Walnut River at Arkansas City water level

Name: Walnut River at Arkansas City 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, Walnut River, Kansas, United States

Directions

Normal for mid-October

Water level

3.41ft Down 0.19 ft over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 20, 2026, 05:15 AM CDT (32 min ago)

History

7 days 30 days 1 year Years compared

20252026

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

What this means

The Walnut River at Arkansas City is at 3.41 ft, in the normal range for mid-October.

That puts it 0.44 ft above the median of 2.97 ft for mid-October, based on 24 years of readings. It is 14.59 ft below the flood stage of 18.00 ft. A year ago it stood at 3.70 ft (−0.29 ft).

It has dropped 0.19 ft over the past 24 hours. In the last month it has stayed between 2.54 ft and 7.38 ft.

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

Compared with 24 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Median for this date: 2.97 ft0.44 ft above the median for this date
Normal for this date: 2.07 ft – 7.31 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (24 years of records)
Same day last year: 3.70 ft−0.29 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days: 2.54 ft – 7.38 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months: 2.49 ft – 20.81 ft
Highest on record: 32.45 ftNovember 3, 1998

Floating and fishing near Walnut River at Arkansas City

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

Flood stage here is 18.00 ft, 14.59 ft above the current reading. Beyond it, the National Weather Service also defines moderate and major flood stages.

What happens at each level

40.00 ft: Water begins to overtop the levee system that protects the city on the east side from the Walnut River.
27.00 ft: Expect road closure on Highway 166 east of the by-pass to the Walnut River Bridge due to water over roadway east of the levee toward the bridge.
26.00 ft: Water begins to flow across the west bound lane of Highway 166 east of the levee.
24.00 ft: The last C Street Canal gate is closed at Highway 77 at Walnut River Levee.
23.00 ft: Two C street Canal gates are closed at the Highway 77 at Walnut River Levee.
20.00 ft: Considerable flooding of farmland is expected. Widespread flooding of the park just upstream of the gage site is anticipated. East Chestnut Avenue east of By-pass is closed due to water over roadway. Greens Farm Road floods between Highway 166 north to Dunbar Hill.
18.00 ft: Considerable flooding of farmland can be expected. There is considerable flooding upstream along the west bank of the Walnut River. On the east bank, the ground slopes upward so that only about a 300 foot wide strip of land would be affected.
14.00 ft: The city starts closing storm water flood gates which include the Mill Canal gates and pumps.
3.41 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: 23 %.

Rank	Level	Date
1	32.45 ft	November 3, 1998
2	29.22 ft	June 11, 1995
3	28.52 ft	May 9, 2019
4	28.43 ft	June 10, 1923
5	28.21 ft	April 24, 1944
6	26.60 ft	November 18, 1964
7	26.47 ft	May 19, 1951
8	26.12 ft	July 1, 2007
9	26.10 ft	May 11, 1993
10	26.10 ft	October 12, 1985

Weather at the gauge

No rain in the last 3 days.

20 Tue 72° 53° – Wind 11 mph

21 Wed 74° 54° – Wind 9 mph

22 Thu 79° 59° – Wind 14 mph

23 Fri 78° 59° – Wind 17 mph

24 Sat 78° 59° – Wind 15 mph

25 Sun 76° 63° – Wind 15 mph

26 Mon 63° 54° 0.04 in Wind 16 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:41 AM Sunset 06:46 PM Daylight 11 hr, 5 min First quarter 67%

Map

Other gauges on the Walnut River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Walnut River at WinfieldRiver gauge, Walnut River	1.04 ft	Low	−0.13 ft	12 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Arkansas River at Arkansas CityRiver gauge, Arkansas River	3.79 ft	Low	−0.17 ft	1.5 mi
Arkansas R on Highway 160 at OxfordRiver gauge, Arkansas R on Highway 160	7.76 ft	Below flood stage	−0.10 ft	17 mi
Chikaskia River near BlackwellRiver gauge, Chikaskia River	3.52 ft	Below flood stage	−0.28 ft	22 mi
Slate Creek at WellingtonRiver gauge, Slate Creek	4.50 ft	High	−0.08 ft	25 mi
Salt Fork Arkansas River at TonkawaRiver gauge, Salt Fork Arkansas River	2.79 ft	Below flood stage	−0.03 ft	31 mi
Arkansas River at MulvaneRiver gauge, Arkansas River	5.56 ft	Below flood stage	−0.07 ft	32 mi
Chikaskia River near CorbinRiver gauge, Chikaskia River	2.86 ft	High	−0.12 ft	32 mi
Ninnescah River near PeckRiver gauge, Ninnescah River	2.77 ft	Low	−0.08 ft	35 mi

Questions and answers

How does the Walnut River at Arkansas City compare with last year?

It is 0.29 ft lower than on the same day last year, when the reading was 3.70 ft.

What is flood stage for the Walnut River at Arkansas City?

The official flood stage is 18.00 ft. The level is currently 14.59 ft below it.

What is a normal level for the Walnut River at Arkansas City in mid-October?

The median for mid-October is 2.97 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 2.07 ft and 7.31 ft, based on 24 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 Walnut River at Arkansas City today?

On Oct 20, 2026, 05:15 AM CDT, the water level was 3.41 ft. Down 0.19 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Walnut River at Arkansas City rising or falling?

Down 0.19 ft over the last 24 hours. Up 0.42 ft over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Walnut River at Arkansas City normal?

Normal for mid-October. Compared with 24 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:07147900 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 37.05642, -97.02587 (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	3.41 ft	2026-10-20 10:15	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Walnut River at Arkansas City (usgs:07147900). Accessed October 20, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/kansas/walnut-river-at-arkansas-city

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