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Des Moines River at St. Francisville

Highest listed crest 32.02 ftFlood stage 18.0 ft77 crests since 1946

The Des Moines River at St. Francisville crested at major flood stage 13 times among the 77 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1946 to 2020. The highest, 32.02 ft on July 15, 1993, was major flooding, 14.02 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
32.02 ft
July 15, 1993
Flood stage
18.0 ft
Major flooding from 25.0 ft
Crests at major
13
17th of 203 gauges in Iowa
Most recent flood crest
June 10, 2020
18.55 ft, minor flooding
Location
Lee County
Iowa

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 St. Francisville
Action stage17.00—The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)18.044Jun 10, 2020Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage22.020Dec 15, 2015Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage25.013May 29, 2019Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

77 crests from 1946 to 2020. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Des Moines River at St. Francisville, 1946 to 2020 1520253035ft Flood stage 18.0 ftMajor 25.0 ft Jul 18, 1946: 21.41 ft, minor floodingJun 9, 1947: 27.55 ft, major floodingMar 24, 1948: 21.50 ft, minor floodingFeb 24, 1949: 22.10 ft, moderate floodingApr 5, 1951: 21.41 ft, minor floodingJun 24, 1952: 19.50 ft, minor floodingJun 30, 1954: 23.25 ft, moderate floodingJun 1, 1959: 19.41 ft, minor floodingApr 2, 1960: 25.20 ft, major floodingNov 17, 1961: 19.76 ft, minor floodingMar 22, 1962: 21.36 ft, minor floodingApr 12, 1965: 26.15 ft, major floodingJun 17, 1967: 21.93 ft, minor floodingApr 18, 1969: 19.12 ft, minor floodingFeb 28, 1971: 18.17 ft, minor floodingJan 19, 1973: 28.22 ft, major floodingJan 28, 1974: 25.53 ft, major floodingApr 24, 1976: 26.27 ft, major floodingMay 14, 1978: 20.40 ft, minor floodingMar 14, 1979: 30.15 ft, major floodingJun 16, 1980: 20.65 ft, minor floodingJul 5, 1981: 21.75 ft, minor floodingApr 2, 1983: 24.80 ft, moderate floodingJun 10, 1984: 21.90 ft, minor floodingMay 18, 1986: 26.30 ft, major floodingSep 25, 1986: 21.20 ft, minor floodingOct 26, 1986: 20.13 ft, minor floodingJun 17, 1990: 22.17 ft, moderate floodingJul 21, 1990: 21.10 ft, minor floodingApr 20, 1991: 22.41 ft, moderate floodingJun 17, 1991: 19.06 ft, minor floodingApr 21, 1992: 20.45 ft, minor floodingDec 16, 1992: 19.30 ft, minor floodingApr 20, 1993: 23.51 ft, moderate floodingJun 8, 1993: 23.00 ft, moderate floodingJul 15, 1993: 32.02 ft, major floodingSep 6, 1993: 21.78 ft, minor floodingMay 24, 1995: 23.20 ft, moderate floodingMay 27, 1996: 24.42 ft, moderate floodingMay 9, 1997: 18.09 ft, minor floodingApr 9, 1998: 20.84 ft, minor floodingMay 25, 1998: 18.40 ft, minor floodingJul 7, 1998: 22.38 ft, moderate floodingApr 16, 1999: 20.81 ft, minor floodingMay 18, 1999: 18.63 ft, minor floodingJun 25, 2000: 21.92 ft, minor floodingMar 16, 2001: 23.82 ft, moderate floodingMay 14, 2001: 23.35 ft, moderate floodingJun 15, 2001: 19.98 ft, minor floodingMay 12, 2002: 21.33 ft, minor floodingJun 12, 2002: 18.16 ft, minor floodingJul 9, 2003: 18.36 ft, minor floodingMar 3, 2008: 23.05 ft, moderate floodingApr 19, 2008: 22.23 ft, moderate floodingJun 17, 2008: 28.21 ft, major floodingFeb 18, 2011: 20.58 ft, minor floodingMay 26, 2011: 22.38 ft, moderate floodingJun 2, 2011: 20.43 ft, minor floodingJun 11, 2011: 18.84 ft, minor floodingJun 15, 2011: 26.09 ft, major floodingJun 20, 2011: 22.89 ft, moderate floodingJun 27, 2011: 22.74 ft, moderate floodingApr 19, 2013: 26.55 ft, major flooding; 83,349 cubic feet per secondMay 29, 2013: 23.91 ft, moderate flooding; 63,472 cubic feet per secondSep 11, 2014: 20.90 ft, minor flooding; 46,522 cubic feet per secondOct 15, 2014: 20.42 ft, minor flooding; 43,221 cubic feet per secondJun 26, 2015: 23.20 ft, moderate flooding; 62,130 cubic feet per secondJul 17, 2015: 20.94 ft, minor flooding; 47,434 cubic feet per secondNov 28, 2015: 19.80 ft, minor flooding; 44,188 cubic feet per secondDec 15, 2015: 22.16 ft, moderate flooding; 55,061 cubic feet per secondDec 25, 2015: 19.11 ft, minor flooding; 40,273 cubic feet per secondJan 9, 2016: 19.29 ft, minor flooding; 41,067 cubic feet per secondFeb 4, 2019: 21.95 ft, minor flooding; 57,529 cubic feet per secondMar 14, 2019: 18.50 ft, minor flooding; 39,783 cubic feet per secondMay 20, 2019: 20.39 ft, minor flooding; 49,188 cubic feet per secondMay 29, 2019: 27.86 ft, major flooding; 102,683 cubic feet per secondJun 10, 2020: 18.55 ft, minor flooding; 41,276 cubic feet per second Highest, 32.02 ft, Jul 15, 1993 19501960197019801990200020102020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Des Moines River at St. Francisville 1940s: 4 1950s: 4 1960s: 6 1970s: 6 1980s: 7 1990s: 18 2000s: 10 2010s: 21 21 2020s: 1 1940s1950s1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s2020s
  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 77 listed crests.

