Des Moines River at St. Francisville water level

Name: Des Moines River at St. Francisville water level (U.S. Geological Survey)
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
License: https://www.usgs.gov/information-policies-and-instructions/copyrights-and-credits

River gauge, Des Moines River, Missouri, United States

Directions

Below flood stage

Water level

14.77ft Down 0.06 ft over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 19, 2026, 05:15 AM CDT (1 hour ago)

Flow: 24,000 cfs

History

7 days

Water level Minor flood stage

What this means

The Des Moines River at St. Francisville is at 14.77 ft, in the normal range.

It is 3.23 ft below the flood stage of 18.00 ft.

It has dropped 0.06 ft over the past 24 hours. In the last month it has stayed between 14.76 ft and 15.49 ft.

Fall is often low-water season on rivers, until steadier rain returns.

Judged against the official flood stage for this gauge. How to read levels

Key numbers

Highest on record: 32.02 ftJuly 15, 1993

Floating and fishing near Des Moines River at St. Francisville

Normal flows mean predictable rapids and good access at most put-ins.

Flood stage here is 18.00 ft, 3.23 ft above the current reading. Beyond it, the National Weather Service also defines moderate and major flood stages.

What happens at each level

33.00 ft: Water affects the gas station in St. Francisville.
32.50 ft: Water affects Route B in St. Francisville a well as a gas station.
31.00 ft: Water reaches the bottom of the St. Francisville toll bridge deck.
30.00 ft: Water overtops some agricultural levees and affects the town of Croton.
25.00 ft: Water affects a few homes in St. Francisville and the Fort Pike access area.
22.00 ft: Water rises over the higher river banks.
21.00 ft: Agricultural flooding occurs in areas along the river not protected by levees.
20.00 ft: The St. Francisville boat ramp is under water.
18.00 ft: Flooding occurs over the lower river banks.
14.77 ft: Right now

Impact statements from the U.S. National Weather Service.

Highest crests on record

Chance of at least minor flooding in October to December: 12 %.

Rank	Level	Date
1	32.02 ft	July 15, 1993
2	30.15 ft	March 14, 1979
3	28.22 ft	January 19, 1973
4	28.21 ft	June 17, 2008
5	27.86 ft	May 29, 2019
6	27.55 ft	June 9, 1947
7	26.55 ft	April 19, 2013
8	26.30 ft	May 18, 1986
9	26.27 ft	April 24, 1976
10	26.15 ft	April 12, 1965

Weather at the gauge

No rain in the last 3 days.

19 Mon 69° 40° – Wind 6 mph

20 Tue 70° 48° – Wind 5 mph

21 Wed 73° 52° – Wind 6 mph

22 Thu 75° 55° – Wind 7 mph

23 Fri 77° 56° – Wind 12 mph

24 Sat 77° 56° – Wind 14 mph

25 Sun 71° 57° 0.02 in Wind 13 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:22 AM Sunset 06:22 PM Daylight 11 hr First quarter 58%

Map

Other gauges on the Des Moines River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Des Moines River near SaylorvilleRiver gauge, Des Moines River	7,040 cfs	Very high	−500.0 cfs	138 mi
Des Moines River at 2nd Avenue at Des MoinesRiver gauge, Des Moines River	17.60 ft	Below flood stage	−0.23 ft	133 mi
Des Moines River below Raccoon River at Des MoinesRiver gauge, Des Moines River	18.10 ft	Below flood stage	−0.33 ft	131 mi
Des Moines River near SwanRiver gauge, Des Moines River	18,100 cfs	High	±0	114 mi
Des Moines River near PellaRiver gauge, Des Moines River	21,800 cfs	Very high	−100.0 cfs	96 mi
Des Moines River near TracyRiver gauge, Des Moines River	9.07 ft	Below flood stage	−0.01 ft	88 mi
Des Moines River at EddyvilleRiver gauge, Des Moines River	57.61 ft	Very high	−0.04 ft	74 mi
Des Moines River at OttumwaRiver gauge, Des Moines River	8.16 ft	Below flood stage	+0.01 ft	58 mi
Des Moines River at KeosauquaRiver gauge, Des Moines River	16.46 ft	Below flood stage	−0.03 ft	28 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Fox River at WaylandRiver gauge, Fox River	1.60 ft	Below flood stage	−0.05 ft	5.1 mi
Wyaconda River above CantonRiver gauge, Wyaconda River	18.9 cfs	Normal	−9.2 cfs	22 mi
Bear Creek near MarcellineRiver gauge, Bear Creek	2.43 ft	Normal	−0.04 ft	25 mi
Skunk River at AugustaRiver gauge, Skunk River	7.09 ft	Below flood stage	−0.38 ft	25 mi
North Fabius River near EwingRiver gauge, North Fabius River	3.31 ft	Below flood stage	−0.02 ft	31 mi
Middle Fabius River near EwingRiver gauge, Middle Fabius River	2.78 ft	Below flood stage	−0.04 ft	31 mi
Cedar Creek near Oakland MillsRiver gauge, Cedar Creek	126 cfs	Normal	−23.0 cfs	32 mi
La Moine River at ColmarRiver gauge, La Moine River	4.35 ft	Normal	−0.06 ft	36 mi

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for the Des Moines River at St. Francisville?

The official flood stage is 18.00 ft. The level is currently 3.23 ft below it.

Is gage height the same as water depth?

No. Gage height is measured from a fixed reference point chosen by the agency, so a reading of 10 ft does not mean the river is 10 ft deep.

What is the water level of Des Moines River at St. Francisville today?

On Oct 19, 2026, 05:15 AM CDT, the water level was 14.77 ft. Down 0.06 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Des Moines River at St. Francisville rising or falling?

Down 0.06 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of Des Moines River at St. Francisville normal?

Below flood stage. Judged against the official flood stage for this gauge.

What is the highest water level ever recorded at Des Moines River at St. Francisville?

The highest level on record is 32.02 ft on July 15, 1993.

How often is this data updated?

The U.S. Geological Survey publishes a new reading every 15 minutes. This page refreshes within minutes of each update.

For specialists

Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads

Operator: U.S. Geological Survey
Station code: usgs:05490600 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 40.46241, -91.56696 (WGS84)
Vertical datum: NAVD88
Update interval: every 15 minutes
Licence: Public domain. Data: U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), provisional data subject to revision

Published series

Parameter	Last value	Time (UTC)	Quality
Water level	14.77 ft	2026-10-19 10:15	Provisional
Flow	24,000 cfs	2026-10-19 10:15	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Des Moines River at St. Francisville (usgs:05490600). Accessed October 19, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/missouri/des-moines-river-at-st-francisville

How we check values

Each reading is stored as published. We hold back values that jump faster than physically plausible and show the measurement time with every value.

Readings are provisional, can be delayed or wrong and are not a flood warning. Read the disclaimer