South Skunk River at Colfax water level

Name: South Skunk River at Colfax 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 Skunk River, Iowa, United States

Directions

Below flood stage

Water level

11.58ft Down 0.74 ft over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 19, 2026, 07:45 PM CDT (1 hour ago)

Flow: 2,110 cfs

History

7 days

Water level Minor flood stage

What this means

The gauge at South Skunk River at Colfax reads 11.58 ft, a normal level.

It is 6.42 ft below the flood stage of 18.00 ft.

The level is falling, down 0.74 ft over the past 24 hours. Over the past 30 days it has moved between 11.58 ft and 14.34 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: 23.85 ftAugust 14, 2010

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 18.00 ft, still 6.42 ft away.

What happens at each level

24.00 ft: Water reaches the bottom of the I-80 bridge as well as the Iowa 117 bridge.
22.00 ft: Water affects I-80 between mile markers 155 and 159...as well as much of downtown Colfax and numerous residences on the west and northwest side of town.
21.00 ft: Water threatens I-80 between mile markers 155 and 159 due to backup from Indian Creek. Water also affects the railroad trestle.
20.90 ft: Water affects the levee near the Iowa 117 bridge as well as the first two downtown blocks of Colfax adjacent to the river.
20.00 ft: Water affects Iowa 14 south of Newton.
19.00 ft: Water affects the earthen levee west of town near the sewage disposal area. Evacuations may occur on the northwest side of Colfax. Flooding occurs in Reasnor.
15.50 ft: Storm sewers are closed. Water affects nearby agricultural land.
11.58 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	23.85 ft	August 14, 2010
2	21.53 ft	July 12, 1993
3	20.25 ft	June 14, 2008
4	19.07 ft	June 20, 1990
5	19.02 ft	April 28, 2007
6	18.90 ft	July 3, 2014
7	18.80 ft	March 16, 2019
8	18.71 ft	December 17, 2015
9	18.68 ft	June 20, 1998
10	18.54 ft	May 30, 2013

Weather at the gauge

Rain in the last 3 days: 0.64 in. Rain that falls upstream can take hours or days to show up at a river gauge.

17 Sat 62° 31° – Wind 14 mph

18 Sun 65° 39° – Wind 17 mph

19 Mon 66° 38° – Wind 10 mph

20 Tue 69° 47° – Wind 10 mph

21 Wed 72° 51° 0.02 in Wind 12 mph

22 Thu 75° 59° – Wind 9 mph

23 Fri 76° 56° – Wind 16 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:31 AM Sunset 06:25 PM Daylight 10 hr, 54 min First quarter 64%

Map

Other gauges on the South Skunk River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
South Skunk River near AmesRiver gauge, South Skunk River	5.39 ft	Below flood stage	−0.45 ft	33 mi
South Skunk River below Ioway Creek near AmesRiver gauge, South Skunk River	13.76 ft	Below flood stage	−0.60 ft	29 mi
South Skunk River near OskaloosaRiver gauge, South Skunk River	15.36 ft	Below flood stage	−1.16 ft	38 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Indian Creek near MingoRiver gauge, Indian Creek	513 cfs	Very high	−106.0 cfs	9 mi
Des Moines River near SwanRiver gauge, Des Moines River	17,500 cfs	High	−800.0 cfs	13 mi
Fourmile Creek at Des MoinesRiver gauge, Fourmile Creek	4.35 ft	Below flood stage	−0.06 ft	16 mi
Fourmile Creek near Ankeny, IA DS1River gauge, Fourmile Creek	2.67 ft	Below flood stage	−0.08 ft	17 mi
Des Moines River at 2nd Avenue at Des MoinesRiver gauge, Des Moines River	17.23 ft	Below flood stage	−0.43 ft	20 mi
Des Moines River below Raccoon River at Des MoinesRiver gauge, Des Moines River	17.31 ft	Below flood stage	−0.93 ft	20 mi
Raccoon River at Fleur Drive at Des MoinesRiver gauge, Raccoon River	7.97 ft	Below flood stage	−0.49 ft	22 mi
Des Moines River near SaylorvilleRiver gauge, Des Moines River	5,960 cfs	High	−1,140.0 cfs	22 mi

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for the South Skunk River at Colfax?

The official flood stage is 18.00 ft. The level is currently 6.42 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 Skunk River at Colfax today?

On Oct 19, 2026, 07:45 PM CDT, the water level was 11.58 ft. Down 0.74 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is South Skunk River at Colfax rising or falling?

Down 0.74 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of South Skunk River at Colfax normal?

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

What is the highest water level ever recorded at South Skunk River at Colfax?

The highest level on record is 23.85 ft on August 14, 2010.

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:05471050 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 41.68181, -93.24683 (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	11.58 ft	2026-10-20 00:45	Provisional
Flow	2,110 cfs	2026-10-20 00:45	Provisional

Download

Embed this gauge

Add a live card for this gauge to your website. It updates on its own and links back here.

<iframe src="https://nivelmap.com/embed/13150?lang=en" width="360" height="230" style="border:0;max-width:100%" loading="lazy" title="South Skunk River at Colfax water level"></iframe>

How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: South Skunk River at Colfax (usgs:05471050). Accessed October 20, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/iowa/south-skunk-river-at-colfax

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