Middle Raccoon River at Panora water level

Name: Middle Raccoon River at Panora 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, Middle Raccoon River, Iowa, United States

Directions

Below flood stage

Water level

5.24ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 20, 2026, 10:15 AM CDT (1 hour ago)

Flow: 471 cfs

History

7 days

Water level Minor flood stage

What this means

The Middle Raccoon River at Panora is at 5.24 ft, in the normal range.

It is 5.76 ft below the flood stage of 11.00 ft.

The level has held steady over the past 24 hours. In the last month it has stayed between 5.21 ft and 5.88 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: 20.04 ftJuly 9, 1993

Floating and fishing near Middle Raccoon River at Panora

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

Flood stage here is 11.00 ft, 5.76 ft above the current reading. Beyond it, the National Weather Service also defines moderate and major flood stages.

Highest crests on record

Rank	Level	Date
1	20.04 ft	July 9, 1993
2	15.50 ft	June 30, 1986
3	14.80 ft	May 19, 1974
4	14.69 ft	July 28, 2008
5	14.30 ft	June 10, 1953
6	13.56 ft	July 3, 1973
7	13.51 ft	June 14, 1998
8	13.25 ft	May 23, 2004
9	12.98 ft	February 19, 1971
10	12.95 ft	March 19, 1979

Weather at the gauge

Rain in the last 3 days: 0.50 in. Rain that falls upstream can take hours or days to show up at a river gauge.

17 Sat 62° 31° – Wind 15 mph

18 Sun 65° 42° – Wind 17 mph

19 Mon 66° 40° – Wind 11 mph

20 Tue 68° 47° – Wind 11 mph

21 Wed 72° 52° 0.02 in Wind 13 mph

22 Thu 75° 56° – Wind 10 mph

23 Fri 75° 57° – Wind 18 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:36 AM Sunset 06:30 PM Daylight 10 hr, 54 min Waxing gibbous 69%

Map

Other gauges on the Middle Raccoon River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Middle Raccoon River near BayardRiver gauge, Middle Raccoon River	454 cfs	High	−73.0 cfs	9 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Lake Panorama at PanoraLake, Lake Panorama	45.54 ft	Very high	−0.03 ft	0.8 mi
South Raccoon River at RedfieldRiver gauge, South Raccoon River	4.28 ft	Below flood stage	−0.05 ft	13 mi
North Raccoon River near JeffersonRiver gauge, North Raccoon River	7.77 ft	Below flood stage	−0.52 ft	21 mi
Raccoon River at Van MeterRiver gauge, Raccoon River	7.72 ft	Below flood stage	−0.67 ft	24 mi
Raccoon River near West Des MoinesRiver gauge, Raccoon River	31.86 ft	Very high	−0.60 ft	32 mi
Beaver Creek near GrimesRiver gauge, Beaver Creek	6.53 ft	Below flood stage	−0.50 ft	33 mi
Walnut Creek at Des MoinesRiver gauge, Walnut Creek	3.91 ft	Below flood stage	−0.04 ft	35 mi
Raccoon River at 63rd Street at Des MoinesRiver gauge, Raccoon River	25.91 ft	Below flood stage	−0.69 ft	36 mi

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for the Middle Raccoon River at Panora?

The official flood stage is 11.00 ft. The level is currently 5.76 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 Middle Raccoon River at Panora today?

On Oct 20, 2026, 10:15 AM CDT, the water level was 5.24 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Middle Raccoon River at Panora rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of Middle Raccoon River at Panora normal?

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

What is the highest water level ever recorded at Middle Raccoon River at Panora?

The highest level on record is 20.04 ft on July 9, 1993.

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:05483600 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 41.68742, -94.37106 (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	5.24 ft	2026-10-20 15:15	Provisional
Flow	471 cfs	2026-10-20 15:15	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Middle Raccoon River at Panora (usgs:05483600). Accessed October 20, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/iowa/middle-raccoon-river-at-panora

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