Elk River at Elk Falls water level

Name: Elk River at Elk Falls 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, Elk River, Kansas, United States

Directions

Low for mid-October

Water level

2.07ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 19, 2026, 03:00 PM CDT (1 hour ago)

Flow: 1.0 cfs

History

7 days 30 days 1 year Years compared

20252026

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

What this means

The Elk River at Elk Falls is running below normal at 2.07 ft.

That puts it 0.55 ft below the median of 2.62 ft for mid-October, based on 35 years of readings. It is 18.93 ft below the flood stage of 21.00 ft. A year ago it stood at 2.98 ft (−0.91 ft).

The level has held steady over the past 24 hours. Without real rain upstream, that is unlikely to change quickly. In the last month it has stayed between 1.98 ft and 2.28 ft.

Fall is often low-water season on rivers, and it usually takes a few days of steady rain to change that.

Compared with 35 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Median for this date: 2.62 ft0.55 ft below the median for this date
Normal for this date: 1.97 ft – 3.50 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (35 years of records)
Same day last year: 2.98 ft−0.91 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days: 1.98 ft – 2.28 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months: 1.98 ft – 9.44 ft
Highest on record: 34.85 ftJuly 3, 1976

Floating and fishing near Elk River at Elk Falls

Low water exposes gravel bars that make good wading access, but some boat ramps may be left high and dry.

Flood stage here is 21.00 ft, 18.93 ft above the current reading. Beyond it, the National Weather Service also defines moderate and major flood stages.

Highest crests on record

Rank	Level	Date
1	34.85 ft	July 3, 1976
2	28.02 ft	June 30, 2007
3	27.48 ft	April 18, 1970
4	24.21 ft	June 22, 1977
5	24.05 ft	November 3, 1974
6	23.31 ft	October 3, 1986
7	21.48 ft	June 1, 1969
8	21.08 ft	May 21, 2019
9	21.07 ft	June 19, 2019
10	21.04 ft	April 28, 1994

Weather at the gauge

No rain in the last 3 days.

19 Mon 68° 42° – Wind 13 mph

20 Tue 72° 48° – Wind 12 mph

21 Wed 75° 54° 0.07 in Wind 11 mph

22 Thu 78° 58° – Wind 11 mph

23 Fri 79° 59° – Wind 16 mph

24 Sat 77° 59° – Wind 15 mph

25 Sun 75° 62° – Wind 9 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:37 AM Sunset 06:44 PM Daylight 11 hr, 7 min First quarter 62%

Map

Other gauges on the Elk River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Elk River near Elk CityRiver gauge, Elk River	12.60 ft	No reference yet	±0	17 mi
Elk River below Elk City LakeRiver gauge, Elk River	4.8 cfs	Low	−2.5 cfs	25 mi
Elk River at MO-59, NoelRiver gauge, Elk River	5.31 ft	No reference yet	−0.01 ft	109 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Fall River at FredoniaRiver gauge, Fall River	3.00 ft	Normal	−0.03 ft	21 mi
Otter Creek at ClimaxRiver gauge, Otter Creek	1.17 ft	Low	−0.03 ft	23 mi
Caney River near ElginRiver gauge, Caney River	1.51 ft	Normal	−0.03 ft	27 mi
Verdigris River at IndependenceRiver gauge, Verdigris River	1.56 ft	Low	−0.08 ft	30 mi
Verdigris River near AltoonaRiver gauge, Verdigris River	3.41 ft	Normal	±0	30 mi
Verdigris River at CoffeyvilleRiver gauge, Verdigris River	2.87 ft	Normal	−0.11 ft	41 mi
Wb Walnut River near El DoradoRiver gauge, Wb Walnut River	5.63 ft	Below flood stage	−0.05 ft	48 mi
Verdigris River near LenapahRiver gauge, Verdigris River	3.97 ft	Below flood stage	−0.19 ft	49 mi

Questions and answers

How does the Elk River at Elk Falls compare with last year?

It is 0.91 ft lower than on the same day last year, when the reading was 2.98 ft.

What is flood stage for the Elk River at Elk Falls?

The official flood stage is 21.00 ft. The level is currently 18.93 ft below it.

What is a normal level for the Elk River at Elk Falls in mid-October?

The median for mid-October is 2.62 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 1.97 ft and 3.50 ft, based on 35 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 Elk River at Elk Falls today?

On Oct 19, 2026, 03:00 PM CDT, the water level was 2.07 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Elk River at Elk Falls rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours. Up 0.07 ft over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Elk River at Elk Falls normal?

Low for mid-October. Compared with 35 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:07169800 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 37.37560, -96.18555 (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	2.07 ft	2026-10-19 20:00	Provisional
Flow	1.0 cfs	2026-10-19 20:00	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Elk River at Elk Falls (usgs:07169800). Accessed October 19, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/kansas/elk-river-at-elk-falls

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