South Skunk River below Ioway Creek near Ames water level

Name: South Skunk River below Ioway Creek near Ames 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

13.09ft Down 0.56 ft over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 21, 2026, 01:00 AM CDT (57 min ago)

Flow: 948 cfs

History

7 days

Water level Minor flood stage

What this means

The gauge at South Skunk River below Ioway Creek near Ames reads 13.09 ft, a normal level.

It is 8.41 ft below the flood stage of 21.50 ft.

The level is falling, down 0.56 ft over the past 24 hours. Over the past 30 days it has moved between 13.09 ft and 17.33 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: 26.72 ftAugust 11, 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 21.50 ft, still 8.41 ft away.

What happens at each level

26.30 ft: Water impacts I-35 south of US 30.
26.00 ft: Water affects the US 30 bridge over the South Skunk River. Widespread flooding also occurs along Dayton Ave.
25.50 ft: Widespread flooding of US 30 occurs.
25.00 ft: Water affects I-35 south of US 30...US 30 between Dayton Ave and Duff Ave...as well as hotels and industries along Dayton Ave.
24.00 ft: Water affects US 30 between Dayton Ave and Duff Ave. Basements also flood in Cambridge. Hotels on SE 16th St have water in their parking lots. Water may also affect SE 16th St.
23.00 ft: Water affects the Shady Grove Trailer Park located at 1006 S Dayton Ave as well as the railroad just northeast of Cambridge.
21.00 ft: Water affects S 16th St. Water also affects the sports complex along the river south of US 30.
20.50 ft: Water affects gravel roads just upstream from US 30 as well as agricultural land from Ames downstream to northeast Polk County.
20.00 ft: Water affects agricultural land from Ames to Cambridge.
13.09 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	26.72 ft	August 11, 2010
2	25.57 ft	June 27, 1975
3	25.53 ft	July 9, 1993
4	25.40 ft	June 17, 1990
5	25.13 ft	June 17, 1996
6	24.70 ft	May 30, 2008
7	23.98 ft	August 30, 2015
8	23.79 ft	July 1, 2014
9	23.68 ft	March 19, 1979
10	23.20 ft	March 30, 1960

Weather at the gauge

Rain in the last 3 days: 0.45 in. Rain that falls upstream can take hours or days to show up at a river gauge.

17 Sat 61° 32° – Wind 14 mph

18 Sun 63° 40° – Wind 16 mph

19 Mon 66° 39° – Wind 11 mph

20 Tue 69° 47° – Wind 11 mph

21 Wed 72° 51° 0.04 in Wind 13 mph

22 Thu 75° 60° – Wind 10 mph

23 Fri 76° 56° – Wind 17 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:34 AM Sunset 06:25 PM Daylight 10 hr, 51 min Waxing gibbous 75%

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	5.08 ft	Below flood stage	−0.25 ft	4.2 mi
South Skunk River at ColfaxRiver gauge, South Skunk River	11.04 ft	Below flood stage	−0.41 ft	29 mi
South Skunk River near OskaloosaRiver gauge, South Skunk River	14.37 ft	Below flood stage	−0.77 ft	66 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Ioway Creek at AmesRiver gauge, Ioway Creek	2.90 ft	Below flood stage	−0.13 ft	2.0 mi
Fourmile Creek near Ankeny, IA DS1River gauge, Fourmile Creek	2.61 ft	Below flood stage	−0.05 ft	20 mi
Indian Creek near MingoRiver gauge, Indian Creek	437 cfs	Very high	−63.0 cfs	20 mi
Des Moines River near SaylorvilleRiver gauge, Des Moines River	4,320 cfs	High	−1,620.0 cfs	23 mi
Beaver Creek near GrimesRiver gauge, Beaver Creek	6.32 ft	Below flood stage	−0.37 ft	23 mi
Des Moines River near StratfordRiver gauge, Des Moines River	8.10 ft	Below flood stage	−0.29 ft	27 mi
Fourmile Creek at Des MoinesRiver gauge, Fourmile Creek	4.29 ft	Below flood stage	−0.05 ft	27 mi
Des Moines River at 2nd Avenue at Des MoinesRiver gauge, Des Moines River	16.82 ft	Below flood stage	−0.39 ft	27 mi

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for the South Skunk River below Ioway Creek near Ames?

The official flood stage is 21.50 ft. The level is currently 8.41 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 below Ioway Creek near Ames today?

On Oct 21, 2026, 01:00 AM CDT, the water level was 13.09 ft. Down 0.56 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is South Skunk River below Ioway Creek near Ames rising or falling?

Down 0.56 ft over the last 24 hours. Down 4.14 ft over the last 7 days.

Is the level of South Skunk River below Ioway Creek near Ames 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 below Ioway Creek near Ames?

The highest level on record is 26.72 ft on August 11, 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:05471000 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 42.00822, -93.59597 (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	13.09 ft	2026-10-21 06:00	Provisional
Flow	948 cfs	2026-10-21 06:00	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: South Skunk River below Ioway Creek near Ames (usgs:05471000). Accessed October 21, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/iowa/south-skunk-river-below-ioway-creek-near-ames

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