Turkey River at Garber water level

Name: Turkey River at Garber 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

9.01ft Down 0.25 ft over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 19, 2026, 05:15 AM CDT (54 min ago)

Flow: 2,640 cfs
Water temperature: 52 °F

History

7 days

Water level Minor flood stage

What this means

The gauge at Turkey River at Garber reads 9.01 ft, a normal level.

It is 7.99 ft below the flood stage of 17.00 ft.

The level is falling, down 0.25 ft over the past 24 hours. Over the past 30 days it has moved between 9.01 ft and 9.70 ft.

Fall is often low-water season on rivers, until steadier rain returns. The water temperature at the gauge is 52 °F.

Judged against the official flood stage for this gauge. How to read levels

Key numbers

Highest on record: 32.80 ftMay 23, 2004

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 17.00 ft, still 7.99 ft away.

What happens at each level

31.50 ft: The earthen levee at Elkport is overtopped.
26.00 ft: The earthen levee at Elkport is threatened, just upstream of Garber.
19.00 ft: County Road X3C at the south end of Garber becomes inundated.
17.00 ft: Minor flooding begins in the communities of Garber, Osterdock, and Millville.
9.01 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: 8 %.

Rank	Level	Date
1	32.80 ft	May 23, 2004
2	30.91 ft	May 17, 1999
3	30.10 ft	June 15, 1991
4	29.13 ft	June 10, 2008
5	28.06 ft	February 23, 1922
6	27.98 ft	April 25, 2008
7	27.18 ft	June 22, 2013
8	26.60 ft	June 13, 1947
9	25.60 ft	September 23, 2016
10	25.60 ft	March 15, 2019

Weather at the gauge

No rain in the last 3 days.

19 Mon 66° 43° – Wind 5 mph

20 Tue 67° 43° – Wind 6 mph

21 Wed 68° 48° – Wind 8 mph

22 Thu 70° 52° – Wind 7 mph

23 Fri 71° 53° – Wind 13 mph

24 Sat 69° 58° – Wind 15 mph

25 Sun 64° 50° 0.07 in Wind 14 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:24 AM Sunset 06:18 PM Daylight 10 hr, 54 min First quarter 58%

Map

Other gauges on the Turkey River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Turkey River at SpillvilleRiver gauge, Turkey River	2.89 ft	Below flood stage	−0.02 ft	47 mi
Turkey River near EldoradoRiver gauge, Turkey River	6.49 ft	Below flood stage	−0.08 ft	35 mi
Turkey River above French Hollow Cr at ElkaderRiver gauge, Turkey River	6.74 ft	Below flood stage	−0.05 ft	10 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Volga River at LittleportRiver gauge, Volga River	6.51 ft	Below flood stage	−0.33 ft	5.5 mi
Mississippi River at ClaytonRiver gauge, Mississippi River	11.58 ft	Low	+0.12 ft	13 mi
Mississippi River at McGregorRiver gauge, Mississippi River	6.88 ft	Low	+0.08 ft	20 mi
Maquoketa River at ManchesterRiver gauge, Maquoketa River	5.89 ft	Below flood stage	−0.47 ft	21 mi
Bloody Run Creek near MarquetteRiver gauge, Bloody Run Creek	4.12 ft	Below flood stage	−0.01 ft	21 mi
Grant River at BurtonRiver gauge, Grant River	6.18 ft	Below flood stage	−0.08 ft	23 mi
Yellow River near IonRiver gauge, Yellow River	6.20 ft	Below flood stage	−0.03 ft	26 mi
Platte River near RockvilleRiver gauge, Platte River	4.58 ft	Below flood stage	−0.03 ft	32 mi

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for the Turkey River at Garber?

The official flood stage is 17.00 ft. The level is currently 7.99 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 at Garber today?

On Oct 19, 2026, 05:15 AM CDT, the water level was 9.01 ft. Down 0.25 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Turkey River at Garber rising or falling?

Down 0.25 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of Turkey River at Garber normal?

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

What is the highest water level ever recorded at Turkey River at Garber?

The highest level on record is 32.80 ft on May 23, 2004.

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:05412500 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 42.73999, -91.26180 (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	9.01 ft	2026-10-19 10:15	Provisional
Flow	2,640 cfs	2026-10-19 10:15	Provisional
Water temperature	52 °F	2026-10-19 10:15	Provisional

Download

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Turkey River at Garber (usgs:05412500). Accessed October 19, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/iowa/turkey-river-at-garber

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