Des Moines River at Ottumwa, IA
River level and flood forecast · Wapello County
The river is 4.1 ft below flood stage (13 ft).
Forecast to rise to 10.0 ft Thu 7 AM, below the 13 ft flood stage.
Flow: 25,200 cubic feet per second (USGS).
The last 7 days and the forecast
NWS forecast issued Mon, Oct 12, 8:42 AM. Forecasts change as rain falls and as upstream water arrives.
Flood stages
| Major flood stage | 19 ft |
| Moderate flood stage | 15 ft |
| Flood stage | 13 ft |
| Action stage | 9 ft |
| Record crest (July 12, 1993) | 22.15 ft |
What floods at each level
From the National Weather Service, highest first.
- 25 ftThe City of Ottumwa is protected by a 25 foot levee.
- 23 ftThe levee opening at the south end of the Market St bridge may need to be planked and sandbagged.
- 22 ftSandbagging and planking operations may be needed for openings along Vine St.
- 19.5 ftWater affects the Market St parking lot. The entrance to the Market St bridge is sandbagged.
- 18.5 ftSewer backup will reach the road surface at Market St and Commercial St.
- 18 ftWater affects the Fairport area along the railroad tracks. Sandbagging may be needed at the Vine St diversion chamber. Evacuations may begin at the trailer court.
- 17.5 ftSewer backup in basements occurs at businesses along Main St.
- 17 ftWater affects Paris St. The Market St bridge is closed.
- 15 ftFlooding occurs in rural areas both upstream and downstream of Ottumwa.
- 13 ftWater affects Eldon. Water also affects some secondary roads.
- 11 ftBear Creek reaches bankfull.
- 10 ftSome agricultural flooding begins along most of the reach between Ottumwa and Eldon.
- 9 ftSome agricultural flooding begins primarily downstream of Ottumwa.
Highest crests on record
- 22.15 ft — July 12, 1993
- 20.97 ft — June 7, 1947
- 20.6 ft — June 17, 2008
- 20.23 ft — May 31, 1903
- 20.04 ft — August 11, 2010
Recent crests: 9.81 ft (August 8, 2025) · 12.32 ft (July 31, 2024) · 10 ft (March 2, 2023) · 8.86 ft (June 9, 2022) · 9.04 ft (February 28, 2021)
Up and down the river, and nearby
- DownstreamDes Moines River at Keosauqua, IA
- Bear Creek near Ottumwa US 34, IA
- Des Moines River near Eddyville, IA
- North Skunk River near Sigourney, IA
- South Skunk River near Oskaloosa, IA
- Chariton River at Rathbun Tail, IA
- Chariton River at Rathbun Reservoir, IA
- Chariton River near Moulton, IA
- Cooper Creek at Centerville, IA
Not an official source. River levels, forecasts, flood stages and impacts are from the National Weather Service (OTMI4); flow from the U.S. Geological Survey. Readings are provisional. In a flood, follow your local officials and the NWS at weather.gov.