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Iowa | Eastern Iowa
Iowa RiverTailwater East below Coralville Dam to Sturgis Ferry Park
Short Iowa City-area connector from the Corps Tailwater East ramp below Coralville Dam to Sturgis Ferry Park, using the direct Iowa City gauge and explicit dam-tailwater caveats.
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Route location
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Route overview
Trip details
Access rules, camping and seasonal notes.
Permits, camping and season
Access and shuttle
Launch at the public Corps ramp below Coralville Dam and take out at Sturgis Ferry Park before the longer Johnson County water-trail segment. Keep this framed as a below-dam connector with release checks and a firm downstream take-out.
Access map
Put-in
Tailwater East public concrete boat rampDo not launch above the dam or paddle upstream toward the dam tailwater. Use only the public ramp below the dam.
Take-out
Sturgis Ferry Park boat rampUSACE confirms the Tailwater East public boat ramp below the dam, and its GIS publishes the concrete ramp point. Follow onsite signs and current closures; the GIS point is a ramp anchor, not a surveyed wet toe.
Road shuttle
Stage at Sturgis Ferry Park in Iowa City, then follow Tailwater East Campground signs to the public Iowa River ramp below Coralville Dam. Check current Corps closures, fees, and dam releases before unloading.
Additional access notes
- Sturgis Ferry is a city park boat-ramp take-out; orient inside the park because the saved point is an access-area anchor.
More route and safety guidance
- Coralville Dam releases can change the current, temperature, and debris load quickly. Check current USGS data, USACE status, and weather before committing.
- Take out at Sturgis Ferry before continuing into the Johnson County water-trail route unless the group has planned the longer downstream day.
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Conditions
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Recent trend
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Gauge source
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Weather
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Tomorrow and the weekend
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Station details and river cameras
Station observations
USGS measurements
Measurement notes and coverage
These are observations at the station. Water depth and current can differ along your trip.
River camera · USGS
View at the gauge
Iowa River at Iowa City, IA. This view may be outside your paddling reach. Images are periodic and do not establish safe conditions.
Photos and recent reports
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Paddler reports
Recent notes from paddlers
A few quick notes from people who were on this route recently.
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Sources and methodology
Review source dates and published guidance below. We have not inspected this trip in person.
Why this scoreData reliability: checking
This rating reflects whether the gauge measures this part of the river, whether published water-level guidance is available, and how recently the data was updated.
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Data behind the scoreWater levels, published guidance and update times
These readings and published water-level limits help explain today’s score.
| Gauge site | Iowa River at Iowa City, 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 |
| Preferred range | 300 cfs to 6,000 cfs |
| Low threshold | 300 cfs |
| High threshold | 6,000 cfs |
| Evidence strength behind the range | Local route guidance |
| Gauge observed | Checking |
| Paddle Today updated | Checking |
| Main source behind this score | CanWePaddle Iowa River Coralville Dam to Iowa City estimated range |
| Gauge source | Checking |
| Weather source | Checking |
| Rainfall source | Checking |
NotesPublished evidence and verification notes
These notes cover the access details, route quirks, and source caveats most likely to matter once you get there.
- Threshold range300-6,000 cfs
CanWePaddle ties the Coralville Dam-to-Iowa City reach to USGS 05454500 and estimates 300 to 6,000 cfs as the runnable range.
- Gauge check during route review · 2026-07-232,260 cfs / 11.83 ft at 2026-07-23 04:00 CDT
This reading was saved when we checked the guide. It is not today’s water level. Check the current gauge and local conditions before paddling.
- Public put-inTailwater East public one-lane concrete boat ramp below Coralville Dam
USACE's public recreation GIS identifies the ramp point at 41.720904434727316,-91.52874403208878. USACE confirms the campground ramp accesses the Iowa River below the dam. This is the mapped ramp anchor, not a surveyed wet toe; follow onsite signs and current closure notices.
- CampingTailwater East campground
Recreation.gov describes 28 campsites at Tailwater East plus restrooms, showers, fish-cleaning station, and a ramp for accessing the Iowa River.
Verify it yourselfCheck the source links
Use these links to double-check the gauge, route details, and access notes before you head out.
Other routes nearby
More on Iowa River
All 4Nearby routes within 75 miles
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