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Des Moines River at Red Rock Reservoir

Highest listed crest 782.67 ftFlood stage 780.0 ft55 crests since 1970

The Des Moines River at Red Rock Reservoir crested above flood stage 1 time among the 55 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1970 to 2022. The highest, 782.67 ft on July 13, 1993, was minor flooding, 2.67 feet above flood stage. 7 other gauges on the Des Moines River crested above flood stage within a week of it, 5 at their own highest listed crest.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
782.67 ft
July 13, 1993
Flood stage
780.0 ft
No major stage set
Crests at major
0
1 above flood stage
Most recent flood crest
July 13, 1993
782.67 ft, minor flooding
Location
Marion County
Near Pella (4.1 mi)
Identifiers
NWS PELI4
No USGS station

Flood stages

The thresholds the National Weather Service uses for this gauge today, and how many listed crests reached each.

Flood categories, Des Moines River at Red Rock Reservoir
Flood stage (minor)780.01Jul 13, 1993Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat

Every listed crest

55 crests from 1970 to 2022. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Des Moines River at Red Rock Reservoir, 1970 to 2022 720740760780800ft Flood stage 780.0 ft May 20, 1970: 735.18 ft, below flood stageFeb 24, 1971: 736.78 ft, below flood stageSep 16, 1972: 738.57 ft, below flood stageMay 14, 1973: 777.95 ft, below flood stageJun 16, 1974: 765.79 ft, below flood stageMay 16, 1975: 752.36 ft, below flood stageApr 29, 1976: 749.67 ft, below flood stageAug 30, 1977: 732.92 ft, below flood stageApr 22, 1978: 742.46 ft, below flood stageMay 11, 1979: 767.25 ft, below flood stageJun 21, 1980: 736.19 ft, below flood stageJul 7, 1981: 741.37 ft, below flood stageJul 19, 1982: 757.11 ft, below flood stageMay 29, 1983: 774.00 ft, below flood stageJun 25, 1984: 779.61 ft, below flood stageMar 7, 1985: 733.90 ft, below flood stageMay 21, 1986: 755.40 ft, below flood stageOct 28, 1986: 757.20 ft, below flood stageDec 2, 1987: 733.80 ft, below flood stageSep 10, 1989: 735.40 ft, below flood stageJul 1, 1990: 766.90 ft, below flood stageJun 21, 1991: 779.32 ft, below flood stageSep 19, 1992: 753.20 ft, below flood stageMay 18, 1993: 777.72 ft, below flood stageJul 13, 1993: 782.67 ft, minor floodingMar 7, 1994: 744.46 ft, below flood stageJun 10, 1995: 760.46 ft, below flood stageJun 3, 1996: 765.18 ft, below flood stageMay 10, 1997: 750.16 ft, below flood stageJul 12, 1998: 768.57 ft, below flood stageMay 27, 1999: 762.61 ft, below flood stageJun 28, 2000: 748.55 ft, below flood stageJun 7, 2001: 767.81 ft, below flood stageMay 14, 2002: 745.26 ft, below flood stageMay 18, 2003: 756.28 ft, below flood stageJun 24, 2004: 760.65 ft, below flood stageMay 22, 2005: 754.01 ft, below flood stageNov 16, 2005: 744.87 ft, below flood stageJun 4, 2007: 768.77 ft, below flood stageJun 14, 2008: 779.10 ft, below flood stageMar 13, 2009: 753.98 ft, below flood stageJul 5, 2010: 778.81 ft, below flood stageJun 29, 2011: 775.84 ft, below flood stageApr 17, 2012: 745.65 ft, below flood stageJun 20, 2013: 766.64 ft, below flood stageJul 11, 2014: 766.66 ft, below flood stageJul 2, 2015: 769.96 ft, below flood stageDec 27, 2015: 762.46 ft, below flood stageMay 31, 2017: 751.37 ft, below flood stageJul 20, 2018: 766.21 ft, below flood stageMay 31, 2019: 774.92 ft, below flood stageOct 16, 2019: 752.79 ft, below flood stageDec 24, 2020: 745.81 ft, below flood stageDec 30, 2021: 747.28 ft, below flood stageDec 15, 2022: 744.37 ft, below flood stage Highest, 782.67 ft, Jul 13, 1993 197019801990200020102020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Des Moines River at Red Rock Reservoir 1970s: 0 1980s: 0 1990s: 1 1 2000s: 0 2010s: 0 2020s: 0 1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s2020s
  1. These are the crests the local National Weather Service office lists for the gauge: the highest on record and recent crests. Lesser floods between them may be missing, so counts by decade are a floor.
  2. Categories use today's flood stages. Levees, dams and channel changes since a crest can make old and new stages not directly comparable.

Highest crests

The 50 highest of 55 listed crests.

