Upper Iowa River at Bluffton, IA
River level and flood forecast · Winneshiek County
Normal3.7 ftas of Mon 3 PM
The river is 8.3 ft below flood stage (12 ft).
Flow: 339 cubic feet per second (USGS).
The last 7 days and the forecast
NWS forecast issued Sun, Sep 20, 8:30 PM. Forecasts change as rain falls and as upstream water arrives.
Flood stages
| Major flood stage | 15 ft |
| Moderate flood stage | 13 ft |
| Flood stage | 12 ft |
| Action stage | 10 ft |
| Record crest (June 9, 2008) | 15.49 ft |
What floods at each level
From the National Weather Service, highest first.
- 16 ftWater is higher than the flood of record in 2008. Nearly the entire valley in the Bluffton Area is under water.
- 14 ftSevere property damage is occurring in Bluffton at this level. Water goes over 244th Avenue near Bluffton's Lower Access Canoe Landing.
- 12 ftRiver is significantly outside of its banks impacting both Bluffton Canoe Landings. Campgrounds along the river in Bluffton are underwater.
- 10 ftLow-lying areas near the river in Bluffton begin to inundate as water leaves the riverbanks.
Highest crests on record
- 15.49 ft — June 9, 2008
- 14.41 ft — August 24, 2016
- 14.11 ft — June 10, 2018
- 13.56 ft — June 23, 2013
- 13.14 ft — June 24, 2024
Recent crests: 12.56 ft (July 10, 2026) · 10.5 ft (August 19, 2025) · 13.14 ft (June 24, 2024) · 8.09 ft (February 28, 2023) · 8.23 ft (July 24, 2022)
Up and down the river, and nearby
Not an official source. River levels, forecasts, flood stages and impacts are from the National Weather Service (BLFI4); flow from the U.S. Geological Survey. Readings are provisional. In a flood, follow your local officials and the NWS at weather.gov.