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Iowa River near Rowan

Highest listed crest 15.89 ftFlood stage 12.5 ft89 crests since 1941

The Iowa River near Rowan crested above flood stage 17 times among the 89 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1941 to 2025. The highest, 15.89 ft on June 9, 2008, was moderate flooding, 3.39 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
15.89 ft
June 9, 2008; 7,890 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
12.5 ft
Major flooding from 17.0 ft
Crests at major
0
17 above flood stage
Most recent flood crest
March 15, 2019
13.07 ft, minor flooding
Location
Wright 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 near Rowan
Action stage9.059Jun 30, 2025The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)12.515Mar 15, 2019Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage15.02Jun 9, 2008Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage17.00—Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

89 crests from 1941 to 2025. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Iowa River near Rowan, 1941 to 2025 05101520ft Flood stage 12.5 ftMajor 17.0 ft Jun 5, 1941: 9.40 ft, action stage; 1,450 cubic feet per secondNov 4, 1941: 9.00 ft, action stage; 1,320 cubic feet per secondMar 27, 1943: 8.90 ft, below flood stage; 1,280 cubic feet per secondJun 14, 1944: 12.00 ft, action stage; 3,840 cubic feet per secondAug 15, 1945: 11.50 ft, action stage; 3,120 cubic feet per secondMay 27, 1946: 9.60 ft, action stage; 1,660 cubic feet per secondJul 7, 1947: 10.60 ft, action stage; 2,240 cubic feet per secondMar 18, 1948: 10.60 ft, action stage; 2,240 cubic feet per secondMar 28, 1949: 9.40 ft, action stage; 1,580 cubic feet per secondMar 28, 1950: 11.06 ft, action stage; 1,800 cubic feet per secondJun 28, 1951: 13.18 ft, minor flooding; 5,610 cubic feet per secondMar 31, 1952: 10.61 ft, action stage; 2,200 cubic feet per secondMay 2, 1953: 6.87 ft, below flood stage; 645 cubic feet per secondJun 21, 1954: 14.88 ft, minor flooding; 8,460 cubic feet per secondJul 7, 1955: 6.54 ft, below flood stage; 551 cubic feet per secondMar 28, 1956: 5.70 ft, below flood stage; 300 cubic feet per secondMay 31, 1957: 6.43 ft, below flood stage; 492 cubic feet per secondMay 27, 1958: 6.77 ft, below flood stage; 530 cubic feet per secondJun 2, 1959: 10.07 ft, action stage; 1,540 cubic feet per secondMar 30, 1960: 12.11 ft, action stage; 2,900 cubic feet per secondMar 28, 1961: 12.81 ft, minor flooding; 5,580 cubic feet per secondMar 29, 1962: 12.60 ft, minor flooding; 4,050 cubic feet per secondJul 8, 1963: 10.22 ft, action stage; 1,820 cubic feet per secondSep 11, 1964: 9.82 ft, action stage; 1,520 cubic feet per secondApr 6, 1965: 14.62 ft, minor floodingFeb 11, 1966: 10.21 ft, action stage; 1,910 cubic feet per secondJun 10, 1967: 10.13 ft, action stage; 1,640 cubic feet per secondJul 18, 1968: 9.88 ft, action stage; 1,640 cubic feet per secondJul 1, 1969: 12.36 ft, action stage; 4,250 cubic feet per secondMay 14, 1970: 10.98 ft, action stage; 2,560 cubic feet per secondMar 16, 1971: 11.05 ft, action stageApr 1, 1971: 10.67 ft, action stage; 2,410 cubic feet per secondJun 10, 1972: 11.25 ft, action stage; 2,790 cubic feet per secondMar 12, 1973: 10.96 ft, action stage; 2,740 cubic feet per secondJun 10, 1974: 9.04 ft, action stage; 1,400 cubic feet per secondApr 30, 1975: 11.10 ft, action stage; 3,270 cubic feet per secondMar 14, 1976: 8.06 ft, below flood stageApr 1, 1976: 7.97 ft, below flood stage; 826 cubic