North Raccoon River near Jefferson water level

Name: North Raccoon River near Jefferson 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, North Raccoon River, Iowa, United States

Directions

Below flood stage

Water level

7.48ft Down 0.41 ft over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 21, 2026, 04:15 AM CDT (1 hour ago)

Flow: 2,070 cfs

History

7 days

Water level Minor flood stage

What this means

The gauge at North Raccoon River near Jefferson reads 7.48 ft, a normal level.

It is 11.52 ft below the flood stage of 19.00 ft.

The level is falling, down 0.41 ft over the past 24 hours. Over the past 30 days it has moved between 7.48 ft and 9.07 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: 22.30 ftJune 23, 1947

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 19.00 ft, still 11.52 ft away.

What happens at each level

21.00 ft: Water affects buildings at the Raccoon River Bible Camp north of Scranton. Residences along the river may experience flooding.
20.00 ft: Water affects the Raccoon River Bible Camp north of Scranton as well as 3500 acres of agricultural land in Greene County.
19.00 ft: Water affects the low areas of the Raccoon River Bible Camp north of Scranton. Water affects yards of residences along the river.
7.48 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: < 5 %.

Rank	Level	Date
1	22.30 ft	June 23, 1947
2	19.74 ft	March 15, 2019
3	19.52 ft	June 22, 1954
4	19.43 ft	March 31, 1960
5	19.20 ft	July 10, 1993
6	18.61 ft	June 19, 1990
7	18.41 ft	June 9, 2008
8	18.21 ft	December 17, 2015
9	18.16 ft	March 18, 2010
10	17.94 ft	February 12, 2009

Weather at the gauge

Rain in the last 3 days: 0.37 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 64° 39° – Wind 17 mph

19 Mon 66° 41° – Wind 11 mph

20 Tue 68° 47° – Wind 12 mph

21 Wed 72° 52° 0.01 in Wind 13 mph

22 Thu 75° 56° – Wind 10 mph

23 Fri 76° 58° – Wind 18 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:37 AM Sunset 06:28 PM Daylight 10 hr, 51 min Waxing gibbous 76%

Map

Other gauges on the North Raccoon River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
North Raccoon River near Sac CityRiver gauge, North Raccoon River	461 cfs	High	−64.0 cfs	40 mi
North Raccoon River near LanesboroRiver gauge, North Raccoon River	10.76 ft	High	−0.27 ft	22 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Middle Raccoon River near BayardRiver gauge, Middle Raccoon River	415 cfs	High	−54.0 cfs	16 mi
Lake Panorama at PanoraLake, Lake Panorama	45.55 ft	Very high	+0.01 ft	20 mi
Middle Raccoon River at PanoraRiver gauge, Middle Raccoon River	5.13 ft	Below flood stage	−0.12 ft	21 mi
Des Moines River near StratfordRiver gauge, Des Moines River	8.06 ft	Below flood stage	−0.29 ft	27 mi
South Raccoon River at RedfieldRiver gauge, South Raccoon River	4.14 ft	Below flood stage	−0.13 ft	30 mi
Des Moines River at Fort DodgeRiver gauge, Des Moines River	4.91 ft	Below flood stage	−0.11 ft	37 mi
Lizard Creek near Fort DodgeRiver gauge, Lizard Creek	5.97 ft	Very high	−0.13 ft	38 mi
Raccoon River at Van MeterRiver gauge, Raccoon River	7.30 ft	Below flood stage	−0.56 ft	38 mi

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for the North Raccoon River near Jefferson?

The official flood stage is 19.00 ft. The level is currently 11.52 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 North Raccoon River near Jefferson today?

On Oct 21, 2026, 04:15 AM CDT, the water level was 7.48 ft. Down 0.41 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is North Raccoon River near Jefferson rising or falling?

Down 0.41 ft over the last 24 hours. Down 0.69 ft over the last 7 days.

Is the level of North Raccoon River near Jefferson normal?

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

What is the highest water level ever recorded at North Raccoon River near Jefferson?

The highest level on record is 22.30 ft on June 23, 1947.

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:05482500 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 41.98786, -94.37708 (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	7.48 ft	2026-10-21 09:15	Provisional
Flow	2,070 cfs	2026-10-21 09:15	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: North Raccoon River near Jefferson (usgs:05482500). Accessed October 21, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/iowa/north-raccoon-river-near-jefferson

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