South Fork Iowa River NE of New Providence Water Level
Live river level, flow, historical records and forecast for South Fork Iowa River NE of New Providence in IA, United States, built from official government gauge data.
- Location IA, United States
- Watershed upper iowa 0207
- Primary gauge 05451210 (USGS)
About South Fork Iowa River NE of New Providence
Season by season
The South Fork Iowa River NE of New Providence is in the Upper Iowa watershed in Iowa.
The usual high water comes in June at 4.09 ft (1.25 m), and the usual low water comes in September at 2.38 ft (0.72 m). That typical annual swing is 20.6 in (52.2 cm), so docks, pumps, and shallow crossings here need to handle a modest but real seasonal change.
In this part of the Midwest, spring snowmelt and rain on frozen or saturated ground can build the first big rises, and summer storms can add short jumps later in the year. For anyone working from the bank, the season matters because the river can move from its June pattern toward the September low without much room to spare.
Records and rises
The record high is 12.83 ft (3.91 m) in July 2014.
The record low is 1.63 ft (0.5 m) in September 2023.
With 31 years on record, those two marks give a useful frame for what this gauge can do. A high-water watch here is less about a single number than about how quickly the level moves toward the upper end of its range. The fastest 24-hour rise is not available in the facts, so the safest reading is the seasonal pattern itself: June tends to run higher than September, and summer storms can change that quickly.
The station drains 224 sq mi (580 km2) upstream of the gauge, so the reading reflects that upstream area only, not the whole watershed name on the page.
Reading the hero number
The hero number is today’s reading compared with the median for this calendar day across the station record. That is more useful than raw elevation because it tells you whether the river is running normal for the date, even when the level itself looks ordinary at a glance.
This station is published by the U.S. Geological Survey, and the record gives more than 31 years of context. For boat ramps, intakes, and low crossings, the calendar-day median is the better quick check: it shows whether today is sitting above or below the usual seasonal track for this date.
How this page is built
Readings come from official government gauges and are rolled into daily records: the daily mean, high and low for every day on record. Each calendar day gets its own baseline from the full history, so the level you see is compared against what this specific date usually looks like rather than an annual average.
How Nibi Metrics works · Water stories
Nibi Metrics - live water levels, flow, and forecasts for lakes and rivers across Canada, the US and the UK
Real-time water levels, forecasts, and alerts for lakes and rivers across Canada, the US and the UK. Built on official government data.
Nibi Metrics tracks more than 13,000 gauged lakes and rivers across Canada, the United States and the United Kingdom, reading directly from official federal monitoring networks: the Water Survey of Canada, the United States Geological Survey, Quebec's provincial hydrometric network, and the Environment Agency for England. Every number on the platform is measured, not modelled - taken from a government gauge on the water itself and compared against that location's own historical record for this exact date.
What you can see for any monitored lake or river
The level right now, in feet or metres, updated as the source agency publishes new readings - for many stations that is every five to fifteen minutes. How today compares to typical: every location carries its own typical-for-this-date band built from its historical record, so a reading is never just a number - it is above, below, or near what this water usually does on this calendar day. Which way it is moving: a measured RISING, FALLING, or STEADY verdict computed from the gauge's own recent readings, with the rate of change - the difference between a flood ending and one beginning. What comes next: level forecasts up to 72 hours ahead, driven by the gauge's recent behaviour, upstream water, and quantitative precipitation forecasts, alongside live radar, lightning, and weather for the surrounding region.
Alerts that watch the water for you
Set a threshold on any location - a level, a distance above typical, or a rate of climb - and Nibi emails or notifies you the moment the gauge crosses it. Cottagers use it for spring freshet, anglers for river conditions, marinas and municipalities for operations. The scanning runs around the clock against the same measured data shown on every page.
Where Nibi comes from
Nibi means water in Anishinaabemowin. The platform began at a family cottage on Lake Muskoka, Ontario, where the spring melt floods the shoreline most years and the only forecast was standing on the dock, looking, and guessing. It grew into an independent, member-funded platform run by Muskoka Research Inc. - no investors, no data resale, and a privacy policy shorter than most cookie banners. The core data is free for everyone, forever; paid plans add automation like multi-location alerts, deep history, and reports.
Coverage
Nibi spans the continent: every Canadian province and territory with active federal gauges - from Vancouver Island rivers to the Muskoka lakes, prairie reservoirs, and Quebec's hydrometric network - and the United States from Maine to the Texas Hill Country, the Ohio Valley, and the Pacific Northwest. Coverage grows where the water news is: when a basin floods, its gauges join the platform with their full historical records attached. Many stations report every five to fifteen minutes; most report at least hourly; every page states exactly when its gauge last spoke.
Free forever, funded by members
The core promise is simple: the water data is free, for everyone, forever. Live levels, maps, radar, and recent history never sit behind a paywall. Paid plans fund the platform by adding automation - multi-location alerts, decades of history, longer forecasts, and PDF reports - so the people who need more carry the cost for everyone who just needs to check the lake before driving up. There are no investors and no advertising deals shaping what the data says.
Water Stories
Field notes and explainers from the Nibi desk - how to read a staff gauge, what a 100-year flood actually means, how snowpack becomes summer water.
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Inside the freshet cycle that puts Manitoba shorelines at risk each year - and why 2026 broke the script.
The science of snow water equivalent and why it drives the season ahead.
What the numbers on the measuring stick actually tell you.
Why Central and South Texas rivers go from gravel beds to fifty-year records in an afternoon - including July 2026 on the Nueces.
One percent, every year, forever - unwrapping hydrology's most misunderstood phrase, and how it differs from our own percentiles.
How every number is computed - About the platform