feet per secondJun 18, 1978: 10.10 ft, action stage; 1,930 cubic feet per secondAug 24, 1979: 11.88 ft, action stage; 3,920 cubic feet per secondJun 2, 1980: 9.24 ft, action stage; 1,370 cubic feet per secondJun 27, 1981: 11.17 ft, action stage; 2,270 cubic feet per secondFeb 24, 1982: 10.35 ft, action stageMar 20, 1982: 9.94 ft, action stage; 1,790 cubic feet per secondJul 2, 1983: 13.15 ft, minor flooding; 4,310 cubic feet per secondJun 17, 1984: 15.00 ft, moderate flooding; 8,450 cubic feet per secondSep 7, 1985: 10.79 ft, action stage; 1,880 cubic feet per secondMar 20, 1986: 11.42 ft, action stage; 2,070 cubic feet per secondOct 15, 1986: 10.69 ft, action stage; 1,680 cubic feet per secondMar 2, 1988: 7.80 ft, below flood stageApr 29, 1988: 6.84 ft, below flood stage; 544 cubic feet per secondMar 12, 1989: 8.24 ft, below flood stage; 480 cubic feet per secondJul 29, 1990: 10.84 ft, action stage; 1,760 cubic feet per secondMay 18, 1991: 14.01 ft, minor flooding; 5,930 cubic feet per secondMar 10, 1992: 11.00 ft, action stage; 1,930 cubic feet per secondApr 1, 1993: 14.69 ft, minor flooding; 6,140 cubic feet per secondJun 26, 1994: 10.33 ft, action stage; 1,690 cubic feet per secondMay 31, 1995: 10.46 ft, action stage; 1,880 cubic feet per secondJun 18, 1996: 9.30 ft, action stage; 1,250 cubic feet per secondMar 12, 1997: 10.48 ft, action stage; 1,890 cubic feet per secondJun 24, 1998: 11.79 ft, action stage; 2,750 cubic feet per secondMay 18, 1999: 11.81 ft, action stage; 2,770 cubic feet per secondJun 15, 2000: 10.02 ft, action stage; 1,520 cubic feet per secondMay 5, 2001: 12.03 ft, action stage; 3,230 cubic feet per secondAug 15, 2002: 9.45 ft, action stage; 1,350 cubic feet per secondMay 7, 2003: 10.49 ft, action stage; 1,720 cubic feet per secondMay 24, 2004: 13.95 ft, minor flooding; 5,210 cubic feet per secondMay 14, 2005: 11.25 ft, action stage; 2,280 cubic feet per secondApr 5, 2006: 10.33 ft, action stage; 1,620 cubic feet per secondMar 15, 2007: 11.03 ft, action stage; 2,110 cubic feet per secondJun 9, 2008: 15.89 ft, moderate flooding; 7,890 cubic feet per secondMar 26, 2009: 10.41 ft, action stage; 1,670 cubic feet per secondJun 24, 2010: 14.44 ft, minor flooding; 5,920 cubic feet per secondFeb 21, 2011: 10.44 ft, action stageMar 24, 2011: 10.18 ft, action stage; 1,640 cubic feet per secondMay 7, 2012: 5.90 ft, below flood stage; 460 cubic feet per secondMay 27, 2013: 12.80 ft, minor flooding; 3,790 cubic feet per secondJun 20, 2014: 14.57 ft, minor flooding; 6,120 cubic feet per secondJun 24, 2015: 9.99 ft, action stage; 1,560 cubic feet per secondSep 24, 2016: 14.48 ft, minor flooding; 5,980 cubic feet per secondOct 1, 2016: 11.39 ft, action stage; 2,430 cubic feet per secondSep 23, 2018: 14.41 ft, minor flooding; 5,610 cubic feet per secondMar 15, 2019: 13.07 ft, minor flooding; 4,390 cubic feet per secondMar 22, 2020: 10.77 ft, action stage; 2,060 cubic feet per secondMay 23, 2021: 7.68 ft, below flood stage; 911 cubic feet per secondMay 2, 2022: 9.30 ft, action stage; 1,430 cubic feet per secondMar 1, 2023: 11.20 ft, action stage; 2,410 cubic feet per secondJul 9, 2024: 11.39 ft, action stage; 2,640 cubic feet per secondJun 30, 2025: 11.59 ft, action stage; 2,800 cubic feet per second Highest, 15.89 ft, Jun 9, 2008 1960198020002020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Iowa River near Rowan 1940s: 0 1950s: 2 1960s: 3 1970s: 0 1980s: 2 1990s: 2 2000s: 2 2010s: 6 6 2020s: 0 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 89 listed crests.

