Middle Raccoon River near Bayard water level

Name: Middle Raccoon River near Bayard 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

Very high for late October

Water level

11.26ft Down 0.22 ft over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 21, 2026, 03:15 AM CDT (55 min ago)

Flow: 417 cfs

History

7 days

Water level

What this means

The gauge at Middle Raccoon River near Bayard shows 11.26 ft, well above normal for late October.

The record high is 29.02 ft, set on July 9, 1993.

The level is falling, down 0.22 ft over the past 24 hours. Over the past 30 days it has moved between 11.26 ft and 13.01 ft.

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

Compared with 5 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Highest on record: 29.02 ftJuly 9, 1993

High water at Middle Raccoon River near Bayard

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	29.02 ft	July 9, 1993
2	24.94 ft	June 15, 2013
3	24.70 ft	June 30, 1986
4	23.23 ft	June 17, 1990
5	22.93 ft	March 14, 2019
6	22.90 ft	June 26, 2015
7	22.37 ft	June 15, 1998
8	22.12 ft	May 31, 2008
9	21.96 ft	June 28, 2010
10	21.85 ft	May 23, 2004

Weather at the gauge

Rain in the last 3 days: 0.61 in. Rain that falls upstream can take hours or days to show up at a river gauge.

17 Sat 62° 31° – Wind 16 mph

18 Sun 65° 43° – Wind 18 mph

19 Mon 66° 40° – Wind 11 mph

20 Tue 68° 47° – Wind 11 mph

21 Wed 72° 52° 0.02 in Wind 14 mph

22 Thu 75° 55° – Wind 10 mph

23 Fri 74° 57° – Wind 18 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:38 AM Sunset 06:29 PM Daylight 10 hr, 51 min Waxing gibbous 76%

Map

Other gauges on the Middle Raccoon River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Middle Raccoon River at PanoraRiver gauge, Middle Raccoon River	5.13 ft	Below flood stage	−0.12 ft	9 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Lake Panorama at PanoraLake, Lake Panorama	45.55 ft	Very high	±0	8 mi
North Raccoon River near JeffersonRiver gauge, North Raccoon River	7.50 ft	Below flood stage	−0.42 ft	16 mi
South Raccoon River at RedfieldRiver gauge, South Raccoon River	4.14 ft	Below flood stage	−0.15 ft	22 mi
North Raccoon River near LanesboroRiver gauge, North Raccoon River	10.76 ft	High	−0.29 ft	29 mi
Raccoon River at Van MeterRiver gauge, Raccoon River	7.31 ft	Below flood stage	−0.59 ft	33 mi
Beaver Creek near GrimesRiver gauge, Beaver Creek	6.30 ft	Below flood stage	−0.35 ft	40 mi
Raccoon River near West Des MoinesRiver gauge, Raccoon River	31.51 ft	High	−0.53 ft	41 mi
Des Moines River near StratfordRiver gauge, Des Moines River	8.08 ft	Below flood stage	−0.28 ft	41 mi

Questions and answers

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 near Bayard today?

On Oct 21, 2026, 03:15 AM CDT, the water level was 11.26 ft. Down 0.22 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Middle Raccoon River near Bayard rising or falling?

Down 0.22 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of Middle Raccoon River near Bayard normal?

Very high for late October. Compared with 5 years of daily readings for this time of year.

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

The highest level on record is 29.02 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.

Where does this data come from?

The values come directly from the U.S. Geological Survey, the official operator of this gauge, and are in the public domain. We do not estimate or model live values.

For specialists

Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads

Operator: U.S. Geological Survey
Station code: usgs:05483450 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 41.77908, -94.49300 (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	11.26 ft	2026-10-21 08:15	Provisional
Flow	417 cfs	2026-10-21 08:15	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Middle Raccoon River near Bayard (usgs:05483450). Accessed October 21, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/iowa/middle-raccoon-river-near-bayard

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