Waterloo Creek near Dorchester water level

Name: Waterloo Creek 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, Waterloo Creek, Iowa, United States

Directions

Below flood stage

Water level

7.22ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 20, 2026, 02:00 PM CDT (1 hour ago)

History

7 days 30 days 1 year Years compared

20252026

Water level Minor flood stage

What this means

The gauge at Waterloo Creek near Dorchester reads 7.22 ft, a normal level.

It is 2.78 ft below the flood stage of 10.00 ft. On the same day last year the reading was 7.18 ft, a difference of +0.04 ft.

It has barely moved over the past 24 hours. Over the past 30 days it has moved between 7.19 ft and 7.25 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

Same day last year: 7.18 ft+0.04 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days: 7.19 ft – 7.25 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months: 6.80 ft – 10.22 ft
Highest on record: 15.05 ftJuly 2, 2026

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 10.00 ft, still 2.78 ft away.

Highest crests on record

Rank	Level	Date
1	15.05 ft	July 2, 2026
2	14.93 ft	June 23, 2013
3	14.91 ft	August 24, 2016
4	14.80 ft	July 1, 1978
5	14.57 ft	June 8, 2008
6	12.22 ft	June 28, 1998
7	12.08 ft	June 23, 2010
8	11.89 ft	March 14, 2019
9	11.50 ft	August 19, 2007
10	11.41 ft	June 26, 2005

Weather at the gauge

No rain in the last 3 days.

20 Tue 65° 40° – Wind 9 mph

21 Wed 70° 43° – Wind 6 mph

22 Thu 69° 50° – Wind 8 mph

23 Fri 70° 51° – Wind 13 mph

24 Sat 72° 60° – Wind 17 mph

25 Sun 62° 44° 0.50 in Wind 11 mph

26 Mon 43° 36° 1.06 in, 22% Wind 14 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:27 AM Sunset 06:16 PM Daylight 10 hr, 50 min Waxing gibbous 71%

Map

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Upper Iowa River near DorchesterRiver gauge, Upper Iowa River	7.65 ft	Below flood stage	−0.02 ft	2.1 mi
Crooked Creek at FreeburgRiver gauge, Crooked Creek	6.63 ft	Below flood stage	−0.01 ft	13 mi
Upper Iowa River at DecorahRiver gauge, Upper Iowa River	2.27 ft	Below flood stage	−0.02 ft	18 mi
Upper Iowa River at BlufftonRiver gauge, Upper Iowa River	3.84 ft	Below flood stage	−0.04 ft	20 mi
South Fork Root River near HoustonRiver gauge, South Fork Root River	2.19 ft	Below flood stage	−0.01 ft	20 mi
Root River near HoustonRiver gauge, Root River	4.15 ft	Below flood stage	−0.05 ft	22 mi
Yellow River near IonRiver gauge, Yellow River	6.17 ft	Below flood stage	−0.02 ft	26 mi
Turkey River at SpillvilleRiver gauge, Turkey River	2.83 ft	Below flood stage	−0.03 ft	28 mi

Questions and answers

Is Waterloo Creek near Dorchester higher than last year?

Yes, it is 0.04 ft higher than on the same day last year, when the reading was 7.18 ft.

What is flood stage for Waterloo Creek near Dorchester?

The official flood stage is 10.00 ft. The level is currently 2.78 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 Waterloo Creek near Dorchester today?

On Oct 20, 2026, 02:00 PM CDT, the water level was 7.22 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Waterloo Creek near Dorchester rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours. Steady over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Waterloo Creek near Dorchester normal?

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

What is the highest water level ever recorded at Waterloo Creek near Dorchester?

The highest level on record is 15.05 ft on July 2, 2026.

For specialists

Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads

Operator: U.S. Geological Survey
Station code: usgs:05388310 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 43.45108, -91.50514 (WGS84)
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	7.22 ft	2026-10-20 19:00	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Waterloo Creek near Dorchester (usgs:05388310). Accessed October 20, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/iowa/waterloo-creek-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