Lake Arkansas River at Alta Mills water level

Name: Lake Arkansas River at Alta Mills 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, Lake Arkansas River, Kansas, United States

Directions

Very low for mid-October

Water level

-0.69ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 20, 2026, 02:15 PM CDT (47 min ago)

Flow: 3.1 cfs

History

7 days 30 days 1 year Years compared

20252026

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

What this means

Low water at Lake Arkansas River at Alta Mills: the gauge reads −0.69 ft, far below normal for mid-October.

The median for mid-October is 0.61 ft, based on 35 years of readings, so the river stage is 1.30 ft below typical. It is 22.69 ft below the flood stage of 22.00 ft. On the same day last year the reading was −0.04 ft, a difference of −0.65 ft.

It has barely moved over the past 24 hours. Without real rain upstream, that is unlikely to change quickly. The 30-day range is −1.12 ft – 9.24 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: 0.61 ft1.30 ft below the median for this date
Normal for this date: −0.56 ft – 4.43 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (35 years of records)
Same day last year: −0.04 ft−0.65 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days: −1.12 ft – 9.24 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months: −1.13 ft – 9.67 ft
Highest on record: 27.42 ftOctober 12, 1973

Paddling and fishing conditions

At low levels, plan for shorter paddling trips and expect to walk your boat through a few shoals.

For reference, flood stage is 22.00 ft.

What happens at each level

28.00 ft: The bridge at the river gage site on River Park Road will flood.
27.00 ft: A considerable portion of Highway 50 will be underwater south of the gage site mainly east of River Park Road.
25.00 ft: About a 500 ft wide overflow may be expected across Highway 50, located about 6 miles south of the gage site around River Park Road. Directly south of the gage expect the low lying area to be inundated for a few miles. North of the gage, overflow may be about half mile wide. Expect fields and cropland to be flooded.
23.00 ft: Just south of Alta Mills, River Park Road floods 0.2 miles north of the river gage around NW 60th St. There are several sections along a 2 mile span south of the gage site where River Park Road takes on water. Burrton West Park may be closed due to flood waters impacting the site along W Park Rd.
22.00 ft: Bank overflows will occur at a considerable distance upstream and then 2 miles downstream southeast of the gage site which is located at North River Park Road and Northwest 60th Street.
−0.69 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: 24 %.

Rank	Level	Date
1	27.42 ft	October 12, 1973
2	27.34 ft	October 31, 1979
3	27.30 ft	July 14, 1993
4	26.21 ft	September 28, 1973
5	26.11 ft	May 25, 2007
6	25.87 ft	November 2, 1998
7	25.81 ft	May 9, 2019
8	25.78 ft	March 25, 1987
9	25.63 ft	May 22, 2019
10	25.52 ft	October 11, 1985

Weather at the gauge

No rain in the last 3 days.

20 Tue 71° 51° – Wind 13 mph

21 Wed 73° 53° – Wind 10 mph

22 Thu 78° 54° – Wind 17 mph

23 Fri 77° 61° – Wind 20 mph

24 Sat 78° 61° – Wind 18 mph

25 Sun 74° 61° – Wind 16 mph

26 Mon 65° 42° 0.39 in, 20% Wind 19 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:44 AM Sunset 06:47 PM Daylight 11 hr, 3 min Waxing gibbous 71%

Map

Other gauges on the Lake Arkansas River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Lake Arkansas River at Highway 50 near HalsteadRiver gauge, Lake Arkansas River	5.67 ft	Normal	+0.01 ft	6 mi
Lake Arkansas River near SedgwickRiver gauge, Lake Arkansas River	1.84 ft	Very low	−0.04 ft	18 mi
Lake Arkansas River at Valley CenterRiver gauge, Lake Arkansas River	1.14 ft	Normal	−0.03 ft	22 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Emma Creek at SedgwickRiver gauge, Emma Creek	−1.93 ft	Below flood stage	−0.04 ft	12 mi
Arkansas River near HutchinsonRiver gauge, Arkansas River	1.97 ft	Low	−0.10 ft	15 mi
Cow Creek near HutchinsonRiver gauge, Cow Creek	1.49 ft	Normal	−0.01 ft	23 mi
Arkansas River near MaizeRiver gauge, Arkansas River	4.59 ft	Low	−0.01 ft	25 mi
Arkansas River near NickersonRiver gauge, Arkansas River	8.96 ft	Normal	−0.01 ft	28 mi
Nf Ninnescah River above Cheney ReRiver gauge, Nf Ninnescah River	5.89 ft	Normal	−0.03 ft	29 mi
Cheney Re near CheneyLake, Cheney Re	1,420.16 ft	Normal	−0.01 ft	29 mi

Questions and answers

Is the Lake Arkansas River at Alta Mills higher than last year?

No, it is 0.65 ft lower than on the same day last year, when the reading was −0.04 ft.

What is flood stage for the Lake Arkansas River at Alta Mills?

The official flood stage is 22.00 ft. The level is currently 22.69 ft below it.

What is a normal level for the Lake Arkansas River at Alta Mills in mid-October?

The median for mid-October is 0.61 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between −0.56 ft and 4.43 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 Lake Arkansas River at Alta Mills today?

On Oct 20, 2026, 02:15 PM CDT, the water level was −0.69 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Lake Arkansas River at Alta Mills rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours. Down 0.16 ft over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Lake Arkansas River at Alta Mills normal?

Very 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:07143665 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 38.11223, -97.59199 (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	−0.69 ft	2026-10-20 19:15	Provisional
Flow	3.1 cfs	2026-10-20 19:15	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Lake Arkansas River at Alta Mills (usgs:07143665). Accessed October 20, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/kansas/lake-arkansas-river-at-alta-mills

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