Des Moines River at Fort Dodge, IA
River level and flood forecast · Webster County
Normal4.8 ftas of Mon 3 PM
The river is 5.7 ft below flood stage (10.5 ft).
Flow: 1,660 cubic feet per second (USGS).
The last 7 days and the forecast
NWS forecast issued Sun, Dec 31, 6 PM. Forecasts change as rain falls and as upstream water arrives.
Flood stages
| Major flood stage | 17 ft |
| Moderate flood stage | 16 ft |
| Flood stage | 10.5 ft |
| Action stage | 9 ft |
| Record crest (June 23, 1947) | 20.28 ft |
What floods at each level
From the National Weather Service, highest first.
- 17 ftWater reaches the bottom of the railroad trestle approach. Extensive sandbagging also occurs along the river.
- 16 ftWater threatens the Phinney Park riverside trail along the west bank.
- 15 ftWater affects some residences in Lehigh and may affect Riverside Dr in northern Webster County.
- 14 ftWater affects some access roads along the river in Fort Dodge as well as in Lehigh.
- 13 ftWater affects residences along the west bank of the river in Lehigh and threatens industries near Phinney Park.
- 12 ftWater affects campgrounds in the downstream parks between Fort Dodge and Lehigh.
- 11 ftWater affects lowland areas near the river and threatens residences along the river in Fort Dodge.
- 10 ftWater affects roads to residences in Fort Dodge along the river and limits access to some subdivisions.
Highest crests on record
- 20.28 ft — June 23, 1947
- 19.94 ft — June 21, 1954
- 18.45 ft — April 8, 1965
- 17.12 ft — June 27, 2024
- 16.83 ft — June 27, 2010
Recent crests: 9.88 ft (August 1, 2025) · 17.12 ft (June 27, 2024) · 8.73 ft (May 15, 2023) · 8.58 ft (June 16, 2022) · 5.06 ft (March 29, 2021)
Up and down the river, and nearby
Not an official source. River levels, forecasts, flood stages and impacts are from the National Weather Service (FODI4); flow from the U.S. Geological Survey. Readings are provisional. In a flood, follow your local officials and the NWS at weather.gov.