North Skunk River near Sigourney water level

Name: North Skunk River near Sigourney 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 Skunk River, Iowa, United States

Directions

Below flood stage

Water level

7.44ft Down 0.23 ft over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 20, 2026, 01:30 PM CDT (25 min ago)

Flow: 854 cfs

History

7 days

Water level Minor flood stage

What this means

The North Skunk River near Sigourney is at 7.44 ft, in the normal range.

It is 8.56 ft below the flood stage of 16.00 ft.

It has dropped 0.23 ft over the past 24 hours. In the last month it has stayed between 7.44 ft and 8.29 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: 25.93 ftMay 28, 2013

Floating and fishing near North Skunk River near Sigourney

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

Flood stage here is 16.00 ft, 8.56 ft above the current reading. Beyond it, the National Weather Service also defines moderate and major flood stages.

What happens at each level

26.00 ft: Water affects the south approach to the Highway 149 bridge.
18.00 ft: Water affects most agricultural land near Sigourney.
16.00 ft: Water affects agricultural land, some county roads, and farm houses.
14.00 ft: Water affects some lower agricultural land along the river.
7.44 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: 42 %.

Rank	Level	Date
1	25.93 ft	May 28, 2013
2	25.33 ft	March 31, 1960
3	25.18 ft	June 20, 1990
4	24.68 ft	July 6, 1993
5	23.85 ft	June 14, 1966
6	23.65 ft	August 12, 2010
7	23.27 ft	April 19, 2013
8	23.12 ft	July 3, 2014
9	23.01 ft	March 16, 2019
10	22.80 ft	April 25, 1976

Weather at the gauge

No rain in the last 3 days.

17 Sat 61° 32° – Wind 11 mph

18 Sun 65° 39° – Wind 16 mph

19 Mon 67° 38° – Wind 8 mph

20 Tue 69° 48° – Wind 8 mph

21 Wed 71° 50° – Wind 10 mph

22 Thu 73° 56° 0.02 in Wind 8 mph

23 Fri 74° 54° – Wind 14 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:27 AM Sunset 06:22 PM Daylight 10 hr, 55 min Waxing gibbous 70%

Map

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Des Moines River at OttumwaRiver gauge, Des Moines River	7.31 ft	Below flood stage	−0.80 ft	23 mi
South Skunk River near OskaloosaRiver gauge, South Skunk River	14.70 ft	Below flood stage	−0.92 ft	24 mi
Des Moines River at EddyvilleRiver gauge, Des Moines River	56.45 ft	Very high	−1.15 ft	25 mi
English River at KalonaRiver gauge, English River	6.01 ft	Below flood stage	−0.14 ft	28 mi
Big Bear Creek at LadoraRiver gauge, Big Bear Creek	11.92 ft	Below flood stage	−0.07 ft	31 mi
Des Moines River near TracyRiver gauge, Des Moines River	8.17 ft	Below flood stage	−0.89 ft	34 mi
Iowa River at MarengoRiver gauge, Iowa River	12.09 ft	Below flood stage	−0.50 ft	36 mi
Cedar Creek near BusseyRiver gauge, Cedar Creek	5.10 ft	Below flood stage	−0.12 ft	37 mi

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for the North Skunk River near Sigourney?

The official flood stage is 16.00 ft. The level is currently 8.56 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 Skunk River near Sigourney today?

On Oct 20, 2026, 01:30 PM CDT, the water level was 7.44 ft. Down 0.23 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is North Skunk River near Sigourney rising or falling?

Down 0.23 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of North Skunk River near Sigourney normal?

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

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

The highest level on record is 25.93 ft on May 28, 2013.

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:05472500 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 41.30084, -92.20462 (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	7.44 ft	2026-10-20 18:30	Provisional
Flow	854 cfs	2026-10-20 18:30	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: North Skunk River near Sigourney (usgs:05472500). Accessed October 20, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/iowa/north-skunk-river-near-sigourney

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