Upper Iowa River near Dorchester water level

Name: Upper Iowa River near Dorchester 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, Upper Iowa River, Iowa, United States

Directions

Below flood stage

Water level

7.64ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 20, 2026, 05:00 PM CDT (59 min ago)

Flow: 725 cfs

History

7 days

Water level Minor flood stage

What this means

The gauge at Upper Iowa River near Dorchester reads 7.64 ft, a normal level.

It is 6.36 ft below the flood stage of 14.00 ft.

It has barely moved over the past 24 hours. Over the past 30 days it has moved between 7.57 ft and 7.68 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: 24.30 ftAugust 25, 2016

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 14.00 ft, still 6.36 ft away.

What happens at each level

24.00 ft: Iowa Highway 76 is overtopped just north of the gage site.
22.00 ft: Iowa Highway 76 south of Dorchester may be threatened by flood waters.
15.00 ft: Significant agricultural flooding begins.
14.00 ft: Lowland agricultural areas begin to flood.
7.64 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	24.30 ft	August 25, 2016
2	22.46 ft	June 9, 2008
3	22.20 ft	February 28, 1948
4	21.80 ft	May 30, 1941
5	20.89 ft	March 5, 1937
6	20.02 ft	June 23, 2013
7	20.00 ft	August 17, 1993
8	19.34 ft	March 7, 1950
9	19.20 ft	July 26, 1953
10	18.95 ft	September 6, 1946

Weather at the gauge

Rain in the last 3 days: 0.80 in. Rain that falls upstream can take hours or days to show up at a river gauge.

17 Sat 58° 32° – Wind 15 mph

18 Sun 61° 40° – Wind 17 mph

19 Mon 65° 38° – Wind 9 mph

20 Tue 66° 44° – Wind 9 mph

21 Wed 69° 46° – Wind 12 mph

22 Thu 66° 53° 0.02 in Wind 7 mph

23 Fri 70° 50° – Wind 14 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:27 AM Sunset 06:16 PM Daylight 10 hr, 50 min Waxing gibbous 72%

Map

Other gauges on the Upper Iowa River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Upper Iowa River at BlufftonRiver gauge, Upper Iowa River	3.83 ft	Below flood stage	−0.04 ft	20 mi
Upper Iowa River at DecorahRiver gauge, Upper Iowa River	2.28 ft	Below flood stage	−0.01 ft	16 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Waterloo Creek near DorchesterRiver gauge, Waterloo Creek	7.20 ft	Below flood stage	−0.01 ft	2.1 mi
Crooked Creek at FreeburgRiver gauge, Crooked Creek	6.64 ft	Below flood stage	±0	15 mi
South Fork Root River near HoustonRiver gauge, South Fork Root River	2.19 ft	Below flood stage	±0	22 mi
Root River near HoustonRiver gauge, Root River	4.13 ft	Below flood stage	−0.07 ft	24 mi
Yellow River near IonRiver gauge, Yellow River	6.17 ft	Below flood stage	−0.01 ft	25 mi
Turkey River at SpillvilleRiver gauge, Turkey River	2.81 ft	Below flood stage	−0.05 ft	27 mi
Turkey River near EldoradoRiver gauge, Turkey River	6.34 ft	Below flood stage	−0.09 ft	30 mi
Root River above RushfordRiver gauge, Root River	9.95 ft	Below flood stage	−0.06 ft	30 mi

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for the Upper Iowa River near Dorchester?

The official flood stage is 14.00 ft. The level is currently 6.36 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 Upper Iowa River near Dorchester today?

On Oct 20, 2026, 05:00 PM CDT, the water level was 7.64 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Upper Iowa River near Dorchester rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of Upper Iowa River near Dorchester normal?

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

What is the highest water level ever recorded at Upper Iowa River near Dorchester?

The highest level on record is 24.30 ft on August 25, 2016.

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:05388250 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 43.42108, -91.50875 (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	7.64 ft	2026-10-20 22:00	Provisional
Flow	725 cfs	2026-10-20 22:00	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Upper Iowa River near Dorchester (usgs:05388250). Accessed October 20, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/iowa/upper-iowa-river-near-dorchester

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