Des Moines River at Humboldt water level

Name: Des Moines River at Humboldt 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

4.58ft Down 0.15 ft over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 19, 2026, 05:30 PM CDT (31 min ago)

Flow: 848 cfs

History

7 days

Water level Minor flood stage

What this means

Water levels are unremarkable at Des Moines River at Humboldt, where the gauge shows 4.58 ft.

It is 5.42 ft below the flood stage of 10.00 ft.

It is still going down, by 0.15 ft over the past 24 hours. The 30-day range is 4.30 ft – 4.83 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: 16.82 ftJune 27, 2024

Paddling and fishing conditions

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

For reference, flood stage is 10.00 ft.

What happens at each level

17.00 ft: Water affects the Berkhimer Bridge deck on 215th St north of Humboldt. Water is 2 to 3 ft high on some homes on the north end of W Fork Dr, Country Club Dr and W River Dr. Water affects the lower section of Lower Sheldon Park. Homes along 9th St S are getting water in their basements. In Bradgate, water covers the majority of the south side of town. Water affects fields and roadways on the north side of town.
16.00 ft: Water affects homes along the west end of W River Rd and along May St. Water affects 15th St N between 7th and 8th Ave N and the boat ramp at the Reasoner dam. Water floods Tourist Park. In Bradgate, water affects the city well area, Fox St E and Minturn St south from Percy to the south edge of town. Water affects the park at Minturn St N and E King St. In Rutland, water covers the turnaround area near the dam and affects the campground grass field.
15.00 ft: Water affects the area south of 13th Ave S. Backup water flows north from the recycling plant to 11th Ave S and affects homes. In Bradgate, water affects the west side of town from Public St to Garfield St S south of King St. In Rutland, water affects the campground areas but does not back up through the creek or drainage ditch.
14.00 ft: Homes along the far west side and W River Dr have water 2 to 3 ft from their foundations. The homes east have water in their back yards. In Bradgate, water affects the parking and facility lots of the cooperative in town. Homes on the west side of town see water in their yards.
13.00 ft: Water affects homes along Country Club Ln from 20-160. Homes from 15-21 W Fork Dr are seeing flood waters nearing their foundations and sandbagging begins. Homeowners along 9th St S from 9th Ave S to 13th Ave S are seeing water over the banks but not threatening homes. In Bradgate, water is up to the foundations of homes on the west Side of Public Road in town. No other flooding in town is noted due to the river. Water covers 180th St from Colorado Ave to Delaware Ave.
12.00 ft: Water affects homes from 22-24 W Fork Dr and affects Tourist Park. In Bradgate, water affects agricultural land west, north and south of town getting deeper and spreading out but not impacting homes in town.
11.00 ft: Water affects homes from 20 to 160 Country Club Ln. Water is out of the banks along W Fork Rd north of IA 3. Water is 3 to 4 ft from foundations. Water affects Tourist Park south of Sumner Ave. Homes along W River road have water in some of the backyards. In Bradgate, water affects Arizona Ave from 160th St to 165th St. Water affects Public Rd or 180th St from town to Colorado Ave. Water is up to Public Rd in the city limits.
10.00 ft: Water affects the Cottonwood trail from the dam south.
9.50 ft: Water affects homes from 120 through 160 Country Club Ln. In Bradgate, water affects portions of Arizona Ave north of town between 160th St and 165th St, portions of Public Rd/180th St from town south to Colorado Ave, portions of 190th St south of town from Elm Ave to Florida Ave and Pilot Creek Rd at 465th St northwest of Bradgate.
9.00 ft: Water affects docks of homes along Country Club Ln and house backyards along W Fork Rd and W River Dr. In Bradgate, water affects agricultural land along Arizona Ave from 150th to 160th St and along Public Rd/180th St from Bradgate south to Colorado Ave.
8.00 ft: Water begins affecting docks of homes along the County Club Ln. In Bradgate, water begins affecting the natural land near the river. No roads are impacted.
4.58 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: 9 %.

