Chariton River near Moulton water level

Name: Chariton River near Moulton 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, Chariton River, Iowa, United States

Directions

Below flood stage

Water level

21.19ft Down 1.64 ft over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 20, 2026, 05:45 PM CDT (43 min ago)

Flow: 439 cfs

History

7 days

Water level Minor flood stage

What this means

Water levels are unremarkable at Chariton River near Moulton, where the gauge shows 21.19 ft.

It is 14.81 ft below the flood stage of 36.00 ft.

It is still going down, by 1.64 ft over the past 24 hours. The 30-day range is 21.19 ft – 22.95 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: 45.00 ftJune 1, 1947

Paddling and fishing conditions

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

For reference, flood stage is 36.00 ft.

What happens at each level

44.70 ft: Water approaches the top of the curb of the 543rd St bridge.
38.00 ft: Water affects the east approach to the 543rd St bridge.
35.50 ft: Water affects 285th Ave near Sedan Bottoms...or just east of the intersection of 285th Ave and 570th St.
21.19 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: < 5 %.

Rank	Level	Date
1	45.00 ft	June 1, 1947
2	37.94 ft	August 25, 2007
3	37.12 ft	July 21, 2010
4	36.83 ft	July 16, 1982
5	36.56 ft	April 18, 2013
6	36.22 ft	June 25, 2015
7	36.17 ft	July 5, 1981
8	35.81 ft	July 9, 2008
9	35.64 ft	June 27, 2011
10	35.55 ft	May 29, 2019

Weather at the gauge

No rain in the last 3 days.

17 Sat 60° 32° – Wind 10 mph

18 Sun 63° 37° – Wind 15 mph

19 Mon 67° 38° – Wind 10 mph

20 Tue 69° 49° – Wind 9 mph

21 Wed 72° 51° 0.01 in Wind 10 mph

22 Thu 75° 57° 0.00 in Wind 8 mph

23 Fri 76° 55° – Wind 15 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:28 AM Sunset 06:25 PM Daylight 10 hr, 57 min Waxing gibbous 72%

Map

Other gauges on the Chariton River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Chariton River near CharitonRiver gauge, Chariton River	4.52 ft	Below flood stage	−0.03 ft	31 mi
Chariton River near RathbunRiver gauge, Chariton River	398 cfs	Normal	−5.0 cfs	11 mi
Chariton River at NovingerRiver gauge, Chariton River	3.11 ft	Below flood stage	+0.47 ft	32 mi
Chariton River near Prairie HillRiver gauge, Chariton River	3.28 ft	Below flood stage	−0.02 ft	80 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Cooper Creek at CentervilleRiver gauge, Cooper Creek	7.63 ft	Normal	−0.02 ft	6.0 mi
Rathbun Lake near RathbunLake, Rathbun Lake	906.59 ft	Very high	−0.20 ft	11 mi
South Fork Chariton River near Promise CityRiver gauge, South Fork Chariton River	3.16 ft	Below flood stage	−0.01 ft	23 mi
Spring Creek at StahlRiver gauge, Spring Creek	7.7 cfs	Normal	+0.6 cfs	28 mi
Des Moines River at OttumwaRiver gauge, Des Moines River	7.33 ft	Below flood stage	−0.81 ft	29 mi
Des Moines River at EddyvilleRiver gauge, Des Moines River	56.46 ft	Very high	−1.12 ft	33 mi
East Locust Creek near BoyntonRiver gauge, East Locust Creek	6.7 cfs	High	−0.3 cfs	34 mi

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for the Chariton River near Moulton?

The official flood stage is 36.00 ft. The level is currently 14.81 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 Chariton River near Moulton today?

On Oct 20, 2026, 05:45 PM CDT, the water level was 21.19 ft. Down 1.64 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Chariton River near Moulton rising or falling?

Down 1.64 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of Chariton River near Moulton normal?

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

What is the highest water level ever recorded at Chariton River near Moulton?

The highest level on record is 45.00 ft on June 1, 1947.

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:06904010 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 40.69253, -92.77258 (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	21.19 ft	2026-10-20 22:45	Provisional
Flow	439 cfs	2026-10-20 22:45	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Chariton River near Moulton (usgs:06904010). Accessed October 20, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/iowa/chariton-river-near-moulton

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