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Iowa River at Belle Plaine

Highest listed crest 19.86 ftFlood stage 15.0 ft42 crests since 1940

The Iowa River at Belle Plaine crested above flood stage 30 times among the 42 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1940 to 2026. The highest, 19.86 ft on June 13, 2008, was minor flooding, 4.86 feet above flood stage. 10 other gauges on the Iowa River crested above flood stage within a week of it, 8 at their own highest listed crest.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
19.86 ft
June 13, 2008
Flood stage
15.0 ft
No major stage set
Crests at major
0
30 above flood stage
Most recent flood crest
July 8, 2026
15.56 ft, minor flooding
Location
Iowa County
Iowa

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, Iowa River at Belle Plaine
Action stage13.09Jul 16, 1958The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)15.030Jul 8, 2026Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat

Every listed crest

42 crests from 1940 to 2026. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Iowa River at Belle Plaine, 1940 to 2026 8101214161820ft Flood stage 15.0 ft Mar 19, 1940: 9.46 ft, below flood stage; 2,430 cubic feet per secondMar 22, 1941: 12.40 ft, below flood stage; 4,280 cubic feet per secondJun 6, 1942: 14.40 ft, action stage; 9,450 cubic feet per secondMar 16, 1943: 13.70 ft, action stage; 6,890 cubic feet per secondMay 21, 1944: 16.90 ft, minor flooding; 31,800 cubic feet per secondMar 19, 1945: 14.10 ft, action stage; 8,770 cubic feet per secondJan 6, 1946: 16.20 ft, minor flooding; 25,000 cubic feet per secondJun 14, 1947: 17.10 ft, minor flooding; 34,000 cubic feet per secondMar 19, 1948: 15.50 ft, minor flooding; 18,100 cubic feet per secondMar 7, 1949: 15.58 ft, minor floodingMar 7, 1950: 15.80 ft, minor flooding; 18,300 cubic feet per secondMar 31, 1951: 15.72 ft, minor flooding; 20,100 cubic feet per secondMar 14, 1952: 14.58 ft, action stage; 11,300 cubic feet per secondFeb 21, 1953: 13.82 ft, action stage; 6,500 cubic feet per secondJun 28, 1954: 14.50 ft, action stage; 10,700 cubic feet per secondOct 11, 1954: 11.02 ft, below flood stage; 3,600 cubic feet per secondMay 31, 1956: 13.38 ft, action stage; 5,240 cubic feet per secondJun 20, 1957: 14.21 ft, action stage; 6,950 cubic feet per secondJul 16, 1958: 14.45 ft, action stage; 7,200 cubic feet per secondMar 23, 1959: 15.37 ft, minor flooding; 14,100 cubic feet per secondJul 11, 1969: 17.66 ft, minor flooding; 30,000 cubic feet per secondJun 20, 1990: 17.35 ft, minor floodingJun 7, 1991: 17.22 ft, minor floodingApr 2, 1993: 17.48 ft, minor floodingJul 11, 1993: 18.74 ft, minor floodingMay 27, 2004: 17.15 ft, minor floodingMay 19, 2005: 15.78 ft, minor floodingJun 13, 2008: 19.86 ft, minor floodingFeb 18, 2011: 15.23 ft, minor flooding; 6,467 cubic feet per secondApr 19, 2013: 17.11 ft, minor flooding; 15,105 cubic feet per secondMay 30, 2013: 18.80 ft, minor floodingJul 3, 2014: 19.11 ft, minor floodingSep 4, 2015: 16.44 ft, minor flooding; 8,660 cubic feet per secondDec 17, 2015: 17.88 ft, minor flooding; 15,900 cubic feet per secondOct 2, 2016: 16.63 ft, minor flooding; 9,020 cubic feet per secondSep 5, 2018: 18.20 ft, minor flooding; 17,400 cubic feet per secondMar 15, 2019: 18.22 ft, minor floodingJun 23, 2020: 17.98 ft, minor flooding; 17,700 cubic feet per secondMay 25, 2024: 17.72 ft, minor flooding; 14,251 cubic feet per secondApr 10, 2026: 16.16 ft, minor flooding; 8,284 cubic feet per secondApr 19, 2026: 15.91 ft, minor flooding; 7,993 cubic feet per secondJul 8, 2026: 15.56 ft, minor flooding; 7,596 cubic feet per second Highest, 19.86 ft, Jun 13, 2008 19401960198020002020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Iowa River at Belle Plaine 1940s: 5 1950s: 3 1960s: 1 1970s: 0 1980s: 0 1990s: 4 2000s: 3 2010s: 9 9 2020s: 5 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.
  3. 1 crest measured on an earlier gauge datum is left out: 17.86 ft on Jun 5, 1918.

