USGS Streamgage 06809500
East Nishnabotna River at Red Oak, IA
East Nishnabotna River at Red Oak, IA is USGS streamgage 06809500 in Iowa, monitoring river discharge in hydrologic subbasin 10240003. It sits on the East Nishnabotna River, alongside 1 other gauge Rivermatics tracks on the same river. It drains a watershed of about 894 square miles. Discharge records at this site go back to 1917. Typical flow runs near 339.6 cfs in July and 350.4 cfs in April, with the higher of the two arriving in April. Rivermatics issues a daily machine-learned flow outlook for this gauge, reaching 14 days ahead.
View live conditions & forecast →
Gauge details
- State
- Iowa
- Drainage area
- 894 sq mi
- Gauge elevation
- 1,037 ft
- Subbasin (HUC-8)
- 10240003
- Coordinates
- 41.00903, -95.24136
- USGS site number
- 06809500
- Records begin
- 1917-06-07 (109 years)
- Rivermatics forecast
- 14-day flow outlook
14-day flow forecast
Based on observations through for East Nishnabotna River at Red Oak, IA. Each day carries a median estimate and the band the model expects the flow to fall within — not a single number to plan against. Forecasts are re-issued daily; see the live screen for the current outlook.
| Date | Low p10 | Expected p50 | High p90 | Range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1,126 | 1,842 | 3,167 | ||
| 574 | 938 | 1,727 | ||
| 438 | 684 | 1,261 | ||
| 363 | 558 | 1,077 | ||
| 339 | 648 | 1,825 | ||
| 508 | 1,750 | 6,248 | ||
| 767 | 2,513 | 7,744 | ||
| 684 | 1,944 | 5,459 | ||
| 661 | 1,538 | 3,630 | ||
| 552 | 1,158 | 2,535 | ||
| 442 | 851 | 1,834 | ||
| 376 | 693 | 1,525 | ||
| 341 | 605 | 1,330 | ||
| 311 | 515 | 1,044 |
All values in cubic feet per second (cfs). Estimates only — do not use them for navigation or for any safety, rescue, or emergency decision.
Typical flow by month
Long-term daily discharge percentiles from the USGS record (up to 108 years of data), averaged within each month. These describe the historical normal range — they are not a forecast and not today's reading.
| Month | Low p10 | Typical p50 | High p90 | Range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 27.2 | 105.6 | 463.3 | |
| February | 48.9 | 178 | 841.7 | |
| March | 80.4 | 326.5 | 1,482.6 | |
| April | 79.9 | 350.4 | 1,420.3 | |
| May | 71.5 | 488.4 | 2,020 | |
| June | 83.7 | 530 | 2,448.7 | |
| July | 63.6 | 339.6 | 1,242.2 | |
| August | 53.2 | 198.7 | 757.2 | |
| September | 41.4 | 155.7 | 826.6 | |
| October | 40.3 | 138.9 | 732 | |
| November | 47.5 | 143.3 | 575.2 | |
| December | 35.9 | 109 | 493.3 |
All values in cubic feet per second (cfs).
Common questions
- When does East Nishnabotna River at Red Oak, IA normally run highest?
- June, on the long-term record. The median daily flow that month is about 530 cfs, against 105.6 cfs in January, the lowest month. These are historical normals for the date, not a forecast and not today's reading.
- What is a normal flow for East Nishnabotna River at Red Oak, IA?
- It depends on the month. In January, half of days historically fall near 105.6 cfs, with the middle 80% of days between 27.2 and 463.3 cfs. The month-by-month table on this page gives the full range.
- How long has East Nishnabotna River at Red Oak, IA been measured?
- Discharge records at USGS site 06809500 begin in 1917, about 109 years, covering roughly 9,200 days of published daily values. The long record is what makes the monthly percentiles on this page meaningful.
- Is there a flow forecast for East Nishnabotna River at Red Oak, IA?
- Yes. Rivermatics trains a machine-learned model — a temporal-fusion transformer — on this basin's observed flows, weather, and snowpack, and issues a daily flow outlook reaching 14 days ahead: a median estimate inside a confidence band, not a single number to bet on. Every forecast is scored against days the model never trained on, and that track record is published on the live gauge screen. Open live conditions to see the current outlook.
- Where is East Nishnabotna River at Red Oak, IA?
- The gauge sits at 41.00903, -95.24136, in Iowa, in hydrologic subbasin 10240003, at an elevation of about 1,037 feet, draining roughly 894 square miles.
- Can I use East Nishnabotna River at Red Oak, IA data for flood or safety decisions?
- No. Rivermatics provides estimates, not guarantees, and the readings and forecasts here may be delayed, inaccurate, or wrong. Do not use them for navigation or for any safety, rescue, or emergency decision. Check the National Weather Service and USGS directly, and use your own judgment.
Upstream and downstream on the East Nishnabotna River
Every gauge Rivermatics tracks on this river, ordered by drainage area — upstream first. See the East Nishnabotna River in full.
- East Nishnabotna River near Atlantic, IA 436 sq mi
- East Nishnabotna River at Red Oak, IA this page