Des Moines River below Raccoon River at Des Moines water level

Name: Des Moines River below Raccoon River 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

16.22ft Down 1.01 ft over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 21, 2026, 04:00 AM CDT (1 hour ago)

Flow: 11,100 cfs

History

7 days

Water level Minor flood stage

What this means

The gauge at Des Moines River below Raccoon River at Des Moines reads 16.22 ft, a normal level.

It is 7.78 ft below the flood stage of 24.00 ft.

The level is falling, down 1.01 ft over the past 24 hours. Over the past 30 days it has moved between 15.39 ft and 18.60 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: 35.55 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 24.00 ft, still 7.78 ft away.

What happens at each level

37.30 ft: This is the top of the levee on the downstream side of SE 6th St.
35.00 ft: Water affects the grass bowl of the Simon Estes Amphitheater.
34.00 ft: Water surrounds Principal Park and approaches its entrances.
30.00 ft: Water from the Des Moines River causes backwater impacts along portions of Fourmile Creek in the Vandalia Rd and S Pleasant Hill Blvd areas.
28.70 ft: Simon Estes Amphitheater is inundated up to intersection of the arcing sidewalks.
28.50 ft: Hartford Ave is closed from SE 22nd St to SE 30th Ct.
26.30 ft: Water affects Arthur St east of Carlisle.
25.70 ft: Water surrounds the base of Simon Estes Amphitheater.
24.00 ft: The bike trail is closed east of Water St. Water affects portions of other bike trails.
16.22 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: 10 %.

Rank	Level	Date
1	35.55 ft	June 13, 2008
2	34.29 ft	July 11, 1993
3	32.06 ft	May 31, 1903
4	31.96 ft	June 26, 1947
5	31.24 ft	June 24, 1954
6	30.14 ft	June 26, 2015
7	29.83 ft	July 2, 2010
8	29.78 ft	April 11, 1965
9	29.16 ft	March 16, 2019
10	28.91 ft	March 31, 1951

Weather at the gauge

Rain in the last 3 days: 0.25 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° 39° – Wind 13 mph

19 Mon 67° 39° – Wind 11 mph

20 Tue 70° 47° – Wind 11 mph

21 Wed 73° 51° 0.00 in Wind 12 mph

22 Thu 76° 59° – Wind 9 mph

23 Fri 76° 56° – Wind 16 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:34 AM Sunset 06:26 PM Daylight 10 hr, 52 min Waxing gibbous 76%

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	1.17 ft	Below flood stage	−0.07 ft	121 mi
Des Moines River at HumboldtRiver gauge, Des Moines River	4.35 ft	Below flood stage	−0.13 ft	85 mi
Des Moines River at Fort DodgeRiver gauge, Des Moines River	4.91 ft	Below flood stage	−0.11 ft	71 mi
Des Moines River near StratfordRiver gauge, Des Moines River	8.06 ft	Below flood stage	−0.29 ft	51 mi
Des Moines River near SaylorvilleRiver gauge, Des Moines River	4,320 cfs	High	−1,610.0 cfs	8 mi
Des Moines River at 2nd Avenue at Des MoinesRiver gauge, Des Moines River	16.82 ft	Below flood stage	−0.38 ft	2.4 mi
Des Moines River near SwanRiver gauge, Des Moines River	14,500 cfs	High	−2,500.0 cfs	18 mi
Des Moines River near PellaRiver gauge, Des Moines River	16,800 cfs	High	−1,800.0 cfs	36 mi
Des Moines River near TracyRiver gauge, Des Moines River	7.60 ft	Below flood stage	−0.57 ft	44 mi
Des Moines River at EddyvilleRiver gauge, Des Moines River	56.02 ft	Very high	−0.59 ft	58 mi
Des Moines River at OttumwaRiver gauge, Des Moines River	7.21 ft	Below flood stage	−0.33 ft	73 mi
Des Moines River at KeosauquaRiver gauge, Des Moines River	15.71 ft	Below flood stage	−0.73 ft	104 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Raccoon River at Fleur Drive at Des MoinesRiver gauge, Raccoon River	6.98 ft	Below flood stage	−0.68 ft	1.9 mi
Fourmile Creek at Des MoinesRiver gauge, Fourmile Creek	4.30 ft	Below flood stage	−0.03 ft	3.9 mi
Walnut Creek at Des MoinesRiver gauge, Walnut Creek	3.89 ft	Below flood stage	−0.03 ft	5.1 mi
Raccoon River at 63rd Street at Des MoinesRiver gauge, Raccoon River	25.46 ft	Below flood stage	−0.62 ft	5.2 mi
North River near NorwalkRiver gauge, North River	8.25 ft	Below flood stage	−0.13 ft	9 mi
Raccoon River near West Des MoinesRiver gauge, Raccoon River	31.49 ft	High	−0.52 ft	10 mi
Fourmile Creek near Ankeny, IA DS1River gauge, Fourmile Creek	2.60 ft	Below flood stage	−0.06 ft	10 mi
Beaver Creek near GrimesRiver gauge, Beaver Creek	6.28 ft	Below flood stage	−0.35 ft	10 mi

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for the Des Moines River below Raccoon River at Des Moines?

The official flood stage is 24.00 ft. The level is currently 7.78 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 below Raccoon River at Des Moines today?

On Oct 21, 2026, 04:00 AM CDT, the water level was 16.22 ft. Down 1.01 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Des Moines River below Raccoon River at Des Moines rising or falling?

Down 1.01 ft over the last 24 hours. Down 0.20 ft over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Des Moines River below Raccoon River 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 below Raccoon River at Des Moines?

The highest level on record is 35.55 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:05485500 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 41.57858, -93.60561 (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	16.22 ft	2026-10-21 09:00	Provisional
Flow	11,100 cfs	2026-10-21 09:00	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Des Moines River below Raccoon River at Des Moines (usgs:05485500). Accessed October 21, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/iowa/des-moines-river-below-raccoon-river-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