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SwedenCedar River at Cedar Falls water level
River gauge, Cedar River, Iowa, United States
Right now
Normal for mid-October
Water level
- Flow
- 5,880 cfs
History
What this means
The gauge at Cedar River at Cedar Falls reads 82.20 ft, a normal level for mid-October.
The median for mid-October is 83.10 ft, based on 12 years of readings, so the river stage is 0.90 ft below typical. It is 6.80 ft below the flood stage of 89.00 ft.
The water is rising: up 0.13 ft over the past 24 hours. There is still 6.80 ft of room before flood stage. Over the past 30 days it has moved between 81.14 ft and 82.20 ft.
Fall is often low-water season on rivers, until steadier rain returns.
Compared with 12 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels
Key numbers
- Median for this date
- 83.10 ft0.90 ft below the median for this date
- Normal for this date
- 79.82 ft – 84.48 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (12 years of records)
- Highest on record
- 102.10 ftJune 10, 2008
What the stage means on the water
A normal level is usually prime time for floating and wade fishing, as long as the weather holds upstream.
The National Weather Service puts flood stage for this gauge at 89.00 ft, still 6.80 ft away.
What happens at each level
- 101.40 ft
- The 18th St and Main St intersection is closed.
- 100.80 ft
- The US 218 northbound lanes are closed.
- 100.70 ft
- Center St is closed south of Janesville.
- 98.90 ft
- The westbound lane of Iowa 57 is closed east of the Cedar River bridge.
- 98.00 ft
- Water affects Dunkerton Rd between Center St and Big Woods Rd.
- 97.90 ft
- Water affects the westbound lanes of Iowa 57 east of the Cedar River bridge.
- 97.80 ft
- Water affects the 200 block of E Lone Tree Rd.
- 96.00 ft
- Water affects the 1500 to 1700 blocks of Center St between the Brown Bottle and Cottage Row Rd.
- 95.90 ft
- Water affects Lone Tree Rd...the 200 and 300 blocks of Lone Tree Rd and the 2000 block of Lincoln St east of 1821 Lincoln St. Waterloo Rd is closed at Cedar Falls Utilities. Water affects trailers at 1002 Clair St as well as the south end of Timothy St.
- 95.40 ft
- Water affects Waterloo Rd at Utility Parkway.
- 94.90 ft
- Water affects Fitkin Rd.
- 93.80 ft
- Water affects Cedar City...the road at 216 E Lake St...and the north edge of the road at 2125 Lone Tree Rd.
- 82.20 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 | 102.10 ft | June 10, 2008 |
| 2 | 98.90 ft | September 24, 2016 |
| 3 | 96.20 ft | July 23, 1999 |
| 4 | 96.10 ft | March 21, 1961 |
| 5 | 95.36 ft | September 23, 2018 |
| 6 | 95.05 ft | March 17, 2019 |
| 7 | 94.55 ft | June 22, 2014 |
| 8 | 93.85 ft | May 31, 2013 |
| 9 | 93.73 ft | June 26, 2024 |
| 10 | 93.65 ft | March 15, 2010 |
Weather at the gauge
The forecast is not available right now.
Map
Other gauges on the Cedar River
| Gauge | Level | Compared with normal | 24 hours | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cedar River near AustinRiver gauge, Cedar River | 4.24 ft | Below flood stage | −0.11 ft | 81 mi |
| Cedar River at Charles CityRiver gauge, Cedar River | 4.06 ft | Below flood stage | +0.03 ft | 38 mi |
| Cedar River at WaverlyRiver gauge, Cedar River | 5.10 ft | Below flood stage | +0.03 ft | 14 mi |
| Cedar River at JanesvilleRiver gauge, Cedar River | 2.95 ft | Below flood stage | +0.27 ft | 8 mi |
| Cedar River at WaterlooRiver gauge, Cedar River | 7.49 ft | Below flood stage | +0.01 ft | 6 mi |
| Cedar River at VintonRiver gauge, Cedar River | 7.01 ft | Below flood stage | +0.24 ft | 33 mi |
| Cedar River at Blairs Ferry Road at PaloRiver gauge, Cedar River | 6.99 ft | Below flood stage | +0.35 ft | 47 mi |
| Cedar River at Edgewood Road at Cedar RapidsRiver gauge, Cedar River | 5.36 ft | No reference yet | +0.16 ft | 52 mi |
| Cedar River at Cedar RapidsRiver gauge, Cedar River | 6.22 ft | Below flood stage | +0.28 ft | 56 mi |
| Cedar River below Indian Creek at Cedar RapidsRiver gauge, Cedar River | 9,950 cfs | Normal | +820 cfs | 59 mi |
| Cedar River at Cedar BluffRiver gauge, Cedar River | 8.61 ft | Below flood stage | +0.36 ft | 78 mi |
| Cedar River near ConesvilleRiver gauge, Cedar River | 9.48 ft | Below flood stage | +0.23 ft | 98 mi |
Nearby gauges
| Gauge | Level | Compared with normal | 24 hours | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| West Fork Cedar River at FinchfordRiver gauge, West Fork Cedar River | 8.99 ft | Below flood stage | −0.01 ft | 8 mi |
| Black Hawk Creek at HudsonRiver gauge, Black Hawk Creek | 9.72 ft | Below flood stage | −0.78 ft | 9 mi |
| Beaver Creek at New HartfordRiver gauge, Beaver Creek | 5.79 ft | Below flood stage | −0.74 ft | 9 mi |
| Shell Rock River at Shell RockRiver gauge, Shell Rock River | 8.94 ft | Below flood stage | +0.06 ft | 14 mi |
| Wolf Creek near DysartRiver gauge, Wolf Creek | 4.14 ft | Below flood stage | −0.25 ft | 21 mi |
| Wapsipinicon River near TripoliRiver gauge, Wapsipinicon River | 9.47 ft | Below flood stage | −0.13 ft | 23 mi |
| Little Wapsipinicon River near OranRiver gauge, Little Wapsipinicon River | 83.68 ft | Below flood stage | −0.57 ft | 24 mi |
Questions and answers
What is flood stage for the Cedar River at Cedar Falls?
The official flood stage is 89.00 ft. The level is currently 6.80 ft below it.
What is a normal level for the Cedar River at Cedar Falls in mid-October?
The median for mid-October is 83.10 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 79.82 ft and 84.48 ft, based on 12 years of records.
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 Cedar River at Cedar Falls today?
On Oct 18, 2026, 04:45 PM CDT, the water level was 82.20 ft. Up 0.13 ft over the last 24 hours.
Is Cedar River at Cedar Falls rising or falling?
Up 0.13 ft over the last 24 hours.
Is the level of Cedar River at Cedar Falls normal?
Normal for mid-October. Compared with 12 years of daily readings for this time of year.
What is the highest water level ever recorded at Cedar River at Cedar Falls?
The highest level on record is 102.10 ft on June 10, 2008.
For specialists
Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads
- Operator
- U.S. Geological Survey
- Station code
usgs:05463050(Agency page)- Coordinates
42.53757, -92.44349(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 | 82.20 ft | 2026-10-18 21:45 | Provisional |
| Flow | 5,880 cfs | 2026-10-18 21:45 | Provisional |
Download
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How to cite
U.S. Geological Survey: Cedar River at Cedar Falls (usgs:05463050). Accessed October 18, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/iowa/cedar-river-at-cedar-falls
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