West Nishnabotna River river
Total streamflow across the West Nishnabotna River was last observed at 1,120 cfs, and is expected to yield approximately 2,221 acre-ft of water today; about 181% of normal. River levels are high. Average streamflow for this time of year is 618 cfs, with recent peaks last observed on 2025-08-11 when daily discharge volume was observed at 2,639 cfs.
Maximum discharge along the river is currently at the West Nishnabotna River At Randolph reporting a streamflow rate of 794 cfs. This is also the highest stage along the West Nishnabotna River, with a gauge stage of 8.99 ft at this location. This river is monitored from 2 different streamgauging stations along the West Nishnabotna River, the highest being situated at an altitude of 1,089 ft, the West Nishnabotna River At Hancock.
River streamflow levels
Daily aggregate streamflow across every monitored gauge along the West 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 West 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)▾ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
West Nishnabotna River At Hancock
IA
USGS 06807410
|
326 | 2.91 | 6.9 | 61% | 16 | 21,400 | 1,089 |
|
West Nishnabotna River At Randolph
IA
USGS 06808500
|
794 | 8.99 | 0.6 | 50% | 49 | 33,600 | 956 |
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
West Nishnabotna River
The West Nishnabotna River is a tributary of the Nishnabotna River, located in Iowa and Missouri, USA. The river has a length of 92 miles and is named after the Nishnabotna Native American tribe. The river's hydrology is largely influenced by precipitation and agricultural practices in the region. There are several small reservoirs and dams along the river, including the Lenox Reservoir, which was built in the 1940s for flood control and irrigation. The river is used for recreational activities such as fishing, canoeing, and camping. Its watershed is also vital for agricultural purposes, providing water for crops and livestock. However, the river has had issues with water quality due to agricultural runoff and erosion. Conservation efforts have been implemented to improve the health of the West Nishnabotna River.
Recreation along the West Nishnabotna River
Fishing access and paddle runs Snoflo tracks within the watershed.
Track the West 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 West Nishnabotna River
Where does the data for the West 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.