East Fork Des Moines River at Dakota City water level

Name: East Fork Des Moines River at Dakota City 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, East Fork Des Moines River, Iowa, United States

Directions

Below flood stage

Water level

9.54ft Down 0.08 ft over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 21, 2026, 01:00 AM CDT (1 hour ago)

Flow: 857 cfs

History

7 days

Water level Minor flood stage

What this means

The gauge at East Fork Des Moines River at Dakota City reads 9.54 ft, a normal level.

It is 10.46 ft below the flood stage of 20.00 ft.

The level is falling, down 0.08 ft over the past 24 hours. Over the past 30 days it has moved between 8.95 ft and 9.71 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: 23.35 ftApril 1, 1993

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 20.00 ft, still 10.46 ft away.

What happens at each level

28.00 ft: Water affects the Humboldt County Museum just northeast of the Dakota City bridge.
24.00 ft: Water affects the Dakota City bridge as well as 20650 acres of agriculural land north and south of town.
22.00 ft: Water affects the Dakota City bridge just south of town.
21.70 ft: Water affects all lower camp sites at, the parking lot at and the entrance to the city park. Water also floods agricultural land on the east side of the river just south of IA 3 bridge.
20.00 ft: Water affects the lower camp sites at the city park on the west side of the river just north of the 1st Ave N bridge. The City of Dakota City is situated on locally high ground and is generally not affected by flooding at this stage.
18.00 ft: Water affects the riverside parking area at the city park just north of the 1st Ave N bridge. Water also completely floods agricultural land on both sides of 170th St.
16.10 ft: Water affects portions of 170th St east of the Foster bridge.
16.00 ft: Water affects the Martin/Marietta gravel pit.
9.54 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	23.35 ft	April 1, 1993
2	23.13 ft	April 9, 1965
3	21.71 ft	August 25, 1979
4	21.65 ft	June 24, 2024
5	21.16 ft	May 18, 1991
6	21.13 ft	March 17, 2010
7	20.48 ft	April 1, 1962
8	19.82 ft	March 20, 2019
9	19.82 ft	June 19, 2014
10	19.80 ft	June 18, 2014

Weather at the gauge

Rain in the last 3 days: 0.76 in. Rain that falls upstream can take hours or days to show up at a river gauge.

17 Sat 61° 31° – Wind 19 mph

18 Sun 64° 41° – Wind 20 mph

19 Mon 65° 41° – 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 07:38 AM Sunset 06:26 PM Daylight 10 hr, 49 min Waxing gibbous 75%

Map

Other gauges on the East Fork Des Moines River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
East Fork Des Moines River near AlgonaRiver gauge, East Fork Des Moines River	7.94 ft	Below flood stage	−0.10 ft	25 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Des Moines River at HumboldtRiver gauge, Des Moines River	4.37 ft	Below flood stage	−0.13 ft	1.4 mi
Boone River near GoldfieldRiver gauge, Boone River	130 cfs	Normal	−13.0 cfs	13 mi
Lizard Creek near Fort DodgeRiver gauge, Lizard Creek	5.97 ft	Very high	−0.15 ft	14 mi
Pilot Creek at County Hwy P15 near RolfeRiver gauge, Pilot Creek	3.55 ft	Very high	−0.19 ft	15 mi
Des Moines River at Fort DodgeRiver gauge, Des Moines River	4.92 ft	Below flood stage	−0.12 ft	15 mi
Boone River near Webster CityRiver gauge, Boone River	3.35 ft	Below flood stage	−0.17 ft	28 mi
Iowa River near RowanRiver gauge, Iowa River	4.21 ft	Below flood stage	−0.06 ft	29 mi
South Fork Iowa River near BlairsburgRiver gauge, South Fork Iowa River	5.26 ft	Very high	−0.11 ft	33 mi

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for the East Fork Des Moines River at Dakota City?

The official flood stage is 20.00 ft. The level is currently 10.46 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 East Fork Des Moines River at Dakota City today?

On Oct 21, 2026, 01:00 AM CDT, the water level was 9.54 ft. Down 0.08 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is East Fork Des Moines River at Dakota City rising or falling?

Down 0.08 ft over the last 24 hours. Up 0.51 ft over the last 7 days.

Is the level of East Fork Des Moines River at Dakota City normal?

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

What is the highest water level ever recorded at East Fork Des Moines River at Dakota City?

The highest level on record is 23.35 ft on April 1, 1993.

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:05479000 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 42.72361, -94.19325 (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	9.54 ft	2026-10-21 06:00	Provisional
Flow	857 cfs	2026-10-21 06:00	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: East Fork Des Moines River at Dakota City (usgs:05479000). Accessed October 21, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/iowa/east-fork-des-moines-river-at-dakota-city

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