How high is the Des Moines River below Raccoon Riv at Des Moines, IA right now?

The Des Moines River below Raccoon Riv at Des Moines, IA is currently flowing at 8,630 cubic feet per second with a gage height of 14.78 feet, based on the most recent USGS instantaneous reading.

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

Current flow is classified as normal for June 11. Today's discharge is at the 43th percentile compared to the long-term historical record at this gauge.

Is the Des Moines River below Raccoon Riv at Des Moines, IA at flood stage?

No — the gage height is 9.22 feet below the NWS flood-stage threshold of 24.0 feet.

What is the historical median flow for the Des Moines River below Raccoon Riv at Des Moines, IA on June 11?

The long-term median discharge for this date is 10,200 cfs based on USGS daily statistics. The 10th–95th percentile range historically is 2,710 to 33,600 cfs.

Where is the Des Moines River below Raccoon Riv at Des Moines, IA stream gauge located?

The Des Moines River below Raccoon Riv at Des Moines, IA stream gauge is operated by the USGS in Polk County, IA on the Des Moines River. USGS site number 05485500 (coordinates 41.5786, -93.6056).

Des Moines River below Raccoon Riv at Des Moines, IA

USGS Site No: 05485500 • Des Moines River • Polk County, IA

Des Moines River below Raccoon Riv at Des Moines, IA on the Des Moines River is currently at 8,630 cfs (Normal — 43th percentile for this date) . Gage height: 14.78 ft.

Reading from 1 week ago

↑ Upstream on Des Moines River

Des Moines River at 2nd Avenue at Des Moines, IA

Downstream on Des Moines River ↓

Des Moines River Near Swan, IA

8,630

CFS Discharge

14.78

Gage Height (ft)

Normal

Flow Condition

Normal

Flood Status

Historical Percentile Comparison

Today's discharge compared to the long-term record for June 11 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	2,710
25th	Low threshold	4,850
50th (Median)	Normal (median)	10,200	Today: 8,630 cfs
75th	High threshold	16,900
95th	Very High threshold	33,600

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	9,330	—
May 27, 2026	9,120	—
May 26, 2026	8,100	—
May 25, 2026	7,890	—
May 24, 2026	8,180	—
May 23, 2026	8,100	—
May 22, 2026	8,050	—
May 21, 2026	8,320	—
May 20, 2026	8,890	—
May 19, 2026	8,750	—
May 18, 2026	6,460	—
May 17, 2026	5,790	—
May 16, 2026	5,550	—
May 15, 2026	5,080	—
Apr 20, 2026	10,700	—
Apr 19, 2026	12,200	—
Apr 18, 2026	14,300	—
Apr 17, 2026	14,200	—
Apr 16, 2026	14,200	—
Apr 15, 2026	14,900	—
Apr 14, 2026	14,200	—
Apr 13, 2026	14,900	—
Apr 12, 2026	16,100	—
Apr 11, 2026	19,500	—
Apr 10, 2026	21,200	—
Apr 9, 2026	19,000	—
Apr 8, 2026	21,100	—
Apr 7, 2026	24,100	—
Apr 6, 2026	23,700	—
Apr 5, 2026	21,300	—

Station Information

USGS Site No: 05485500
State: IA
County: Polk County
Coordinates: 41.5786, -93.6056
Drainage Area: 9,879 mi²
Datum (ft): 762.3
HUC Code: 07100008

View on USGS NWIS →

Flood Stage Thresholds

Action Stage: 20.0 ft
Flood Stage: 24.0 ft
Moderate Flood: 26.0 ft
Major Flood: 30.0 ft

Currently 9.22 ft below flood stage.

Recent Extremes

Max discharge: 28,900 cfs

Jul 31, 2025
Min discharge: 1,080 cfs

Dec 2, 2025
Days at flood stage: 0

Computed from the local daily-values archive.

Nearby Gauges

Raccoon River at Fleur Drive at Des Moines, IA
1.9 mi · 2,580 cfs

Normal
Des Moines River at 2nd Avenue at Des Moines, IA
2.4 mi · 5,520 cfs

Normal
Fourmile Creek at Des Moines, IA
3.9 mi · 57 cfs

Normal
Walnut Creek at Des Moines, IA
5.1 mi · 37 cfs

Normal
Raccoon River at 63rd Street at Des Moines, IA
5.2 mi · 2,700 cfs

Normal