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Arkansas River at Derby water level

River gauge, Arkansas River, Kansas, United States

Directions

Very low for mid-October

Water level

0.78ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Flow
240 cfs
0 5 10 15 Highest onrecord 16.60 ft Minor floodstage 12.00 ft

History

1234ftOct 13Oct 14Oct 16Oct 18Oct 191234ftOct 13Oct 16Oct 19
24ftSep 20Sep 27Oct 4Oct 12Oct 1924ftSep 20Oct 4Oct 19
-0510ftOct 2025Jan 2026Apr 2026Jul 2026Oct 2026Minor flood stage-0510ftOct 2025Apr 2026Oct 2026Minor flood stage
-0510ftJanMarMayJulSepNov2026-0510ftJanAprJulOct2026

20252026

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

What this means

At 0.78 ft, the Arkansas River at Derby is far below normal for mid-October.

The median for mid-October is 1.92 ft, based on 33 years of readings, so the river stage is 1.14 ft below typical. It is 11.22 ft below the flood stage of 12.00 ft. On the same day last year the reading was 1.44 ft, a difference of −0.66 ft.

It has barely moved over the past 24 hours. Without real rain upstream, that is unlikely to change quickly. Over the past 30 days it has moved between 0.47 ft and 2.81 ft.

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

Compared with 33 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Median for this date
1.92 ft1.14 ft below the median for this date
Normal for this date
0.84 ft – 2.92 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (33 years of records)
Same day last year
1.44 ft−0.66 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days
0.47 ft – 2.81 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months
0.43 ft – 9.04 ft
Highest on record
16.60 ftNovember 2, 1998

What the stage means on the water

Low water means more dragging on shallow riffles and slower floats. Fish crowd into the deeper runs, and warm, low water stresses them, so play and release them quickly.

The National Weather Service puts flood stage for this gauge at 12.00 ft, still 11.22 ft away.

What happens at each level

23.50 ft
Top of levee system.
17.50 ft
Flood waters spread more over the east bank along with vast flooding of agricultural fields.
16.20 ft
Widespread flooding of low-lying areas and agricultural areas will result. Residents south of Tucker Lane may see flood waters impacting homes.
15.50 ft
Tucker Lane on the downstream west bank of the river will be covered with 1 foot of water. Homes south of Tucker Lane begin to experience minor basement flooding. More agricultural fields will be flooded.
15.00 ft
Flooding of agricultural areas will occur. Flood waters begin to flow across Washington Street on the west side of the river bridge and over Tucker Lane on the downstream right bank of river.
12.00 ft
The river will be out of its main channel and expand to a width near 600 feet wide. Expect flooding of low lying areas around the river. The Derby Park facility on the downstream east bank of the Market St bridge is inundated.
11.60 ft
The river starts to overflow its banks.
0.78 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: 11 %.

RankLevelDate
116.60 ftNovember 2, 1998
216.19 ftJuly 15, 1993
316.08 ftMay 9, 1993
415.87 ftNovember 1, 1979
515.53 ftMay 25, 2019
615.51 ftOctober 1, 1973
715.51 ftMarch 31, 1973
815.47 ftApril 21, 1974
915.43 ftOctober 14, 1973
1015.30 ftOctober 10, 1985

Weather at the gauge

No rain in the last 3 days.

19 Mon 68° 48° – Wind 13 mph
20 Tue 69° 50° – Wind 11 mph
21 Wed 76° 55° 0.02 in Wind 14 mph
22 Thu 80° 59° – Wind 14 mph
23 Fri 79° 60° – Wind 17 mph
24 Sat 77° 63° – Wind 16 mph
25 Sun 73° 62° 0.01 in Wind 9 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:42 AM Sunset 06:48 PM Daylight 11 hr, 6 min First quarter 62%

Map

Other gauges on the Arkansas River

Gauge Level Compared with normal 24 hours Distance
Arkansas River near LarnedRiver gauge, Arkansas River 3.97 ft Normal −0.02 ft 105 mi
Arkansas River at Great BendRiver gauge, Arkansas River 0.65 ft Low −0.01 ft 98 mi
Arkansas River near NickersonRiver gauge, Arkansas River 8.97 ft Normal −0.01 ft 62 mi
Arkansas River near HutchinsonRiver gauge, Arkansas River 2.07 ft Low ±0 39 mi
Arkansas River near MaizeRiver gauge, Arkansas River 4.58 ft Low −0.02 ft 18 mi
Arkansas River at WichitaRiver gauge, Arkansas River 2.59 ft Low −0.14 ft 8 mi
Arkansas River at MulvaneRiver gauge, Arkansas River 5.58 ft Below flood stage −0.02 ft 4.8 mi
Arkansas River at Arkansas CityRiver gauge, Arkansas River 3.87 ft Low −0.27 ft 37 mi
Arkansas River at RalstonRiver gauge, Arkansas River 4.44 ft Below flood stage −0.58 ft 78 mi
Arkansas River at SH 344 near TulsaRiver gauge, Arkansas River 6.96 ft No reference yet −0.15 ft 118 mi
Arkansas River at TulsaRiver gauge, Arkansas River 3.08 ft Below flood stage −0.32 ft 120 mi
Arkansas River near HaskellRiver gauge, Arkansas River 2.66 ft Below flood stage −0.33 ft 150 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge Level Compared with normal 24 hours Distance
Ninnescah River near PeckRiver gauge, Ninnescah River 2.81 ft Low −0.10 ft 10 mi
Cowskin Creek at Kellogg St, WichitaRiver gauge, Cowskin Creek 3.4 cfs Normal −0.8 cfs 13 mi
Calfskin Creek at 119th St, WichitaRiver gauge, Calfskin Creek 0.2 cfs Normal −0.2 cfs 14 mi
Cowskin Creek at 119th St at WichitaRiver gauge, Cowskin Creek 6.71 ft Low −0.12 ft 16 mi
Whitewater River at AugustaRiver gauge, Whitewater River 3.63 ft Low −0.10 ft 18 mi
Arkansas R on Highway 160 at OxfordRiver gauge, Arkansas R on Highway 160 7.83 ft Below flood stage −0.15 ft 20 mi
Lake Arkansas River at Valley CenterRiver gauge, Lake Arkansas River 1.18 ft Normal −0.05 ft 21 mi

Questions and answers

Is the Arkansas River at Derby higher than last year?

No, it is 0.66 ft lower than on the same day last year, when the reading was 1.44 ft.

What is flood stage for the Arkansas River at Derby?

The official flood stage is 12.00 ft. The level is currently 11.22 ft below it.

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

The median for mid-October is 1.92 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 0.84 ft and 2.92 ft, based on 33 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 Arkansas River at Derby today?

On Oct 19, 2026, 03:00 PM CDT, the water level was 0.78 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Arkansas River at Derby rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours. Steady over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Arkansas River at Derby normal?

Very low for mid-October. Compared with 33 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:07144550 (Agency page)
Coordinates
37.54431, -97.27557 (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 0.78 ft 2026-10-19 20:00 Provisional
Flow 240 cfs 2026-10-19 20:00 Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Arkansas River at Derby (usgs:07144550). Accessed October 19, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/kansas/arkansas-river-at-derby

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