Highest crests

Highest listed crests, Iowa River at Belle Plaine
1Jun 13, 200819.86+4.86Minor—
2Jul 3, 201419.11+4.11Minor—
3May 30, 201318.80+3.80Minor—
4Jul 11, 199318.74+3.74Minor—
5Mar 15, 201918.22+3.22Minor—
6Sep 5, 201818.20+3.20Minor17,400
7Jun 23, 202017.98+2.98Minor17,700
8Dec 17, 201517.88+2.88Minor15,900
9May 25, 202417.72+2.72Minor14,251
10Jul 11, 196917.66+2.66Minor30,000
11Apr 2, 199317.48+2.48Minor—
12Jun 20, 199017.35+2.35Minor—
13Jun 7, 199117.22+2.22Minor—
14May 27, 200417.15+2.15Minor—
15Apr 19, 201317.11+2.11Minor15,105
16Jun 14, 194717.10+2.10Minor34,000
17May 21, 194416.90+1.90Minor31,800
18Oct 2, 201616.63+1.63Minor9,020
19Sep 4, 201516.44+1.44Minor8,660
20Jan 6, 194616.20+1.20Minor25,000
21Apr 10, 202616.16+1.16Minor8,284
22Apr 19, 202615.91+0.91Minor7,993
23Mar 7, 195015.80+0.80Minor18,300
24May 19, 200515.78+0.78Minor—
25Mar 31, 195115.72+0.72Minor20,100
26Mar 7, 194915.58+0.58Minor—
27Jul 8, 202615.56+0.56Minor7,596
28Mar 19, 194815.50+0.50Minor18,100
29Mar 23, 195915.37+0.37Minor14,100
30Feb 18, 201115.23+0.23Minor6,467
31Mar 14, 195214.58−0.42Action11,300
32Jun 28, 195414.50−0.50Action10,700
33Jul 16, 195814.45−0.55Action7,200
34Jun 6, 194214.40−0.60Action9,450
35Jun 20, 195714.21−0.79Action6,950
36Mar 19, 194514.10−0.90Action8,770
37Feb 21, 195313.82−1.18Action6,500
38Mar 16, 194313.70−1.30Action6,890
39May 31, 195613.38−1.62Action5,240
40Mar 22, 194112.40−2.60Below flood stage4,280
41Oct 11, 195411.02−3.98Below flood stage3,600
42Mar 19, 19409.46−5.54Below flood stage2,430

The worst floods along the Iowa River

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

June 13, 2008: 19.86 ft here, minor flooding

  • Columbus JctIA · Jun 15, 2008 · 32.30 ft · Major · its highest
  • WapelloIA · Jun 14, 2008 · 32.15 ft · Major · its highest
  • Iowa CityIA · Jun 15, 2008 · 31.53 ft · Major · its highest
  • OakvilleIA · Jun 14, 2008 · 23.22 ft · Major · its highest
  • Lone Tree (Tri-County Bridge)IA · Jun 15, 2008 · 23.10 ft · Major · its highest
  • MarengoIA · Jun 12, 2008 · 21.38 ft · Major · its highest
  • RowanIA · Jun 9, 2008 · 15.89 ft · Moderate · its highest
  • MarshalltownIA · Jun 13, 2008 · 21.79 ft · Minor
  • Tama US 63IA · Jun 13, 2008 · 21.31 ft · Minor
  • Steamboat RockIA · Jun 8, 2008 · 17.86 ft · Minor · its highest

July 3, 2014: 19.11 ft here, minor flooding

May 30, 2013: 18.80 ft here, minor flooding

  • MarengoIA · May 31, 2013 · 20.36 ft · Major
  • Tama Hwy E49IA · May 28, 2013 · 15.20 ft · Major · its highest
  • Iowa CityIA · Jun 5, 2013 · 24.90 ft · Moderate
  • MarshalltownIA · May 30, 2013 · 22.08 ft · Minor
  • Tama US 63IA · May 31, 2013 · 22.05 ft · Minor
  • Steamboat RockIA · May 30, 2013 · 13.94 ft · Minor
  • RowanIA · May 27, 2013 · 12.80 ft · Minor

Gauges on the Iowa River

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

Flood gauges on the Iowa River
Belle Plaine this gaugeIA15.019.86 ft, Jun 13, 20080
Columbus JctIA23.032.30 ft, Jun 15, 20083
Iowa CityIA23.531.53 ft, Jun 15, 20082
MarengoIA15.021.38 ft, Jun 12, 200810
MarshalltownIA19.022.25 ft, Jul 2, 20140
OakvilleIA11.023.22 ft, Jun 14, 20081
Steamboat RockIA11.017.86 ft, Jun 8, 20080
WapelloIA21.032.15 ft, Jun 14, 20087
Lone Tree (Tri-County Bridge)IA16.023.10 ft, Jun 15, 20083
RowanIA12.515.89 ft, Jun 9, 20080
Tama Hwy E49IA12.515.20 ft, May 28, 20133
Tama US 63IA20.022.31 ft, Apr 28, 20070

Other gauges in Iowa County

Flood gauges in Iowa County
Ladora20.026.61 ft, Jul 1, 20140
Parnell24.030.06 ft, Jul 1, 20140
Marengo15.021.38 ft, Jun 12, 200810

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge BPLI4, 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.