Turkey River above French Hollow Cr at Elkader water level

Name: Turkey River above French Hollow Cr at Elkader 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, Turkey River, Iowa, United States

Directions

Below flood stage

Water level

6.61ft Down 0.07 ft over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 21, 2026, 04:45 AM CDT (43 min ago)

Flow: 1,020 cfs

History

7 days

Water level Minor flood stage

What this means

The Turkey River above French Hollow Cr at Elkader is at 6.61 ft, in the normal range.

It is 5.39 ft below the flood stage of 12.00 ft.

It has dropped 0.07 ft over the past 24 hours. In the last month it has stayed between 6.61 ft and 6.82 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: 27.77 ftJune 10, 2008

Floating and fishing near Turkey River above French Hollow Cr at Elkader

Normal flows mean predictable rapids and good access at most put-ins.

Flood stage here is 12.00 ft, 5.39 ft above the current reading. Beyond it, the National Weather Service also defines moderate and major flood stages.

What happens at each level

12.00 ft: Minor flooding occurs in areas near the river.
6.61 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: 7 %.

Rank	Level	Date
1	27.77 ft	June 10, 2008
2	27.32 ft	June 15, 1991
3	25.57 ft	May 23, 2004
4	22.87 ft	August 30, 2021
5	22.57 ft	August 26, 2016
6	20.65 ft	September 23, 2016
7	19.35 ft	May 17, 1999
8	18.90 ft	April 2, 1993
9	18.84 ft	April 26, 2008
10	18.82 ft	June 20, 2014

Weather at the gauge

Rain in the last 3 days: 0.87 in. Rain that falls upstream can take hours or days to show up at a river gauge.

17 Sat 56° 31° – Wind 13 mph

18 Sun 59° 38° – Wind 15 mph

19 Mon 63° 40° – Wind 9 mph

20 Tue 65° 44° – Wind 8 mph

21 Wed 67° 47° 0.00 in Wind 11 mph

22 Thu 64° 54° 0.02 in Wind 6 mph

23 Fri 69° 51° – Wind 14 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:27 AM Sunset 06:15 PM Daylight 10 hr, 48 min Waxing gibbous 76%

Map

Other gauges on the Turkey River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Turkey River at SpillvilleRiver gauge, Turkey River	2.79 ft	Below flood stage	−0.05 ft	37 mi
Turkey River near EldoradoRiver gauge, Turkey River	6.30 ft	Below flood stage	−0.10 ft	25 mi
Turkey River at GarberRiver gauge, Turkey River	8.60 ft	Below flood stage	−0.19 ft	10 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Volga River at LittleportRiver gauge, Volga River	6.07 ft	Below flood stage	−0.19 ft	6 mi
Mississippi River at ClaytonRiver gauge, Mississippi River	11.61 ft	Low	+0.01 ft	14 mi
Bloody Run Creek near MarquetteRiver gauge, Bloody Run Creek	4.12 ft	Below flood stage	±0	17 mi
Mississippi River at McGregorRiver gauge, Mississippi River	6.96 ft	Low	+0.01 ft	17 mi
Yellow River near IonRiver gauge, Yellow River	6.15 ft	Below flood stage	−0.03 ft	20 mi
Maquoketa River at ManchesterRiver gauge, Maquoketa River	5.39 ft	Below flood stage	−0.21 ft	26 mi
Grant River at BurtonRiver gauge, Grant River	6.06 ft	Below flood stage	−0.05 ft	31 mi
Little Wapsipinicon River near OranRiver gauge, Little Wapsipinicon River	82.94 ft	Below flood stage	−0.20 ft	34 mi

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for the Turkey River above French Hollow Cr at Elkader?

The official flood stage is 12.00 ft. The level is currently 5.39 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 Turkey River above French Hollow Cr at Elkader today?

On Oct 21, 2026, 04:45 AM CDT, the water level was 6.61 ft. Down 0.07 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Turkey River above French Hollow Cr at Elkader rising or falling?

Down 0.07 ft over the last 24 hours. Down 0.20 ft over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Turkey River above French Hollow Cr at Elkader normal?

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

What is the highest water level ever recorded at Turkey River above French Hollow Cr at Elkader?

The highest level on record is 27.77 ft on June 10, 2008.

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:05412020 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 42.84349, -91.40128 (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	6.61 ft	2026-10-21 09:45	Provisional
Flow	1,020 cfs	2026-10-21 09:45	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Turkey River above French Hollow Cr at Elkader (usgs:05412020). Accessed October 21, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/iowa/turkey-river-above-french-hollow-cr-at-elkader

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