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Iowa River near Tama Hwy E49, IA

River level and flood forecast · Tama County

Normal7.3 ftas of Mon 1 PM

The river is 5.2 ft below flood stage (12.5 ft).

Flow: 3,070 cubic feet per second (USGS).

The last 7 days and the forecast

68101214TueWedThuFriSatSunMonAction 11 ftFlood 12.5 ftModerate 13 ftMajor 14 ftNowObserved (ft)NWS forecast

NWS forecast issued Wed, Oct 7, 4:53 PM. Forecasts change as rain falls and as upstream water arrives.

Flood stages

Major flood stage14 ft
Moderate flood stage13 ft
Flood stage12.5 ft
Action stage11 ft
Record crest (May 28, 2013)15.2 ft

What floods at each level

From the National Weather Service, highest first.

  • 15 ftWater affects Hwy E49 at Battleground Rd.
  • 14.9 ftWater affects Hwy E49 where it crosses the Iowa River.
  • 14.3 ftWater affects US 63 south of Tama near 340th St.
  • 14.2 ftWater affects Hwy E66 at Hwy V18 south of Chelsea.
  • 14.1 ftWater is on the edge of the road at Hwy E49 where it crosses the Iowa River.
  • 14 ftWater affects Hwy E49 between D Ave and E Ave.
  • 13.7 ftWater affects portions of Battleground Rd and Meskwaki Rd.
  • 13.6 ftWater may cover US 30 east of Le Grand.
  • 13.4 ftWater affects portions of 340th St at H Ave.
  • 13.3 ftWater affects 360th St near the intersection with S Ave...or 1 1/4 miles west of Chelsea. The City of Chelsea is inaccessible from the south. Hwy E49 is down to one lane near the Iowa River in the Chelsea area.
  • 13 ftWater may affect the outside lanes of portions of US 30. Water also affects several county roads.
  • 12.8 ftWater affects portions of C Ave and D Ave from US 30 to the south.
  • 12.5 ftBackwater from the Iowa River covers portions of Business 30 and S Prospect Dr in Toledo.

Highest crests on record

  1. 15.2 ft — May 28, 2013
  2. 15.08 ft — July 3, 2014
  3. 14.08 ft — December 16, 2015
  4. 13.95 ft — March 16, 2019
  5. 13.69 ft — May 24, 2024

Recent crests: 13.63 ft (August 1, 2025) · 13.69 ft (May 24, 2024) · 11.03 ft (March 1, 2023) · 5.82 ft (March 8, 2021) · 12.53 ft (June 25, 2020)

Up and down the river, and nearby

See it on the live map →Radar & warnings for Tama CountyNWS gauge pageUSGS gauge 05451770

Not an official source. River levels, forecasts, flood stages and impacts are from the National Weather Service (TMAI4); flow from the U.S. Geological Survey. Readings are provisional. In a flood, follow your local officials and the NWS at weather.gov.