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Iowa | Cedar Valley
Cedar River
Kohlmann Park below-dam relaunch to Brookwood Park
Check current paddling conditions for this Cedar River route, including water level, recent gauge trend, weather, and route details.
Route snapshot
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Today
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Start with the verdict, current conditions, route plan, and quick facts before you commit to the drive.
Today's conditions
Gauge
Recent trend
Checking preferred range.
Checking trend.
Gauge source
--Checking timestampMN DNR provides the current paddling level here, but not chart-ready recent samples.
Weather
Best window today
Checking weather.
Today by hour
Short-route forecast
Checking the next several hours.
Quick facts
Plan
Dial in the shuttle, distance, and access.
Use this section once the route looks viable and you need to turn it into an actual trip plan.
Access plan
Access, shuttle, and map
Relaunch below the Waverly dam after the Kohlmann portage and paddle the short downtown connector to Brookwood Park. This card keeps the dam run out of scope and uses Brookwood as the first normal downstream take-out.
Put-in
Kohlmann Park below-dam relaunch corridorOpen mapDo not run the Waverly dam. This route begins only after a completed portage and below-dam relaunch.
Take-out
Brookwood Park non-motorized boat rampOpen mapBrookwood Park has a City of Waverly non-motorized boat ramp and paved parking; use the signed park access rather than informal banks.
Pulling access map tiles. Usually under 5 seconds.
Access caveats and watch for
Access caveats
- Do not run the Waverly dam. This route begins only after a completed portage and below-dam relaunch.
- Brookwood Park has a City of Waverly non-motorized boat ramp and paved parking; use the signed park access rather than informal banks.
- Because the route is short, missed take-out or high-water errors compound quickly into the longer Brookwood-to-Janesville route.
Watch for
- Dam hydraulics and turbulent current near the below-dam relaunch corridor.
- Urban debris, bridge current, strainers, and cold water.
- Brookwood take-out timing before unintentionally continuing downstream.
Route gallery
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Photos help show what the access looks like and what the route actually feels like on the water.
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Sources
Check the data behind today's call.
Use this section when the page shows stale data, limited confidence, or a call you want to verify before driving.
Why this scoreToday's data confidence is checking
Data confidence mostly comes down to three things: how direct the gauge is, how clear the range is, and how fresh the data is.
- Checking data confidence notes.
- Checking data confidence cautions.
OutlookTomorrow and weekend
This is a cautious early look. If the data is too thin, we leave it out.
Waiting on forecast.
Waiting on forecast.
Data behind the scoreGauge, thresholds, and timing
These are the live readings and threshold notes behind today's score.
| Gauge site | Cedar River at Waverly, IA |
| Discharge | Checking |
| Gauge height | Checking |
| 24h trend | Checking |
| 24h change | Checking |
| Current band | Checking |
| Rain last 24h | Checking |
| Rain last 72h | Checking |
| Air temp | Checking |
| Water temp | Checking |
| Wind | Checking |
| Gusts | Checking |
| Rain timing | Checking |
| Ideal range | Needs paddler reports |
| Known low-water floor | 200 cfs |
| High threshold | Not calibrated yet |
| Data confidence behind the range | Official and local sources |
| Gauge observed | Checking |
| Paddle Today updated | Checking |
| Main source behind this score | Cedar River Paddling Trips Waverly gauge guidance |
| Gauge source | Checking |
| Weather source | Checking |
| Rainfall source | Checking |
NotesWhat to know before you go
These notes cover the access details, route quirks, and source caveats most likely to matter once you get there.
- Route shape1.1 miles
The Cedar River Paddling Trips guide lists Kohlmann Park as 1.1 miles upstream of Brookwood Park.
- Brookwood public accessNon-motorized boat ramp and paved parking
The City of Waverly describes Brookwood Park as a large Cedar River park with a non-motorized boat ramp and paved parking.
- Current gauge check2,400 cfs / 5.08 ft at 2026-07-23 12:15 CDT
USGS Water Services returned current Cedar River at Waverly discharge and stage during this run.
Verify it yourselfCheck the source links
Use these links to double-check the gauge, route details, and access notes before you head out.
Paddler reports
Recent notes from paddlers
A few quick notes from people who were on this route recently.
Reports
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See what others have shared, then add a condition report, upload photos, or flag anything that needs fixing.
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Quick answers
Cedar River paddling FAQ
What water level is good for paddling Cedar River?
Paddle Today watches Cedar River at Waverly, IA and uses 200 cfs as the conservative low-water floor for this route. The ideal range still needs more paddler reports.
Where does this Cedar River route start and end?
This route starts at Kohlmann Park below-dam relaunch corridor and ends at Brookwood Park non-motorized boat ramp, about 1.1 mi on the water.
Is this Cedar River route good for beginners?
This is listed as an easy route, but conditions still matter. Check today's score, water level, weather, and access notes before you go.
Flag a change
See something outdated?
Access, hazards, wood, and shuttle details change. Send a quick correction if something looks off.