Iowa River at Steamboat Rock water level

Name: Iowa River at Steamboat Rock 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

Very high for late October

Water level

6.20ft Down 0.08 ft over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 21, 2026, 01:00 AM CDT (19 min ago)

History

7 days 30 days 1 year Years compared

20252026

Water level Normal range (10–90 %) Minor flood stage

What this means

The gauge at Iowa River at Steamboat Rock shows 6.20 ft, well above normal for late October.

That puts it 0.68 ft above the median of 5.52 ft for late October, based on 6 years of readings. It is 4.80 ft below the flood stage of 11.00 ft. A year ago it stood at 5.71 ft (+0.49 ft).

The level is falling, down 0.08 ft over the past 24 hours. Over the past 30 days it has moved between 5.95 ft and 7.90 ft.

That stands out in fall, when many rivers are usually near their lowest.

Compared with 6 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Median for this date: 5.52 ft0.68 ft above the median for this date
Normal for this date: 5.41 ft – 5.74 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (6 years of records)
Same day last year: 5.71 ft+0.49 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days: 5.95 ft – 7.90 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months: 5.42 ft – 8.43 ft
Highest on record: 17.86 ftJune 8, 2008
Lowest on record: 4.35 ftSeptember 15, 2011

High water at Iowa River at Steamboat Rock

The National Weather Service splits flooding into minor, moderate and major flood stage, each tied to what starts to go under water at this particular gauge. Minor flooding usually means low roads, parks and farmland; major flooding reaches homes and businesses.

Keep children and dogs well back from the edge, and stay off flooded footpaths and towpaths.

Highest crests on record

Rank	Level	Date
1	17.86 ft	June 8, 2008
2	16.42 ft	March 8, 1965
3	16.22 ft	March 7, 1996
4	16.09 ft	January 2, 2016
5	15.79 ft	December 18, 1996
6	15.20 ft	December 18, 2016
7	13.94 ft	May 30, 2013
8	13.75 ft	June 26, 2010
9	13.64 ft	April 4, 1993
10	13.46 ft	June 23, 2014

Weather at the gauge

Rain in the last 3 days: 0.91 in. Rain that falls upstream can take hours or days to show up at a river gauge.

17 Sat 60° 31° – Wind 17 mph

18 Sun 63° 41° – Wind 20 mph

19 Mon 64° 39° – Wind 11 mph

20 Tue 67° 47° – Wind 11 mph

21 Wed 70° 49° 0.00 in Wind 13 mph

22 Thu 73° 58° 0.01 in Wind 10 mph

23 Fri 74° 55° – Wind 16 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:33 AM Sunset 06:22 PM Daylight 10 hr, 50 min Waxing gibbous 75%

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	−0.06 ft	37 mi
Iowa River at MarshalltownRiver gauge, Iowa River	12.77 ft	Below flood stage	−0.41 ft	25 mi
Iowa River at County Highway E49 near TamaRiver gauge, Iowa River	6.73 ft	Below flood stage	−0.50 ft	38 mi
Iowa River near Belle PlaineRiver gauge, Iowa River	11.66 ft	Below flood stage	−0.55 ft	56 mi
Iowa River at MarengoRiver gauge, Iowa River	11.83 ft	Below flood stage	−0.58 ft	66 mi
Iowa River below Coralville Dam near CoralvilleRiver gauge, Iowa River	4,970 cfs	High	−530.0 cfs	92 mi
Iowa River at Iowa CityRiver gauge, Iowa River	14.54 ft	Below flood stage	−0.46 ft	94 mi
Iowa River near Lone TreeRiver gauge, Iowa River	9.79 ft	Below flood stage	−0.05 ft	107 mi
Iowa River at Columbus JunctionRiver gauge, Iowa River	14.59 ft	Very high	+0.25 ft	118 mi
Iowa River at WapelloRiver gauge, Iowa River	17.00 ft	Below flood stage	+0.29 ft	129 mi
Iowa River at OakvilleRiver gauge, Iowa River	6.70 ft	Below flood stage	+0.28 ft	137 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
South Fork Iowa River NE of New ProvidenceRiver gauge	411 cfs	Very high	−67.0 cfs	8 mi
Beaver Creek at New HartfordRiver gauge, Beaver Creek	4.78 ft	Below flood stage	−0.34 ft	26 mi
South Fork Iowa River near BlairsburgRiver gauge, South Fork Iowa River	5.27 ft	Very high	−0.11 ft	28 mi
Timber Creek near MarshalltownRiver gauge, Timber Creek	3.66 ft	Below flood stage	−0.09 ft	30 mi
West Fork Cedar River at FinchfordRiver gauge, West Fork Cedar River	8.60 ft	Below flood stage	−0.16 ft	31 mi
Black Hawk Creek at HudsonRiver gauge, Black Hawk Creek	8.75 ft	Below flood stage	−0.31 ft	31 mi
Shell Rock River at Shell RockRiver gauge, Shell Rock River	8.82 ft	Below flood stage	−0.06 ft	33 mi
Cedar River at Cedar FallsRiver gauge, Cedar River	81.85 ft	Normal	−0.27 ft	33 mi

Questions and answers

How does the Iowa River at Steamboat Rock compare with last year?

It is 0.49 ft higher than on the same day last year, when the reading was 5.71 ft.

What is flood stage for the Iowa River at Steamboat Rock?

The official flood stage is 11.00 ft. The level is currently 4.80 ft below it.

What is a normal level for the Iowa River at Steamboat Rock in late October?

The median for late October is 5.52 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 5.41 ft and 5.74 ft, based on 6 years of records.

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 Steamboat Rock today?

On Oct 21, 2026, 01:00 AM CDT, the water level was 6.20 ft. Down 0.08 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Iowa River at Steamboat Rock rising or falling?

Down 0.08 ft over the last 24 hours. Up 0.17 ft over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Iowa River at Steamboat Rock normal?

Very high for late October. Compared with 6 years of daily readings for this time of year.

For specialists

Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads

Operator: U.S. Geological Survey
Station code: usgs:05450400 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 42.40811, -93.07297 (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	6.20 ft	2026-10-21 06:00	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Iowa River at Steamboat Rock (usgs:05450400). Accessed October 21, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/iowa/iowa-river-at-steamboat-rock

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