South Raccoon River at Redfield water level

Name: South Raccoon River at Redfield 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 Raccoon River, Iowa, United States

Directions

Below flood stage

Water level

4.13ft Down 0.15 ft over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 21, 2026, 03:45 AM CDT (1 hour ago)

Flow: 999 cfs

History

7 days

Water level Minor flood stage

What this means

The gauge at South Raccoon River at Redfield reads 4.13 ft, a normal level.

It is 15.87 ft below the flood stage of 20.00 ft.

The level is falling, down 0.15 ft over the past 24 hours. Over the past 30 days it has moved between 4.13 ft and 5.22 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: 29.04 ftJuly 2, 1958

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 20.00 ft, still 15.87 ft away.

What happens at each level

27.00 ft: Water approaches the underside of the H Ave bridge at its abutments.
22.00 ft: Water affects H Ave near the bridge over the river.
20.00 ft: Water affects gravel roads on the west and south side of Redfield as well as Delta Circle Rd in the vicinity of the H Ave bridge.
19.00 ft: Water affects some secondary roads.
4.13 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	29.04 ft	July 2, 1958
2	26.98 ft	July 10, 1993
3	25.15 ft	July 1, 1986
4	24.67 ft	June 15, 1998
5	24.30 ft	June 12, 1947
6	24.04 ft	July 28, 2008
7	23.80 ft	May 20, 1944
8	23.08 ft	June 10, 1953
9	22.81 ft	March 19, 1979
10	22.64 ft	June 25, 2015

Weather at the gauge

Rain in the last 3 days: 0.47 in. Rain that falls upstream can take hours or days to show up at a river gauge.

17 Sat 62° 33° – Wind 14 mph

18 Sun 65° 40° – Wind 17 mph

19 Mon 66° 41° – Wind 11 mph

20 Tue 69° 47° – Wind 11 mph

21 Wed 72° 52° – Wind 13 mph

22 Thu 75° 57° – Wind 10 mph

23 Fri 76° 57° – Wind 17 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:36 AM Sunset 06:28 PM Daylight 10 hr, 52 min Waxing gibbous 76%

Map

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Raccoon River at Van MeterRiver gauge, Raccoon River	7.30 ft	Below flood stage	−0.56 ft	11 mi
Middle Raccoon River at PanoraRiver gauge, Middle Raccoon River	5.13 ft	Below flood stage	−0.12 ft	13 mi
Lake Panorama at PanoraLake, Lake Panorama	45.55 ft	Very high	+0.01 ft	14 mi
Raccoon River near West Des MoinesRiver gauge, Raccoon River	31.49 ft	High	−0.52 ft	20 mi
Middle Raccoon River near BayardRiver gauge, Middle Raccoon River	415 cfs	High	−54.0 cfs	22 mi
Beaver Creek near GrimesRiver gauge, Beaver Creek	6.28 ft	Below flood stage	−0.35 ft	23 mi
Walnut Creek at Des MoinesRiver gauge, Walnut Creek	3.89 ft	Below flood stage	−0.03 ft	23 mi
Raccoon River at 63rd Street at Des MoinesRiver gauge, Raccoon River	25.46 ft	Below flood stage	−0.62 ft	23 mi

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for the South Raccoon River at Redfield?

The official flood stage is 20.00 ft. The level is currently 15.87 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 Raccoon River at Redfield today?

On Oct 21, 2026, 03:45 AM CDT, the water level was 4.13 ft. Down 0.15 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is South Raccoon River at Redfield rising or falling?

Down 0.15 ft over the last 24 hours. Down 0.80 ft over the last 7 days.

Is the level of South Raccoon River at Redfield normal?

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

What is the highest water level ever recorded at South Raccoon River at Redfield?

The highest level on record is 29.04 ft on July 2, 1958.

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:05484000 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 41.59042, -94.15117 (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	4.13 ft	2026-10-21 08:45	Provisional
Flow	999 cfs	2026-10-21 08:45	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: South Raccoon River at Redfield (usgs:05484000). Accessed October 21, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/iowa/south-raccoon-river-at-redfield

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