Iowa River near Belle Plaine, IA

Iowa County, Iowa · USGS gauge 05452500 · NWS BPLI4 · Iowa River flood status · Iowa river levels

Is Iowa River near Belle Plaine, IA flooding right now?

Iowa River near Belle Plaine, IA measured 9.85 ft on 2026-10-27 21:00:00 UTC. That observation was 5.2 ft below its 15 ft flood stage. This is the latest available reading, not a guarantee of current conditions.

Gauge height

9.85 ft

as of 53 min ago

Streamflow

2,440 cfs

data refreshed 7 min ago

Minor flooding here begins at 15 ft. The highest crest on record was 19.86 ft on Fri, Jun 13, 2008.

Streamflow outlook

NOAA National Water Model forecast, issued 16 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

Category	Stage	Current distance
Action	13 ft	3.2 ft below
Minor flood	15 ft	5.2 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

Stage	Date
19.86 ft	2008-06-13
19.11 ft	2014-07-03
18.8 ft	2013-05-30
18.74 ft	1993-07-11
18.22 ft	2019-03-15

Last 7 days

Past 7 days · 9.87–15.00 ft

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Distance	County
Walnut Creek near Hartwick, IA	5.8 mi	Poweshiek County
Salt Creek near Elberon, IA	7.5 mi	Tama County
Big Bear Creek at Ladora, IA	9.0 mi	Iowa County
Richland Creek near Haven, IA	10.5 mi	Tama County
Iowa River at Marengo, IA	11.4 mi	Iowa 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