West Fork Des Moines River at Jackson, MN
River level and flood forecast · Jackson County
Normal7.2 ftas of Mon 2 PM
The river is 4.8 ft below flood stage (12 ft).
Flow: 58 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 | 14 ft |
| Moderate flood stage | 12.5 ft |
| Flood stage | 12 ft |
| Action stage | 10 ft |
| Record crest (June 26, 2024) | 16.04 ft |
What floods at each level
From the National Weather Service, highest first.
- 19 ftThe bridge on Hwy 71 in Jackson is overtopped.
- 17.5 ftThe highest levees in Jackson are overtopped causing major flooding of roads, homes, and businesses in Jackson.
- 15 ftThe low portions of River St begin to flood.
- 14 ftHighway 71 will begin flooding, and flooding begins to affect homes and businesses along the non-leveed portions of the river in Jackson. Most of Ashley Park is flooded and the baseball fields are under 3-4 feet of water.
- 13.5 ftThe lower levees in Jackson are overtopped. Water begins to approach the edge of Highway 71 in Jackson and may approach some structures. Water reaches the bottom of the bridge on W Ashley St.
- 12.5 ftThe parks and softball fields in Jackson begin to flood.
- 12 ftSome township roads may begin flooding and flooding of crop and pasture lands becomes more widespread. Portions of the bike trail in Jackson along the river begin to flood.
- 10 ftFlooding of lowland agricultural areas and low-water crossings begins.
Highest crests on record
- 16.04 ft — June 26, 2024
- 14.08 ft — March 24, 2019
- 13.92 ft — July 8, 2018
- 10.77 ft — April 18, 2023
- 10.64 ft — April 4, 2020
Recent crests: 9.54 ft (July 5, 2025) · 16.04 ft (June 26, 2024) · 10.77 ft (April 18, 2023) · 10.36 ft (June 14, 2022) · 9.02 ft (April 12, 2021)
Up and down the river, and nearby
- UpstreamWest Fork Des Moines River above Windom, MN
- DownstreamWest Fork Des Moines River at Estherville, IA
- Spirit Lake near Orleans, IA
- West Okoboji Lake near Milford, IA
- Ocheyedan River near Spencer, IA
- West Fork Des Moines River at Emmetsburg, IA
- Willow Creek (North Central IA) near Cornell, IA
- Little Floyd River near Sanborn, IA
Not an official source. River levels, forecasts, flood stages and impacts are from the National Weather Service (JCKM5); flow from the U.S. Geological Survey. Readings are provisional. In a flood, follow your local officials and the NWS at weather.gov.