Des Moines River at Des Moines 2nd Ave, IA
River level and flood forecast · Polk County
Normal17.3 ftas of Mon 3:15 PM
The river is 5.7 ft below flood stage (23 ft).
Flow: 7,260 cubic feet per second (USGS).
The last 7 days and the forecast
NWS forecast issued Wed, Oct 7, 2:02 AM. Forecasts change as rain falls and as upstream water arrives.
Flood stages
| Major flood stage | 30 ft |
| Moderate flood stage | 26 ft |
| Flood stage | 23 ft |
| Action stage | 19 ft |
| Record crest (June 13, 2008) | 31.57 ft |
What floods at each level
From the National Weather Service, highest first.
- 37.2 ftThis is the top of the Birdland and Central Place levees at 2nd Ave.
- 33 ftLevee closures occur across 2nd Ave.
- 30 ftLevee closures occur across Grand Ave...Locust St...Walnut St and Ct Ave in downtown Des Moines.
- 28.5 ftMartin Luther King Jr. Parkway is closed from Urbandale Ave to Euclid Ave.
- 27.7 ftWater is several feet deep against the Birdland Marina boathouse.
- 26.5 ftEuclid Ave is closed from Martin Luther King Jr. Parkway to 16th St.
- 26 ftWater is across the Polk County Human Services Department parking lot.
- 25.5 ftWater affects portions of the Polk County Human Services Department parking lot...on the north side of Euclid Ave and on the west side of the river.
- 25 ftThe levee is closed across Martin Luther King Jr. Parkway north of Clarkson Ave.
- 24.5 ftLevee closures occur across Saylor Rd.
- 23 ftWater affects Birdland Park.
- 20.5 ftProspect Rd is closed from Martin Luther King Jr. Parkway to Hickman Rd.
- 20 ftBirdland Dr is closed from Saylor Rd to 6th Ave.
- 18.5 ftWater affects low-lying sections of the Neal Smith Trail in the Birdland Park area.
Highest crests on record
- 31.57 ft — June 13, 2008
- 30.16 ft — June 24, 1954
- 27.4 ft — May 31, 1903
- 26.5 ft — June 26, 1947
- 26.08 ft — July 2, 2010
Recent crests: 19.88 ft (August 1, 2025) · 20.55 ft (May 23, 2024) · 19.88 ft (March 1, 2023) · 18.23 ft (June 17, 2022) · 14.41 ft (March 27, 2021)
Up and down the river, and nearby
- UpstreamDes Moines River at Saylorville Tail, IA
- DownstreamDes Moines River at Des Moines SE 6th St, IA
- Raccoon River at Des Moines Fleur Dr, IA
- Fourmile Creek at Des Moines Easton Blvd, IA
- Walnut Creek at Des Moines 63rd St, IA
- Raccoon River at Des Moines IA 28, IA
- Fourmile Creek near Ankeny NE 86th Ave, IA
- Beaver Creek near Grimes, IA
Not an official source. River levels, forecasts, flood stages and impacts are from the National Weather Service (DMOI4); flow from the U.S. Geological Survey. Readings are provisional. In a flood, follow your local officials and the NWS at weather.gov.