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Ioway Creek at Ames Lincoln Way

Highest listed crest 18.54 ftFlood stage 10.0 ft71 crests since 1918

The Ioway Creek at Ames Lincoln Way crested at major flood stage 4 times among the 71 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1918 to 2025. The highest, 18.54 ft on July 9, 1993, was major flooding, 8.54 feet above flood stage.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
18.54 ft
July 9, 1993; 24,300 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
10.0 ft
Major flooding from 15.5 ft
Crests at major
4
52nd of 203 gauges in Iowa
Most recent flood crest
March 14, 2019
10.68 ft, minor flooding
Location
Story County
Near Ames (0.5 mi), Boone (12.6 mi)

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, Ioway Creek at Ames Lincoln Way
Action stage8.017Jun 15, 2022The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)10.016Mar 14, 2019Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage14.04Jun 17, 1996Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage15.54Aug 11, 2010Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

71 crests from 1918 to 2025. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Ioway Creek at Ames Lincoln Way, 1918 to 2025 05101520ft Flood stage 10.0 ftMajor 15.5 ft Jun 4, 1918: 14.50 ft, moderate flooding; 6,900 cubic feet per secondOct 4, 1919: 8.60 ft, action stage; 2,260 cubic feet per secondSep 17, 1921: 7.40 ft, below flood stage; 1,900 cubic feet per secondJul 17, 1922: 10.70 ft, minor flooding; 4,130 cubic feet per secondSep 28, 1923: 6.10 ft, below flood stage; 1,340 cubic feet per secondJul 28, 1924: 8.80 ft, action stage; 3,170 cubic feet per secondAug 7, 1925: 8.90 ft, action stage; 791 cubic feet per secondSep 19, 1926: 14.20 ft, moderate flooding; 3,610 cubic feet per secondOct 4, 1926: 9.80 ft, action stage; 1,060 cubic feet per secondMar 1, 1965: 10.70 ft, minor flooding; 4,200 cubic feet per secondJun 12, 1966: 10.15 ft, minor flooding; 3,160 cubic feet per secondJun 12, 1967: 6.92 ft, below flood stage; 2,020 cubic feet per secondJun 25, 1968: 8.27 ft, action stage; 2,500 cubic feet per secondNov 20, 1968: 9.59 ft, action stage; 2,970 cubic feet per secondMay 13, 1970: 10.74 ft, minor flooding; 3,540 cubic feet per secondFeb 19, 1971: 10.09 ft, minor flooding; 3,650 cubic feet per secondAug 2, 1972: 5.84 ft, below flood stage; 1,680 cubic feet per secondApr 16, 1973: 8.69 ft, action stage; 2,800 cubic feet per secondJun 22, 1974: 8.95 ft, action stage; 2,900 cubic feet per secondJun 27, 1975: 14.00 ft, moderate flooding; 11,300 cubic feet per secondJun 14, 1976: 8.55 ft, action stage; 2,680 cubic feet per secondAug 16, 1977: 8.01 ft, action stage; 2,430 cubic feet per secondSep 14, 1978: 7.51 ft, below flood stage; 2,230 cubic feet per secondMar 19, 1979: 11.81 ft, minor flooding; 5,300 cubic feet per secondMay 30, 1980: 4.69 ft, below flood stage; 1,250 cubic feet per secondJun 24, 1981: 4.26 ft, below flood stage; 1,060 cubic feet per secondJul 18, 1982: 10.30 ft, minor flooding; 3,820 cubic feet per secondMay 19, 1983: 7.63 ft, below flood stage; 2,260 cubic feet per secondJun 13, 1984: 12.97 ft, minor flooding; 7,180 cubic feet per secondMar 4, 1985: 6.97 ft, below flood stage; 2,030 cubic feet per secondJun 30, 1986: 10.21 ft, minor flooding; 3,750 cubic feet per secondAug 26, 1987: 8.03 ft, action stage; 2,490 cubic feet per secondFeb 19, 1988: 3.22 ft, below flood stage; 656 cubic feet per secondMay 24, 1989: 7.01 ft, below flood stage; 2,050 cubic feet per secondJun 17, 1990: 15.97 ft, major flooding; 12,500 cubic feet per secondJun 4, 1991: 9.41 ft, action stage; 3,000 cubic feet per secondJul 16, 1992: 6.88 ft, below flood stage; 1,910 cubic feet per secondJul 9, 1993: 18.54 ft, major flooding; 24,300 cubic feet per secondJun 24, 1994: 8.66 ft, action stage; 2,920 cubic feet per secondFeb 20, 1995: 8.13 ft, action stage; 2,300 cubic feet per secondJun 17, 1996: 15.29 ft, moderate flooding; 12,700 cubic feet per secondFeb 18, 1997: 8.79 ft, action stage; 3,580 cubic feet per secondJun 15, 1998: 11.57 ft, minor flooding; 5,290 cubic feet per secondJun 11, 1999: 7.53 ft, below flood stage; 3,160 cubic feet per secondJun 14, 2000: 3.18 ft, below flood stage; 614 cubic feet per secondMar 14, 2001: 4.97 ft, below flood stageMay 12, 2002: 5.08 ft, below flood stage; 1,620 cubic feet per secondJul 9, 2003: 7.80 ft, below flood stage; 3,200 cubic feet per secondMay 25, 2004: 6.58 ft, below flood stage; 2,380 cubic feet per secondFeb 14, 2005: 4.97 ft, below flood stage; 1,570 cubic feet per secondSep 12, 2006: 6.10 ft, below flood stage; 2,140 cubic feet per secondApr 26, 2007: 11.79 ft, minor flooding; 5,570 cubic feet per secondMay 30, 2008: 15.85 ft, major flooding; 12,600 cubic feet per secondFeb 10, 2009: 7.44 ft, below flood stage; 2,860 cubic feet per secondAug 11, 2010: 18.13 ft, major flooding; 22,400 cubic feet per secondApr 26, 2011: 4.17 ft, below flood stage; 1,220 cubic feet per secondApr 14, 2012: 3.13 ft, below flood stage; 453 cubic feet per secondMay 27, 2013: 9.41 ft, action stage; 4,280 cubic feet per secondJul 1, 2014: 11.24 ft, minor floodingAug 29, 2015: 10.69 ft, minor flooding; 5,490 cubic feet per secondDec 15, 2015: 10.36 ft, minor flooding; 5,510 cubic feet per secondJan 19, 2017: 6.67 ft, below flood stageMay 1, 2017: 5.09 ft, below flood stage; 1,390 cubic feet per secondJun 15, 2018: 12.19 ft, minor flooding; 7,120 cubic feet per secondMar 14, 2019: 10.68 ft, minor flooding; 5,590 cubic feet per secondMay 27, 2020: 5.44 ft, below flood stage; 1,940 cubic feet per secondMar 4, 2021: 2.93 ft, below flood stage; 398 cubic feet per secondJun 15, 2022: 8.69 ft, action stage; 4,580 cubic feet per secondFeb 27, 2023: 7.15 ft, below flood stage; 3,500 cubic feet per secondMay 22, 2024: 5.38 ft, below flood stage; 1,850 cubic feet per secondJul 30, 2025: 6.10 ft, below flood stage; 2,450 cubic feet per second Highest, 18.54 ft, Jul 9, 1993 192019401960198020002020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Ioway Creek at Ames Lincoln Way 1910s: 1 1920s: 2 1930s: 0 1940s: 0 1950s: 0 1960s: 2 1970s: 4 1980s: 3 1990s: 4 2000s: 2 2010s: 6 6 2020s: 0 1910s1920s1930s1940s1950s1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s2020s
  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 71 listed crests.

