Des Moines River at Jackson water level

Name: Des Moines River at Jackson 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, Des Moines River, Minnesota, United States

Directions

Below flood stage

Water level

6.98ft Down 0.12 ft over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 17, 2026, 05:00 PM CDT (1 hour ago)

Flow: 37.9 cfs

History

7 days

Water level Minor flood stage

What this means

Water levels are unremarkable at Des Moines River at Jackson, where the gauge shows 6.98 ft.

It is 5.02 ft below the flood stage of 12.00 ft.

It is still going down, by 0.12 ft over the past 24 hours. The 30-day range is 6.98 ft – 7.12 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: 16.04 ftJune 26, 2024

Paddling and fishing conditions

Most paddlers and anglers will find the river in good shape at this stage.

For reference, flood stage is 12.00 ft.

What happens at each level

19.00 ft: The bridge on Hwy 71 in Jackson is overtopped.
17.50 ft: The highest levees in Jackson are overtopped causing major flooding of roads, homes, and businesses in Jackson.
15.00 ft: The low portions of River St begin to flood.
14.00 ft: Highway 71 will begin flooding, and flooding begins to affect homes and businesses along the non-leveed portions of the river in Jackson. Most of Ashley Park is flooded and the baseball fields are under 3-4 feet of water.
13.50 ft: The lower levees in Jackson are overtopped. Water begins to approach the edge of Highway 71 in Jackson and may approach some structures. Water reaches the bottom of the bridge on W Ashley St.
12.50 ft: The parks and softball fields in Jackson begin to flood.
12.00 ft: Some township roads may begin flooding and flooding of crop and pasture lands becomes more widespread. Portions of the bike trail in Jackson along the river begin to flood.
10.00 ft: Flooding of lowland agricultural areas and low-water crossings begins.
6.98 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	16.04 ft	June 26, 2024
2	14.08 ft	March 24, 2019
3	13.92 ft	July 8, 2018
4	10.77 ft	April 18, 2023
5	10.64 ft	April 4, 2020
6	10.50 ft	May 26, 2017
7	10.36 ft	June 14, 2022
8	9.54 ft	July 5, 2025
9	9.02 ft	April 12, 2021

Weather at the gauge

Rain in the last 3 days: 0.61 in. Rain that falls upstream can take hours or days to show up at a river gauge.

17 Sat 56° 32° – Wind 21 mph

18 Sun 65° 41° – Wind 19 mph

19 Mon 65° 45° – Wind 11 mph

20 Tue 66° 48° – Wind 16 mph

21 Wed 71° 54° 0.03 in Wind 16 mph

22 Thu 74° 55° – Wind 11 mph

23 Fri 75° 61° 0.08 in Wind 23 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:37 AM Sunset 06:35 PM Daylight 10 hr, 58 min First quarter 44%

Map

Other gauges on the Des Moines River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Des Moines River above WindomRiver gauge, Des Moines River	9.59 ft	Below flood stage	+0.09 ft	21 mi
Des Moines River at EsthervilleRiver gauge, Des Moines River	2.38 ft	Normal	−0.01 ft	17 mi
Des Moines River at EmmetsburgRiver gauge, Des Moines River	1.55 ft	Below flood stage	−0.03 ft	37 mi
Des Moines River at HumboldtRiver gauge, Des Moines River	4.82 ft	Below flood stage	+0.19 ft	73 mi
Des Moines River at Fort DodgeRiver gauge, Des Moines River	5.27 ft	Below flood stage	+0.18 ft	86 mi
Des Moines River near StratfordRiver gauge, Des Moines River	9.16 ft	Below flood stage	−0.25 ft	107 mi
Des Moines River near SaylorvilleRiver gauge, Des Moines River	7,520 cfs	Very high	+1,120 cfs	150 mi
Des Moines River at 2nd Avenue at Des MoinesRiver gauge, Des Moines River	17.79 ft	Below flood stage	+0.44 ft	155 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Spirit Lake near OrleansLake, Spirit Lake	14.23 ft	High	−0.04 ft	13 mi
West Okoboji Lake at Lakeside Lab near MilfordLake, West Okoboji Lake	4.15 ft	High	−0.04 ft	19 mi
Ocheyedan River near SpencerRiver gauge, Ocheyedan River	2.95 ft	Below flood stage	+0.03 ft	36 mi
Little Floyd River near SanbornRiver gauge, Little Floyd River	83.09 ft	Below flood stage	+0.01 ft	48 mi
Watonwan River near Garden CityRiver gauge, Watonwan River	123 cfs	Normal	+21.0 cfs	49 mi
East Fork Des Moines River near AlgonaRiver gauge, East Fork Des Moines River	7.99 ft	Below flood stage	+0.32 ft	53 mi

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for the Des Moines River at Jackson?

The official flood stage is 12.00 ft. The level is currently 5.02 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 Des Moines River at Jackson today?

On Oct 17, 2026, 05:00 PM CDT, the water level was 6.98 ft. Down 0.12 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Des Moines River at Jackson rising or falling?

Down 0.12 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of Des Moines River at Jackson normal?

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

What is the highest water level ever recorded at Des Moines River at Jackson?

The highest level on record is 16.04 ft on June 26, 2024.

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:05476000 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 43.62076, -94.98502 (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	6.98 ft	2026-10-17 22:00	Provisional
Flow	37.9 cfs	2026-10-17 22:00	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Des Moines River at Jackson (usgs:05476000). Accessed October 17, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/minnesota/des-moines-river-at-jackson

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