Des Moines River at Emmetsburg, IA
USGS Site No: 05476590 • Des Moines River • Palo Alto County, IA
Des Moines River at Emmetsburg, IA on the Des Moines River is currently at 1,220 cfs (Normal — 68th percentile for this date) . Gage height: 0.49 ft.
Reading from
Historical Percentile Comparison
Today's discharge compared to the long-term record for October 28 at this station. Percentile rank shows what fraction of historical years had lower flow on this date.
| Percentile | Label | CFS Threshold | Today's Flow |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | Very Low threshold | 30 | |
| 25th | Low threshold | 49 | |
| 50th (Median) | Normal (median) | 99 | |
| 75th | High threshold | 1,700 | Today: 1,220 cfs |
| 95th | Very High threshold | 0 |
30-Day Hydrograph
Recent discharge plotted against the historical 10th–95th percentile envelope for the same calendar days. Source: USGS daily values + long-term statistics.
30-Day Flow History
| Date | Discharge (CFS) | Gage Ht (ft) |
|---|---|---|
| May 28, 2026 | 1,300 | — |
| May 27, 2026 | 1,400 | — |
| May 26, 2026 | 1,400 | — |
| May 25, 2026 | 1,470 | — |
| May 24, 2026 | 1,600 | — |
| May 23, 2026 | 1,320 | — |
| May 22, 2026 | 1,060 | — |
| May 21, 2026 | 1,140 | — |
| May 20, 2026 | 1,300 | — |
| May 19, 2026 | 1,320 | — |
| May 18, 2026 | 986 | — |
| May 17, 2026 | 783 | — |
| May 16, 2026 | 811 | — |
| May 15, 2026 | 801 | — |
| Apr 20, 2026 | 535 | — |
| Apr 19, 2026 | 609 | — |
| Apr 18, 2026 | 654 | — |
| Apr 17, 2026 | 696 | — |
| Apr 16, 2026 | 737 | — |
| Apr 15, 2026 | 791 | — |
| Apr 14, 2026 | 821 | — |
| Apr 13, 2026 | 692 | — |
| Apr 12, 2026 | 692 | — |
| Apr 11, 2026 | 700 | — |
| Apr 10, 2026 | 771 | — |
| Apr 9, 2026 | 787 | — |
| Apr 8, 2026 | 803 | — |
| Apr 7, 2026 | 824 | — |
| Apr 6, 2026 | 878 | — |
| Apr 5, 2026 | 884 | — |
Station Information
- USGS Site No
- 05476590
- State
- IA
- County
- Palo Alto County
- Coordinates
- 43.1265, -94.7072
- Drainage Area
- 1,672 mi²
- Datum (ft)
- 1,196.3
- HUC Code
- 07100002
Flood Stage Thresholds
- Action Stage
- 9.0 ft
- Flood Stage
- 11.0 ft
- Moderate Flood
- 13.0 ft
- Major Flood
- 15.0 ft
Currently 10.51 ft below flood stage.
Recent Extremes
- Max discharge
-
1,970 cfsAug 19, 2025
- Min discharge
-
73 cfsFeb 4, 2026
- Days at flood stage
- 0
Computed from the local daily-values archive.
Nearby Gauges
-
Des Moines River at Estherville, IAVery High20.1 mi · 1,350 cfs
-
East Fork Des Moines River Near Algona, IAVery High24.2 mi · 1,050 cfs
-
Ocheyedan River Near Spencer, IAVery High25.4 mi · 581 cfs
-
Little Sioux River at Linn Grove, IAVery High31.4 mi · 2,320 cfs
-
Des Moines River at Jackson, MNHigh36.9 mi · 737 cfs