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Iowa | Northeast Iowa
Maquoketa River
Dundee Access to Manchester Whitewater Park
Check current paddling conditions for this Maquoketa 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
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Checking trend.
Gauge source
--Checking timestampMN DNR provides the current paddling level here, but not chart-ready recent samples.
Weather
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Quick facts
Plan
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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
Launch at the Dundee access and paddle the Delaware County Maquoketa water trail to Manchester. This longer moving-water day uses the direct Manchester USGS gauge and includes riffles, wood, the Quaker Mill dam-remnant decision, and the whitewater-park finish.
Put-in
Dundee Access / Dundee Wildlife AreaOpen mapDundee is the clean upstream public access for this route. Do not substitute dam-adjacent Backbone launches unless separately scouting that shorter segment.
Take-out
Manchester Whitewater Park / Tirrill Park finishOpen mapDelaware County describes Lindsey Bridge and Tirrill Park as intermediate public accesses, making them practical bailout or shortened-trip options if level, weather, or time deteriorates.
Pulling access map tiles. Usually under 5 seconds.
Access caveats and watch for
Access caveats
- Dundee is the clean upstream public access for this route. Do not substitute dam-adjacent Backbone launches unless separately scouting that shorter segment.
- Delaware County describes Lindsey Bridge and Tirrill Park as intermediate public accesses, making them practical bailout or shortened-trip options if level, weather, or time deteriorates.
- The Quaker Mill dam has a breached/passable route at some levels, but local guidance still calls for scouting and a south-bank portage option when conditions or skill make the line inappropriate.
- The finish enters the Manchester whitewater-park corridor. Beginners should decide in advance whether to take out before features or run only the features that match their skill.
Watch for
- Riffles, shallow gravel, and possible dragging below about 120 cfs on the Manchester gauge.
- Pushy current, reduced eddies, and more consequential wood above about 1,500 cfs on the Manchester gauge.
- Downed trees, outside-bend strainers, bridge current, private banks, and cold shoulder-season water.
- Quaker Mill dam remnants and whitewater-park features near Manchester that require scouting rather than blind floating.
Route gallery
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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.
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Waiting on forecast.
Data behind the scoreGauge, thresholds, and timing
These are the live readings and threshold notes behind today's score.
| Gauge site | Maquoketa River at Manchester, 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 |
| Target band | 120 cfs to 1,500 cfs |
| Low threshold | 120 cfs |
| High threshold | 1,500 cfs |
| Data confidence behind the range | Local route guidance |
| Gauge observed | Checking |
| Paddle Today updated | Checking |
| Main source behind this score | CanWePaddle Maquoketa River Dundee-to-Manchester estimated range |
| 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.
- Official route reachDundee Access to Manchester Whitewater Park, 11.8 miles
Iowa DNR documents the Dundee Access to Manchester Whitewater Park reach as 11.8 miles and says riffles and downed trees make it most appropriate for at least intermediate paddlers.
- Local access sequenceDundee to Lindsey Bridge to Tirrill Park to whitewater park
Delaware County Tourism breaks the route into Dundee-to-Lindsey Bridge, Lindsey Bridge-to-Tirrill Park, and Tirrill Park-to-Manchester Whitewater Park segments and notes a Quaker Mill dam breach with possible watercraft passage or south-bank portage.
- Published range120 to 1,500 cfs
CanWePaddle publishes a route-specific estimated runnable range of 120 to 1,500 cfs for Dundee to Manchester using the Maquoketa River at Manchester gauge.
- Current gauge check463 cfs / 5.35 ft
USGS Water Services returned Maquoketa River at Manchester values of 463 cfs and 5.35 ft at 2026-07-22 19:15 CDT.
- Put-in supportDundee Access / Dundee Wildlife Area
Iowa DNR describes Dundee Access on the northwest edge of Dundee as the access for this reach, and Delaware County/MyCountyParks identifies Dundee Wildlife Area on the west edge of Dundee as public county conservation land.
- Finish supportManchester Whitewater Park
The City of Manchester says the whitewater park is open year-round, and Delaware County Tourism lists the park at 208 East Main Street with public parking nearby.
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
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Reports
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Quick answers
Maquoketa River paddling FAQ
What water level is good for paddling Maquoketa River?
Paddle Today watches Maquoketa River at Manchester, IA and treats 120 cfs to 1,500 cfs as the target band for this route, with weather and recent trend included in the final score.
Where does this Maquoketa River route start and end?
This route starts at Dundee Access / Dundee Wildlife Area and ends at Manchester Whitewater Park / Tirrill Park finish, about About 11.8 mi on the water.
Is this Maquoketa River route good for beginners?
This is listed as a moderate route. Expect more planning than an easy float, and use the live score, route notes, and source links before committing.
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