Iowa River near Rowan water level

Name: Iowa River near Rowan 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

4.25ft Down 0.08 ft over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 20, 2026, 07:00 AM CDT (24 min ago)

Flow: 125 cfs

History

7 days

Water level Minor flood stage

What this means

The Iowa River near Rowan is at 4.25 ft, in the normal range.

It is 8.25 ft below the flood stage of 12.50 ft.

It has dropped 0.08 ft over the past 24 hours. In the last month it has stayed between 4.09 ft and 4.42 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: 15.89 ftJune 9, 2008

Floating and fishing near Iowa River near Rowan

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

Flood stage here is 12.50 ft, 8.25 ft above the current reading. Beyond it, the National Weather Service also defines moderate and major flood stages.

What happens at each level

14.50 ft: 190th St just west of Reed Ave is impassible. The road is covered by over 300 yards of water. Water is over much of the bridge.
13.70 ft: Water affects US 69 south of Belmond near 200th St.
13.50 ft: Water reaches the curb of US 69 at the bridge north of 150th St and south of 5th St SE.
12.50 ft: Water affects US 69 north of Belmond.
4.25 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	15.89 ft	June 9, 2008
2	15.00 ft	June 17, 1984
3	14.88 ft	June 21, 1954
4	14.69 ft	April 1, 1993
5	14.62 ft	April 6, 1965
6	14.57 ft	June 20, 2014
7	14.48 ft	September 24, 2016
8	14.44 ft	June 24, 2010
9	14.41 ft	September 23, 2018
10	14.41 ft	September 22, 2018

Weather at the gauge

Rain in the last 3 days: 0.63 in. Rain that falls upstream can take hours or days to show up at a river gauge.

17 Sat 59° 31° – Wind 18 mph

18 Sun 61° 40° – Wind 19 mph

19 Mon 64° 40° – Wind 11 mph

20 Tue 67° 47° – Wind 12 mph

21 Wed 71° 50° 0.04 in Wind 14 mph

22 Thu 74° 59° – Wind 10 mph

23 Fri 75° 56° – Wind 18 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:34 AM Sunset 06:26 PM Daylight 10 hr, 51 min First quarter 68%

Map

Other gauges on the Iowa River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Iowa River at Steamboat RockRiver gauge, Iowa River	6.25 ft	Very high	−0.14 ft	37 mi
Iowa River at MarshalltownRiver gauge, Iowa River	13.01 ft	Below flood stage	−0.44 ft	60 mi
Iowa River at County Highway E49 near TamaRiver gauge, Iowa River	7.09 ft	Below flood stage	−0.57 ft	75 mi
Iowa River near Belle PlaineRiver gauge, Iowa River	12.04 ft	Below flood stage	−0.58 ft	93 mi
Iowa River at MarengoRiver gauge, Iowa River	12.23 ft	Below flood stage	−0.45 ft	103 mi
Iowa River below Coralville Dam near CoralvilleRiver gauge, Iowa River	5,470 cfs	Very high	+920 cfs	129 mi
Iowa River at Iowa CityRiver gauge, Iowa River	15.00 ft	Below flood stage	+0.86 ft	131 mi
Iowa River near Lone TreeRiver gauge, Iowa River	10.02 ft	Below flood stage	+0.53 ft	144 mi
Iowa River at Columbus JunctionRiver gauge, Iowa River	14.49 ft	Very high	+0.31 ft	155 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
South Fork Iowa River near BlairsburgRiver gauge, South Fork Iowa River	5.34 ft	Very high	−0.14 ft	15 mi
Boone River near GoldfieldRiver gauge, Boone River	140 cfs	Normal	−22.0 cfs	17 mi
Boone River near Webster CityRiver gauge, Boone River	3.49 ft	Below flood stage	−0.19 ft	25 mi
Clear Lake at Clear LakeLake, Clear Lake	4.63 ft	High	+0.01 ft	28 mi
East Fork Des Moines River at Dakota CityRiver gauge, East Fork Des Moines River	9.65 ft	Below flood stage	+0.13 ft	29 mi
Des Moines River at HumboldtRiver gauge, Des Moines River	4.47 ft	Below flood stage	−0.14 ft	31 mi
Des Moines River at Fort DodgeRiver gauge, Des Moines River	5.01 ft	Below flood stage	−0.10 ft	34 mi
Winnebago River at Mason CityRiver gauge, Winnebago River	5.50 ft	Below flood stage	−0.07 ft	35 mi

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for the Iowa River near Rowan?

The official flood stage is 12.50 ft. The level is currently 8.25 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 near Rowan today?

On Oct 20, 2026, 07:00 AM CDT, the water level was 4.25 ft. Down 0.08 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Iowa River near Rowan rising or falling?

Down 0.08 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of Iowa River near Rowan normal?

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

What is the highest water level ever recorded at Iowa River near Rowan?

The highest level on record is 15.89 ft on June 9, 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:05449500 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 42.75997, -93.62164 (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	4.25 ft	2026-10-20 12:00	Provisional
Flow	125 cfs	2026-10-20 12:00	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Iowa River near Rowan (usgs:05449500). Accessed October 20, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/iowa/iowa-river-near-rowan

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