Manchester White Water Park

08/29/2026

With water levels below 180 cubic feet per second it should be a great time to visit the park. Tubers and swimmers should easily find the ramps through the center of the features. The white water enthusiast will find it pretty tame but you can always work in your skills! Water temps are cool, it sounds like it will warm up a bit from Sunday on to offset the cooling water.

As always, wear your properly fitted USCG approved pfd, a helmet and water shoes as a suggested bare minimum for your safety. Have fun if you go, take only pictures and leave only footprints! Photo for attention.

08/22/2026

Water levels in the low 200’s means it’s a great weekend to enjoy the river. Last weekend before school starts up too so the water will be getting cold soon as well. Enjoy if you go and as always, wear your properly fitted and USCG approved pfd, helmet and water shoes at a minimum for best results. Photo for attention!

08/14/2026

Water levels are currently at 670 cfs. This puts it well over our suggested max for best results tubing of 350. It’s on a gentle rise from there and additional rainfall will put it well above what those other than whitewater paddlers might enjoy experiencing safely. Find some other activities to occupy these last days before we cycle into school starting back up. Stay safe with whatever activity you choose. Always wear your proper PPE!

A big reason why there's a Flood Watch in effect for many of us, and our concern over flash flooding potential, is that it just has rained a lot in the past five days. These are radar estimates, so not exactly perfect, but they suggest everyone has received at least an inch of rain, with swaths of much higher totals. Any additional rainfall, especially in the range of 2 inches in a few hours, could cause flash flooding. More: https://www.kcrg.com/2026/08/13/first-alert-flash-flood-severe-storm-threats-tonight/ -Corey

08/08/2026

***UPDATE Saturday, 8 AM! We did experience a second bump and current levels are at 473 cfs. This is from farther up the watershed. Possibly Coffins Creek or perhaps from the branch up near Backbone State Park. We will continue to monitor levels - stay tuned - we would NOT recommend tubing given the current levels - kayak only at your own true skill levels! ***

Current water levels are 343, just below the 350 cfs threshold. We would suggest that it will be proper levels for tubing for those who can readily maneuver them. For the rest, it may be somewhat challenging until it drops a bit more. Levels also could raise a bit more yet, check it before you go. What you are looking for is the water to pass between the rock features in the slots and not over the rocks… that could make for a rough ride on a tube. As always, we suggest a properly fitting helmet, water shoes and a USCG approved and properly fitted pfd in good condition as a minimum for the best results. Stay safe and have fun! Photo for attention from the past few weeks.

08/04/2026

More swiftwater rescue training for IDNR Conservation Officers from around Iowa. Instructor Glenn Harman.

08/01/2026

Well, since we jumped from under 200 cfs to over 2000 - it shouldn’t have to be mentioned, but the river is not really suitable for anything other than watching from shore. Stay safe and find something else to do for the meanwhile… photo from the last week or so.

07/24/2026

Water levels look great for the weekend! They are currently at 299 cfs. As always, July water temps are soothing. We suggest wearing a properly fitted, USCG approved pfd, water shoes and a helmet for the best results! Photo for attention.

07/19/2026

Water levels are at 250 cfs which means it should be a fun level for paddling or tubing. As always, for best results: wear a USCG approved, properly fitted and adjusted pfd, a helmet and water shoes at a bare minimum. Have fun, stay safe and remember to use the buddy system.

07/11/2026

Current flow is at 432 cfs. This makes maneuvering a tube very challenging. Particularly when one hopes to “steer” the tube down the slots rather than over the the rock wall features. The river is dropping but will remain challenging all weekend.

As always, wear your properly sized and fitted, Coast Guard approved pfd, a helmet, and sturdy water shoes for better results.

03/14/2026

Get ready for the adventures!

Get ready to make some waves! 🌊​

We are officially counting down the days until Canoecopia next week, and we want to see YOU there!

​Whether you’re a seasoned paddler or just looking for your next weekend escape, stop by our booth to hang out with the teams from:

​✨ Charles City Whitewater
✨ Gateway River Park
✨ Manchester White Water Park

​We’re excited to chat about everything our river parks have to offer, from adrenaline-pumping rapids to relaxing community vibes and all the hidden gems in between.

​Where are you traveling from for the show? Let us know in the comments! 👇

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Travel Iowa | Iowa Travel Industry Partners