South Skunk River near Ames, IA

Story County, Iowa · USGS gauge 05470000 · NWS AMEI4 · South Skunk River flood status · Iowa river levels

Nearby: river levels near Kelley

Is South Skunk River near Ames, IA flooding right now?

South Skunk River near Ames, IA measured 3.18 ft on 2026-09-11 01:00:00 UTC. That observation was 9.3 ft below its 12.5 ft flood stage. This is the latest available reading, not a guarantee of current conditions.

Gauge height
3.18 ft
as of 70 min ago
Streamflow
108 cfs
data refreshed 9 min ago

Minor flooding here begins at 12.5 ft, with major flooding at 16.5 ft. The highest crest on record was 20.89 ft on Mon, Jun 17, 1996.

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
Action11 ft7.8 ft below
Minor flood12.5 ft9.3 ft below
Moderate flood16 ft12.8 ft below
Major flood16.5 ft13.3 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
20.89 ft1996-06-17
19.23 ft1993-08-16
19.04 ft2010-08-11
18.9 ft1944-05-20
18.66 ft1954-06-10

Nearby gauges

GaugeDistanceCounty
Ioway Creek at Ames, IA3.1 miStory County
South Skunk River below Ioway Creek near Ames, IA4.2 miStory County
Keigley Branch near Story City, IA5.8 miStory County
Tile Line at S Branch of Walnut Creek at Kelley, IA7.6 miStory County
Walnut Creek at Kelley, IA7.8 miStory 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