Des Moines River at 2nd Avenue at Des Moines water level

Name: Des Moines River at 2nd Avenue at Des Moines 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, Des Moines River, Iowa, United States

Directions

Below flood stage

Water level

16.83ft Down 0.38 ft over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 21, 2026, 12:15 AM CDT (1 hour ago)

Flow: 5,560 cfs

History

7 days

Water level Minor flood stage

What this means

The gauge at Des Moines River at 2nd Avenue at Des Moines reads 16.83 ft, a normal level.

It is 6.17 ft below the flood stage of 23.00 ft.

The level is falling, down 0.38 ft over the past 24 hours. Over the past 30 days it has moved between 16.36 ft and 17.83 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: 31.57 ftJune 13, 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 23.00 ft, still 6.17 ft away.

What happens at each level

37.20 ft: This is the top of the Birdland and Central Place levees at 2nd Ave.
33.00 ft: Levee closures occur across 2nd Ave.
30.00 ft: Levee closures occur across Grand Ave...Locust St...Walnut St and Ct Ave in downtown Des Moines.
28.50 ft: Martin Luther King Jr. Parkway is closed from Urbandale Ave to Euclid Ave.
27.70 ft: Water is several feet deep against the Birdland Marina boathouse.
26.50 ft: Euclid Ave is closed from Martin Luther King Jr. Parkway to 16th St.
26.00 ft: Water is across the Polk County Human Services Department parking lot.
25.50 ft: Water affects portions of the Polk County Human Services Department parking lot...on the north side of Euclid Ave and on the west side of the river.
25.00 ft: The levee is closed across Martin Luther King Jr. Parkway north of Clarkson Ave.
24.50 ft: Levee closures occur across Saylor Rd.
23.00 ft: Water affects Birdland Park.
20.50 ft: Prospect Rd is closed from Martin Luther King Jr. Parkway to Hickman Rd.
16.83 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	31.57 ft	June 13, 2008
2	30.16 ft	June 24, 1954
3	27.40 ft	May 31, 1903
4	26.50 ft	June 26, 1947
5	26.08 ft	July 2, 2010
6	25.25 ft	April 1, 1960
7	24.40 ft	May 23, 1944
8	24.00 ft	July 1, 2018
9	23.80 ft	March 31, 1951
10	22.55 ft	March 31, 1961

Weather at the gauge

Rain in the last 3 days: 0.38 in. Rain that falls upstream can take hours or days to show up at a river gauge.

17 Sat 60° 34° – Wind 10 mph

18 Sun 62° 40° – Wind 12 mph

19 Mon 67° 40° – Wind 10 mph

20 Tue 70° 47° – Wind 11 mph

21 Wed 73° 51° 0.00 in Wind 13 mph

22 Thu 76° 60° – Wind 9 mph

23 Fri 76° 56° – Wind 17 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:34 AM Sunset 06:26 PM Daylight 10 hr, 52 min Waxing gibbous 75%

Map

Other gauges on the Des Moines River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Des Moines River at EmmetsburgRiver gauge, Des Moines River	1.19 ft	Below flood stage	−0.07 ft	118 mi
Des Moines River at HumboldtRiver gauge, Des Moines River	4.37 ft	Below flood stage	−0.13 ft	82 mi
Des Moines River at Fort DodgeRiver gauge, Des Moines River	4.93 ft	Below flood stage	−0.12 ft	69 mi
Des Moines River near StratfordRiver gauge, Des Moines River	8.11 ft	Below flood stage	−0.28 ft	48 mi
Des Moines River near SaylorvilleRiver gauge, Des Moines River	4,330 cfs	High	−1,610.0 cfs	5.3 mi
Des Moines River below Raccoon River at Des MoinesRiver gauge, Des Moines River	16.32 ft	Below flood stage	−0.99 ft	2.4 mi
Des Moines River near SwanRiver gauge, Des Moines River	14,800 cfs	High	−2,500.0 cfs	20 mi
Des Moines River near PellaRiver gauge, Des Moines River	16,800 cfs	High	−1,900.0 cfs	37 mi
Des Moines River near TracyRiver gauge, Des Moines River	7.67 ft	Below flood stage	−0.52 ft	45 mi
Des Moines River at EddyvilleRiver gauge, Des Moines River	56.32 ft	Very high	−0.54 ft	60 mi
Des Moines River at OttumwaRiver gauge, Des Moines River	7.35 ft	Below flood stage	−0.46 ft	75 mi
Des Moines River at KeosauquaRiver gauge, Des Moines River	15.72 ft	Below flood stage	−0.76 ft	106 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Raccoon River at Fleur Drive at Des MoinesRiver gauge, Raccoon River	7.06 ft	Below flood stage	−0.68 ft	2.4 mi
Fourmile Creek at Des MoinesRiver gauge, Fourmile Creek	4.30 ft	Below flood stage	−0.04 ft	3.8 mi
Walnut Creek at Des MoinesRiver gauge, Walnut Creek	3.91 ft	Below flood stage	−0.01 ft	4.6 mi
Raccoon River at 63rd Street at Des MoinesRiver gauge, Raccoon River	25.58 ft	Below flood stage	−0.61 ft	5.5 mi
Fourmile Creek near Ankeny, IA DS1River gauge, Fourmile Creek	2.61 ft	Below flood stage	−0.05 ft	8 mi
Beaver Creek near GrimesRiver gauge, Beaver Creek	6.33 ft	Below flood stage	−0.38 ft	8 mi
Raccoon River near West Des MoinesRiver gauge, Raccoon River	31.54 ft	Very high	−0.53 ft	10 mi
North River near NorwalkRiver gauge, North River	8.27 ft	Below flood stage	−0.13 ft	11 mi

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for the Des Moines River at 2nd Avenue at Des Moines?

The official flood stage is 23.00 ft. The level is currently 6.17 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 Des Moines River at 2nd Avenue at Des Moines today?

On Oct 21, 2026, 12:15 AM CDT, the water level was 16.83 ft. Down 0.38 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Des Moines River at 2nd Avenue at Des Moines rising or falling?

Down 0.38 ft over the last 24 hours. Down 0.24 ft over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Des Moines River at 2nd Avenue at Des Moines normal?

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

What is the highest water level ever recorded at Des Moines River at 2nd Avenue at Des Moines?

The highest level on record is 31.57 ft on June 13, 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:05482000 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 41.61194, -93.61972 (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	16.83 ft	2026-10-21 05:15	Provisional
Flow	5,560 cfs	2026-10-21 05:15	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Des Moines River at 2nd Avenue at Des Moines (usgs:05482000). Accessed October 21, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/iowa/des-moines-river-at-2nd-avenue-at-des-moines

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