Arkansas River at Syracuse water level

Name: Arkansas River at Syracuse 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, Arkansas River, Kansas, United States

Directions

High for mid-October

Water level

4.65ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 19, 2026, 03:15 PM MDT (37 min ago)

Flow: 107 cfs

History

7 days 30 days 1 year Years compared

20252026

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

What this means

High water at Arkansas River at Syracuse: the latest reading is 4.65 ft, above normal for mid-October.

That puts it 0.97 ft above the median of 3.68 ft for mid-October, based on 32 years of readings. It is 5.35 ft below the flood stage of 10.00 ft. A year ago it stood at 3.82 ft (+0.83 ft).

The level has held steady over the past 24 hours. The 30-day range is 3.14 ft – 7.04 ft.

That stands out in fall, when many rivers are usually near their lowest.

Compared with 32 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Median for this date: 3.68 ft0.97 ft above the median for this date
Normal for this date: 2.99 ft – 4.69 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (32 years of records)
Same day last year: 3.82 ft+0.83 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days: 3.14 ft – 7.04 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months: 3.13 ft – 7.04 ft
Highest on record: 21.80 ftJune 17, 1965

Paddling and fishing conditions

Above-normal flows push fish to the edges and make wading risky. Wait for the river to drop and clear.

For reference, flood stage is 10.00 ft.

What happens at each level

18.10 ft: At 18.1 feet, the water surface elevation will reach the lowest points of the Kansas K-27 highway bridge steel.
18.00 ft: Expect extremely severe flooding along the Arkansas River from Syracuse to Kendall. Flood depths of 8 feet or more will occur as the river moves well out onto the floodplain. The golf course and fairground at Syracuse will be inundated... 2 feet or so at the fairgrounds... 6 feet or so at the park. Flooding will extend into housing areas in southern parts of Syracuse and Kendall.
13.00 ft: Expect moderate flooding along the Arkansas River from Syracuse to Kendall. The river road running parallel south of the river will be inundated to depths of 2 feet in some places. Floodwaters will begin to encroach upon the fairgrounds and golf course at Syracuse.
10.00 ft: Expect minor flooding of 1 foot or so along the Arkansas River from Syracuse to Kendall.
4.65 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: < 5 %.

Rank	Level	Date
1	21.80 ft	June 17, 1965
2	15.63 ft	May 15, 1951
3	14.20 ft	June 5, 1949
4	13.46 ft	April 27, 1942
5	13.30 ft	May 31, 1964
6	12.19 ft	May 29, 1957
7	11.58 ft	May 31, 1936
8	11.04 ft	August 8, 1929
9	11.01 ft	August 9, 1936
10	10.90 ft	May 20, 1955

Weather at the gauge

No rain in the last 3 days.

19 Mon 67° 42° – Wind 10 mph

20 Tue 73° 47° – Wind 14 mph

21 Wed 79° 56° – Wind 11 mph

22 Thu 84° 61° – Wind 19 mph

23 Fri 74° 64° 0.03 in Wind 27 mph

24 Sat 77° 54° 0.24 in, 24% Wind 29 mph

25 Sun 58° 51° 0.09 in, 24% Wind 15 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:00 AM Sunset 06:05 PM Daylight 11 hr, 5 min First quarter 62%

Map

Other gauges on the Arkansas River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Arkansas River near AvondaleRiver gauge, Arkansas River	2.91 ft	Below flood stage	+0.06 ft	145 mi
Arkansas River at Las AnimasRiver gauge, Arkansas River	4.7 cfs	Very low	±0	80 mi
Arkansas River below John Martin ReservoirRiver gauge, Arkansas River	24.9 cfs	Low	−55.6 cfs	64 mi
Arkansas River at LamarRiver gauge, Arkansas River	5.74 ft	Below flood stage	+0.01 ft	48 mi
Arkansas River near GranadaRiver gauge, Arkansas River	76.7 cfs	Normal	−2.3 cfs	31 mi
Arkansas River at HollyRiver gauge, Arkansas River	97.0 cfs	Normal	−3.0 cfs	20 mi
Arkansas River near CoolidgeRiver gauge, Arkansas River	2.89 ft	Normal	−0.03 ft	15 mi
Arkansas River at KendallRiver gauge, Arkansas River	6.50 ft	Very high	−0.03 ft	12 mi
Arkansas River at DeerfieldRiver gauge, Arkansas River	5.95 ft	Normal	−0.01 ft	34 mi
Arkansas River at Garden CityRiver gauge, Arkansas River	5.17 ft	Normal	±0	48 mi
Arkansas River at Dodge CityRiver gauge, Arkansas River	6.74 ft	High	±0	95 mi
Arkansas River at AvondaleRiver gauge, Arkansas River	9.16 ft	No reference yet	−0.02 ft	142 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Frontier Ditch Return near CoolidgeCanal gauge, Frontier Ditch Return	0.0 cfs	Low	±0	11 mi
Frontier Ditch near CoolidgeCanal gauge, Frontier Ditch	8.47 ft	Very low	−0.92 ft	16 mi
Amazon Great Eastern Ditch near LakinCanal gauge, Amazon Great Eastern Ditch	4.52 ft	No reference yet	−0.04 ft	18 mi
Wild Horse Creek above HollyRiver gauge, Wild Horse Creek	0.0 cfs	Low	±0	22 mi
Southside Ditch Return near DeerfieldCanal gauge, Southside Ditch Return	0.0 cfs	Normal	±0	35 mi

Questions and answers

How does the Arkansas River at Syracuse compare with last year?

It is 0.83 ft higher than on the same day last year, when the reading was 3.82 ft.

What is flood stage for the Arkansas River at Syracuse?

The official flood stage is 10.00 ft. The level is currently 5.35 ft below it.

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

The median for mid-October is 3.68 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 2.99 ft and 4.69 ft, based on 32 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 Syracuse today?

On Oct 19, 2026, 03:15 PM MDT, the water level was 4.65 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Arkansas River at Syracuse rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours. Down 0.33 ft over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Arkansas River at Syracuse normal?

High for mid-October. Compared with 32 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:07138000 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 37.96613, -101.75685 (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	4.65 ft	2026-10-19 21:15	Provisional
Flow	107 cfs	2026-10-19 21:15	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Arkansas River at Syracuse (usgs:07138000). Accessed October 19, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/kansas/arkansas-river-at-syracuse

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