How high is the Wapsipinicon River at Independence, IA right now?

The Wapsipinicon River at Independence, IA is currently flowing at 814 cubic feet per second with a gage height of 5.51 feet, based on the most recent USGS instantaneous reading.

Is the flow on the Wapsipinicon River at Independence, IA normal for this time of year?

Current flow is classified as high for October 28. Today's discharge is at the 79th percentile compared to the long-term historical record at this gauge.

Is the Wapsipinicon River at Independence, IA at flood stage?

No — the gage height is 6.49 feet below the NWS flood-stage threshold of 12.0 feet.

What is the historical median flow for the Wapsipinicon River at Independence, IA on October 28?

The long-term median discharge for this date is 174 cfs based on USGS daily statistics. The 10th–95th percentile range historically is 52 to 1,690 cfs.

Where is the Wapsipinicon River at Independence, IA stream gauge located?

The Wapsipinicon River at Independence, IA stream gauge is operated by the USGS in Buchanan County, IA on the Wapsipinicon River. USGS site number 05421000 (coordinates 42.4636, -91.8952).

Wapsipinicon River at Independence, IA

USGS Site No: 05421000 • Wapsipinicon River • Buchanan County, IA

Wapsipinicon River at Independence, IA on the Wapsipinicon River is currently at 814 cfs (High — 79th percentile for this date) . Gage height: 5.51 ft.

Reading from 4 months ago

↑ Upstream on Wapsipinicon River

Wapsipinicon River Near Tripoli, IA

Downstream on Wapsipinicon River ↓

Wapsipinicon River Near Anamosa, IA

814

CFS Discharge

5.51

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	52
25th	Low threshold	83
50th (Median)	Normal (median)	174
75th	High threshold	613
95th	Very High threshold	1,690	Today: 814 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	914	—
May 27, 2026	1,020	—
May 26, 2026	1,150	—
May 25, 2026	1,320	—
May 24, 2026	1,580	—
May 23, 2026	1,890	—
May 22, 2026	2,190	—
May 21, 2026	2,500	—
May 20, 2026	2,720	—
May 19, 2026	2,270	—
May 18, 2026	1,850	—
May 17, 2026	1,120	—
May 16, 2026	600	—
May 15, 2026	527	—
Apr 20, 2026	3,680	—
Apr 19, 2026	4,380	—
Apr 18, 2026	4,310	—
Apr 17, 2026	3,950	—
Apr 16, 2026	3,450	—
Apr 15, 2026	2,620	—
Apr 14, 2026	2,110	—
Apr 13, 2026	2,330	—
Apr 12, 2026	2,900	—
Apr 11, 2026	3,620	—
Apr 10, 2026	4,410	—
Apr 9, 2026	5,360	—
Apr 8, 2026	6,280	—
Apr 7, 2026	6,880	—
Apr 6, 2026	6,120	—
Apr 5, 2026	4,590	—

Station Information

USGS Site No: 05421000
State: IA
County: Buchanan County
Coordinates: 42.4636, -91.8952
Drainage Area: 1,048 mi²
Datum (ft): 882.7
HUC Code: 07080102

View on USGS NWIS →

Flood Stage Thresholds

Action Stage: 10.0 ft
Flood Stage: 12.0 ft
Moderate Flood: 13.0 ft
Major Flood: 15.0 ft

Currently 6.49 ft below flood stage.

Recent Extremes

Max discharge: 6,880 cfs

Apr 7, 2026
Min discharge: 145 cfs

Nov 30, 2025
Days at flood stage: 0

Computed from the local daily-values archive.

Nearby Gauges

Cedar River at Vinton, IA
21.3 mi · 4,360 cfs

Normal
Cedar River at Waterloo, IA
22.5 mi · 4,260 cfs

High
Maquoketa River at Manchester, IA
22.8 mi · 289 cfs

Normal
Wolf Creek Near Dysart, IA
25.3 mi · 244 cfs

High
Cedar River at Blairs Ferry Road at Palo, IA
27.8 mi · 4,710 cfs

Normal