Wapsipinicon River river
Total streamflow across the Wapsipinicon River was last observed at 4,244 cfs, and is expected to yield approximately 8,418 acre-ft of water today; about 40% of normal. River levels are low and may signify a drought. Average streamflow for this time of year is 10,700 cfs, with recent peaks last observed on 2018-09-09 when daily discharge volume was observed at 64,950 cfs.
Maximum discharge along the river is currently at the Wapsipinicon River Near De Witt reporting a streamflow rate of 1,950 cfs. However, the streamgauge with the highest stage along the river is the Wapsipinicon River Near Tripoli with a gauge stage of 8.02 ft. This river is monitored from 4 different streamgauging stations along the Wapsipinicon River, the highest being situated at an altitude of 1,019 ft, the Wapsipinicon River Near Tripoli.
River streamflow levels
Daily aggregate streamflow across every monitored gauge along the Wapsipinicon River. Use the range buttons to zoom in on a specific period.
Total streamflow
Sum of all monitored streamgauges · daily
Every streamgauge along the Wapsipinicon River
All 4 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)▾ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Wapsipinicon River Near Tripoli
IA
USGS 05420680
|
170 | 8.02 | 26.9 | 41% | 6 | 13,600 | 1,019 |
|
Wapsipinicon River At Independence
IA
USGS 05421000
|
794 | 5.49 | -7.2 | 48% | 9 | 22,300 | 889 |
|
Wapsipinicon River Near Anamosa
IA
USGS 05421740
|
1,330 | 6.28 | -8.9 | 60% | 53 | 23,500 | 779 |
|
Wapsipinicon River Near De Witt
IA
USGS 05422000
|
1,950 | 7.65 | -7.6 | 61% | 178 | 37,600 | 646 |
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
Wapsipinicon River
The Wapsipinicon River is a 290-mile-long river that flows through Iowa and Minnesota. Its name comes from the Meskwaki word "Wapsie," meaning "white potato," and "Pinicon," meaning "river of the light-colored soil." The river has a rich history, with Native American tribes using it for transportation and fishing, and European settlers using it for mills and power. Today, the Wapsipinicon River is used for recreational activities like fishing, boating, and camping, and for agricultural purposes like irrigation and livestock watering. There are several reservoirs and dams on the river, including the Lake Delhi Dam, which was destroyed in 2010 and rebuilt in 2014, and the Central City Dam, which was built in 1914 and still provides hydroelectric power. Despite occasional flooding, the Wapsipinicon River remains an important part of Iowa's natural and cultural heritage.
Track the Wapsipinicon 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 Wapsipinicon River
Where does the data for the Wapsipinicon 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.