USGS Streamgage 06483500
Rock River near Rock Valley, IA
Rock River near Rock Valley, IA is USGS streamgage 06483500 in Iowa, monitoring river discharge in hydrologic subbasin 10170204. It sits on the Rock River, alongside 1 other gauge Rivermatics tracks on the same river. It drains a watershed of about 1,592 square miles. Discharge records at this site go back to 1897. Typical flow runs near 301.9 cfs in July and 577.5 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
- 1,592 sq mi
- Gauge elevation
- 1,229 ft
- Subbasin (HUC-8)
- 10170204
- Coordinates
- 43.21508, -96.29503
- USGS site number
- 06483500
- Records begin
- 1897-01-01 (129 years)
- Rivermatics forecast
- 14-day flow outlook
14-day flow forecast
Based on observations through for Rock River near Rock Valley, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 496 | 622 | 801 | ||
| 333 | 464 | 678 | ||
| 244 | 361 | 568 | ||
| 196 | 302 | 523 | ||
| 163 | 270 | 533 | ||
| 157 | 269 | 600 | ||
| 190 | 557 | 2,350 | ||
| 299 | 1,325 | 5,510 | ||
| 357 | 1,382 | 4,888 | ||
| 342 | 1,149 | 3,612 | ||
| 309 | 954 | 2,831 | ||
| 261 | 814 | 2,448 | ||
| 247 | 728 | 2,109 | ||
| 226 | 635 | 1,818 |
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 78 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 | 7.3 | 52.3 | 420.6 | |
| February | 8 | 92.3 | 705.4 | |
| March | 50.4 | 406.5 | 2,897.1 | |
| April | 127.9 | 577.5 | 3,570 | |
| May | 98.5 | 495.5 | 2,213.5 | |
| June | 78.2 | 542.1 | 2,981 | |
| July | 42.3 | 301.9 | 1,560.8 | |
| August | 28.4 | 145.9 | 789.2 | |
| September | 21.5 | 103.1 | 815.2 | |
| October | 23.3 | 109.3 | 1,124.4 | |
| November | 28.5 | 123.3 | 878.5 | |
| December | 16.1 | 86.5 | 647.5 |
All values in cubic feet per second (cfs).
Common questions
- When does Rock River near Rock Valley, IA normally run highest?
- April, on the long-term record. The median daily flow that month is about 577.5 cfs, against 52.3 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 Rock River near Rock Valley, IA?
- It depends on the month. In January, half of days historically fall near 52.3 cfs, with the middle 80% of days between 7.3 and 420.6 cfs. The month-by-month table on this page gives the full range.
- How long has Rock River near Rock Valley, IA been measured?
- Discharge records at USGS site 06483500 begin in 1897, about 129 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 Rock River near Rock Valley, 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 Rock River near Rock Valley, IA?
- The gauge sits at 43.21508, -96.29503, in Iowa, in hydrologic subbasin 10170204, at an elevation of about 1,229 feet, draining roughly 1,592 square miles.
- Can I use Rock River near Rock Valley, 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 Rock River
Every gauge Rivermatics tracks on this river, ordered by drainage area — upstream first. See the Rock River in full.
- Rock River below Tom Creek at Rock Rapids, IA 853 sq mi
- Rock River near Rock Valley, IA this page