Maquoketa River at Manchester water level

Name: Maquoketa River at Manchester 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, Maquoketa River, Iowa, United States

Directions

Below flood stage

Water level

5.51ft Down 0.28 ft over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 20, 2026, 11:15 AM CDT (25 min ago)

Flow: 484 cfs

History

7 days

Water level Minor flood stage

What this means

Water levels are unremarkable at Maquoketa River at Manchester, where the gauge shows 5.51 ft.

It is 8.49 ft below the flood stage of 14.00 ft.

It is still going down, by 0.28 ft over the past 24 hours. The 30-day range is 5.51 ft – 7.08 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: 24.48 ftJuly 24, 2010

Paddling and fishing conditions

Most paddlers and anglers will find the river in good shape at this stage.

For reference, flood stage is 14.00 ft.

What happens at each level

28.00 ft: Water reaches the bottom of the U.S. Highway 20 bridges.
19.00 ft: Water affects businesses along W Main Street.
17.00 ft: West Main Street and State Highway 13 is closed in Manchester.
16.50 ft: Water is on River Street and Main Street in Manchester.
15.70 ft: Water is on Schram Drive leading to Schram Park in Manchester.
14.00 ft: Water affects West Main Street. Water also affects residences on the south side of town.
12.50 ft: Water affects the campgrounds at lower Bailey's Ford Park.
5.51 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: 8 %.

Rank	Level	Date
1	24.48 ft	July 24, 2010
2	21.66 ft	May 23, 2004
3	20.80 ft	May 26, 2008
4	20.50 ft	June 9, 2008
5	20.34 ft	September 23, 2016
6	20.10 ft	May 30, 2008
7	19.31 ft	May 30, 2013
8	18.95 ft	April 25, 2008
9	18.35 ft	June 4, 2002
10	17.57 ft	March 14, 2019

Weather at the gauge

No rain in the last 3 days.

20 Tue 63° 39° – Wind 7 mph

21 Wed 66° 43° – Wind 6 mph

22 Thu 70° 52° – Wind 7 mph

23 Fri 71° 53° – Wind 14 mph

24 Sat 73° 58° – Wind 18 mph

25 Sun 61° 51° 0.05 in Wind 12 mph

26 Mon 49° 39° 0.53 in Wind 14 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:25 AM Sunset 06:17 PM Daylight 10 hr, 52 min Waxing gibbous 70%

Map

Other gauges on the Maquoketa River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Maquoketa River near MaquoketaRiver gauge, Maquoketa River	12.79 ft	Below flood stage	−0.42 ft	50 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Volga River at LittleportRiver gauge, Volga River	6.22 ft	Below flood stage	−0.23 ft	20 mi
Turkey River at GarberRiver gauge, Turkey River	8.74 ft	Below flood stage	−0.22 ft	21 mi
Wapsipinicon River at IndependenceRiver gauge, Wapsipinicon River	6.50 ft	Below flood stage	−0.20 ft	23 mi
Turkey River above French Hollow Cr at ElkaderRiver gauge, Turkey River	6.67 ft	Below flood stage	−0.06 ft	26 mi
Wapsipinicon River near AnamosaRiver gauge, Wapsipinicon River	8.95 ft	Below flood stage	−0.23 ft	28 mi
Indian Creek at MarionRiver gauge, Indian Creek	3.14 ft	Below flood stage	−0.05 ft	31 mi
Cedar River at Blairs Ferry Road at PaloRiver gauge, Cedar River	6.97 ft	Below flood stage	−0.02 ft	33 mi
Mississippi River at ClaytonRiver gauge, Mississippi River	11.61 ft	Low	+0.06 ft	34 mi

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for the Maquoketa River at Manchester?

The official flood stage is 14.00 ft. The level is currently 8.49 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 Maquoketa River at Manchester today?

On Oct 20, 2026, 11:15 AM CDT, the water level was 5.51 ft. Down 0.28 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Maquoketa River at Manchester rising or falling?

Down 0.28 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of Maquoketa River at Manchester normal?

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

What is the highest water level ever recorded at Maquoketa River at Manchester?

The highest level on record is 24.48 ft on July 24, 2010.

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:05416900 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 42.46999, -91.44871 (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	5.51 ft	2026-10-20 16:15	Provisional
Flow	484 cfs	2026-10-20 16:15	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Maquoketa River at Manchester (usgs:05416900). Accessed October 20, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/iowa/maquoketa-river-at-manchester

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