How high is the West Fork Cedar River at Finchford, IA right now?

The West Fork Cedar River at Finchford, IA is currently flowing at 535 cubic feet per second with a gage height of 7.51 feet, based on the most recent USGS instantaneous reading.

Is the flow on the West Fork Cedar River at Finchford, IA normal for this time of year?

Current flow is classified as high for October 28. Today's discharge is at the 77th percentile compared to the long-term historical record at this gauge.

Is the West Fork Cedar River at Finchford, IA at flood stage?

No — the gage height is 9.49 feet below the NWS flood-stage threshold of 17.0 feet.

What is the historical median flow for the West Fork Cedar River at Finchford, IA on October 28?

The long-term median discharge for this date is 196 cfs based on USGS daily statistics. The 10th–95th percentile range historically is 44 to 1,550 cfs.

Where is the West Fork Cedar River at Finchford, IA stream gauge located?

The West Fork Cedar River at Finchford, IA stream gauge is operated by the USGS in Black Hawk County, IA on the West Fork Cedar River. USGS site number 05458900 (coordinates 42.6294, -92.5435).

West Fork Cedar River at Finchford, IA

USGS Site No: 05458900 • West Fork Cedar River • Black Hawk County, IA

West Fork Cedar River at Finchford, IA on the West Fork Cedar River is currently at 535 cfs (High — 77th percentile for this date) . Gage height: 7.51 ft.

Reading from 4 months ago

535

CFS Discharge

7.51

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	44
25th	Low threshold	82
50th (Median)	Normal (median)	196
75th	High threshold	415
95th	Very High threshold	1,550	Today: 535 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	569	—
May 27, 2026	596	—
May 26, 2026	630	—
May 25, 2026	669	—
May 24, 2026	717	—
May 23, 2026	769	—
May 22, 2026	824	—
May 21, 2026	895	—
May 20, 2026	929	—
May 19, 2026	862	—
May 18, 2026	770	—
May 17, 2026	693	—
May 16, 2026	591	—
May 15, 2026	488	—
Apr 20, 2026	1,360	—
Apr 19, 2026	1,600	—
Apr 18, 2026	1,960	—
Apr 17, 2026	2,460	—
Apr 16, 2026	2,670	—
Apr 15, 2026	1,690	—
Apr 14, 2026	1,710	—
Apr 13, 2026	1,770	—
Apr 12, 2026	1,940	—
Apr 11, 2026	2,290	—
Apr 10, 2026	2,870	—
Apr 9, 2026	3,600	—
Apr 8, 2026	4,250	—
Apr 7, 2026	4,660	—
Apr 6, 2026	4,590	—
Apr 5, 2026	4,190	—

Station Information

USGS Site No: 05458900
State: IA
County: Black Hawk County
Coordinates: 42.6294, -92.5435
Drainage Area: 846 mi²
Datum (ft): 867.1
HUC Code: 07080204

View on USGS NWIS →

Flood Stage Thresholds

Action Stage: 12.0 ft
Flood Stage: 17.0 ft
Moderate Flood: 18.0 ft
Major Flood: 20.0 ft

Currently 9.49 ft below flood stage.

Recent Extremes

Max discharge: 4,660 cfs

Apr 7, 2026
Min discharge: 290 cfs

Sep 14, 2025
Days at flood stage: 0

Computed from the local daily-values archive.

Nearby Gauges

Cedar River at Janesville, IA
4.2 mi · 1,570 cfs

High
Beaver Creek at New Hartford, IA
5.5 mi · 227 cfs

High
Shell Rock River at Shell Rock, IA
6.0 mi · 1,650 cfs

High
Cedar River at Cedar Falls, IA
8.1 mi · 4,010 cfs

Normal
Cedar River at Waverly, IA
8.3 mi · 1,540 cfs

High