Around here
Around Cedar River
Public land: USGS PAD-US
About this river
Cedar River is a 62.0 mile river. Streamflow is measured at the USGS gauge Cedar River at Waterloo, IA (site 05464000). The National Hydrography Dataset places it at stream order 7. Reach geometry comes from the USGS National Hydrography Dataset.
Typical flow by month
1941 to 2026
Cedar River typically runs highest in April, at a median 4,765 cfs, and lowest in January, at 988 cfs. The highest flow on record for any single day is 104,000 cfs, in 2008.
Show the numbers
| Month | Typical (cfs) | Usual range (cfs) |
|---|---|---|
| January | 988 | 620 to 1,710 |
| February | 991 | 680 to 1,820 |
| March | 3,900 | 2,090 to 8,090 |
| April | 4,765 | 2,625 to 8,725 |
| May | 4,160 | 2,380 to 7,510 |
| June | 4,370 | 2,255 to 8,480 |
| July | 3,060 | 1,780 to 5,690 |
| August | 1,740 | 1,000 to 2,890 |
| September | 1,405 | 938 to 2,560 |
| October | 1,490 | 810 to 2,790 |
| November | 1,645 | 940 to 2,630 |
| December | 1,240 | 716 to 2,040 |
Typical is the median of each month’s daily median values, and the usual range runs from the median 25th to the median 75th percentile, across about 86 years of record. Statistics published by the US Geological Survey for Cedar River at Waterloo, IA (site 05464000). Conditions on any given day can fall well outside the usual range. Check the current reading before you go.
Boat access nearby
8 mapped launches sit in the mapped area of Cedar River, all of them public access. Ramp data comes from the USGS national boat-ramp inventory.
- Chain LakesWest Fork Cedar RiverPublic
- Pleasant Creek State Recreational Area - SouthwestPleasant Creek - Pleasant Creek LakePublic
- Pleasant Creek State Recreational Area - SoutheastPleasant Creek - Pleasant Creek LakePublic
- Pleasant Creek State Recreational Area - NorthwestPleasant Creek - Pleasant Creek LakePublic
- Pleasant Creek State Recreational Area - NortheastPleasant Creek - Pleasant Creek LakePublic
- North Cedar Natural AreaWest Fork Cedar RiverPublic
- Benton City - FryWest Fork Cedar RiverPublic
- Hoefle - DulinWest Fork Cedar RiverPublic
Made to print
Put Cedar River on your wall
This river section as an art print, drawn over the real terrain with its miles, plus the trails, roads and peaks around it. Pick the colors and the size, and see the finished print before you buy. From $39, shipping included.
Embed this gauge on your site
Paste this snippet anywhere, an outfitter page, a club site, a trip report, to show Cedar River's live streamflow, water level and 7-day trend. It reads the USGS gauge directly, updates itself, and links back here.
See every free widget you can put on your site, including live conditions and a 7 day forecast.
