Des Moines River near Stratford, IA
River level and flood forecast · Hamilton County
Normal7.8 ftas of Mon 2 PM
The river is 11.2 ft below flood stage (19 ft).
Flow: 3,950 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 | 27 ft |
| Moderate flood stage | 25 ft |
| Flood stage | 19 ft |
| Action stage | 14 ft |
| Record crest (June 28, 2010) | 28.42 ft |
What floods at each level
From the National Weather Service, highest first.
- 19 ftWater affects 157th St on the west side of Fraser.
- 18.8 ftWater affects the 400 block of Juniper Rd...west of Fraser. Water also affects the 1100 block of 155th St...east of Fraser.
- 17.8 ftWater affects the lower Ledges road. Water also affects 155th St east of Fraser and Juniper Rd north of Fraser.
- 14 ftWater primarily affects adjacent lowland areas.
Highest crests on record
- 28.42 ft — June 28, 2010
- 27.32 ft — June 9, 2008
- 25.68 ft — April 2, 1993
- 24.08 ft — June 19, 1984
- 23.31 ft — June 5, 1991
Recent crests: 15.87 ft (August 1, 2025) · 21.31 ft (June 27, 2024) · 13.94 ft (May 16, 2023) · 10.78 ft (June 17, 2022) · 6.94 ft (May 23, 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 (STRI4); flow from the U.S. Geological Survey. Readings are provisional. In a flood, follow your local officials and the NWS at weather.gov.