Middle River near Indianola water level

Name: Middle River near Indianola 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 River, Iowa, United States

Directions

Below flood stage

Water level

8.73ft Down 0.09 ft over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 21, 2026, 01:15 AM CDT (44 min ago)

Flow: 419 cfs

History

7 days

Water level Minor flood stage

What this means

The gauge at Middle River near Indianola reads 8.73 ft, a normal level.

It is 14.27 ft below the flood stage of 23.00 ft.

The level is falling, down 0.09 ft over the past 24 hours. Over the past 30 days it has moved between 8.73 ft and 9.29 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: 25.55 ftJune 6, 2008

What the stage means on the water

A normal level is usually prime time for floating and wade fishing, as long as the weather holds upstream.

The National Weather Service puts flood stage for this gauge at 23.00 ft, still 14.27 ft away.

What happens at each level

27.00 ft: Water threatens multiple county bridges. Widespread agricultural flooding occurs.
26.00 ft: Water approaches the underside of the US 65/69 overpass.
25.00 ft: Water affects parts of Hwy G24.
24.00 ft: Water reaches the south shoulder of Hwy G24 and affects numerous county gravel roads in the area.
22.00 ft: Widespread agricultural flooding occurs.
20.00 ft: Water affects several rural county roads. Rd closures are possible near creeks adjoining the river.
19.00 ft: Water affects agricultural land.
8.73 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: 6 %.

Rank	Level	Date
1	25.55 ft	June 6, 2008
2	25.33 ft	June 9, 1974
3	25.19 ft	March 13, 2019
4	24.90 ft	July 29, 2015
5	24.60 ft	September 10, 2014
6	24.08 ft	June 10, 2011
7	23.79 ft	August 27, 1987
8	23.59 ft	June 13, 1947
9	23.49 ft	December 14, 2015
10	23.23 ft	September 16, 1992

Weather at the gauge

Rain in the last 3 days: 0.15 in. Rain that falls upstream can take hours or days to show up at a river gauge.

17 Sat 61° 32° – Wind 13 mph

18 Sun 64° 41° – Wind 17 mph

19 Mon 67° 40° – Wind 11 mph

20 Tue 70° 47° – Wind 10 mph

21 Wed 73° 51° 0.03 in Wind 12 mph

22 Thu 76° 58° – Wind 9 mph

23 Fri 76° 56° – Wind 16 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:34 AM Sunset 06:26 PM Daylight 10 hr, 52 min Waxing gibbous 75%

Map

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
North River near NorwalkRiver gauge, North River	8.27 ft	Below flood stage	−0.13 ft	4.2 mi
South River near AckworthRiver gauge, South River	5.49 ft	Below flood stage	−0.06 ft	8 mi
Des Moines River below Raccoon River at Des MoinesRiver gauge, Des Moines River	16.24 ft	Below flood stage	−1.06 ft	11 mi
Raccoon River at 63rd Street at Des MoinesRiver gauge, Raccoon River	25.55 ft	Below flood stage	−0.62 ft	11 mi
Raccoon River at Fleur Drive at Des MoinesRiver gauge, Raccoon River	7.06 ft	Below flood stage	−0.68 ft	11 mi
Raccoon River near West Des MoinesRiver gauge, Raccoon River	31.54 ft	Very high	−0.53 ft	12 mi
Walnut Creek at Des MoinesRiver gauge, Walnut Creek	3.90 ft	Below flood stage	−0.01 ft	13 mi
Des Moines River at 2nd Avenue at Des MoinesRiver gauge, Des Moines River	16.82 ft	Below flood stage	−0.39 ft	13 mi

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for the Middle River near Indianola?

The official flood stage is 23.00 ft. The level is currently 14.27 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 River near Indianola today?

On Oct 21, 2026, 01:15 AM CDT, the water level was 8.73 ft. Down 0.09 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Middle River near Indianola rising or falling?

Down 0.09 ft over the last 24 hours. Down 0.29 ft over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Middle River near Indianola normal?

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

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

The highest level on record is 25.55 ft on June 6, 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:05486490 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 41.42436, -93.58731 (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	8.73 ft	2026-10-21 06:15	Provisional
Flow	419 cfs	2026-10-21 06:15	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Middle River near Indianola (usgs:05486490). Accessed October 21, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/iowa/middle-river-near-indianola

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