How high is the Des Moines River at Keosauqua, IA right now?

The Des Moines River at Keosauqua, IA is currently flowing at 10,000 cubic feet per second with a gage height of 13.31 feet, based on the most recent USGS instantaneous reading.

Is the flow on the Des Moines River at Keosauqua, IA normal for this time of year?

Current flow is classified as high for October 28. Today's discharge is at the 79th percentile compared to the long-term historical record at this gauge.

Is the Des Moines River at Keosauqua, IA at flood stage?

No — the gage height is 8.69 feet below the NWS flood-stage threshold of 22.0 feet.

What is the historical median flow for the Des Moines River at Keosauqua, IA on October 28?

The long-term median discharge for this date is 2,730 cfs based on USGS daily statistics. The 10th–95th percentile range historically is 438 to 21,200 cfs.

Where is the Des Moines River at Keosauqua, IA stream gauge located?

The Des Moines River at Keosauqua, IA stream gauge is operated by the USGS in Van Buren County, IA on the Des Moines River. USGS site number 05490500 (coordinates 40.7278, -91.9596).

Des Moines River at Keosauqua, IA

USGS Site No: 05490500 • Des Moines River • Van Buren County, IA

Des Moines River at Keosauqua, IA on the Des Moines River is currently at 10,000 cfs (High — 79th percentile for this date) . Gage height: 13.31 ft.

Reading from 4 months ago

↑ Upstream on Des Moines River

Des Moines River at Ottumwa, IA

10,000

CFS Discharge

13.31

Gage Height (ft)

High

Flow Condition

Normal

Flood Status

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	438
25th	Low threshold	625
50th (Median)	Normal (median)	2,730
75th	High threshold	6,970
95th	Very High threshold	21,200	Today: 10,000 cfs

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.

10th–95th historical Day-of-year median Recent discharge

30-Day Flow History

Date	Discharge (CFS)	Gage Ht (ft)
May 28, 2026	11,100	—
May 27, 2026	12,300	—
May 26, 2026	13,400	—
May 25, 2026	14,000	—
May 24, 2026	14,800	—
May 23, 2026	16,500	—
May 22, 2026	19,700	—
May 21, 2026	22,000	—
May 20, 2026	22,300	—
May 19, 2026	19,000	—
May 18, 2026	10,200	—
May 17, 2026	7,070	—
May 16, 2026	6,750	—
May 15, 2026	6,920	—
Apr 19, 2026	22,100	—
Apr 18, 2026	27,900	—
Apr 17, 2026	25,600	—
Apr 16, 2026	21,600	—
Apr 15, 2026	20,100	—
Apr 14, 2026	23,900	—
Apr 13, 2026	27,200	—
Apr 12, 2026	26,000	—
Apr 11, 2026	24,000	—
Apr 10, 2026	24,900	—
Apr 9, 2026	25,000	—
Apr 8, 2026	24,800	—
Apr 7, 2026	24,700	—
Apr 6, 2026	22,000	—
Apr 5, 2026	14,300	—
Apr 4, 2026	11,100	—

Station Information

USGS Site No: 05490500
State: IA
County: Van Buren County
Coordinates: 40.7278, -91.9596
Drainage Area: 14,038 mi²
Datum (ft): 543.6
HUC Code: 07100009

View on USGS NWIS →

Flood Stage Thresholds

Action Stage: 21.0 ft
Flood Stage: 22.0 ft
Moderate Flood: 25.0 ft
Major Flood: 27.0 ft

Currently 8.69 ft below flood stage.

Recent Extremes

Max discharge: 28,700 cfs

Jul 26, 2025
Min discharge: 1,030 cfs

Jan 23, 2026
Days at flood stage: 0

Computed from the local daily-values archive.

Nearby Gauges

Cedar Creek Near Oakland Mills, IA
20.2 mi · 193 cfs

High
Des Moines River at St. Francisville, MO
27.6 mi · 10,400 cfs

High
Big Creek North Of Mount Pleasant, IA
28.8 mi · 9 cfs

Normal
Fox River at Wayland, MO
30.0 mi · 65 cfs

High
Des Moines River at Ottumwa, IA
30.7 mi · 9,850 cfs

High