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SwedenEast Nishnabotna River at Red Oak water level
River gauge, East Nishnabotna River, Iowa, United States
Right now
Below flood stage
Water level
- Flow
- 525 cfs
History
What this means
The East Nishnabotna River at Red Oak is at 8.03 ft, in the normal range.
It is 9.97 ft below the flood stage of 18.00 ft.
It has dropped 0.11 ft over the past 24 hours. In the last month it has stayed between 7.99 ft and 9.23 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
- 29.39 ftJune 15, 1998
Floating and fishing near East Nishnabotna River at Red Oak
Normal flows mean predictable rapids and good access at most put-ins.
Flood stage here is 18.00 ft, 9.97 ft above the current reading. Beyond it, the National Weather Service also defines moderate and major flood stages.
What happens at each level
- 37.00 ft
- Water begins to flow over the Coolbaugh Street bridge at the gage site.
- 36.00 ft
- Water nears the top of the federal levee protecting Red Oak.
- 30.00 ft
- Water approaches the bottom of the bridge at Coolbaugh Street.
- 29.50 ft
- The airport begins to flood.
- 28.50 ft
- West Coolbaugh Street begins to flood.
- 27.00 ft
- 200th Street, also known as H34, begins to flood east of the airport.
- 25.00 ft
- Highway 34 west of Broadway Street begins to flood.
- 22.00 ft
- Buildings between G Avenue and the river begin to flood. Also G Avenue is likely closed due to flooding.
- 20.00 ft
- Lowland flooding begins along the west bank.
- 18.00 ft
- Rural lowlands begin to flood along the east bank.
- 8.03 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: 40 %.
| Rank | Level | Date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 29.39 ft | June 15, 1998 |
| 2 | 27.43 ft | September 13, 1972 |
| 3 | 26.24 ft | May 7, 2007 |
| 4 | 24.61 ft | March 14, 2019 |
| 5 | 24.09 ft | June 13, 2008 |
| 6 | 22.25 ft | June 15, 1991 |
| 7 | 21.98 ft | August 31, 1993 |
| 8 | 21.81 ft | December 14, 2015 |
| 9 | 21.74 ft | September 9, 1989 |
| 10 | 21.25 ft | June 27, 2010 |
Weather at the gauge
Rain in the last 3 days: 1.73 in. Rain that falls upstream can take hours or days to show up at a river gauge.
Forecast: Open-Meteo
Map
Other gauges on the East Nishnabotna River
| Gauge | Level | Compared with normal | 24 hours | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| East Nishnabotna River near AtlanticRiver gauge, East Nishnabotna River | 4.12 ft | Below flood stage | −0.08 ft | 25 mi |
Nearby gauges
| Gauge | Level | Compared with normal | 24 hours | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| East Tarkio Creek near StantonRiver gauge, East Tarkio Creek | 0.43 ft | Below flood stage | −0.02 ft | 9 mi |
| Tarkio River near ElliottRiver gauge, Tarkio River | 2.55 ft | Below flood stage | ±0 | 10 mi |
| Snake Creek near YorktownRiver gauge, Snake Creek | 79.83 ft | Below flood stage | ±0 | 19 mi |
| West Nishnabotna River at RandolphRiver gauge, West Nishnabotna River | 10.22 ft | Below flood stage | −0.07 ft | 20 mi |
| Nodaway River at ClarindaRiver gauge, Nodaway River | 11.17 ft | Below flood stage | −0.03 ft | 22 mi |
| East Nodaway River at Highway 2 near ClarindaRiver gauge, East Nodaway River | 10.02 ft | Below flood stage | −0.05 ft | 24 mi |
| West Nishnabotna River at HancockRiver gauge, West Nishnabotna River | 3.81 ft | Below flood stage | −0.05 ft | 27 mi |
| Offutt Ditch (Bellevue Drain) near Offutt AFBRiver gauge, Offutt Ditch (Bellevue Drain) | 4.02 ft | Below flood stage | −0.13 ft | 34 mi |
Questions and answers
What is flood stage for the East Nishnabotna River at Red Oak?
The official flood stage is 18.00 ft. The level is currently 9.97 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 Nishnabotna River at Red Oak today?
On Oct 21, 2026, 05:00 AM CDT, the water level was 8.03 ft. Down 0.11 ft over the last 24 hours.
Is East Nishnabotna River at Red Oak rising or falling?
Down 0.11 ft over the last 24 hours. Down 0.88 ft over the last 7 days.
Is the level of East Nishnabotna River at Red Oak normal?
Below flood stage. Judged against the official flood stage for this gauge.
What is the highest water level ever recorded at East Nishnabotna River at Red Oak?
The highest level on record is 29.39 ft on June 15, 1998.
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:06809500(Agency page)- Coordinates
41.00903, -95.24136(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 | 8.03 ft | 2026-10-21 10:00 | Provisional |
| Flow | 525 cfs | 2026-10-21 10:00 | Provisional |
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How to cite
U.S. Geological Survey: East Nishnabotna River at Red Oak (usgs:06809500). Accessed October 21, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/iowa/east-nishnabotna-river-at-red-oak
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