Highest listed crests, Ioway Creek at Ames Lincoln Way
1Jul 9, 199318.54+8.54Major24,300
2Aug 11, 201018.13+8.13Major22,400
3Jun 17, 199015.97+5.97Major12,500
4May 30, 200815.85+5.85Major12,600
5Jun 17, 199615.29+5.29Moderate12,700
6Jun 4, 191814.50+4.50Moderate6,900
7Sep 19, 192614.20+4.20Moderate3,610
8Jun 27, 197514.00+4.00Moderate11,300
9Jun 13, 198412.97+2.97Minor7,180
10Jun 15, 201812.19+2.19Minor7,120
11Mar 19, 197911.81+1.81Minor5,300
12Apr 26, 200711.79+1.79Minor5,570
13Jun 15, 199811.57+1.57Minor5,290
14Jul 1, 201411.24+1.24Minor—
15May 13, 197010.74+0.74Minor3,540
16Jul 17, 192210.70+0.70Minor4,130
17Mar 1, 196510.70+0.70Minor4,200
18Aug 29, 201510.69+0.69Minor5,490
19Mar 14, 201910.68+0.68Minor5,590
20Dec 15, 201510.36+0.36Minor5,510
21Jul 18, 198210.30+0.30Minor3,820
22Jun 30, 198610.21+0.21Minor3,750
23Jun 12, 196610.15+0.15Minor3,160
24Feb 19, 197110.09+0.09Minor3,650
25Oct 4, 19269.80−0.20Action1,060
26Nov 20, 19689.59−0.41Action2,970
27Jun 4, 19919.41−0.59Action3,000
28May 27, 20139.41−0.59Action4,280
29Jun 22, 19748.95−1.05Action2,900
30Aug 7, 19258.90−1.10Action791
31Jul 28, 19248.80−1.20Action3,170
32Feb 18, 19978.79−1.21Action3,580
33Apr 16, 19738.69−1.31Action2,800
34Jun 15, 20228.69−1.31Action4,580
35Jun 24, 19948.66−1.34Action2,920
36Oct 4, 19198.60−1.40Action2,260
37Jun 14, 19768.55−1.45Action2,680
38Jun 25, 19688.27−1.73Action2,500
39Feb 20, 19958.13−1.87Action2,300
40Aug 26, 19878.03−1.97Action2,490
41Aug 16, 19778.01−1.99Action2,430
42Jul 9, 20037.80−2.20Below flood stage3,200
43May 19, 19837.63−2.37Below flood stage2,260
44Jun 11, 19997.53−2.47Below flood stage3,160
45Sep 14, 19787.51−2.49Below flood stage2,230
46Feb 10, 20097.44−2.56Below flood stage2,860
47Sep 17, 19217.40−2.60Below flood stage1,900
48Feb 27, 20237.15−2.85Below flood stage3,500
49May 24, 19897.01−2.99Below flood stage2,050
50Mar 4, 19856.97−3.03Below flood stage2,030

Other gauges in Story County

Flood gauges in Story County
Ames US 3021.526.72 ft, Aug 11, 20106
Ames W Riverside Rd12.520.89 ft, Jun 17, 199610

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge AMWI4, 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.