Raccoon River Boat House operated by CanoeSport Outfitters
North River near West Des Moines, IA
Around here
Around North River
Data Source: Recreation.gov · Public land: USGS PAD-US
About this river
North River is a 62.1 mile river near Raccoon River Boat House operated by CanoeSport Outfitters in Iowa. Streamflow is measured at the USGS gauge North River near Norwalk, IA (site 05486000). The National Hydrography Dataset places it at stream order 5. Reach geometry comes from the USGS National Hydrography Dataset.
Typical flow by month
1941 to 2026
North River typically runs highest in May, at a median 223 cfs, and lowest in September, at 13 cfs. The highest flow on record for any single day is 21,600 cfs, in 1947.
Show the numbers
| Month | Typical (cfs) | Usual range (cfs) |
|---|---|---|
| January | 26 | 7.0 to 78 |
| February | 40 | 16 to 120 |
| March | 153 | 52 to 369 |
| April | 159 | 54 to 338 |
| May | 223 | 76 to 452 |
| June | 162 | 61 to 375 |
| July | 58 | 24 to 179 |
| August | 21 | 7.6 to 66 |
| September | 13 | 3.5 to 66 |
| October | 17 | 3.4 to 70 |
| November | 28 | 7.9 to 120 |
| December | 24 | 6.2 to 85 |
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 85 years of record. Statistics published by the US Geological Survey for North River near Norwalk, IA (site 05486000). Conditions on any given day can fall well outside the usual range. Check the current reading before you go.
Boat access nearby
2 mapped launches sit in the mapped area of North River, all of them public access. Ramp data comes from the USGS national boat-ramp inventory.
- Badger Creek Recreation AreaBadger Creek EastPublic
- Badger Creek Recreation AreaBadger Creek WestPublic
Made to print
Put North 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 North 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.