Highest listed crests, Des Moines River at Red Rock Reservoir
1Jul 13, 1993782.67+2.67Minor—
2Jun 25, 1984779.61−0.39Below flood stage—
3Jun 21, 1991779.32−0.68Below flood stage—
4Jun 14, 2008779.10−0.90Below flood stage—
5Jul 5, 2010778.81−1.19Below flood stage—
6May 14, 1973777.95−2.05Below flood stage—
7May 18, 1993777.72−2.28Below flood stage—
8Jun 29, 2011775.84−4.16Below flood stage—
9May 31, 2019774.92−5.08Below flood stage—
10May 29, 1983774.00−6.00Below flood stage—
11Jul 2, 2015769.96−10.04Below flood stage—
12Jun 4, 2007768.77−11.23Below flood stage—
13Jul 12, 1998768.57−11.43Below flood stage—
14Jun 7, 2001767.81−12.19Below flood stage—
15May 11, 1979767.25−12.75Below flood stage—
16Jul 1, 1990766.90−13.10Below flood stage—
17Jul 11, 2014766.66−13.34Below flood stage—
18Jun 20, 2013766.64−13.36Below flood stage—
19Jul 20, 2018766.21−13.79Below flood stage—
20Jun 16, 1974765.79−14.21Below flood stage—
21Jun 3, 1996765.18−14.82Below flood stage—
22May 27, 1999762.61−17.39Below flood stage—
23Dec 27, 2015762.46−17.54Below flood stage—
24Jun 24, 2004760.65−19.35Below flood stage—
25Jun 10, 1995760.46−19.54Below flood stage—
26Oct 28, 1986757.20−22.80Below flood stage—
27Jul 19, 1982757.11−22.89Below flood stage—
28May 18, 2003756.28−23.72Below flood stage—
29May 21, 1986755.40−24.60Below flood stage—
30May 22, 2005754.01−25.99Below flood stage—
31Mar 13, 2009753.98−26.02Below flood stage—
32Sep 19, 1992753.20−26.80Below flood stage—
33Oct 16, 2019752.79−27.21Below flood stage—
34May 16, 1975752.36−27.64Below flood stage—
35May 31, 2017751.37−28.63Below flood stage—
36May 10, 1997750.16−29.84Below flood stage—
37Apr 29, 1976749.67−30.33Below flood stage—
38Jun 28, 2000748.55−31.45Below flood stage—
39Dec 30, 2021747.28−32.72Below flood stage—
40Dec 24, 2020745.81−34.19Below flood stage—
41Apr 17, 2012745.65−34.35Below flood stage—
42May 14, 2002745.26−34.74Below flood stage—
43Nov 16, 2005744.87−35.13Below flood stage—
44Mar 7, 1994744.46−35.54Below flood stage—
45Dec 15, 2022744.37−35.63Below flood stage—
46Apr 22, 1978742.46−37.54Below flood stage—
47Jul 7, 1981741.37−38.63Below flood stage—
48Sep 16, 1972738.57−41.43Below flood stage—
49Feb 24, 1971736.78−43.22Below flood stage—
50Jun 21, 1980736.19−43.81Below flood stage—

The worst floods along the Des Moines River

For this gauge's highest crests, the other gauges on the Des Moines River that crested above flood stage within a week.

July 13, 1993: 782.67 ft here, minor flooding

  • EddyvilleIA · Jul 12, 1993 · 72.00 ft · Major · its highest
  • Des Moines SE 6th StIA · Jul 11, 1993 · 34.29 ft · Major
  • KeosauquaIA · Jul 13, 1993 · 32.66 ft · Major · its highest
  • St. FrancisvilleIA · Jul 15, 1993 · 32.02 ft · Major · its highest
  • TracyIA · Jul 12, 1993 · 24.16 ft · Major
  • OttumwaIA · Jul 12, 1993 · 22.15 ft · Major · its highest
  • Saylorville ReservoirIA · Jul 11, 1993 · 892.03 ft · Minor · its highest

Gauges on the Des Moines River

Flood gauges sharing the river's name, linked within 80 miles of one another.

Flood gauges on the Des Moines River
Des Moines 2nd AveIA23.031.57 ft, Jun 13, 20082
Des Moines SE 6th StIA24.035.55 ft, Jun 13, 20086
Fort DodgeIA10.520.28 ft, Jun 23, 19474
KeosauquaIA22.032.66 ft, Jul 13, 19938
OttumwaIA13.022.15 ft, Jul 12, 19935
Red Rock Reservoir this gaugeIA780.0782.67 ft, Jul 13, 19930
Saylorville ReservoirIA884.0892.03 ft, Jul 11, 19930
St. FrancisvilleIA18.032.02 ft, Jul 15, 199313
EddyvilleIA63.072.00 ft, Jul 12, 19932
StratfordIA19.028.42 ft, Jun 28, 20102
TracyIA14.026.50 ft, Jun 14, 19476

Other gauges in Marion County

Flood gauges in Marion County
Bussey25.034.61 ft, Jul 3, 19821
Knoxville21.030.28 ft, Jul 16, 19820
Melcher-Dallas23.030.52 ft, Jun 25, 20150

Marion County: every hazard · River floods across the country · Iowa

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge PELI4, retrieved October 30, 2026. Stages in feet on the gauge's own datum, not elevation. Crests are as the National Weather Service lists them; preliminary values may be revised.