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

The Des Moines River at Ottumwa, IA is currently flowing at 9,850 cubic feet per second with a gage height of 4.44 feet, based on the most recent USGS instantaneous reading.

Is the flow on the Des Moines River at Ottumwa, 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 Ottumwa, IA at flood stage?

No — the gage height is 7.06 feet below the NWS flood-stage threshold of 11.5 feet.

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

The long-term median discharge for this date is 2,600 cfs based on USGS daily statistics. The 10th–95th percentile range historically is 381 to 20,600 cfs.

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

The Des Moines River at Ottumwa, IA stream gauge is operated by the USGS in Wapello County, IA on the Des Moines River. USGS site number 05489500 (coordinates 41.0108, -92.4113).

Des Moines River at Ottumwa, IA

USGS Site No: 05489500 • Des Moines River • Wapello County, IA

Des Moines River at Ottumwa, IA on the Des Moines River is currently at 9,850 cfs (High — 79th percentile for this date) . Gage height: 4.44 ft.

Reading from 4 months ago

↑ Upstream on Des Moines River

Des Moines River Near Tracy, IA

Downstream on Des Moines River ↓

Des Moines River at Keosauqua, IA

9,850

CFS Discharge

4.44

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	381
25th	Low threshold	561
50th (Median)	Normal (median)	2,600
75th	High threshold	6,800
95th	Very High threshold	20,600	Today: 9,850 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	11,000	—
May 27, 2026	11,200	—
May 26, 2026	13,300	—
May 25, 2026	13,600	—
May 24, 2026	14,700	—
May 23, 2026	15,100	—
May 22, 2026	18,500	—
May 21, 2026	21,600	—
May 20, 2026	21,200	—
May 19, 2026	18,000	—
May 18, 2026	10,600	—
May 17, 2026	7,840	—
May 16, 2026	6,260	—
May 15, 2026	6,630	—
Apr 19, 2026	20,800	—
Apr 18, 2026	23,300	—
Apr 17, 2026	25,300	—
Apr 16, 2026	23,100	—
Apr 15, 2026	20,200	—
Apr 14, 2026	21,800	—
Apr 13, 2026	26,400	—
Apr 12, 2026	26,500	—
Apr 11, 2026	25,100	—
Apr 10, 2026	24,400	—
Apr 9, 2026	25,800	—
Apr 8, 2026	25,700	—
Apr 7, 2026	25,600	—
Apr 6, 2026	24,000	—
Apr 5, 2026	18,800	—
Apr 4, 2026	10,300	—

Station Information

USGS Site No: 05489500
State: IA
County: Wapello County
Coordinates: 41.0108, -92.4113
Drainage Area: 13,374 mi²
Datum (ft): 621.6
HUC Code: 07100009

View on USGS NWIS →

Flood Stage Thresholds

Action Stage: 9.0 ft
Flood Stage: 11.5 ft
Moderate Flood: 15.0 ft
Major Flood: 19.0 ft

Currently 7.06 ft below flood stage.

Recent Extremes

Max discharge: 27,800 cfs

Aug 8, 2025
Min discharge: 792 cfs

Dec 15, 2025
Days at flood stage: 0

Computed from the local daily-values archive.

Nearby Gauges

Des Moines River at Eddyville, IA
15.5 mi · 9,290 cfs

Very High
North Skunk River Near Sigourney, IA
22.7 mi · 540 cfs

High
South Skunk River Near Oskaloosa, IA
27.0 mi · 1,610 cfs

High
Chariton River Near Rathbun, IA
28.2 mi · 1,030 cfs

High
Chariton River Near Moulton, IA
29.0 mi · 1,170 cfs

Very High