How high is the East Fork Des Moines River at Dakota City, IA right now?

The East Fork Des Moines River at Dakota City, IA is currently flowing at 1,380 cubic feet per second with a gage height of 10.31 feet, based on the most recent USGS instantaneous reading.

Is the flow on the East Fork Des Moines River at Dakota City, IA normal for this time of year?

Current flow is classified as high for October 28. Today's discharge is at the 88th percentile compared to the long-term historical record at this gauge.

Is the East Fork Des Moines River at Dakota City, IA at flood stage?

No — the gage height is 9.69 feet below the NWS flood-stage threshold of 20.0 feet.

What is the historical median flow for the East Fork Des Moines River at Dakota City, IA on October 28?

The long-term median discharge for this date is 110 cfs based on USGS daily statistics. The 10th–95th percentile range historically is 25 to 1,900 cfs.

Where is the East Fork Des Moines River at Dakota City, IA stream gauge located?

The East Fork Des Moines River at Dakota City, IA stream gauge is operated by the USGS in Humboldt County, IA on the East Fork Des Moines River. USGS site number 05479000 (coordinates 42.7236, -94.1933).

East Fork Des Moines River at Dakota City, IA

USGS Site No: 05479000 • East Fork Des Moines River • Humboldt County, IA

East Fork Des Moines River at Dakota City, IA on the East Fork Des Moines River is currently at 1,380 cfs (High — 88th percentile for this date) . Gage height: 10.31 ft.

Reading from 4 months ago

↑ Upstream on East Fork Des Moines River

East Fork Des Moines River Near Algona, IA

1,380

CFS Discharge

10.31

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	25
25th	Low threshold	38
50th (Median)	Normal (median)	110
75th	High threshold	477
95th	Very High threshold	1,900	Today: 1,380 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	1,300	—
May 27, 2026	1,180	—
May 26, 2026	1,110	—
May 25, 2026	1,040	—
May 24, 2026	1,020	—
May 23, 2026	1,040	—
May 22, 2026	1,020	—
May 21, 2026	880	—
May 20, 2026	754	—
May 19, 2026	750	—
May 18, 2026	667	—
May 17, 2026	622	—
May 16, 2026	679	—
May 15, 2026	719	—
Apr 20, 2026	1,690	—
Apr 19, 2026	1,730	—
Apr 18, 2026	1,710	—
Apr 17, 2026	1,630	—
Apr 16, 2026	1,510	—
Apr 15, 2026	1,430	—
Apr 14, 2026	1,480	—
Apr 13, 2026	1,540	—
Apr 12, 2026	1,650	—
Apr 11, 2026	1,810	—
Apr 10, 2026	2,030	—
Apr 9, 2026	2,220	—
Apr 8, 2026	2,330	—
Apr 7, 2026	2,400	—
Apr 6, 2026	2,530	—
Apr 5, 2026	2,600	—

Station Information

USGS Site No: 05479000
State: IA
County: Humboldt County
Coordinates: 42.7236, -94.1933
Drainage Area: 1,308 mi²
Datum (ft): 1,038.9
HUC Code: 07100003

View on USGS NWIS →

Flood Stage Thresholds

Action Stage: 18.0 ft
Flood Stage: 20.0 ft
Moderate Flood: 24.0 ft
Major Flood: 28.0 ft

Currently 9.69 ft below flood stage.

Recent Extremes

Max discharge: 6,410 cfs

Aug 1, 2025
Min discharge: 139 cfs

Feb 4, 2026
Days at flood stage: 0

Computed from the local daily-values archive.

Nearby Gauges

Des Moines River at Humboldt, IA
1.4 mi · 1,670 cfs

High
Boone River Near Goldfield, IA
12.5 mi · 302 cfs

Very High
Des Moines River at Fort Dodge, IA
14.9 mi · 3,580 cfs

High
East Fork Des Moines River Near Algona, IA
24.9 mi · 1,050 cfs

Very High
Boone River Near Webster City, IA
28.2 mi · 620 cfs

High