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South Skunk River near Oskaloosa

Highest listed crest 26.40 ftFlood stage 24.5 ft82 crests since 1944

The South Skunk River near Oskaloosa crested above flood stage 4 times among the 82 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1944 to 2025. The highest, 26.40 ft on August 16, 2010, was minor flooding, 1.90 feet above flood stage. 3 other gauges on the South Skunk River crested above flood stage within a week of it, 2 at their own highest listed crest.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
26.40 ft
August 16, 2010; 25,200 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
24.5 ft
Major flooding from 30.0 ft
Crests at major
0
4 above flood stage
Most recent flood crest
August 16, 2010
26.40 ft, minor flooding
Location
Mahaska County
Near Oskaloosa (4.5 mi), Pella (13.9 mi)

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, South Skunk River near Oskaloosa
Action stage18.053Jul 26, 2025The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)24.54Aug 16, 2010Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage28.50—Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage30.00—Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

82 crests from 1944 to 2025. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the South Skunk River near Oskaloosa, 1944 to 2025 51015202530ft Flood stage 24.5 ftMajor 30.0 ft May 1, 1944: 25.80 ft, minor flooding; 37,000 cubic feet per secondJan 9, 1946: 18.57 ft, action stage; 9,600 cubic feet per secondJun 15, 1947: 21.26 ft, action stage; 20,000 cubic feet per secondMar 22, 1948: 17.50 ft, below flood stage; 9,050 cubic feet per secondMar 9, 1949: 18.27 ft, action stage; 10,800 cubic feet per secondMar 8, 1950: 18.09 ft, action stage; 9,320 cubic feet per secondJun 7, 1951: 17.26 ft, below flood stage; 7,810 cubic feet per secondMar 12, 1952: 16.58 ft, below flood stage; 6,700 cubic feet per secondFeb 22, 1953: 18.46 ft, action stage; 9,980 cubic feet per secondJun 24, 1954: 15.89 ft, below flood stage; 5,420 cubic feet per secondFeb 20, 1955: 15.55 ft, below flood stage; 3,700 cubic feet per secondAug 13, 1956: 7.90 ft, below flood stage; 782 cubic feet per secondJun 18, 1957: 15.06 ft, below flood stage; 4,860 cubic feet per secondJul 7, 1958: 15.76 ft, below flood stage; 5,680 cubic feet per secondMar 21, 1959: 16.87 ft, below flood stage; 8,500 cubic feet per secondApr 3, 1960: 20.56 ft, action stage; 14,800 cubic feet per secondSep 13, 1961: 16.17 ft, below flood stage; 6,280 cubic feet per secondMar 29, 1962: 18.80 ft, action stage; 8,460 cubic feet per secondAug 6, 1963: 16.38 ft, below flood stage; 5,720 cubic feet per secondJun 25, 1964: 16.92 ft, below flood stage; 6,000 cubic feet per secondApr 9, 1965: 19.87 ft, action stage; 11,200 cubic feet per secondJun 16, 1966: 21.10 ft, action stage; 12,400 cubic feet per secondJun 13, 1967: 18.09 ft, action stage; 7,600 cubic feet per secondJun 27, 1968: 14.32 ft, below flood stage; 4,120 cubic feet per secondJul 18, 1969: 20.04 ft, action stage; 10,300 cubic feet per secondMay 17, 1970: 18.54 ft, action stage; 8,160 cubic feet per secondFeb 27, 1971: 20.34 ft, action stage; 6,700 cubic feet per secondJun 16, 1972: 17.38 ft, below flood stage; 7,180 cubic feet per secondFeb 3, 1973: 22.52 ft, action stage; 15,000 cubic feet per secondMay 22, 1974: 21.22 ft, action stage; 12,700 cubic feet per secondJul 2, 1975: 19.62 ft, action stage; 9,740 cubic feet per secondApr 25, 1976: 