West Fork Cedar River at Finchford, IA
River level and flood forecast · Black Hawk County
Normal8.5 ftas of Mon 2:45 PM
The river is 8.5 ft below flood stage (17 ft).
Flow: 906 cubic feet per second (USGS).
The last 7 days and the forecast
NWS forecast issued Sun, Oct 4, 1:14 PM. Forecasts change as rain falls and as upstream water arrives.
Flood stages
| Major flood stage | 20 ft |
| Moderate flood stage | 18 ft |
| Flood stage | 17 ft |
| Action stage | 12 ft |
| Record crest (June 10, 2008) | 20.82 ft |
What floods at each level
From the National Weather Service, highest first.
- 18.5 ftWater affects the intersection of Hwy T71 and Hwy C55 at the convenience store. Basement flooding occurs in many residences with some flooding on the main floors. Water is also at the floor level of the convenience store. Water wells may collapse.
- 17.5 ftWater affects several roads as well as nearby residences and small businesses.
- 17 ftWater affects Hwy T71 north of the river and threatens the town of Finchford.
- 16 ftWater affects nearly 20000 acres.
- 15 ftWater threatens the road fill area along Hwy T71 just north of the river. Water also threatens the bridge 1000 feet north which spans the overflow area.
- 14 ftWater backs up in nearby basements.
- 13.5 ftWater affects lowland areas.
- 12 ftSome lowland flooding occurs.
- 10.5 ftWater affects low-lying areas.
Highest crests on record
- 20.82 ft — June 10, 2008
- 18.45 ft — July 29, 1990
- 17.28 ft — June 27, 1951
- 16.73 ft — April 1, 1993
- 16.58 ft — September 26, 2016
Recent crests: 12.2 ft (August 3, 2025) · 13.25 ft (May 25, 2024) · 13.23 ft (March 2, 2023) · 14.35 ft (June 25, 2020) · 16.14 ft (March 17, 2019)
Up and down the river, and nearby
Not an official source. River levels, forecasts, flood stages and impacts are from the National Weather Service (FNHI4); flow from the U.S. Geological Survey. Readings are provisional. In a flood, follow your local officials and the NWS at weather.gov.