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Upper Iowa River at Bluffton

Highest listed crest 15.49 ftFlood stage 12.0 ft25 crests since 2003

The Upper Iowa River at Bluffton crested at major flood stage 1 time among the 25 crests the National Weather Service lists from 2003 to 2026. The highest, 15.49 ft on June 9, 2008, was major flooding, 3.49 feet above flood stage. 2 other gauges on the Upper Iowa River crested above flood stage within a week of it, 1 at its own highest listed crest.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
15.49 ft
June 9, 2008; 16,600 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
12.0 ft
Major flooding from 15.0 ft
Crests at major
1
93rd of 203 gauges in Iowa
Most recent flood crest
July 10, 2026
12.56 ft, minor flooding
Location
Winneshiek County
Iowa

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, Upper Iowa River at Bluffton
Action stage10.06Aug 19, 2025The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)12.04Jul 10, 2026Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage13.04Jun 24, 2024Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage15.01Jun 9, 2008Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

25 crests from 2003 to 2026. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Upper Iowa River at Bluffton, 2003 to 2026 46810121416ft Flood stage 12.0 ftMajor 15.0 ft May 12, 2003: 6.24 ft, below flood stage; 1,610 cubic feet per secondMay 23, 2004: 10.26 ft, action stage; 6,300 cubic feet per secondJul 25, 2005: 12.24 ft, minor flooding; 7,820 cubic feet per secondApr 9, 2006: 7.81 ft, below flood stage; 2,590 cubic feet per secondAug 22, 2007: 12.66 ft, minor flooding; 8,440 cubic feet per secondJun 9, 2008: 15.49 ft, major flooding; 16,600 cubic feet per secondFeb 10, 2009: 8.64 ft, below flood stageOct 31, 2009: 7.18 ft, below flood stage; 1,830 cubic feet per secondSep 25, 2010: 10.54 ft, action stage; 5,640 cubic feet per secondMar 24, 2011: 10.48 ft, action stage; 6,580 cubic feet per secondFeb 29, 2012: 5.89 ft, below flood stage; 1,250 cubic feet per secondJun 23, 2013: 13.56 ft, moderate flooding; 12,000 cubic feet per secondJun 27, 2014: 8.16 ft, below flood stage; 3,540 cubic feet per secondJun 23, 2015: 9.86 ft, below flood stage; 5,730 cubic feet per secondAug 24, 2016: 14.41 ft, moderate flooding; 13,800 cubic feet per secondFeb 22, 2017: 10.54 ft, action stage; 7,090 cubic feet per secondJun 10, 2018: 14.11 ft, moderate flooding; 13,200 cubic feet per secondMar 14, 2019: 11.04 ft, action stage; 8,000 cubic feet per secondJun 10, 2020: 9.13 ft, below flood stage; 4,910 cubic feet per secondAug 29, 2021: 12.55 ft, minor flooding; 10,300 cubic feet per secondJul 24, 2022: 8.23 ft, below flood stage; 4,290 cubic feet per secondFeb 28, 2023: 8.09 ft, below flood stage; 3,710 cubic feet per secondJun 24, 2024: 13.14 ft, moderate floodingAug 19, 2025: 10.50 ft, action stage; 7,180 cubic feet per secondJul 10, 2026: 12.56 ft, minor flooding; 10,286 cubic feet per second Highest, 15.49 ft, Jun 9, 2008 20052010201520202025

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Upper Iowa River at Bluffton 2000s: 3 3 2010s: 3 2020s: 3 2000s2010s2020s
  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

Highest listed crests, Upper Iowa River at Bluffton
1Jun 9, 200815.49+3.49Major16,600
2Aug 24, 201614.41+2.41Moderate13,800
3Jun 10, 201814.11+2.11Moderate13,200
4Jun 23, 201313.56+1.56Moderate12,000
5Jun 24, 202413.14+1.14Moderate—
6Aug 22, 200712.66+0.66Minor8,440
7Jul 10, 202612.56+0.56Minor10,286
8Aug 29, 202112.55+0.55Minor10,300
9Jul 25, 200512.24+0.24Minor7,820
10Mar 14, 201911.04−0.96Action8,000
11Sep 25, 201010.54−1.46Action5,640
12Feb 22, 201710.54−1.46Action7,090
13Aug 19, 202510.50−1.50Action7,180
14Mar 24, 201110.48−1.52Action6,580
15May 23, 200410.26−1.74Action6,300
16Jun 23, 20159.86−2.14Below flood stage5,730
17Jun 10, 20209.13−2.87Below flood stage4,910
18Feb 10, 20098.64−3.36Below flood stage—
19Jul 24, 20228.23−3.77Below flood stage4,290
20Jun 27, 20148.16−3.84Below flood stage3,540
21Feb 28, 20238.09−3.91Below flood stage3,710
22Apr 9, 20067.81−4.19Below flood stage2,590
23Oct 31, 20097.18−4.82Below flood stage1,830
24May 12, 20036.24−5.76Below flood stage1,610
25Feb 29, 20125.89−6.11Below flood stage1,250

The worst floods along the Upper Iowa River

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

June 9, 2008: 15.49 ft here, major flooding

  • DorchesterIA · Jun 9, 2008 · 22.46 ft · Major
  • DecorahIA · Jun 9, 2008 · 17.90 ft · Major · its highest

August 24, 2016: 14.41 ft here, moderate flooding

  • DorchesterIA · Aug 25, 2016 · 24.30 ft · Major · its highest
  • DecorahIA · Aug 24, 2016 · 13.68 ft · Moderate

June 10, 2018: 14.11 ft here, moderate flooding

  • DorchesterIA · Jun 11, 2018 · 17.46 ft · Moderate

Gauges on the Upper Iowa River

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

Flood gauges on the Upper Iowa River
Bluffton this gaugeIA12.015.49 ft, Jun 9, 20081
DecorahIA12.017.90 ft, Jun 9, 20082
DorchesterIA14.024.30 ft, Aug 25, 20169

Other gauges in Winneshiek County

Flood gauges in Winneshiek County
Fort Atkinson (IFC)1,014.51,015.93 ft, Jun 29, 20170
Spillville9.020.25 ft, Aug 24, 201612
Cresco (IFC)1,128.51,135.43 ft, Aug 24, 20160
Decorah12.017.90 ft, Jun 9, 20082

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge BLFI4, 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.