Fourmile Creek at Des Moines water level

Name: Fourmile Creek 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, Fourmile Creek, Iowa, United States

Directions

Below flood stage

Water level

4.33ft Down 0.05 ft over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 20, 2026, 04:30 AM CDT (1 hour ago)

Flow: 182 cfs

History

7 days

Water level Minor flood stage

What this means

Water levels are unremarkable at Fourmile Creek at Des Moines, where the gauge shows 4.33 ft.

It is 8.17 ft below the flood stage of 12.50 ft.

It is still going down, by 0.05 ft over the past 24 hours. The 30-day range is 4.33 ft – 4.76 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: 17.51 ftJuly 1, 2018

Paddling and fishing conditions

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

For reference, flood stage is 12.50 ft.

What happens at each level

17.50 ft: Water affects Vandalia Rd near US 65.
16.00 ft: Water affects businesses and apartments east of E 33rd St near E Douglas Ave...E Euclid Ave and Hubbell Ave.
14.30 ft: Flooding is likely in the dog park on Hubbell Ave.
14.00 ft: Widespread flooding occurs along the reaches of the creek primarily upstream from Easton Blvd near the Hubbell overpass. Water affects lowland areas of the community center near Easton Blvd.
13.00 ft: Water threatens the low end of the dog park on Hubbell Ave.
12.90 ft: Water affects the grounds of the Reno Dog Park on Hubbell Ave.
12.00 ft: Widespread overflow occurs upstream of Easton Blvd.
4.33 ft: Right now

Impact statements from the U.S. National Weather Service.

Highest crests on record

Rank	Level	Date
1	17.51 ft	July 1, 2018
2	16.87 ft	July 3, 2026
3	16.14 ft	August 11, 2010
4	15.38 ft	July 28, 2008
5	15.14 ft	June 6, 2008
6	15.00 ft	June 18, 1998
7	14.84 ft	June 9, 1974
8	14.64 ft	August 28, 1977
9	14.57 ft	May 23, 2004
10	14.46 ft	July 16, 1982

Weather at the gauge

Rain in the last 3 days: 0.23 in. Rain that falls upstream can take hours or days to show up at a river gauge.

17 Sat 60° 33° – Wind 11 mph

18 Sun 63° 41° – Wind 14 mph

19 Mon 66° 40° – Wind 10 mph

20 Tue 69° 47° – Wind 10 mph

21 Wed 72° 51° 0.00 in Wind 12 mph

22 Thu 75° 59° – Wind 9 mph

23 Fri 76° 56° – Wind 16 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:32 AM Sunset 06:27 PM Daylight 10 hr, 54 min First quarter 67%

Map

Other gauges on Fourmile Creek

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Fourmile Creek near Ankeny, IA DS1River gauge, Fourmile Creek	2.65 ft	Below flood stage	−0.08 ft	7 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Des Moines River at 2nd Avenue at Des MoinesRiver gauge, Des Moines River	17.20 ft	Below flood stage	−0.40 ft	3.8 mi
Des Moines River below Raccoon River at Des MoinesRiver gauge, Des Moines River	17.15 ft	Below flood stage	−0.95 ft	3.9 mi
Raccoon River at Fleur Drive at Des MoinesRiver gauge, Raccoon River	7.66 ft	Below flood stage	−0.70 ft	5.5 mi
Des Moines River near SaylorvilleRiver gauge, Des Moines River	5,930 cfs	High	−1,110.0 cfs	8 mi
Walnut Creek at Des MoinesRiver gauge, Walnut Creek	3.92 ft	Below flood stage	−0.05 ft	8 mi
Raccoon River at 63rd Street at Des MoinesRiver gauge, Raccoon River	26.06 ft	Below flood stage	−0.66 ft	9 mi
Beaver Creek near GrimesRiver gauge, Beaver Creek	6.61 ft	Below flood stage	−0.54 ft	11 mi
North River near NorwalkRiver gauge, North River	8.37 ft	Below flood stage	−0.14 ft	12 mi

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for Fourmile Creek at Des Moines?

The official flood stage is 12.50 ft. The level is currently 8.17 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 Fourmile Creek at Des Moines today?

On Oct 20, 2026, 04:30 AM CDT, the water level was 4.33 ft. Down 0.05 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Fourmile Creek at Des Moines rising or falling?

Down 0.05 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of Fourmile Creek 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 Fourmile Creek at Des Moines?

The highest level on record is 17.51 ft on July 1, 2018.

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:05485640 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 41.61381, -93.54553 (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	4.33 ft	2026-10-20 09:30	Provisional
Flow	182 cfs	2026-10-20 09:30	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Fourmile Creek at Des Moines (usgs:05485640). Accessed October 20, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/iowa/fourmile-creek-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