Nishnabotna River above Hamburg water level

Name: Nishnabotna River above Hamburg 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, Nishnabotna River, Iowa, United States

Directions

Below flood stage

Water level

12.49ft Down 0.25 ft over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 21, 2026, 12:00 AM CDT (1 hour ago)

Flow: 2,900 cfs

History

7 days

Water level Minor flood stage

What this means

The Nishnabotna River above Hamburg is at 12.49 ft, in the normal range.

It is 12.51 ft below the flood stage of 25.00 ft.

It has dropped 0.25 ft over the past 24 hours. In the last month it has stayed between 12.49 ft and 13.66 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: 33.18 ftJune 17, 1998

Floating and fishing near Nishnabotna River above Hamburg

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

Flood stage here is 25.00 ft, 12.51 ft above the current reading. Beyond it, the National Weather Service also defines moderate and major flood stages.

What happens at each level

39.00 ft: Water reaches the bottom of the J64 bridge at the gage site.
33.00 ft: The top of the levee near the bridge in town is overtopped with flood waters. I-29 is closed south of town.
27.50 ft: State Highway 275 south of the gage may be threatened in several spots.
25.00 ft: More extensive lowland flooding begins as the parking lot near the gauge begins to experience flooding. In addition, some local farm levees may be overtopped with flood waters.
23.00 ft: Minor overflows begin within the city limits, however there is no threat to property at this stage.
12.49 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: 27 %.

Rank	Level	Date
1	33.18 ft	June 17, 1998
2	32.44 ft	May 8, 2007
3	31.07 ft	March 16, 2019
4	30.56 ft	July 25, 1993
5	29.19 ft	June 14, 2008
6	28.83 ft	August 8, 1999
7	28.45 ft	June 22, 1996
8	28.27 ft	September 10, 1989
9	28.14 ft	May 27, 1987
10	28.06 ft	July 27, 1990

Weather at the gauge

No rain in the last 3 days.

20 Tue 71° 46° – Wind 10 mph

21 Wed 74° 56° 0.02 in Wind 10 mph

22 Thu 76° 54° – Wind 11 mph

23 Fri 77° 59° – Wind 18 mph

24 Sat 80° 62° – Wind 17 mph

25 Sun 73° 60° – Wind 12 mph

26 Mon 60° 42° 0.71 in, 33% Wind 16 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:41 AM Sunset 06:35 PM Daylight 10 hr, 54 min Waxing gibbous 75%

Map

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Missouri River at Nebraska CityRiver gauge, Missouri River	8.80 ft	Below flood stage	−0.18 ft	12 mi
Missouri River at BrownvilleRiver gauge, Missouri River	24.61 ft	Below flood stage	−0.20 ft	14 mi
Little Nemaha River at AuburnRiver gauge, Little Nemaha River	3.38 ft	Normal	−0.01 ft	17 mi
West Nishnabotna River at RandolphRiver gauge, West Nishnabotna River	10.23 ft	Below flood stage	−0.07 ft	19 mi
Weeping Water Creek at UnionRiver gauge, Weeping Water Creek	2.63 ft	Normal	−0.01 ft	19 mi
Tarkio River at FairfaxRiver gauge, Tarkio River	6.54 ft	Below flood stage	−0.03 ft	22 mi
Snake Creek near YorktownRiver gauge, Snake Creek	79.83 ft	Below flood stage	+0.01 ft	29 mi
Nodaway River near Burlington JunctionRiver gauge, Nodaway River	5.61 ft	Below flood stage	−0.10 ft	31 mi

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for the Nishnabotna River above Hamburg?

The official flood stage is 25.00 ft. The level is currently 12.51 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 Nishnabotna River above Hamburg today?

On Oct 21, 2026, 12:00 AM CDT, the water level was 12.49 ft. Down 0.25 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Nishnabotna River above Hamburg rising or falling?

Down 0.25 ft over the last 24 hours. Down 0.27 ft over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Nishnabotna River above Hamburg normal?

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

What is the highest water level ever recorded at Nishnabotna River above Hamburg?

The highest level on record is 33.18 ft on June 17, 1998.

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:06810000 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 40.60119, -95.64450 (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	12.49 ft	2026-10-21 05:00	Provisional
Flow	2,900 cfs	2026-10-21 05:00	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Nishnabotna River above Hamburg (usgs:06810000). Accessed October 21, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/iowa/nishnabotna-river-above-hamburg

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