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Wapsipinicon River near Tripoli

Highest listed crest 18.51 ftFlood stage 15.0 ft30 crests since 1969

The Wapsipinicon River near Tripoli crested at major flood stage 5 times among the 30 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1969 to 2025. The highest, 18.51 ft on August 29, 2021, was major flooding, 3.51 feet above flood stage. 1 other gauge on the Wapsipinicon River crested above flood stage within a week of it.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
18.51 ft
August 29, 2021; 17,200 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
15.0 ft
Major flooding from 17.0 ft
Crests at major
5
49th of 203 gauges in Iowa
Most recent flood crest
August 20, 2025
15.74 ft, minor flooding
Location
Bremer County
Near Waverly (13.3 mi)

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, Wapsipinicon River near Tripoli
Action stage14.09May 23, 2024The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)15.06Aug 20, 2025Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage16.00—Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage17.05Aug 29, 2021Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

30 crests from 1969 to 2025. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Wapsipinicon River near Tripoli, 1969 to 2025 101214161820ft Flood stage 15.0 ftMajor 17.0 ft Jul 1, 1969: 17.26 ft, major flooding; 18,900 cubic feet per secondMar 12, 1997: 13.79 ft, below flood stage; 3,080 cubic feet per secondJun 29, 1998: 14.91 ft, action stage; 4,730 cubic feet per secondJul 21, 1999: 18.50 ft, major flooding; 19,400 cubic feet per secondJun 15, 2000: 14.43 ft, action stage; 4,450 cubic feet per secondApr 14, 2001: 14.21 ft, action stage; 4,230 cubic feet per secondJun 24, 2002: 11.62 ft, below flood stage; 1,120 cubic feet per secondMay 11, 2003: 12.51 ft, below flood stage; 1,660 cubic feet per secondMay 23, 2004: 15.97 ft, minor flooding; 9,680 cubic feet per secondFeb 17, 2005: 13.17 ft, below flood stage; 2,400 cubic feet per secondApr 19, 2006: 13.20 ft, below flood stage; 2,440 cubic feet per secondMar 24, 2007: 14.08 ft, action stageAug 25, 2007: 14.02 ft, action stage; 3,680 cubic feet per secondJun 9, 2008: 18.24 ft, major flooding; 18,300 cubic feet per secondApr 29, 2009: 12.65 ft, below flood stage; 2,300 cubic feet per secondMar 14, 2010: 15.44 ft, minor flooding; 7,380 cubic feet per secondMar 23, 2011: 13.48 ft, below flood stage; 3,180 cubic feet per secondMay 7, 2012: 11.99 ft, below flood stage; 1,260 cubic feet per secondJun 2, 2013: 14.33 ft, action stage; 4,050 cubic feet per secondJun 21, 2014: 14.70 ft, action stage; 5,790 cubic feet per secondJun 28, 2015: 12.88 ft, below flood stage; 2,320 cubic feet per secondSep 23, 2016: 17.22 ft, major flooding; 14,000 cubic feet per secondJul 23, 2017: 15.88 ft, minor flooding; 7,450 cubic feet per secondSep 6, 2018: 15.64 ft, minor flooding; 8,300 cubic feet per secondMar 16, 2019: 15.84 ft, minor flooding; 4,950 cubic feet per secondMar 21, 2020: 14.04 ft, action stage; 4,760 cubic feet per secondAug 29, 2021: 18.51 ft, major flooding; 17,200 cubic feet per secondNov 14, 2021: 12.39 ft, below flood stage; 1,460 cubic feet per secondMay 23, 2024: 14.58 ft, action stage; 4,470 cubic feet per secondAug 20, 2025: 15.74 ft, minor flooding; 7,210 cubic feet per second Highest, 18.51 ft, Aug 29, 2021 197019801990200020102020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Wapsipinicon River near Tripoli 1960s: 1 1970s: 0 1980s: 0 1990s: 1 2000s: 2 2010s: 5 5 2020s: 2 1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s2020s
  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, Wapsipinicon River near Tripoli
1Aug 29, 202118.51+3.51Major17,200
2Jul 21, 199918.50+3.50Major19,400
3Jun 9, 200818.24+3.24Major18,300
4Jul 1, 196917.26+2.26Major18,900
5Sep 23, 201617.22+2.22Major14,000
6May 23, 200415.97+0.97Minor9,680
7Jul 23, 201715.88+0.88Minor7,450
8Mar 16, 201915.84+0.84Minor4,950
9Aug 20, 202515.74+0.74Minor7,210
10Sep 6, 201815.64+0.64Minor8,300
11Mar 14, 201015.44+0.44Minor7,380
12Jun 29, 199814.91−0.09Action4,730
13Jun 21, 201414.70−0.30Action5,790
14May 23, 202414.58−0.42Action4,470
15Jun 15, 200014.43−0.57Action4,450
16Jun 2, 201314.33−0.67Action4,050
17Apr 14, 200114.21−0.79Action4,230
18Mar 24, 200714.08−0.92Action—
19Mar 21, 202014.04−0.96Action4,760
20Aug 25, 200714.02−0.98Action3,680
21Mar 12, 199713.79−1.21Below flood stage3,080
22Mar 23, 201113.48−1.52Below flood stage3,180
23Apr 19, 200613.20−1.80Below flood stage2,440
24Feb 17, 200513.17−1.83Below flood stage2,400
25Jun 28, 201512.88−2.12Below flood stage2,320
26Apr 29, 200912.65−2.35Below flood stage2,300
27May 11, 200312.51−2.49Below flood stage1,660
28Nov 14, 202112.39−2.61Below flood stage1,460
29May 7, 201211.99−3.01Below flood stage1,260
30Jun 24, 200211.62−3.38Below flood stage1,120

The worst floods along the Wapsipinicon River

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

August 29, 2021: 18.51 ft here, major flooding

July 21, 1999: 18.50 ft here, major flooding

June 9, 2008: 18.24 ft here, major flooding

  • Anamosa Shaw RdIA · Jun 13, 2008 · 26.18 ft · Major · its highest
  • IndependenceIA · Jun 11, 2008 · 18.86 ft · Major
  • DeWittIA · Jun 16, 2008 · 14.13 ft · Major

Gauges on the Wapsipinicon River

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

Flood gauges on the Wapsipinicon River
Tripoli this gaugeIA15.018.51 ft, Aug 29, 20215
IndependenceIA12.022.35 ft, May 18, 199919
Anamosa Shaw RdIA14.526.18 ft, Jun 13, 20087
DeWittIA11.014.32 ft, Jul 2, 201437

Other gauges in Bremer County

Flood gauges in Bremer County
Janesville13.019.45 ft, Jun 10, 20081
Waverly12.019.33 ft, Jun 10, 20081

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge TPLI4, 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.