Iowa River at Marengo water level

Name: Iowa River at Marengo 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

12.39ft Down 0.34 ft over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 20, 2026, 01:00 AM CDT (1 hour ago)

Flow: 4,940 cfs

History

7 days

Water level Minor flood stage

What this means

The Iowa River at Marengo is at 12.39 ft, in the normal range.

It is 2.61 ft below the flood stage of 15.00 ft.

It has dropped 0.34 ft over the past 24 hours. In the last month it has stayed between 11.28 ft and 12.73 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: 21.38 ftJune 12, 2008

Floating and fishing near Iowa River at Marengo

Normal flows mean predictable rapids and good access at most put-ins.

Flood stage here is 15.00 ft, 2.61 ft above the current reading. Beyond it, the National Weather Service also defines moderate and major flood stages.

What happens at each level

24.50 ft: Water reaches the top of the levee at the invert at Highway V66.
23.70 ft: Water reaches the top of the levee invert on the west side of Marengo.
22.00 ft: Water approaches the top of the levee on the south bank at Marengo.
20.90 ft: Water reaches the bottom of the Highway V66 bridge.
19.50 ft: Water affects the Whirlpool Corporation parking lot and southeast exterior of the plant in Middle Amana.
19.00 ft: Homes west of Marengo are affected by floodwaters. Significant flooding of agricultural land.
18.00 ft: Water breaches the mill race dikes near Middle Amana.
17.00 ft: Extensive inundation of agricultural land.
16.00 ft: Water affects agricultural land along the river. Water is several feet deep in places.
15.00 ft: Water reaches the bottom of the levee surrounding Marengo. Water affects low lying agricultural land along the river
14.00 ft: Low lying agricultural land and pastureland along the river upstream of Marengo is affected.
12.39 ft: Right now
11.00 ft: Water affects the lowest agricultural land along the river.

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

Highest crests on record

Chance of at least minor flooding in October to December: 38 %.

Rank	Level	Date
1	21.38 ft	June 12, 2008
2	20.36 ft	May 31, 2013
3	20.31 ft	July 19, 1993
4	20.26 ft	July 12, 1993
5	19.96 ft	July 2, 2014
6	19.79 ft	July 12, 1969
7	19.57 ft	August 19, 1993
8	19.40 ft	March 19, 1979
9	19.21 ft	March 31, 1960
10	19.14 ft	September 6, 2018

Weather at the gauge

Rain in the last 3 days: 0.15 in. Rain that falls upstream can take hours or days to show up at a river gauge.

18 Sun 64° 38° – Wind 15 mph

19 Mon 68° 40° – Wind 8 mph

20 Tue 67° 47° – Wind 8 mph

21 Wed 70° 50° – Wind 10 mph

22 Thu 64° 56° 0.02 in Wind 6 mph

23 Fri 72° 55° – Wind 15 mph

24 Sat 73° 57° 0.01 in Wind 16 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:27 AM Sunset 06:21 PM Daylight 10 hr, 54 min First quarter 66%

Map

Other gauges on the Iowa River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Iowa River near RowanRiver gauge, Iowa River	4.27 ft	Below flood stage	−0.08 ft	103 mi
Iowa River at Steamboat RockRiver gauge, Iowa River	6.26 ft	Very high	−0.16 ft	66 mi
Iowa River at MarshalltownRiver gauge, Iowa River	13.12 ft	Below flood stage	−0.49 ft	47 mi
Iowa River at County Highway E49 near TamaRiver gauge, Iowa River	7.21 ft	Below flood stage	−0.63 ft	31 mi
Iowa River near Belle PlaineRiver gauge, Iowa River	12.19 ft	Below flood stage	−0.54 ft	11 mi
Iowa River below Coralville Dam near CoralvilleRiver gauge, Iowa River	5,470 cfs	Very high	+930 cfs	28 mi
Iowa River at Iowa CityRiver gauge, Iowa River	15.01 ft	Below flood stage	+0.87 ft	29 mi
Iowa River near Lone TreeRiver gauge, Iowa River	9.89 ft	Below flood stage	+0.43 ft	40 mi
Iowa River at Columbus JunctionRiver gauge, Iowa River	14.35 ft	Very high	+0.25 ft	52 mi
Iowa River at WapelloRiver gauge, Iowa River	16.71 ft	Below flood stage	+0.23 ft	63 mi
Iowa River at OakvilleRiver gauge, Iowa River	6.43 ft	Below flood stage	+0.19 ft	71 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Big Bear Creek at LadoraRiver gauge, Big Bear Creek	11.95 ft	Below flood stage	−0.07 ft	7 mi
Salt Creek near ElberonRiver gauge, Salt Creek	7.66 ft	Below flood stage	−0.13 ft	17 mi
Walnut Creek near HartwickRiver gauge, Walnut Creek	2.09 ft	Below flood stage	−0.07 ft	17 mi
Clear Creek near OxfordRiver gauge, Clear Creek	2.75 ft	Below flood stage	−0.07 ft	18 mi
Morgan Creek near CovingtonRiver gauge, Morgan Creek	26.5 cfs	Very high	−1.6 cfs	20 mi
Richland Creek near HavenRiver gauge, Richland Creek	78.6 cfs	Very high	−4.9 cfs	22 mi
Cedar River at Blairs Ferry Road at PaloRiver gauge, Cedar River	6.96 ft	Below flood stage	−0.05 ft	23 mi
Cedar River at Cedar RapidsRiver gauge, Cedar River	6.25 ft	Below flood stage	−0.02 ft	23 mi

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for the Iowa River at Marengo?

The official flood stage is 15.00 ft. The level is currently 2.61 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 Marengo today?

On Oct 20, 2026, 01:00 AM CDT, the water level was 12.39 ft. Down 0.34 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Iowa River at Marengo rising or falling?

Down 0.34 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of Iowa River at Marengo 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 Marengo?

The highest level on record is 21.38 ft on June 12, 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:05453100 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 41.81273, -92.06479 (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	12.39 ft	2026-10-20 06:00	Provisional
Flow	4,940 cfs	2026-10-20 06:00	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Iowa River at Marengo (usgs:05453100). Accessed October 20, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/iowa/iowa-river-at-marengo

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