21.04 ft, action stage; 12,300 cubic feet per secondAug 18, 1977: 16.43 ft, below flood stage; 5,830 cubic feet per secondMar 22, 1978: 19.40 ft, action stage; 8,760 cubic feet per secondMar 21, 1979: 20.38 ft, action stage; 11,000 cubic feet per secondJun 16, 1980: 14.34 ft, below flood stage; 4,070 cubic feet per secondJun 24, 1981: 14.41 ft, below flood stage; 4,120 cubic feet per secondJul 20, 1982: 20.92 ft, action stage; 12,000 cubic feet per secondJul 7, 1983: 20.33 ft, action stage; 10,900 cubic feet per secondJun 19, 1984: 21.76 ft, action stage; 12,300 cubic feet per secondFeb 22, 1985: 21.06 ft, action stageMay 18, 1986: 19.56 ft, action stage; 9,460 cubic feet per secondSep 23, 1986: 19.90 ft, action stageNov 30, 1987: 12.09 ft, below flood stage; 2,220 cubic feet per secondMar 11, 1989: 18.00 ft, action stageSep 9, 1989: 14.44 ft, below flood stage; 3,660 cubic feet per secondJun 23, 1990: 23.05 ft, action stage; 15,200 cubic feet per secondJun 8, 1991: 21.26 ft, action stage; 10,500 cubic feet per secondJul 30, 1992: 19.13 ft, action stage; 7,380 cubic feet per secondJul 15, 1993: 24.78 ft, minor flooding; 20,700 cubic feet per secondMar 6, 1994: 17.43 ft, below flood stage; 5,640 cubic feet per secondMay 11, 1995: 19.97 ft, action stage; 8,410 cubic feet per secondMay 10, 1996: 19.87 ft, action stage; 8,270 cubic feet per secondFeb 21, 1997: 19.46 ft, action stage; 4,800 cubic feet per secondJun 24, 1998: 22.84 ft, action stage; 11,900 cubic feet per secondJun 13, 1999: 19.09 ft, action stage; 7,220 cubic feet per secondJun 25, 2000: 18.28 ft, action stage; 6,190 cubic feet per secondMar 16, 2001: 21.32 ft, action stage; 10,500 cubic feet per secondJun 13, 2002: 17.71 ft, below flood stage; 5,890 cubic feet per secondMay 10, 2003: 18.87 ft, action stage; 7,890 cubic feet per secondMay 28, 2004: 22.57 ft, action stage; 11,500 cubic feet per secondMay 15, 2005: 20.71 ft, action stage; 9,810 cubic feet per secondSep 13, 2006: 16.20 ft, below flood stage; 5,180 cubic feet per secondApr 30, 2007: 22.10 ft, action stage; 11,000 cubic feet per secondJun 12, 2008: 24.61 ft, minor flooding; 17,300 cubic feet per secondMar 10, 2009: 21.30 ft, action stage; 11,000 cubic feet per secondAug 16, 2010: 26.40 ft, minor flooding; 25,200 cubic feet per secondJun 11, 2011: 21.73 ft, action stage; 12,200 cubic feet per secondApr 16, 2012: 15.01 ft, below flood stage; 4,440 cubic feet per secondJun 2, 2013: 23.28 ft, action stage; 11,500 cubic feet per secondJul 7, 2014: 23.34 ft, action stageJun 27, 2015: 19.41 ft, action stage; 7,090 cubic feet per secondDec 18, 2015: 22.68 ft, action stage; 12,900 cubic feet per secondJan 22, 2017: 19.97 ft, action stageSep 6, 2018: 22.76 ft, action stage; 14,100 cubic feet per secondMar 17, 2019: 22.32 ft, action stage; 11,700 cubic feet per secondJun 10, 2020: 18.75 ft, action stage; 7,230 cubic feet per secondMar 4, 2021: 13.63 ft, below flood stage; 3,430 cubic feet per secondJun 17, 2022: 18.05 ft, action stage; 6,630 cubic feet per secondMar 1, 2023: 17.13 ft, below flood stage; 5,990 cubic feet per secondMay 24, 2024: 23.29 ft, action stage; 14,500 cubic feet per secondJul 26, 2025: 20.26 ft, action stage; 8,720 cubic feet per second Highest, 26.40 ft, Aug 16, 2010 1960198020002020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, South Skunk River near Oskaloosa 1940s: 1 1 1950s: 0 1960s: 0 1970s: 0 1980s: 0 1990s: 1 2000s: 1 2010s: 1 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 82 listed crests.

