How high is the South Skunk River Below Ioway Creek Near Ames, IA right now?

The South Skunk River Below Ioway Creek Near Ames, IA is currently flowing at 447 cubic feet per second with a gage height of 11.44 feet, based on the most recent USGS instantaneous reading.

Is the flow on the South Skunk River Below Ioway Creek Near Ames, IA normal for this time of year?

Current flow is classified as high for October 28. Today's discharge is at the 83th percentile compared to the long-term historical record at this gauge.

Is the South Skunk River Below Ioway Creek Near Ames, IA at flood stage?

No — the gage height is 10.06 feet below the NWS flood-stage threshold of 21.5 feet.

What is the historical median flow for the South Skunk River Below Ioway Creek Near Ames, IA on October 28?

The long-term median discharge for this date is 58 cfs based on USGS daily statistics. The 10th–95th percentile range historically is 0 to 640 cfs.

Where is the South Skunk River Below Ioway Creek Near Ames, IA stream gauge located?

The South Skunk River Below Ioway Creek Near Ames, IA stream gauge is operated by the USGS in Story County, IA on the South Skunk River. USGS site number 05471000 (coordinates 42.0082, -93.5960).

South Skunk River Below Ioway Creek Near Ames, IA

USGS Site No: 05471000 • South Skunk River • Story County, IA

South Skunk River Below Ioway Creek Near Ames, IA on the South Skunk River is currently at 447 cfs (High — 83th percentile for this date) . Gage height: 11.44 ft.

Reading from 4 months ago

↑ Upstream on South Skunk River

South Skunk River Near Ames, IA

Downstream on South Skunk River ↓

South Skunk River at Colfax, IA

447

CFS Discharge

11.44

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	0
25th	Low threshold	6
50th (Median)	Normal (median)	58
75th	High threshold	317
95th	Very High threshold	640	Today: 447 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	489	—
May 27, 2026	524	—
May 26, 2026	558	—
May 25, 2026	591	—
May 24, 2026	660	—
May 23, 2026	765	—
May 22, 2026	870	—
May 21, 2026	1,050	—
May 20, 2026	1,410	—
May 19, 2026	1,620	—
May 18, 2026	870	—
May 17, 2026	442	—
May 16, 2026	405	—
May 15, 2026	369	—
Apr 20, 2026	1,220	—
Apr 19, 2026	1,350	—
Apr 18, 2026	1,570	—
Apr 17, 2026	2,040	—
Apr 16, 2026	2,280	—
Apr 15, 2026	1,070	—
Apr 14, 2026	1,050	—
Apr 13, 2026	1,170	—
Apr 12, 2026	1,320	—
Apr 11, 2026	1,480	—
Apr 10, 2026	1,510	—
Apr 9, 2026	1,460	—
Apr 8, 2026	1,750	—
Apr 7, 2026	2,220	—
Apr 6, 2026	3,030	—
Apr 5, 2026	4,990	—

Station Information

USGS Site No: 05471000
State: IA
County: Story County
Coordinates: 42.0082, -93.5960
Drainage Area: 556 mi²
Datum (ft): 857.9
HUC Code: 07080105

View on USGS NWIS →

Flood Stage Thresholds

Action Stage: 19.0 ft
Flood Stage: 21.5 ft
Moderate Flood: 23.5 ft
Major Flood: 24.5 ft

Currently 10.06 ft below flood stage.

Recent Extremes

Max discharge: 6,970 cfs

Apr 4, 2026
Min discharge: 59 cfs

Nov 30, 2025
Days at flood stage: 0

Computed from the local daily-values archive.

Nearby Gauges

Ioway Creek at Ames, IA
2.0 mi · 176 cfs

High
South Skunk River Near Ames, IA
4.2 mi · 265 cfs

High
Fourmile Creek Near Ankeny, IA Ds1
20.1 mi · 50 cfs

High
Indian Creek Near Mingo, IA
20.3 mi · 256 cfs

High
Des Moines River Near Saylorville, IA
23.0 mi · 5,400 cfs

High