Iowa River at County Highway E49 near Tama water level

Name: Iowa River at County Highway E49 near Tama 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, Iowa River, Iowa, United States

Directions

Below flood stage

Water level

6.75ft Down 0.50 ft over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 20, 2026, 11:00 PM CDT (43 min ago)

Flow: 2,750 cfs

History

7 days

Water level Minor flood stage

What this means

Water levels are unremarkable at Iowa River at County Highway E49 near Tama, where the gauge shows 6.75 ft.

It is 5.75 ft below the flood stage of 12.50 ft.

It is still going down, by 0.50 ft over the past 24 hours. The 30-day range is 6.44 ft – 8.63 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: 15.20 ftMay 28, 2013

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

15.00 ft: Water affects Hwy E49 at Battleground Rd.
14.90 ft: Water affects Hwy E49 where it crosses the Iowa River.
14.30 ft: Water affects US 63 south of Tama near 340th St.
14.20 ft: Water affects Hwy E66 at Hwy V18 south of Chelsea.
14.10 ft: Water is on the edge of the road at Hwy E49 where it crosses the Iowa River.
14.00 ft: Water affects Hwy E49 between D Ave and E Ave.
13.70 ft: Water affects portions of Battleground Rd and Meskwaki Rd.
13.60 ft: Water may cover US 30 east of Le Grand.
13.40 ft: Water affects portions of 340th St at H Ave.
13.30 ft: Water affects 360th St near the intersection with S Ave...or 1 1/4 miles west of Chelsea. The City of Chelsea is inaccessible from the south. Hwy E49 is down to one lane near the Iowa River in the Chelsea area.
13.00 ft: Water may affect the outside lanes of portions of US 30. Water also affects several county roads.
12.80 ft: Water affects portions of C Ave and D Ave from US 30 to the south.
6.75 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	15.20 ft	May 28, 2013
2	15.08 ft	July 3, 2014
3	14.08 ft	December 16, 2015
4	13.95 ft	March 16, 2019
5	13.69 ft	May 24, 2024
6	13.63 ft	August 1, 2025
7	13.39 ft	September 1, 2015
8	13.11 ft	October 1, 2016
9	13.04 ft	September 5, 2018
10	12.53 ft	June 25, 2020

Weather at the gauge

The forecast is not available right now.

Sunrise 07:30 AM Sunset 06:21 PM Daylight 10 hr, 51 min Waxing gibbous 74%

Map

Other gauges on the Iowa River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Iowa River near RowanRiver gauge, Iowa River	4.21 ft	Below flood stage	−0.07 ft	75 mi
Iowa River at Steamboat RockRiver gauge, Iowa River	6.21 ft	Very high	−0.09 ft	38 mi
Iowa River at MarshalltownRiver gauge, Iowa River	12.75 ft	Below flood stage	−0.38 ft	16 mi
Iowa River near Belle PlaineRiver gauge, Iowa River	11.67 ft	Below flood stage	−0.56 ft	20 mi
Iowa River at MarengoRiver gauge, Iowa River	11.85 ft	Below flood stage	−0.55 ft	31 mi
Iowa River below Coralville Dam near CoralvilleRiver gauge, Iowa River	4,970 cfs	High	−480.0 cfs	59 mi
Iowa River at Iowa CityRiver gauge, Iowa River	14.54 ft	Below flood stage	−0.46 ft	60 mi
Iowa River near Lone TreeRiver gauge, Iowa River	9.84 ft	Below flood stage	+0.03 ft	70 mi
Iowa River at Columbus JunctionRiver gauge, Iowa River	14.58 ft	Very high	+0.26 ft	82 mi
Iowa River at WapelloRiver gauge, Iowa River	17.00 ft	Below flood stage	+0.30 ft	93 mi
Iowa River at OakvilleRiver gauge, Iowa River	6.69 ft	Below flood stage	+0.28 ft	101 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Richland Creek near HavenRiver gauge, Richland Creek	76.5 cfs	Very high	−2.8 cfs	9 mi
Timber Creek near MarshalltownRiver gauge, Timber Creek	3.66 ft	Below flood stage	−0.10 ft	12 mi
Walnut Creek near HartwickRiver gauge, Walnut Creek	2.04 ft	Below flood stage	−0.07 ft	16 mi
Salt Creek near ElberonRiver gauge, Salt Creek	7.59 ft	Below flood stage	−0.09 ft	17 mi
Wolf Creek near DysartRiver gauge, Wolf Creek	3.82 ft	Below flood stage	−0.11 ft	26 mi
Big Bear Creek at LadoraRiver gauge, Big Bear Creek	11.89 ft	Below flood stage	−0.07 ft	28 mi
Black Hawk Creek at HudsonRiver gauge, Black Hawk Creek	8.76 ft	Below flood stage	−0.31 ft	32 mi

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for the Iowa River at County Highway E49 near Tama?

The official flood stage is 12.50 ft. The level is currently 5.75 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 Iowa River at County Highway E49 near Tama today?

On Oct 20, 2026, 11:00 PM CDT, the water level was 6.75 ft. Down 0.50 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Iowa River at County Highway E49 near Tama rising or falling?

Down 0.50 ft over the last 24 hours. Down 0.22 ft over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Iowa River at County Highway E49 near Tama normal?

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

What is the highest water level ever recorded at Iowa River at County Highway E49 near Tama?

The highest level on record is 15.20 ft on May 28, 2013.

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:05451770 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 41.96426, -92.63655 (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	6.75 ft	2026-10-21 04:00	Provisional
Flow	2,750 cfs	2026-10-21 04:00	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Iowa River at County Highway E49 near Tama (usgs:05451770). Accessed October 21, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/iowa/iowa-river-at-county-highway-e49-near-tama

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