How high is the South Skunk River at Colfax, IA right now?

The South Skunk River at Colfax, IA is currently flowing at 722 cubic feet per second with a gage height of 9.03 feet, based on the most recent USGS instantaneous reading.

Is the flow on the South Skunk River at Colfax, IA normal for this time of year?

Current flow is classified as high for October 28. Today's discharge is at the 82th percentile compared to the long-term historical record at this gauge.

Is the South Skunk River at Colfax, IA at flood stage?

No — the gage height is 8.97 feet below the NWS flood-stage threshold of 18.0 feet.

What is the historical median flow for the South Skunk River at Colfax, IA on October 28?

The long-term median discharge for this date is 141 cfs based on USGS daily statistics. The 10th–95th percentile range historically is 28 to 1,190 cfs.

Where is the South Skunk River at Colfax, IA stream gauge located?

The South Skunk River at Colfax, IA stream gauge is operated by the USGS in Jasper County, IA on the South Skunk River. USGS site number 05471050 (coordinates 41.6818, -93.2468).

South Skunk River at Colfax, IA

USGS Site No: 05471050 • South Skunk River • Jasper County, IA

South Skunk River at Colfax, IA on the South Skunk River is currently at 722 cfs (High — 82th percentile for this date) . Gage height: 9.03 ft.

Reading from 4 months ago

↑ Upstream on South Skunk River

South Skunk River Below Ioway Creek Near Ames, IA

Downstream on South Skunk River ↓

South Skunk River Near Oskaloosa, IA

722

CFS Discharge

9.03

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	28
25th	Low threshold	42
50th (Median)	Normal (median)	141
75th	High threshold	473
95th	Very High threshold	1,190	Today: 722 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	786	—
May 27, 2026	842	—
May 26, 2026	904	—
May 25, 2026	977	—
May 24, 2026	1,090	—
May 23, 2026	1,230	—
May 22, 2026	1,400	—
May 21, 2026	1,680	—
May 20, 2026	2,110	—
May 19, 2026	1,800	—
May 18, 2026	786	—
May 17, 2026	615	—
May 16, 2026	638	—
May 15, 2026	585	—
Apr 20, 2026	1,620	—
Apr 19, 2026	1,920	—
Apr 18, 2026	2,420	—
Apr 17, 2026	3,110	—
Apr 16, 2026	2,710	—
Apr 15, 2026	2,050	—
Apr 14, 2026	1,770	—
Apr 13, 2026	2,020	—
Apr 12, 2026	2,250	—
Apr 11, 2026	2,530	—
Apr 10, 2026	2,770	—
Apr 9, 2026	2,340	—
Apr 8, 2026	2,800	—
Apr 7, 2026	3,620	—
Apr 6, 2026	4,890	—
Apr 5, 2026	5,210	—

Station Information

USGS Site No: 05471050
State: IA
County: Jasper County
Coordinates: 41.6818, -93.2468
Drainage Area: 803 mi²
Datum (ft): 770.0
HUC Code: 07080105

View on USGS NWIS →

Flood Stage Thresholds

Action Stage: 15.0 ft
Flood Stage: 18.0 ft
Moderate Flood: 19.0 ft
Major Flood: 21.0 ft

Currently 8.97 ft below flood stage.

Recent Extremes

Max discharge: 5,210 cfs

Apr 5, 2026
Min discharge: 118 cfs

Nov 30, 2025
Days at flood stage: 0

Computed from the local daily-values archive.

Nearby Gauges

Indian Creek Near Mingo, IA
9.1 mi · 256 cfs

High
Des Moines River Near Swan, IA
13.4 mi · 9,970 cfs

Very High
Fourmile Creek at Des Moines, IA
16.1 mi · 57 cfs

Normal
Fourmile Creek Near Ankeny, IA Ds1
16.8 mi · 50 cfs

High
Des Moines River at 2nd Avenue at Des Moines, IA
19.8 mi · 5,520 cfs

High