Chariton River near Chariton, IA

Lucas County, Iowa · USGS gauge 06903400 · NWS CHTI4 · Chariton River flood status · Iowa river levels

Is Chariton River near Chariton, IA flooding right now?

Chariton River near Chariton, IA measured 4.14 ft on 2026-09-11 01:45:00 UTC. That observation was 15.4 ft below its 19.5 ft flood stage. This is the latest available reading, not a guarantee of current conditions.

Gauge height
4.14 ft
as of 25 min ago
Streamflow
4 cfs
data refreshed 9 min ago

Minor flooding here begins at 19.5 ft, with major flooding at 29 ft. The highest crest on record was 29.32 ft on Tue, Sep 15, 1992.

Streamflow outlook

NOAA National Water Model forecast, issued 14 hours ago. The NWM models discharge for every river reach in the country, including the many gauges the National Weather Service does not forecast individually. It is a model, not an official NWS river forecast, and it predicts flow rather than water level.

Flood stages at this gauge

CategoryStageCurrent distance
Action16 ft11.9 ft below
Minor flood19.5 ft15.4 ft below
Moderate flood26 ft21.9 ft below
Major flood29 ft24.9 ft below

New to these numbers? What does flood stage mean? · How to read a river gauge · Why is the river rising?

Highest crests on record

StageDate
29.32 ft1992-09-15
23.14 ft1981-07-04
23 ft1960-03-01
22.6 ft1993-07-05
21.65 ft1947-06-05

Nearby gauges

GaugeDistanceCounty
South Fork Chariton River near Promise City, IA11.0 miWayne County
White Breast Creek near Dallas, IA20.4 miMarion County
Chariton River near Rathbun, IA21.2 miAppanoose County
Cooper Creek at Centerville, IA25.1 miAppanoose County
Cedar Creek near Bussey, IA26.0 miMarion County
Provisional data: Real-time readings are provisional and subject to revision by the USGS — sensors can be affected by ice, debris, or equipment malfunction. Do not rely on this site for decisions involving personal safety; follow official guidance from the National Weather Service and local authorities.

Sources: USGS monitoring location · NWS gauge & forecast