Black Hawk Creek at Hudson water level

Name: Black Hawk Creek at Hudson 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, Black Hawk Creek, Iowa, United States

Directions

Below flood stage

Water level

9.10ft Down 0.47 ft over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 19, 2026, 09:45 PM CDT (1 hour ago)

Flow: 708 cfs

History

7 days

Water level Minor flood stage

What this means

Water levels are unremarkable at Black Hawk Creek at Hudson, where the gauge shows 9.10 ft.

It is 5.90 ft below the flood stage of 15.00 ft.

It is still going down, by 0.47 ft over the past 24 hours. The 30-day range is 9.10 ft – 10.81 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: 19.03 ftApril 25, 2008

Paddling and fishing conditions

Most paddlers and anglers will find the river in good shape at this stage.

For reference, flood stage is 15.00 ft.

What happens at each level

23.40 ft: Water reaches the bottom of the Iowa 58 bridge.
19.00 ft: Water reaches the top of the levee at Waterloo.
18.80 ft: Water affects the Falls Ave bridge in Waterloo.
18.00 ft: Water affects Hudson...including the 800 block of Dale Dr.
16.00 ft: Water closes Ranchero Rd in Waterloo. Some residential evacuations may occur.
15.00 ft: Water affects Iowa 58 as well as Fletcher Ave and Ridgeway Ave at US 63 in Waterloo. Water also affects Watters Rd. Some residential evacuations may be needed.
14.50 ft: Water affects portions of Ranchero Rd west of US 63.
12.00 ft: Storm sewers in Waterloo back up.
10.00 ft: A few thousand acres of agricultural land west of Hudson are under water.
9.10 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: 15 %.

Rank	Level	Date
1	19.03 ft	April 25, 2008
2	18.96 ft	May 30, 2013
3	18.50 ft	July 1, 2014
4	18.23 ft	July 9, 1969
5	18.12 ft	June 23, 2020
6	17.43 ft	March 15, 2019
7	17.32 ft	June 17, 1990
8	16.94 ft	July 9, 1993
9	16.93 ft	March 31, 1960
10	16.84 ft	June 22, 1974

Weather at the gauge

Rain in the last 3 days: 0.78 in. Rain that falls upstream can take hours or days to show up at a river gauge.

17 Sat 57° 31° – Wind 14 mph

18 Sun 62° 39° – Wind 17 mph

19 Mon 63° 40° – Wind 10 mph

20 Tue 65° 46° – Wind 10 mph

21 Wed 69° 49° 0.02 in Wind 12 mph

22 Thu 70° 56° 0.06 in Wind 9 mph

23 Fri 71° 53° – Wind 15 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:29 AM Sunset 06:21 PM Daylight 10 hr, 52 min First quarter 65%

Map

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Cedar River at WaterlooRiver gauge, Cedar River	7.49 ft	Below flood stage	−0.03 ft	9 mi
Cedar River at Cedar FallsRiver gauge, Cedar River	82.15 ft	Normal	−0.15 ft	9 mi
Wolf Creek near DysartRiver gauge, Wolf Creek	3.94 ft	Below flood stage	−0.15 ft	14 mi
Beaver Creek at New HartfordRiver gauge, Beaver Creek	5.17 ft	Below flood stage	−0.46 ft	14 mi
West Fork Cedar River at FinchfordRiver gauge, West Fork Cedar River	8.79 ft	Below flood stage	−0.17 ft	16 mi
Cedar River at JanesvilleRiver gauge, Cedar River	3.02 ft	Below flood stage	−0.04 ft	17 mi
Shell Rock River at Shell RockRiver gauge, Shell Rock River	8.89 ft	Below flood stage	−0.05 ft	22 mi
Cedar River at WaverlyRiver gauge, Cedar River	5.11 ft	Below flood stage	−0.04 ft	23 mi

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for Black Hawk Creek at Hudson?

The official flood stage is 15.00 ft. The level is currently 5.90 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 Black Hawk Creek at Hudson today?

On Oct 19, 2026, 09:45 PM CDT, the water level was 9.10 ft. Down 0.47 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Black Hawk Creek at Hudson rising or falling?

Down 0.47 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of Black Hawk Creek at Hudson normal?

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

What is the highest water level ever recorded at Black Hawk Creek at Hudson?

The highest level on record is 19.03 ft on April 25, 2008.

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:05463500 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 42.40776, -92.46325 (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	9.10 ft	2026-10-20 02:45	Provisional
Flow	708 cfs	2026-10-20 02:45	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Black Hawk Creek at Hudson (usgs:05463500). Accessed October 20, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/iowa/black-hawk-creek-at-hudson

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