Big Creek near Ellis water level

Name: Big Creek near Ellis 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, Big Creek, Kansas, United States

Directions

Normal for mid-October

Water level

1.17ft Up 0.04 ft over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 20, 2026, 10:15 AM CDT (23 min ago)

Flow: 1.6 cfs

History

7 days

Water level

What this means

Water levels are unremarkable at Big Creek near Ellis, where the gauge shows 1.17 ft.

It is on the way up, by 0.04 ft over the past 24 hours. The 30-day range is 1.10 ft – 1.21 ft.

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

Compared with 5 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Highest on record: 11.13 ftMay 29, 2018

Paddling and fishing conditions

Most paddlers and anglers will find the river in good shape at this stage.

Highest crests on record

Rank	Level	Date
1	11.13 ft	May 29, 2018
2	7.39 ft	August 25, 2019
3	6.39 ft	April 17, 2016
4	4.08 ft	August 16, 2021
5	2.98 ft	April 18, 2015

Weather at the gauge

No rain in the last 3 days.

19 Mon 71° 46° – Wind 16 mph

20 Tue 71° 51° – Wind 16 mph

21 Wed 72° 51° 0.02 in Wind 6 mph

22 Thu 83° 59° – Wind 15 mph

23 Fri 81° 64° – Wind 25 mph

24 Sat 69° 57° 0.15 in, 47% Wind 24 mph

25 Sun 61° 56° 0.25 in, 40% Wind 10 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:54 AM Sunset 06:54 PM Daylight 11 hr, 1 min Waxing gibbous 69%

Map

Other gauges on Big Creek

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Big Creek near HaysRiver gauge, Big Creek	4.66 ft	Normal	−0.02 ft	19 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Cedar Bluff Re near EllisLake, Cedar Bluff Re	2,118.67 ft	Very low	−0.01 ft	10 mi
Saline River near WakeeneyRiver gauge, Saline River	2.13 ft	Normal	+0.04 ft	17 mi
Smoky Hill River near ArnoldRiver gauge, Smoky Hill River	0.23 ft	Low	±0	22 mi
Smoky Hill River near SchoenchenRiver gauge, Smoky Hill River	3.07 ft	Normal	−0.02 ft	22 mi
Hackberry Creek near Trego CenterRiver gauge, Hackberry Creek	0.0 cfs	Normal	±0	23 mi
Smoky Hill River below SchoenchenRiver gauge, Smoky Hill River	2.85 ft	Very high	−0.03 ft	24 mi
Smoky Hill River at PfeiferRiver gauge, Smoky Hill River	9.2 cfs	Normal	−0.8 cfs	30 mi
Sf Solomon River above Webster ReRiver gauge, Sf Solomon River	1.82 ft	Normal	±0	32 mi

Questions and answers

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 Big Creek near Ellis today?

On Oct 20, 2026, 10:15 AM CDT, the water level was 1.17 ft. Up 0.04 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Big Creek near Ellis rising or falling?

Up 0.04 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of Big Creek near Ellis normal?

Normal for mid-October. Compared with 5 years of daily readings for this time of year.

What is the highest water level ever recorded at Big Creek near Ellis?

The highest level on record is 11.13 ft on May 29, 2018.

How often is this data updated?

The U.S. Geological Survey publishes a new reading every 15 minutes. This page refreshes within minutes of each update.

Where does this data come from?

The values come directly from the U.S. Geological Survey, the official operator of this gauge, and are in the public domain. We do not estimate or model live values.

For specialists

Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads

Operator: U.S. Geological Survey
Station code: usgs:06863420 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 38.92333, -99.65083 (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	1.17 ft	2026-10-20 15:15	Provisional
Flow	1.6 cfs	2026-10-20 15:15	Provisional

Download

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Big Creek near Ellis (usgs:06863420). Accessed October 20, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/kansas/big-creek-near-ellis

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