Cottonwood River near Plymouth water level

Name: Cottonwood River near Plymouth water level (U.S. Geological Survey)
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
License: https://www.usgs.gov/information-policies-and-instructions/copyrights-and-credits

River gauge, Cottonwood River, Kansas, United States

Directions

High for late October

Water level

4.09ft Down 0.10 ft over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 21, 2026, 05:00 AM CDT (26 min ago)

Flow: 363 cfs

History

7 days 30 days 1 year Years compared

20252026

Water level Normal range (10–90 %) Minor flood stage

What this means

High water at Cottonwood River near Plymouth: the latest reading is 4.09 ft, above normal for late October.

That puts it 1.46 ft above the median of 2.63 ft for late October, based on 38 years of readings. It is 27.91 ft below the flood stage of 32.00 ft. A year ago it stood at 4.25 ft (−0.16 ft).

It is still going down, by 0.10 ft over the past 24 hours. The 30-day range is 2.75 ft – 22.96 ft.

That stands out in fall, when many rivers are usually near their lowest.

Compared with 38 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Median for this date: 2.63 ft1.46 ft above the median for this date
Normal for this date: 1.37 ft – 5.06 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (38 years of records)
Same day last year: 4.25 ft−0.16 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days: 2.75 ft – 22.96 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months: 2.26 ft – 27.07 ft
Highest on record: 37.80 ftJuly 11, 1951

Paddling and fishing conditions

Above-normal flows push fish to the edges and make wading risky. Wait for the river to drop and clear.

For reference, flood stage is 32.00 ft.

What happens at each level

37.00 ft: Major flooding can be expected. Water levels may reach to 4 feet above the ground floors of structures 2.25 miles west of the gage site from Road A. At half a mile north of gage, water levels may reach as high as 1/2 the distance to the electric meters on utility poles.
34.00 ft: Road A becomes completely inundated near the river gage site, south of Hwy 50. Expect flooding of crops and fields.
33.00 ft: More sections along Road A floods especially at the low water crossings.
32.00 ft: Minor flooding occurs along both banks. Road A near the gage site becomes flooded especially south of the river.
4.09 ft: Right now

Impact statements from the U.S. National Weather Service.

Highest crests on record

Chance of at least minor flooding in October to December: 37 %.

Rank	Level	Date
1	37.80 ft	July 11, 1951
2	36.78 ft	November 2, 1998
3	35.70 ft	June 10, 1965
4	35.70 ft	June 5, 1965
5	35.45 ft	October 10, 1985
6	35.43 ft	June 9, 1965
7	35.00 ft	May 10, 1993
8	34.83 ft	June 6, 1965
9	34.72 ft	October 11, 1973
10	34.51 ft	May 9, 2019

Weather at the gauge

Rain in the last 3 days: 0.03 in. Rain that falls upstream can take hours or days to show up at a river gauge.

21 Wed 78° 53° – Wind 9 mph

22 Thu 78° 52° – Wind 11 mph

23 Fri 77° 59° – Wind 17 mph

24 Sat 77° 60° – Wind 15 mph

25 Sun 77° 60° – Wind 14 mph

26 Mon 64° 51° 0.32 in, 23% Wind 12 mph

27 Tue 53° 45° 0.06 in, 21% Wind 13 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:41 AM Sunset 06:41 PM Daylight 11 hr Waxing gibbous 76%

Map

Other gauges on the Cottonwood River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Cottonwood River at MarionRiver gauge, Cottonwood River	4.85 ft	No reference yet	−0.01 ft	37 mi
Cottonwood River near FlorenceRiver gauge, Cottonwood River	3.16 ft	Below flood stage	−0.01 ft	30 mi
Cottonwood River at Cottonwood FallsRiver gauge, Cottonwood River	255 cfs	Normal	−10.0 cfs	13 mi
Cottonwood River at EmporiaRiver gauge, Cottonwood River	3.11 ft	Below flood stage	−0.12 ft	9 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Neosho River near AmericusRiver gauge, Neosho River	4.67 ft	High	−0.04 ft	7 mi
Neosho River at Burlingame Road near EmporiaRiver gauge, Neosho River	390 cfs	Very high	−12.0 cfs	11 mi
Sf Cottonwood River near BazaarRiver gauge, Sf Cottonwood River	38.6 cfs	Normal	−2.9 cfs	11 mi
Neosho River at Neosho RapidsRiver gauge, Neosho River	6.78 ft	Below flood stage	−0.50 ft	19 mi
Neosho River at Council GroveRiver gauge, Neosho River	9.22 ft	Very high	±0	20 mi
Marais Des Cygnes River near ReadingRiver gauge, Marais Des Cygnes River	2.92 ft	Very high	−0.04 ft	24 mi
Cedar Creek near Cedar PointRiver gauge, Cedar Creek	3.88 ft	Low	−0.01 ft	29 mi
Neosho River near ParkervilleRiver gauge, Neosho River	2.7 cfs	Normal	±0	29 mi

Questions and answers

How does the Cottonwood River near Plymouth compare with last year?

It is 0.16 ft lower than on the same day last year, when the reading was 4.25 ft.

What is flood stage for the Cottonwood River near Plymouth?

The official flood stage is 32.00 ft. The level is currently 27.91 ft below it.

What is a normal level for the Cottonwood River near Plymouth in late October?

The median for late October is 2.63 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 1.37 ft and 5.06 ft, based on 38 years of records.

Is gage height the same as water depth?

No. Gage height is measured from a fixed reference point chosen by the agency, so a reading of 10 ft does not mean the river is 10 ft deep.

What is the water level of Cottonwood River near Plymouth today?

On Oct 21, 2026, 05:00 AM CDT, the water level was 4.09 ft. Down 0.10 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Cottonwood River near Plymouth rising or falling?

Down 0.10 ft over the last 24 hours. Down 6.56 ft over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Cottonwood River near Plymouth normal?

High for late October. Compared with 38 years of daily readings for this time of year.

For specialists

Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads

Operator: U.S. Geological Survey
Station code: usgs:07182250 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 38.39751, -96.35611 (WGS84)
Vertical datum: NAVD88
Update interval: every 15 minutes
Licence: Public domain. Data: U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), provisional data subject to revision

Published series

Parameter	Last value	Time (UTC)	Quality
Water level	4.09 ft	2026-10-21 10:00	Provisional
Flow	363 cfs	2026-10-21 10:00	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Cottonwood River near Plymouth (usgs:07182250). Accessed October 21, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/kansas/cottonwood-river-near-plymouth

How we check values

Each reading is stored as published. We hold back values that jump faster than physically plausible and show the measurement time with every value.

Readings are provisional, can be delayed or wrong and are not a flood warning. Read the disclaimer