Wapsipinicon River near Tripoli water level

Name: Wapsipinicon River near Tripoli 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, Wapsipinicon River, Iowa, United States

Directions

Below flood stage

Water level

9.16ft Down 0.20 ft over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 20, 2026, 12:45 PM CDT (43 min ago)

Flow: 367 cfs

History

7 days

Water level Minor flood stage

What this means

The Wapsipinicon River near Tripoli is at 9.16 ft, in the normal range.

It is 5.84 ft below the flood stage of 15.00 ft.

It has dropped 0.20 ft over the past 24 hours. In the last month it has stayed between 9.04 ft and 9.61 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: 18.51 ftAugust 29, 2021

Floating and fishing near Wapsipinicon River near Tripoli

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

Flood stage here is 15.00 ft, 5.84 ft above the current reading. Beyond it, the National Weather Service also defines moderate and major flood stages.

What happens at each level

18.30 ft: Water affects Iowa 93 north of Tripoli near the gauge site.
15.30 ft: County Rd C57 is closed between US Hwy 281 and Adams Rd.
11.50 ft: Water affects the lowest portions of the Sweet Water Creek bike trail near Tripoli.
9.16 ft: Right now

Impact statements from the U.S. National Weather Service.

Highest crests on record

Rank	Level	Date
1	18.51 ft	August 29, 2021
2	18.50 ft	July 21, 1999
3	18.24 ft	June 9, 2008
4	17.26 ft	July 1, 1969
5	17.22 ft	September 23, 2016
6	15.97 ft	May 23, 2004
7	15.88 ft	July 23, 2017
8	15.84 ft	March 16, 2019
9	15.74 ft	August 20, 2025
10	15.64 ft	September 6, 2018

Weather at the gauge

Rain in the last 3 days: 0.67 in. Rain that falls upstream can take hours or days to show up at a river gauge.

17 Sat 57° 31° – Wind 15 mph

18 Sun 61° 39° – Wind 17 mph

19 Mon 63° 38° – Wind 10 mph

20 Tue 65° 46° – Wind 10 mph

21 Wed 68° 48° 0.03 in Wind 13 mph

22 Thu 68° 55° 0.01 in Wind 9 mph

23 Fri 70° 52° – Wind 16 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:29 AM Sunset 06:20 PM Daylight 10 hr, 51 min Waxing gibbous 70%

Map

Other gauges on the Wapsipinicon River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Wapsipinicon River at IndependenceRiver gauge, Wapsipinicon River	6.49 ft	Below flood stage	−0.20 ft	32 mi
Wapsipinicon River near AnamosaRiver gauge, Wapsipinicon River	8.94 ft	Below flood stage	−0.23 ft	72 mi
Wapsipinicon River near De WittRiver gauge, Wapsipinicon River	9.78 ft	Below flood stage	+0.40 ft	115 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Cedar River at WaverlyRiver gauge, Cedar River	5.10 ft	Below flood stage	−0.03 ft	13 mi
Little Wapsipinicon River near OranRiver gauge, Little Wapsipinicon River	83.05 ft	Below flood stage	−0.29 ft	14 mi
Cedar River at JanesvilleRiver gauge, Cedar River	2.93 ft	Below flood stage	−0.07 ft	17 mi
Little Cedar River near IoniaRiver gauge, Little Cedar River	4.34 ft	Below flood stage	−0.09 ft	18 mi
Shell Rock River at Shell RockRiver gauge, Shell Rock River	8.84 ft	Below flood stage	−0.07 ft	19 mi
West Fork Cedar River at FinchfordRiver gauge, West Fork Cedar River	8.69 ft	Below flood stage	−0.15 ft	20 mi
Cedar River at Cedar FallsRiver gauge, Cedar River	81.95 ft	Normal	−0.47 ft	23 mi
Cedar River at WaterlooRiver gauge, Cedar River	7.38 ft	Below flood stage	−0.27 ft	24 mi

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for the Wapsipinicon River near Tripoli?

The official flood stage is 15.00 ft. The level is currently 5.84 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 Wapsipinicon River near Tripoli today?

On Oct 20, 2026, 12:45 PM CDT, the water level was 9.16 ft. Down 0.20 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Wapsipinicon River near Tripoli rising or falling?

Down 0.20 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of Wapsipinicon River near Tripoli normal?

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

What is the highest water level ever recorded at Wapsipinicon River near Tripoli?

The highest level on record is 18.51 ft on August 29, 2021.

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:05420680 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 42.83609, -92.25740 (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	9.16 ft	2026-10-20 17:45	Provisional
Flow	367 cfs	2026-10-20 17:45	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Wapsipinicon River near Tripoli (usgs:05420680). Accessed October 20, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/iowa/wapsipinicon-river-near-tripoli

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