. The agricultural industry also benefits from the river, with local farmers using the river for irrigation and livestock watering.
Recreation along the Upper Iowa River
Fishing access and paddle runs Snoflo tracks within the watershed.
Track the Upper 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 Upper Iowa River
How is the Upper Iowa River flowing right now?
As of 2026-08-05, the Upper Iowa River is flowing at a combined 1,963 cfs across its USGS streamgauges, about 145% of normal for this date. The live per-gauge breakdown and 24-hour trend are shown above.
Is the Upper Iowa River running high or low right now?
Check the percent-of-normal figure on this page: above 100% means the river is running higher than its seasonal average for the date, below 100% means lower. The per-gauge table shows which reaches are highest and lowest.
Where does the data for the Upper 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.