Raccoon River at Fleur Drive at Des Moines water level

Name: Raccoon River at Fleur Drive at Des Moines 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, Raccoon River, Iowa, United States

Directions

Below flood stage

Water level

7.21ft Down 0.76 ft over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 20, 2026, 06:45 PM CDT (1 hour ago)

Flow: 6,560 cfs

History

7 days

Water level Minor flood stage

What this means

The Raccoon River at Fleur Drive at Des Moines is at 7.21 ft, in the normal range.

It is 4.79 ft below the flood stage of 12.00 ft.

It has dropped 0.76 ft over the past 24 hours. In the last month it has stayed between 6.47 ft and 8.52 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: 26.80 ftJuly 11, 1993

Floating and fishing near Raccoon River at Fleur Drive at Des Moines

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

Flood stage here is 12.00 ft, 4.79 ft above the current reading. Beyond it, the National Weather Service also defines moderate and major flood stages.

What happens at each level

31.00 ft: This is the top of the levee surrounding Des Moines Water Works.
27.70 ft: This is the top of the levee surrounding Valley Gardens.
22.00 ft: The levee is closed across SW 22nd St under the Fleur Dr viaduct. Levee closures also occur across three driveways into Principal Park.
21.00 ft: The levee is closed across 63rd St.
18.50 ft: Water affects the maintenance buildings outside of the levee protection at Des Moines Water Works Park.
18.00 ft: All the levee gates are closed in Water Works Park.
17.20 ft: Water affects portions of Fleur Dr.
17.00 ft: The levee is closed across George Flagg Parkway just west of Fleur Dr. Levee gates are closed west of SW 18th St at George Flagg Parkway and at the railroad tracks.
16.50 ft: Water begins affecting Fleur Dr. Above this stage...water flows through Water Works Park south of the Water Works Buildings...cutting off a large meander bend in the river and diverting increasing amounts of stream flow away from the main river channel.
15.50 ft: Water approaches Fleur Dr and affects the Grays Lake trails.
13.50 ft: Water affects the low areas of Water Works Park.
13.30 ft: SW 30th St is closed from George Flagg Parkway to Bell Ave. George Flagg Parkway is closed from SW 30th St to SW 28th St.
7.21 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: 28 %.

Rank	Level	Date
1	26.80 ft	July 11, 1993
2	24.66 ft	June 13, 2008
3	21.54 ft	June 26, 2015
4	20.51 ft	June 13, 1947
5	20.45 ft	June 16, 1998
6	19.77 ft	March 15, 2019
7	19.45 ft	May 24, 2004
8	19.42 ft	June 17, 1990
9	19.38 ft	July 2, 1986
10	19.17 ft	April 27, 2007

Weather at the gauge

Rain in the last 3 days: 0.28 in. Rain that falls upstream can take hours or days to show up at a river gauge.

17 Sat 60° 34° – Wind 10 mph

18 Sun 62° 41° – Wind 13 mph

19 Mon 67° 40° – Wind 11 mph

20 Tue 70° 47° – Wind 11 mph

21 Wed 73° 51° 0.00 in Wind 12 mph

22 Thu 76° 59° – 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 73%

Map

Other gauges on the Raccoon River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Raccoon River at Van MeterRiver gauge, Raccoon River	7.51 ft	Below flood stage	−0.59 ft	16 mi
Raccoon River near West Des MoinesRiver gauge, Raccoon River	31.65 ft	Very high	−0.61 ft	8 mi
Raccoon River at 63rd Street at Des MoinesRiver gauge, Raccoon River	25.69 ft	Below flood stage	−0.67 ft	3.4 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Des Moines River below Raccoon River at Des MoinesRiver gauge, Des Moines River	16.45 ft	Below flood stage	−0.91 ft	1.9 mi
Des Moines River at 2nd Avenue at Des MoinesRiver gauge, Des Moines River	16.87 ft	Below flood stage	−0.37 ft	2.4 mi
Walnut Creek at Des MoinesRiver gauge, Walnut Creek	3.90 ft	Below flood stage	−0.04 ft	3.2 mi
Fourmile Creek at Des MoinesRiver gauge, Fourmile Creek	4.30 ft	Below flood stage	−0.06 ft	5.5 mi
Des Moines River near SaylorvilleRiver gauge, Des Moines River	4,370 cfs	High	−1,600.0 cfs	7 mi
North River near NorwalkRiver gauge, North River	8.30 ft	Below flood stage	−0.13 ft	9 mi
Beaver Creek near GrimesRiver gauge, Beaver Creek	6.39 ft	Below flood stage	−0.43 ft	9 mi
Fourmile Creek near Ankeny, IA DS1River gauge, Fourmile Creek	2.62 ft	Below flood stage	−0.05 ft	10 mi

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for the Raccoon River at Fleur Drive at Des Moines?

The official flood stage is 12.00 ft. The level is currently 4.79 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 Raccoon River at Fleur Drive at Des Moines today?

On Oct 20, 2026, 06:45 PM CDT, the water level was 7.21 ft. Down 0.76 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Raccoon River at Fleur Drive at Des Moines rising or falling?

Down 0.76 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of Raccoon River at Fleur Drive at Des Moines normal?

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

What is the highest water level ever recorded at Raccoon River at Fleur Drive at Des Moines?

The highest level on record is 26.80 ft on July 11, 1993.

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:05484900 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 41.58150, -93.64267 (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	7.21 ft	2026-10-20 23:45	Provisional
Flow	6,560 cfs	2026-10-20 23:45	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Raccoon River at Fleur Drive at Des Moines (usgs:05484900). Accessed October 21, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/iowa/raccoon-river-at-fleur-drive-at-des-moines

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