Iowa River at Oakville water level

Name: Iowa River at Oakville 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

6.70ft Up 0.26 ft over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 21, 2026, 02:00 AM CDT (1 hour ago)

Flow: 17,100 cfs

History

7 days

Water level Minor flood stage

What this means

The Iowa River at Oakville is at 6.70 ft, in the normal range.

It is 4.30 ft below the flood stage of 11.00 ft.

It has risen 0.26 ft over the past 24 hours. There is still 4.30 ft of room before flood stage. In the last month it has stayed between 6.19 ft and 6.72 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: 23.22 ftJune 14, 2008

Floating and fishing near Iowa River at Oakville

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

Flood stage here is 11.00 ft, 4.30 ft above the current reading. Beyond it, the National Weather Service also defines moderate and major flood stages.

What happens at each level

20.00 ft: Water nears the top of the levee in Oakville.
15.00 ft: Water affects the south approach to the Iowa Highway 99 bridge near Oakville.
12.00 ft: Flooding of agricultural land is ongoing. Several county roads are under water and closed.
11.50 ft: River Road is under water and the water is a few feet up onto the levee.
11.00 ft: Flood waters begin to impact agricultural land.
10.00 ft: Low lying areas begin taking on water.
6.70 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: 24 %.

Rank	Level	Date
1	23.22 ft	June 14, 2008
2	19.22 ft	July 4, 2014
3	17.57 ft	June 1, 2019
4	17.26 ft	May 31, 2019
5	17.26 ft	April 20, 2013
6	16.27 ft	September 30, 2016
7	15.13 ft	September 9, 2018
8	13.90 ft	February 18, 2011
9	13.70 ft	June 29, 2020
10	13.61 ft	March 20, 2010

Weather at the gauge

Rain in the last 3 days: 0.20 in. Rain that falls upstream can take hours or days to show up at a river gauge.

17 Sat 59° 34° – Wind 8 mph

18 Sun 64° 39° – Wind 15 mph

19 Mon 67° 38° – Wind 7 mph

20 Tue 69° 49° – Wind 7 mph

21 Wed 71° 50° – Wind 9 mph

22 Thu 70° 54° – Wind 6 mph

23 Fri 75° 54° – Wind 13 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:23 AM Sunset 06:16 PM Daylight 10 hr, 53 min Waxing gibbous 75%

Map

Other gauges on the Iowa River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Iowa River at Steamboat RockRiver gauge, Iowa River	6.20 ft	Very high	−0.05 ft	137 mi
Iowa River at MarshalltownRiver gauge, Iowa River	12.75 ft	Below flood stage	−0.35 ft	116 mi
Iowa River at County Highway E49 near TamaRiver gauge, Iowa River	6.70 ft	Below flood stage	−0.49 ft	101 mi
Iowa River near Belle PlaineRiver gauge, Iowa River	11.61 ft	Below flood stage	−0.54 ft	82 mi
Iowa River at MarengoRiver gauge, Iowa River	11.78 ft	Below flood stage	−0.58 ft	71 mi
Iowa River below Coralville Dam near CoralvilleRiver gauge, Iowa River	4,970 cfs	High	−550.0 cfs	49 mi
Iowa River at Iowa CityRiver gauge, Iowa River	14.54 ft	Below flood stage	−0.47 ft	46 mi
Iowa River near Lone TreeRiver gauge, Iowa River	9.75 ft	Below flood stage	−0.18 ft	31 mi
Iowa River at Columbus JunctionRiver gauge, Iowa River	14.56 ft	Very high	+0.18 ft	19 mi
Iowa River at WapelloRiver gauge, Iowa River	17.00 ft	Below flood stage	+0.28 ft	8 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Edwards River near New BostonRiver gauge, Edwards River	14.08 ft	High	−0.08 ft	8 mi
Pope Creek near KeithsburgRiver gauge, Pope Creek	19.86 ft	High	−0.07 ft	8 mi
Henderson Creek near OquawkaRiver gauge, Henderson Creek	15.74 ft	Very high	−0.21 ft	13 mi
Cedar River near ConesvilleRiver gauge, Cedar River	9.85 ft	Below flood stage	±0	24 mi
Big Creek North of Mount PleasantRiver gauge	25.3 cfs	Normal	−2.1 cfs	26 mi
Skunk River at AugustaRiver gauge, Skunk River	7.13 ft	Below flood stage	±0	27 mi
Cedar Creek near Oakland MillsRiver gauge, Cedar Creek	130 cfs	Normal	+8.0 cfs	34 mi

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for the Iowa River at Oakville?

The official flood stage is 11.00 ft. The level is currently 4.30 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 Oakville today?

On Oct 21, 2026, 02:00 AM CDT, the water level was 6.70 ft. Up 0.26 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Iowa River at Oakville rising or falling?

Up 0.26 ft over the last 24 hours. Up 0.09 ft over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Iowa River at Oakville 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 Oakville?

The highest level on record is 23.22 ft on June 14, 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:05465700 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 41.10319, -91.06353 (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	6.70 ft	2026-10-21 07:00	Provisional
Flow	17,100 cfs	2026-10-21 07:00	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Iowa River at Oakville (usgs:05465700). Accessed October 21, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/iowa/iowa-river-at-oakville

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