North River near Norwalk water level

Name: North River near Norwalk 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 River, Iowa, United States

Directions

Below flood stage

Water level

8.38ft Down 0.14 ft over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 20, 2026, 03:15 AM CDT (24 min ago)

Flow: 339 cfs

History

7 days

Water level Minor flood stage

What this means

Water levels are unremarkable at North River near Norwalk, where the gauge shows 8.38 ft.

It is 13.62 ft below the flood stage of 22.00 ft.

It is still going down, by 0.14 ft over the past 24 hours. The 30-day range is 8.38 ft – 8.99 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: 25.33 ftJune 17, 1990

Paddling and fishing conditions

Most paddlers and anglers will find the river in good shape at this stage.

For reference, flood stage is 22.00 ft.

What happens at each level

26.00 ft: Water affects parts of Hwy R63.
25.00 ft: Water affects Hwy R57.
23.00 ft: Secondary road closures occur.
22.00 ft: Water is over Iowa 28 immediately south of Norwalk and threatens several rural gravel roads.
17.00 ft: Rd closures are possible near creeks adjoining the river.
16.00 ft: Water affects agricultural land.
8.38 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	25.33 ft	June 17, 1990
2	25.30 ft	June 13, 1947
3	25.04 ft	September 11, 2014
4	24.00 ft	December 15, 2015
5	23.91 ft	June 13, 2008
6	23.71 ft	March 15, 2019
7	23.62 ft	May 11, 1996
8	23.60 ft	June 26, 2015
9	23.40 ft	August 31, 1993
10	23.32 ft	June 11, 2011

Weather at the gauge

Rain in the last 3 days: 0.22 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° 40° – Wind 17 mph

19 Mon 67° 39° – 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 07:33 AM Sunset 06:27 PM Daylight 10 hr, 55 min First quarter 67%

Map

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Middle River near IndianolaRiver gauge, Middle River	8.82 ft	Below flood stage	−0.12 ft	4.2 mi
Raccoon River at 63rd Street at Des MoinesRiver gauge, Raccoon River	26.13 ft	Below flood stage	−0.65 ft	8 mi
Raccoon River near West Des MoinesRiver gauge, Raccoon River	32.06 ft	Very high	−0.59 ft	8 mi
Raccoon River at Fleur Drive at Des MoinesRiver gauge, Raccoon River	7.73 ft	Below flood stage	−0.67 ft	9 mi
Des Moines River below Raccoon River at Des MoinesRiver gauge, Des Moines River	17.20 ft	Below flood stage	−0.94 ft	9 mi
Walnut Creek at Des MoinesRiver gauge, Walnut Creek	3.92 ft	Below flood stage	−0.03 ft	9 mi
Des Moines River at 2nd Avenue at Des MoinesRiver gauge, Des Moines River	17.21 ft	Below flood stage	−0.42 ft	11 mi
South River near AckworthRiver gauge, South River	5.53 ft	Below flood stage	−0.08 ft	12 mi

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for the North River near Norwalk?

The official flood stage is 22.00 ft. The level is currently 13.62 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 River near Norwalk today?

On Oct 20, 2026, 03:15 AM CDT, the water level was 8.38 ft. Down 0.14 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is North River near Norwalk rising or falling?

Down 0.14 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of North River near Norwalk normal?

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

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

The highest level on record is 25.33 ft on June 17, 1990.

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:05486000 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 41.45811, -93.65497 (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	8.38 ft	2026-10-20 08:15	Provisional
Flow	339 cfs	2026-10-20 08:15	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: North River near Norwalk (usgs:05486000). Accessed October 20, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/iowa/north-river-near-norwalk

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