Highest listed crests, South Skunk River near Oskaloosa
1Aug 16, 201026.40+1.90Minor25,200
2May 1, 194425.80+1.30Minor37,000
3Jul 15, 199324.78+0.28Minor20,700
4Jun 12, 200824.61+0.11Minor17,300
5Jul 7, 201423.34−1.16Action—
6May 24, 202423.29−1.21Action14,500
7Jun 2, 201323.28−1.22Action11,500
8Jun 23, 199023.05−1.45Action15,200
9Jun 24, 199822.84−1.66Action11,900
10Sep 6, 201822.76−1.74Action14,100
11Dec 18, 201522.68−1.82Action12,900
12May 28, 200422.57−1.93Action11,500
13Feb 3, 197322.52−1.98Action15,000
14Mar 17, 201922.32−2.18Action11,700
15Apr 30, 200722.10−2.40Action11,000
16Jun 19, 198421.76−2.74Action12,300
17Jun 11, 201121.73−2.77Action12,200
18Mar 16, 200121.32−3.18Action10,500
19Mar 10, 200921.30−3.20Action11,000
20Jun 15, 194721.26−3.24Action20,000
21Jun 8, 199121.26−3.24Action10,500
22May 22, 197421.22−3.28Action12,700
23Jun 16, 196621.10−3.40Action12,400
24Feb 22, 198521.06−3.44Action—
25Apr 25, 197621.04−3.46Action12,300
26Jul 20, 198220.92−3.58Action12,000
27May 15, 200520.71−3.79Action9,810
28Apr 3, 196020.56−3.94Action14,800
29Mar 21, 197920.38−4.12Action11,000
30Feb 27, 197120.34−4.16Action6,700
31Jul 7, 198320.33−4.17Action10,900
32Jul 26, 202520.26−4.24Action8,720
33Jul 18, 196920.04−4.46Action10,300
34May 11, 199519.97−4.53Action8,410
35Jan 22, 201719.97−4.53Action—
36Sep 23, 198619.90−4.60Action—
37Apr 9, 196519.87−4.63Action11,200
38May 10, 199619.87−4.63Action8,270
39Jul 2, 197519.62−4.88Action9,740
40May 18, 198619.56−4.94Action9,460
41Feb 21, 199719.46−5.04Action4,800
42Jun 27, 201519.41−5.09Action7,090
43Mar 22, 197819.40−5.10Action8,760
44Jul 30, 199219.13−5.37Action7,380
45Jun 13, 199919.09−5.41Action7,220
46May 10, 200318.87−5.63Action7,890
47Mar 29, 196218.80−5.70Action8,460
48Jun 10, 202018.75−5.75Action7,230
49Jan 9, 194618.57−5.93Action9,600
50May 17, 197018.54−5.96Action8,160

The worst floods along the South Skunk River

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

August 16, 2010: 26.40 ft here, minor flooding

  • Ames US 30IA · Aug 11, 2010 · 26.72 ft · Major · its highest
  • ColfaxIA · Aug 14, 2010 · 23.85 ft · Major · its highest
  • Ames W Riverside RdIA · Aug 11, 2010 · 19.04 ft · Major

July 15, 1993: 24.78 ft here, minor flooding

  • Ames US 30IA · Jul 9, 1993 · 25.53 ft · Major
  • ColfaxIA · Jul 12, 1993 · 21.53 ft · Major

June 12, 2008: 24.61 ft here, minor flooding

Gauges on the South Skunk River

In USGS station-number order, which runs downstream within a river basin.

Flood gauges on the South Skunk River
Ames W Riverside RdIA12.520.89 ft, Jun 17, 199610
Ames US 30IA21.526.72 ft, Aug 11, 20106
ColfaxIA18.023.85 ft, Aug 14, 20102
Oskaloosa this gaugeIA24.526.40 ft, Aug 16, 20100

Other gauges in Mahaska County

Flood gauges in Mahaska County
Tracy14.026.50 ft, Jun 14, 19476

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge OOAI4, 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.