Chariton River near Rathbun water level

Name: Chariton River near Rathbun 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

Normal for mid-October

Water level

4.34ft Down 1.74 ft over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 20, 2026, 05:00 AM CDT (34 min ago)

Flow: 398 cfs

History

7 days

Water level

What this means

The gauge at Chariton River near Rathbun reads 4.34 ft, a normal level for mid-October.

The level is falling, down 1.74 ft over the past 24 hours. Over the past 30 days it has moved between 4.34 ft and 6.15 ft.

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

Compared with 5 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Highest on record: 25.30 ftMarch 31, 1960

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.

Highest crests on record

Rank	Level	Date
1	25.30 ft	March 31, 1960
2	24.00 ft	May 22, 1959
3	23.10 ft	November 4, 1961
4	23.09 ft	September 15, 1961
5	22.98 ft	September 22, 1965
6	21.54 ft	June 23, 1967
7	21.24 ft	August 24, 2007
8	19.90 ft	March 6, 1963
9	19.22 ft	June 24, 1964
10	17.80 ft	July 16, 1982

Weather at the gauge

No rain in the last 3 days.

19 Mon 70° 39° – Wind 9 mph

20 Tue 70° 42° – Wind 8 mph

21 Wed 73° 47° – Wind 6 mph

22 Thu 71° 54° – Wind 7 mph

23 Fri 75° 55° – Wind 14 mph

24 Sat 75° 57° – Wind 16 mph

25 Sun 65° 55° 0.06 in Wind 7 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:29 AM Sunset 06:25 PM Daylight 10 hr, 56 min First quarter 67%

Map

Other gauges on the Chariton River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Chariton River near CharitonRiver gauge, Chariton River	4.54 ft	Below flood stage	−0.03 ft	21 mi
Chariton River near MoultonRiver gauge, Chariton River	21.53 ft	Below flood stage	−1.38 ft	11 mi
Chariton River at NovingerRiver gauge, Chariton River	2.65 ft	Below flood stage	+0.02 ft	42 mi
Chariton River near Prairie HillRiver gauge, Chariton River	3.28 ft	Below flood stage	−0.04 ft	89 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Rathbun Lake near RathbunLake, Rathbun Lake	906.59 ft	Very high	−0.20 ft	0.2 mi
Cooper Creek at CentervilleRiver gauge, Cooper Creek	7.64 ft	Normal	±0	5.2 mi
South Fork Chariton River near Promise CityRiver gauge, South Fork Chariton River	3.16 ft	Below flood stage	−0.01 ft	16 mi
Des Moines River at EddyvilleRiver gauge, Des Moines River	56.61 ft	Very high	−1.02 ft	27 mi
Cedar Creek near BusseyRiver gauge, Cedar Creek	5.14 ft	Below flood stage	−0.08 ft	27 mi
Des Moines River at OttumwaRiver gauge, Des Moines River	7.55 ft	Below flood stage	−0.61 ft	28 mi
Des Moines River near TracyRiver gauge, Des Moines River	8.17 ft	Below flood stage	−0.90 ft	32 mi
English Creek near KnoxvilleRiver gauge, English Creek	8.60 ft	Below flood stage	−0.04 ft	34 mi

Questions and answers

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 Rathbun today?

On Oct 20, 2026, 05:00 AM CDT, the water level was 4.34 ft. Down 1.74 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Chariton River near Rathbun rising or falling?

Down 1.74 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of Chariton River near Rathbun normal?

Normal for mid-October. Compared with 5 years of daily readings for this time of year.

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

The highest level on record is 25.30 ft on March 31, 1960.

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.

Where does this data come from?

The values come directly from the U.S. Geological Survey, the official operator of this gauge, and are in the public domain. We do not estimate or model live values.

For specialists

Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads

Operator: U.S. Geological Survey
Station code: usgs:06903900 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 40.82186, -92.89097 (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	4.34 ft	2026-10-20 10:00	Provisional
Flow	398 cfs	2026-10-20 10:00	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Chariton River near Rathbun (usgs:06903900). Accessed October 20, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/iowa/chariton-river-near-rathbun

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