How high is the Des Moines River Near Swan, IA right now?

The Des Moines River Near Swan, IA is currently flowing at 9,970 cubic feet per second with a gage height of 47.09 feet, based on the most recent USGS instantaneous reading.

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

Current flow is classified as very high for October 28. Today's discharge is at the 95th percentile compared to the long-term historical record at this gauge.

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

The long-term median discharge for this date is 4,670 cfs based on USGS daily statistics. The 10th–95th percentile range historically is 413 to unavailable cfs.

Where is the Des Moines River Near Swan, IA stream gauge located?

The Des Moines River Near Swan, IA stream gauge is operated by the USGS in Marion County, IA on the Des Moines River. USGS site number 05487520 (coordinates 41.4894, -93.2782).

Des Moines River Near Swan, IA

USGS Site No: 05487520 • Des Moines River • Marion County, IA

Des Moines River Near Swan, IA on the Des Moines River is currently at 9,970 cfs (Very High — 95th percentile for this date) . Gage height: 47.09 ft.

Reading from 4 months ago

↑ Upstream on Des Moines River

Des Moines River below Raccoon Riv at Des Moines, IA

Downstream on Des Moines River ↓

Des Moines River Near Pella, IA

9,970

CFS Discharge

47.09

Gage Height (ft)

Very High

Flow Condition

N/A

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
10th	Very Low threshold	413
25th	Low threshold	445
50th (Median)	Normal (median)	4,670
75th	High threshold	7,600
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.

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

30-Day Flow History

Date	Discharge (CFS)	Gage Ht (ft)
May 28, 2026	10,500	—
May 27, 2026	9,580	—
May 26, 2026	9,100	—
May 25, 2026	9,570	—
May 24, 2026	10,000	—
May 23, 2026	10,200	—
May 22, 2026	11,100	—
May 21, 2026	12,800	—
May 20, 2026	16,200	—
May 19, 2026	14,900	—
May 18, 2026	7,280	—
May 17, 2026	6,890	—
May 16, 2026	6,360	—
May 15, 2026	6,300	—
Apr 20, 2026	15,400	—
Apr 19, 2026	17,500	—
Apr 18, 2026	19,200	—
Apr 17, 2026	20,400	—
Apr 16, 2026	22,000	—
Apr 15, 2026	20,400	—
Apr 14, 2026	18,600	—
Apr 13, 2026	20,000	—
Apr 12, 2026	22,200	—
Apr 11, 2026	24,900	—
Apr 10, 2026	23,700	—
Apr 9, 2026	21,700	—
Apr 8, 2026	23,000	—
Apr 7, 2026	23,500	—
Apr 6, 2026	22,900	—
Apr 5, 2026	22,000	—

Station Information

USGS Site No: 05487520
State: IA
County: Marion County
Coordinates: 41.4894, -93.2782
Drainage Area: 11,700 mi²
Datum (ft): 699.0
HUC Code: 07100008

View on USGS NWIS →

Recent Extremes

Max discharge: 42,700 cfs

Jul 21, 2025
Min discharge: 1,620 cfs

Feb 5, 2026

Computed from the local daily-values archive.

Nearby Gauges

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13.4 mi · 722 cfs

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South River Near Ackworth, IA
15.0 mi · 93 cfs

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Fourmile Creek at Des Moines, IA
16.3 mi · 57 cfs

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Middle River Near Indianola, IA
16.6 mi · 254 cfs

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White Breast Creek Near Dallas, IA
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