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Kansas River at Manhattan water level

River gauge, Kansas River, Kansas, United States

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Right now

Normal for mid-October

Water level

7.55ft Down 0.09 ft over the last 24 hours

0 13 25 38 Highest onrecord 40.00 ft Minor floodstage 18.00 ft

History

History
51015ftOct 13Oct 14Oct 16Oct 18Oct 19Minor flood stage51015ftOct 13Oct 16Oct 19Minor flood stage
51015ftSep 20Sep 27Oct 4Oct 12Oct 19Minor flood stage51015ftSep 20Oct 4Oct 19Minor flood stage
-0200400600ftOct 2025Jan 2026Apr 2026Jul 2026Oct 2026Minor flood stage-0200400600ftOct 2025Apr 2026Oct 2026Minor flood stage
-0200400600ftJanMarMayJulSepNov2026-0200400600ftJanAprJulOct2026

20252026

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

What this means

The Kansas River at Manhattan is at 7.55 ft, in the normal range for mid-October.

That puts it 2.24 ft above the median of 5.31 ft for mid-October, based on 29 years of readings. It is 10.45 ft below the flood stage of 18.00 ft. A year ago it stood at 5.28 ft (+2.27 ft).

It has dropped 0.09 ft over the past 24 hours. In the last month it has stayed between 5.32 ft and 14.28 ft.

Fall is often low-water season on rivers, until steadier rain returns.

Compared with 29 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Median for this date
5.31 ft2.24 ft above the median for this date
Normal for this date
4.22 ft – 10.51 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (29 years of records)
Same day last year
5.28 ft+2.27 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days
5.32 ft – 14.28 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months
4.80 ft – 15.87 ft
Highest on record
40.00 ftJune 1, 1844

Floating and fishing near Kansas River at Manhattan

Normal flows mean predictable rapids and good access at most put-ins.

Flood stage here is 18.00 ft, 10.45 ft above the current reading. Beyond it, the National Weather Service also defines moderate and major flood stages.

What happens at each level

36.00 ft
Flood waters reach the top of levee protecting the city of Manhattan.
28.00 ft
Flood waters reach the top of the levee on the south bank of the river.
26.00 ft
Hunter's Island begins to flood.
18.00 ft
Low lands along the river flood.
7.55 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: 8 %.

RankLevelDate
140.00 ftJune 1, 1844
233.39 ftJuly 13, 1951
329.92 ftJuly 25, 1993
429.84 ftJuly 15, 1951
526.76 ftJune 29, 1951
625.22 ftJune 24, 1951
723.04 ftJune 9, 1951
823.00 ftJuly 20, 1950
922.68 ftJuly 20, 1948
1022.40 ftJune 28, 1947

Weather at the gauge

Rain in the last 3 days: 0.26 in. Rain that falls upstream can take hours or days to show up at a river gauge.

18 Sun 64° 37° – Wind 14 mph
19 Mon 68° 43° – Wind 11 mph
20 Tue 73° 50° – Wind 14 mph
21 Wed 76° 56° – Wind 15 mph
22 Thu 80° 59° – Wind 12 mph
23 Fri 78° 64° – Wind 19 mph
24 Sat 70° 57° 0.64 in Wind 17 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:41 AM Sunset 06:43 PM Daylight 11 hr, 3 min First quarter 62%

Map

Other gauges on the Kansas River

Gauge Level Compared with normal 24 hours Distance
Kansas River at Fort RileyRiver gauge, Kansas River 5.81 ft Normal −0.27 ft 14 mi
Kansas River at WamegoRiver gauge, Kansas River 9.24 ft Very high −0.07 ft 13 mi
Kansas River near BelvueRiver gauge, Kansas River 15.58 ft Very high −0.09 ft 22 mi
Kansas River above Topeka Weir at TopekaRiver gauge, Kansas River 14,400 cfs High −200.0 cfs 45 mi
Kansas River at TopekaRiver gauge, Kansas River 12.10 ft Very high −0.10 ft 49 mi
Kansas River at LecomptonRiver gauge, Kansas River 7.76 ft Very high −0.28 ft 63 mi
Kansas River at LawrenceRiver gauge, Kansas River 13.64 ft Normal +18.89 ft 72 mi
Kansas River at DesotoRiver gauge, Kansas River 9.74 ft Very high −0.09 ft 86 mi
Kansas River near Lake QuiviraRiver gauge, Kansas River 12.43 ft Below flood stage −0.04 ft 95 mi
Kansas River at Kansas CityRiver gauge, Kansas River 15.39 ft Normal ±0 104 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge Level Compared with normal 24 hours Distance
Wildcat Creek at Seth Childs Road, ManhattanRiver gauge, Wildcat Creek 2.75 ft Normal −0.01 ft 3.1 mi
Big Blue River near ManhattanRiver gauge, Big Blue River 11.29 ft Very high −0.12 ft 4.4 mi
Wildcat Creek at Scenic Drive, ManhattanRiver gauge, Wildcat Creek 3.03 ft Below flood stage +0.01 ft 4.8 mi
Kings Creek near ManhattanRiver gauge, Kings Creek 3.0 cfs Very high −0.2 cfs 5.5 mi
Tuttle C Lake near ManhattanLake, Tuttle C Lake 1,084.98 ft Very high −1.09 ft 6.1 mi
Wildcat Creek at KeatsRiver gauge, Wildcat Creek 8.21 ft High +0.01 ft 9 mi
Republican River at Junction CityRiver gauge, Republican River 236 cfs Normal −570.0 cfs 17 mi
Milford Lake near Junction CityLake, Milford Lake 1,145.78 ft Very high −0.01 ft 20 mi

Questions and answers

How does the Kansas River at Manhattan compare with last year?

It is 2.27 ft higher than on the same day last year, when the reading was 5.28 ft.

What is flood stage for the Kansas River at Manhattan?

The official flood stage is 18.00 ft. The level is currently 10.45 ft below it.

What is a normal level for the Kansas River at Manhattan in mid-October?

The median for mid-October is 5.31 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 4.22 ft and 10.51 ft, based on 29 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 Kansas River at Manhattan today?

On Oct 19, 2026, 02:45 PM CDT, the water level was 7.55 ft. Down 0.09 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Kansas River at Manhattan rising or falling?

Down 0.09 ft over the last 24 hours. Down 1.26 ft over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Kansas River at Manhattan normal?

Normal for mid-October. Compared with 29 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:06879820 (Agency page)
Coordinates
39.17472, -96.55472 (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

ParameterLast valueTime (UTC)Quality
Water level 7.55 ft 2026-10-19 19:45 Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Kansas River at Manhattan (usgs:06879820). Accessed October 19, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/kansas/kansas-river-at-manhattan

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.