South Fork Chariton River near Promise City water level

Name: South Fork Chariton River near Promise City 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, South Fork Chariton River, Iowa, United States

Directions

Below flood stage

Water level

3.15ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 21, 2026, 04:45 AM CDT (39 min ago)

Flow: 12.1 cfs

History

7 days

Water level Minor flood stage

What this means

The gauge at South Fork Chariton River near Promise City reads 3.15 ft, a normal level.

It is 21.85 ft below the flood stage of 25.00 ft.

It has barely moved over the past 24 hours. Over the past 30 days it has moved between 3.15 ft and 3.20 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: 34.84 ftSeptember 15, 1992

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 25.00 ft, still 21.85 ft away.

What happens at each level

34.80 ft: Several area roads are closed.
30.00 ft: Water reaches the top of the guardrail of the 200th St bridge.
28.00 ft: Water reaches the road surface of 200th St bridge.
26.00 ft: The south approach to the 200th St bridge overflows.
24.00 ft: Water threatens the south approach to the 200th St bridge and nears the underside of the bridge itself.
22.00 ft: Widespread agricultural flooding occurs.
20.00 ft: Water affects agricultural land in close proximity to the river.
18.00 ft: Water flows into nearby agricultural fields.
3.15 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	34.84 ft	September 15, 1992
2	29.95 ft	July 4, 1981
3	28.41 ft	August 24, 2007
4	27.22 ft	April 18, 2013
5	25.78 ft	July 25, 2008
6	25.50 ft	September 21, 1965
7	25.46 ft	July 20, 2010
8	25.09 ft	July 5, 1993
9	24.00 ft	July 29, 2015
10	23.84 ft	August 27, 2009

Weather at the gauge

No rain in the last 3 days.

20 Tue 69° 40° – Wind 9 mph

21 Wed 72° 48° – Wind 8 mph

22 Thu 73° 54° – Wind 8 mph

23 Fri 73° 55° – Wind 15 mph

24 Sat 74° 58° – Wind 16 mph

25 Sun 75° 61° 0.01 in Wind 9 mph

26 Mon 62° 42° 0.18 in Wind 15 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:31 AM Sunset 06:25 PM Daylight 10 hr, 54 min Waxing gibbous 76%

Map

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Chariton River near CharitonRiver gauge, Chariton River	4.52 ft	Below flood stage	−0.02 ft	11 mi
Rathbun Lake near RathbunLake, Rathbun Lake	906.59 ft	Very high	−0.20 ft	16 mi
Chariton River near RathbunRiver gauge, Chariton River	398 cfs	Normal	±0	16 mi
Cooper Creek at CentervilleRiver gauge, Cooper Creek	7.62 ft	Normal	−0.02 ft	18 mi
Chariton River near MoultonRiver gauge, Chariton River	21.17 ft	Below flood stage	−0.28 ft	23 mi
White Breast Creek near DallasRiver gauge, White Breast Creek	6.42 ft	Below flood stage	−0.02 ft	31 mi
Cedar Creek near BusseyRiver gauge, Cedar Creek	5.13 ft	Below flood stage	−0.01 ft	32 mi
Thompson River at Davis CityRiver gauge, Thompson River	1.64 ft	Below flood stage	−0.03 ft	34 mi

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for the South Fork Chariton River near Promise City?

The official flood stage is 25.00 ft. The level is currently 21.85 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 South Fork Chariton River near Promise City today?

On Oct 21, 2026, 04:45 AM CDT, the water level was 3.15 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is South Fork Chariton River near Promise City rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours. Steady over the last 7 days.

Is the level of South Fork Chariton River near Promise City normal?

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

What is the highest water level ever recorded at South Fork Chariton River near Promise City?

The highest level on record is 34.84 ft on September 15, 1992.

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:06903700 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 40.80044, -93.19269 (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	3.15 ft	2026-10-21 09:45	Provisional
Flow	12.1 cfs	2026-10-21 09:45	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: South Fork Chariton River near Promise City (usgs:06903700). Accessed October 21, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/iowa/south-fork-chariton-river-near-promise-city

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