Cooper Creek at Centerville water level

Name: Cooper Creek at Centerville 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, Cooper Creek, Iowa, United States

Directions

Normal for mid-October

Water level

7.65ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 19, 2026, 03:30 PM CDT (46 min ago)

Flow: 4.2 cfs

History

7 days 30 days 1 year Years compared

20252026

Water level Normal range (10–90 %)

What this means

Water levels are unremarkable at Cooper Creek at Centerville, where the gauge shows 7.65 ft.

The median for mid-October is 7.76 ft, based on 6 years of readings, so the river stage is 0.11 ft below typical. On the same day last year the reading was 9.02 ft, a difference of −1.37 ft.

It has barely moved over the past 24 hours. The 30-day range is 7.52 ft – 11.34 ft.

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

Compared with 6 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Median for this date: 7.76 ft0.11 ft below the median for this date
Normal for this date: 7.30 ft – 8.45 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (6 years of records)
Same day last year: 9.02 ft−1.37 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days: 7.52 ft – 11.34 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months: 7.24 ft – 15.70 ft
Highest on record: 24.97 ftMay 3, 2024

Paddling and fishing conditions

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

Highest crests on record

Rank	Level	Date
1	24.97 ft	May 3, 2024
2	24.97 ft	July 16, 1982
3	24.05 ft	July 4, 1981
4	21.44 ft	May 14, 1970
5	21.03 ft	June 2, 1980
6	20.88 ft	October 3, 1973
7	20.72 ft	August 7, 2025
8	20.61 ft	March 5, 1976
9	19.71 ft	May 1, 1973
10	19.64 ft	May 17, 1986

Weather at the gauge

Rain in the last 3 days: 0.03 in. Rain that falls upstream can take hours or days to show up at a river gauge.

17 Sat 60° 33° – Wind 10 mph

18 Sun 63° 39° – 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 74° 57° 0.00 in Wind 8 mph

23 Fri 76° 55° – Wind 15 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:28 AM Sunset 06:27 PM Daylight 10 hr, 59 min First quarter 62%

Map

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Chariton River near RathbunRiver gauge, Chariton River	423 cfs	Normal	−402.0 cfs	5.2 mi
Rathbun Lake near RathbunLake, Rathbun Lake	906.59 ft	Very high	−0.20 ft	5.4 mi
Chariton River near MoultonRiver gauge, Chariton River	22.91 ft	Below flood stage	−0.01 ft	6.0 mi
South Fork Chariton River near Promise CityRiver gauge, South Fork Chariton River	3.17 ft	Below flood stage	−0.01 ft	18 mi
Chariton River near CharitonRiver gauge, Chariton River	4.55 ft	Below flood stage	−0.04 ft	25 mi
Des Moines River at OttumwaRiver gauge, Des Moines River	8.13 ft	Below flood stage	±0	29 mi
Des Moines River at EddyvilleRiver gauge, Des Moines River	57.59 ft	Very high	−0.05 ft	30 mi
Spring Creek at StahlRiver gauge, Spring Creek	6.5 cfs	Normal	−1.8 cfs	32 mi

Questions and answers

Is Cooper Creek at Centerville higher than last year?

No, it is 1.37 ft lower than on the same day last year, when the reading was 9.02 ft.

What is a normal level for Cooper Creek at Centerville in mid-October?

The median for mid-October is 7.76 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 7.30 ft and 8.45 ft, based on 6 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 Cooper Creek at Centerville today?

On Oct 19, 2026, 03:30 PM CDT, the water level was 7.65 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Cooper Creek at Centerville rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours. Down 0.08 ft over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Cooper Creek at Centerville normal?

Normal for mid-October. Compared with 6 years of daily readings for this time of year.

What is the highest water level ever recorded at Cooper Creek at Centerville?

The highest level on record is 24.97 ft on May 3, 2024.

For specialists

Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads

Operator: U.S. Geological Survey
Station code: usgs:06903990 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 40.75092, -92.85822 (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	7.65 ft	2026-10-19 20:30	Provisional
Flow	4.2 cfs	2026-10-19 20:30	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Cooper Creek at Centerville (usgs:06903990). Accessed October 19, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/iowa/cooper-creek-at-centerville

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