Highest listed crests, Iowa River near Rowan
1Jun 9, 200815.89+3.39Moderate7,890
2Jun 17, 198415.00+2.50Moderate8,450
3Jun 21, 195414.88+2.38Minor8,460
4Apr 1, 199314.69+2.19Minor6,140
5Apr 6, 196514.62+2.12Minor—
6Jun 20, 201414.57+2.07Minor6,120
7Sep 24, 201614.48+1.98Minor5,980
8Jun 24, 201014.44+1.94Minor5,920
9Sep 23, 201814.41+1.91Minor5,610
10May 18, 199114.01+1.51Minor5,930
11May 24, 200413.95+1.45Minor5,210
12Jun 28, 195113.18+0.68Minor5,610
13Jul 2, 198313.15+0.65Minor4,310
14Mar 15, 201913.07+0.57Minor4,390
15Mar 28, 196112.81+0.31Minor5,580
16May 27, 201312.80+0.30Minor3,790
17Mar 29, 196212.60+0.10Minor4,050
18Jul 1, 196912.36−0.14Action4,250
19Mar 30, 196012.11−0.39Action2,900
20May 5, 200112.03−0.47Action3,230
21Jun 14, 194412.00−0.50Action3,840
22Aug 24, 197911.88−0.62Action3,920
23May 18, 199911.81−0.69Action2,770
24Jun 24, 199811.79−0.71Action2,750
25Jun 30, 202511.59−0.91Action2,800
26Aug 15, 194511.50−1.00Action3,120
27Mar 20, 198611.42−1.08Action2,070
28Oct 1, 201611.39−1.11Action2,430
29Jul 9, 202411.39−1.11Action2,640
30Jun 10, 197211.25−1.25Action2,790
31May 14, 200511.25−1.25Action2,280
32Mar 1, 202311.20−1.30Action2,410
33Jun 27, 198111.17−1.33Action2,270
34Apr 30, 197511.10−1.40Action3,270
35Mar 28, 195011.06−1.44Action1,800
36Mar 16, 197111.05−1.45Action—
37Mar 15, 200711.03−1.47Action2,110
38Mar 10, 199211.00−1.50Action1,930
39May 14, 197010.98−1.52Action2,560
40Mar 12, 197310.96−1.54Action2,740
41Jul 29, 199010.84−1.66Action1,760
42Sep 7, 198510.79−1.71Action1,880
43Mar 22, 202010.77−1.73Action2,060
44Oct 15, 198610.69−1.81Action1,680
45Apr 1, 197110.67−1.83Action2,410
46Mar 31, 195210.61−1.89Action2,200
47Jul 7, 194710.60−1.90Action2,240
48Mar 18, 194810.60−1.90Action2,240
49May 7, 200310.49−2.01Action1,720
50Mar 12, 199710.48−2.02Action1,890

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 9, 2008: 15.89 ft here, moderate 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
  • MarshalltownIA · Jun 13, 2008 · 21.79 ft · Minor
  • Tama US 63IA · Jun 13, 2008 · 21.31 ft · Minor
  • Belle PlaineIA · Jun 13, 2008 · 19.86 ft · Minor · its highest
  • Steamboat RockIA · Jun 8, 2008 · 17.86 ft · Minor · its highest

June 17, 1984: 15.00 ft here, moderate flooding

  • MarengoIA · Jun 18, 1984 · 18.17 ft · Moderate

April 1, 1993: 14.69 ft here, minor flooding

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 PlaineIA15.019.86 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
Rowan this gaugeIA12.515.89 ft, Jun 9, 20080
Tama Hwy E49IA12.515.20 ft, May 28, 20133
Tama US 63IA20.022.31 ft, Apr 28, 20070

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge ROWI4, 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.