Rank	Level	Date
1	16.82 ft	June 27, 2024
2	15.40 ft	April 14, 1969
3	15.22 ft	July 13, 1993
4	14.95 ft	March 20, 2019
5	13.90 ft	April 8, 1965
6	13.50 ft	July 6, 2018
7	13.46 ft	June 20, 2014
8	12.50 ft	June 18, 1984
9	12.31 ft	June 29, 2010
10	12.20 ft	June 23, 1947

Weather at the gauge

Rain in the last 3 days: 0.78 in. Rain that falls upstream can take hours or days to show up at a river gauge.

17 Sat 61° 31° – Wind 18 mph

18 Sun 63° 41° – Wind 19 mph

19 Mon 65° 40° – Wind 11 mph

20 Tue 67° 48° – Wind 13 mph

21 Wed 72° 51° 0.08 in Wind 14 mph

22 Thu 74° 56° – Wind 10 mph

23 Fri 76° 58° – Wind 19 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:35 AM Sunset 06:30 PM Daylight 10 hr, 54 min First quarter 63%

Map

Other gauges on the Des Moines River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Des Moines River above WindomRiver gauge, Des Moines River	9.59 ft	Below flood stage	+0.22 ft	94 mi
Des Moines River at JacksonRiver gauge, Des Moines River	6.97 ft	Below flood stage	±0	73 mi
Des Moines River at EsthervilleRiver gauge, Des Moines River	2.32 ft	Normal	−0.03 ft	57 mi
Des Moines River at EmmetsburgRiver gauge, Des Moines River	1.30 ft	Below flood stage	−0.13 ft	37 mi
Des Moines River at Fort DodgeRiver gauge, Des Moines River	5.08 ft	Below flood stage	−0.10 ft	15 mi
Des Moines River near StratfordRiver gauge, Des Moines River	8.49 ft	Below flood stage	−0.39 ft	34 mi
Des Moines River near SaylorvilleRiver gauge, Des Moines River	6,010 cfs	High	−1,090.0 cfs	77 mi
Des Moines River at 2nd Avenue at Des MoinesRiver gauge, Des Moines River	17.26 ft	Below flood stage	−0.42 ft	82 mi
Des Moines River below Raccoon River at Des MoinesRiver gauge, Des Moines River	17.44 ft	Below flood stage	−0.80 ft	85 mi
Des Moines River near SwanRiver gauge, Des Moines River	17,700 cfs	High	−400.0 cfs	98 mi
Des Moines River near PellaRiver gauge, Des Moines River	18,900 cfs	Very high	−3,100.0 cfs	113 mi
Des Moines River near TracyRiver gauge, Des Moines River	8.54 ft	Below flood stage	−0.54 ft	121 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
East Fork Des Moines River at Dakota CityRiver gauge, East Fork Des Moines River	9.62 ft	Below flood stage	+0.22 ft	1.4 mi
Lizard Creek near Fort DodgeRiver gauge, Lizard Creek	6.17 ft	Very high	−0.19 ft	13 mi
Pilot Creek at County Hwy P15 near RolfeRiver gauge, Pilot Creek	3.83 ft	High	−0.33 ft	14 mi
Boone River near GoldfieldRiver gauge, Boone River	151 cfs	Normal	−15.0 cfs	14 mi
East Fork Des Moines River near AlgonaRiver gauge, East Fork Des Moines River	8.10 ft	Below flood stage	−0.08 ft	25 mi
Boone River near Webster CityRiver gauge, Boone River	3.58 ft	Below flood stage	−0.24 ft	29 mi
Iowa River near RowanRiver gauge, Iowa River	4.29 ft	Below flood stage	−0.05 ft	31 mi
South Fork Iowa River near BlairsburgRiver gauge, South Fork Iowa River	5.40 ft	Very high	−0.19 ft	34 mi

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for the Des Moines River at Humboldt?

The official flood stage is 10.00 ft. The level is currently 5.42 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 Humboldt today?

On Oct 19, 2026, 05:30 PM CDT, the water level was 4.58 ft. Down 0.15 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Des Moines River at Humboldt rising or falling?

Down 0.15 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of Des Moines River at Humboldt 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 Humboldt?

The highest level on record is 16.82 ft on June 27, 2024.

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:05476750 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 42.71944, -94.22028 (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	4.58 ft	2026-10-19 22:30	Provisional
Flow	848 cfs	2026-10-19 22:30	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Des Moines River at Humboldt (usgs:05476750). Accessed October 19, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/iowa/des-moines-river-at-humboldt

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