South River near Ackworth water level

Name: South River near Ackworth 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 River, Iowa, United States

Directions

Below flood stage

Water level

5.51ft Down 0.08 ft over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 20, 2026, 06:15 AM CDT (1 hour ago)

Flow: 100 cfs

History

7 days

Water level Minor flood stage

What this means

Water levels are unremarkable at South River near Ackworth, where the gauge shows 5.51 ft.

It is 23.49 ft below the flood stage of 29.00 ft.

It is still going down, by 0.08 ft over the past 24 hours. The 30-day range is 5.51 ft – 6.16 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: 32.85 ftJuly 5, 1981

Paddling and fishing conditions

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

For reference, flood stage is 29.00 ft.

What happens at each level

33.00 ft: Water affects 168th Ave near the bridge over the river.
31.80 ft: Water affects Iowa 92 east of Ackworth.
31.00 ft: Water reaches the underside of the bridge at 168th Ave.
30.00 ft: Water affects portions of Iowa 92 and many other rural county roads. Widespread agricultural flooding occurs.
28.60 ft: Water is over Iowa 92 between mile markers 137.5 and 139.
26.00 ft: Road closures are possible near creeks adjoining the river.
19.00 ft: Water affects lowlands.
5.51 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	32.85 ft	July 5, 1981
2	32.00 ft	July 16, 1982
3	31.87 ft	June 25, 2015
4	31.57 ft	July 29, 2008
5	31.25 ft	June 17, 1990
6	30.02 ft	July 6, 1993
7	29.91 ft	September 10, 2014
8	29.55 ft	August 27, 1987
9	29.07 ft	June 10, 1974
10	28.42 ft	May 7, 2007

Weather at the gauge

Rain in the last 3 days: 0.03 in. Rain that falls upstream can take hours or days to show up at a river gauge.

18 Sun 65° 41° – Wind 16 mph

19 Mon 67° 40° – Wind 10 mph

20 Tue 70° 47° – Wind 10 mph

21 Wed 72° 52° 0.06 in Wind 11 mph

22 Thu 74° 59° – Wind 7 mph

23 Fri 73° 55° 0.01 in Wind 15 mph

24 Sat 73° 56° 0.21 in Wind 18 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:32 AM Sunset 06:27 PM Daylight 10 hr, 55 min First quarter 68%

Map

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Middle River near IndianolaRiver gauge, Middle River	8.80 ft	Below flood stage	−0.11 ft	8 mi
White Breast Creek near DallasRiver gauge, White Breast Creek	6.44 ft	Below flood stage	−0.04 ft	12 mi
North River near NorwalkRiver gauge, North River	8.37 ft	Below flood stage	−0.14 ft	12 mi
Des Moines River near SwanRiver gauge, Des Moines River	16,900 cfs	High	−1,100.0 cfs	15 mi
Des Moines River below Raccoon River at Des MoinesRiver gauge, Des Moines River	17.07 ft	Below flood stage	−1.02 ft	18 mi
Raccoon River at Fleur Drive at Des MoinesRiver gauge, Raccoon River	7.57 ft	Below flood stage	−0.75 ft	19 mi
Raccoon River at 63rd Street at Des MoinesRiver gauge, Raccoon River	26.01 ft	Below flood stage	−0.68 ft	19 mi
Fourmile Creek at Des MoinesRiver gauge, Fourmile Creek	4.33 ft	Below flood stage	−0.05 ft	19 mi

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for the South River near Ackworth?

The official flood stage is 29.00 ft. The level is currently 23.49 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 River near Ackworth today?

On Oct 20, 2026, 06:15 AM CDT, the water level was 5.51 ft. Down 0.08 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is South River near Ackworth rising or falling?

Down 0.08 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of South River near Ackworth normal?

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

What is the highest water level ever recorded at South River near Ackworth?

The highest level on record is 32.85 ft on July 5, 1981.

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:05487470 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 41.33789, -93.48642 (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	5.51 ft	2026-10-20 11:15	Provisional
Flow	100 cfs	2026-10-20 11:15	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: South River near Ackworth (usgs:05487470). Accessed October 20, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/iowa/south-river-near-ackworth

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