Highest listed crests, Des Moines River at St. Francisville
1Jul 15, 199332.02+14.02Major—
2Mar 14, 197930.15+12.15Major—
3Jan 19, 197328.22+10.22Major—
4Jun 17, 200828.21+10.21Major—
5May 29, 201927.86+9.86Major102,683
6Jun 9, 194727.55+9.55Major—
7Apr 19, 201326.55+8.55Major83,349
8May 18, 198626.30+8.30Major—
9Apr 24, 197626.27+8.27Major—
10Apr 12, 196526.15+8.15Major—
11Jun 15, 201126.09+8.09Major—
12Jan 28, 197425.53+7.53Major—
13Apr 2, 196025.20+7.20Major—
14Apr 2, 198324.80+6.80Moderate—
15May 27, 199624.42+6.42Moderate—
16May 29, 201323.91+5.91Moderate63,472
17Mar 16, 200123.82+5.82Moderate—
18Apr 20, 199323.51+5.51Moderate—
19May 14, 200123.35+5.35Moderate—
20Jun 30, 195423.25+5.25Moderate—
21May 24, 199523.20+5.20Moderate—
22Jun 26, 201523.20+5.20Moderate62,130
23Mar 3, 200823.05+5.05Moderate—
24Jun 8, 199323.00+5.00Moderate—
25Jun 20, 201122.89+4.89Moderate—
26Jun 27, 201122.74+4.74Moderate—
27Apr 20, 199122.41+4.41Moderate—
28Jul 7, 199822.38+4.38Moderate—
29May 26, 201122.38+4.38Moderate—
30Apr 19, 200822.23+4.23Moderate—
31Jun 17, 199022.17+4.17Moderate—
32Dec 15, 201522.16+4.16Moderate55,061
33Feb 24, 194922.10+4.10Moderate—
34Feb 4, 201921.95+3.95Minor57,529
35Jun 17, 196721.93+3.93Minor—
36Jun 25, 200021.92+3.92Minor—
37Jun 10, 198421.90+3.90Minor—
38Sep 6, 199321.78+3.78Minor—
39Jul 5, 198121.75+3.75Minor—
40Mar 24, 194821.50+3.50Minor—
41Jul 18, 194621.41+3.41Minor—
42Apr 5, 195121.41+3.41Minor—
43Mar 22, 196221.36+3.36Minor—
44May 12, 200221.33+3.33Minor—
45Sep 25, 198621.20+3.20Minor—
46Jul 21, 199021.10+3.10Minor—
47Jul 17, 201520.94+2.94Minor47,434
48Sep 11, 201420.90+2.90Minor46,522
49Apr 9, 199820.84+2.84Minor—
50Apr 16, 199920.81+2.81Minor—

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 15, 1993: 32.02 ft here, major flooding

March 14, 1979: 30.15 ft here, major flooding

June 17, 2008: 28.21 ft here, major flooding

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 ReservoirIA780.0782.67 ft, Jul 13, 19930
Saylorville ReservoirIA884.0892.03 ft, Jul 11, 19930
St. Francisville this gaugeIA18.032.02 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 Lee County

Flood gauges in Lee County
Keokuk16.027.58 ft, Jul 10, 199324

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge SFLM7, 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.