Thompson River at Davis City water level

Name: Thompson River at Davis 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, Thompson River, Iowa, United States

Directions

Below flood stage

Water level

1.69ft Down 0.09 ft over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 19, 2026, 03:00 PM CDT (1 hour ago)

Flow: 257 cfs

History

7 days

Water level Minor flood stage

What this means

Water levels are unremarkable at Thompson River at Davis City, where the gauge shows 1.69 ft.

It is 10.31 ft below the flood stage of 12.00 ft.

It is still going down, by 0.09 ft over the past 24 hours. The 30-day range is 1.69 ft – 1.84 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: 24.29 ftSeptember 16, 1992

Paddling and fishing conditions

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

For reference, flood stage is 12.00 ft.

What happens at each level

24.00 ft: Water affects both lanes of I-35 along with many area highways and county roads. Widespread flooding occurs along both the Thompson River and its tributaries.
19.00 ft: Water affects the Hwy R15 bridge crossings just north of Grand River. Flooding occurs in the low areas of Davis City.
13.00 ft: Flooding of agricultural land occurs north of Davis City near I-35.
12.00 ft: Widespread flooding occurs at the Davis City park including the campgrounds. Water affects Hwy R15 just north of the town of Grand River in northwest Decatur County.
11.00 ft: Water affects the Davis City park and campgrounds.
10.00 ft: Water affects gravel roads from Shewmaker Park to Oakhill cemetery near the town of Grand River in northwest Decatur County.
9.00 ft: Water affects the low areas of the Davis City park as well as some rural roads.
1.69 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: 13 %.

Rank	Level	Date
1	24.29 ft	September 16, 1992
2	23.00 ft	August 27, 1903
3	22.80 ft	August 8, 1885
4	22.30 ft	July 6, 1909
5	22.20 ft	August 16, 1914
6	22.10 ft	June 14, 1947
7	21.90 ft	July 18, 1922
8	21.70 ft	April 24, 1897
9	21.60 ft	March 28, 1915
10	21.10 ft	September 9, 1926

Weather at the gauge

No rain in the last 3 days.

19 Mon 66° 40° – Wind 8 mph

20 Tue 69° 44° – Wind 9 mph

21 Wed 72° 51° – Wind 9 mph

22 Thu 71° 54° – Wind 10 mph

23 Fri 75° 55° – Wind 16 mph

24 Sat 74° 59° – Wind 17 mph

25 Sun 69° 55° 0.30 in Wind 14 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:31 AM Sunset 06:30 PM Daylight 10 hr, 59 min First quarter 62%

Map

Other gauges on the Thompson River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Thompson River at TrentonRiver gauge, Thompson River	11.59 ft	Below flood stage	−0.05 ft	40 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
East Fork Big Creek near BethanyRiver gauge, East Fork Big Creek	6.4 cfs	Normal	±0	26 mi
Medicine Creek at LucerneRiver gauge, Medicine Creek	5.33 ft	No reference yet	±0	30 mi
South Fork Chariton River near Promise CityRiver gauge, South Fork Chariton River	3.17 ft	Below flood stage	−0.01 ft	34 mi
Chariton River near CharitonRiver gauge, Chariton River	4.56 ft	Below flood stage	−0.03 ft	36 mi
East Fork Grand River at AlbanyRiver gauge, East Fork Grand River	47.5 cfs	Normal	−4.6 cfs	40 mi
Stanberry Lake near GentryLake, Stanberry Lake	891.80 ft	No reference yet	−0.01 ft	41 mi
East Locust Creek near BoyntonRiver gauge, East Locust Creek	7.2 cfs	High	±0	46 mi

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for the Thompson River at Davis City?

The official flood stage is 12.00 ft. The level is currently 10.31 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 Thompson River at Davis City today?

On Oct 19, 2026, 03:00 PM CDT, the water level was 1.69 ft. Down 0.09 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Thompson River at Davis City rising or falling?

Down 0.09 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of Thompson River at Davis City normal?

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

What is the highest water level ever recorded at Thompson River at Davis City?

The highest level on record is 24.29 ft on September 16, 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:06898000 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 40.64028, -93.80806 (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	1.69 ft	2026-10-19 20:00	Provisional
Flow	257 cfs	2026-10-19 20:00	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Thompson River at Davis City (usgs:06898000). Accessed October 19, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/iowa/thompson-river-at-davis-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