Cottonwood River near Florence water level

Name: Cottonwood River near Florence 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, Cottonwood River, Kansas, United States

Directions

Below flood stage

Water level

3.14ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 20, 2026, 01:15 PM CDT (1 hour ago)

Flow: 91.7 cfs

History

7 days

Water level Minor flood stage

What this means

The Cottonwood River near Florence is at 3.14 ft, in the normal range.

It is 18.86 ft below the flood stage of 22.00 ft.

The level has held steady over the past 24 hours. In the last month it has stayed between 3.14 ft and 3.41 ft.

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

Judged against the official flood stage for this gauge. How to read levels

Key numbers

Highest on record: 28.81 ftNovember 2, 1998

Floating and fishing near Cottonwood River near Florence

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

Flood stage here is 22.00 ft, 18.86 ft above the current reading. Beyond it, the National Weather Service also defines moderate and major flood stages.

What happens at each level

48.00 ft: The southern section of the levee system around the city of Florence may become breeched. If levee is overtopped, flood waters may rise up to four feet deep across most of the city streets of Florence. Expect dozens of homes to be flooded. The levee runs around the city of Florence from the northeast end, east, and along the south.
32.00 ft: Water levels can reach nearly 10 inches above ground floors of houses less than 1 mile north of gage site that is 2.5 miles east of Florence.
27.00 ft: Flooding is sufficiently extensive to reach driveways of property within 1.0 mile of the gage site. Expect extensive cropland and field flooding.
24.00 ft: Outside the levee system in southeast Florence, flood waters flow across Park Ave Road and reach the foundation of a residential home. Northwest of Florence, the bridge on 140th Road and 1/2 mile west of Highway 77 floods.
22.00 ft: Minor flooding of the left bank and roads along the north bank will begin.
3.14 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: 33 %.

Rank	Level	Date
1	28.81 ft	November 2, 1998
2	28.03 ft	June 17, 1975
3	27.85 ft	May 9, 1993
4	27.57 ft	June 10, 1965
5	27.21 ft	July 31, 2013
6	27.21 ft	July 5, 2019
7	27.16 ft	June 14, 2010
8	26.95 ft	May 8, 2019
9	26.92 ft	October 10, 1985
10	26.90 ft	October 11, 1985

Weather at the gauge

No rain in the last 3 days.

19 Mon 71° 46° – Wind 16 mph

20 Tue 69° 51° – Wind 13 mph

21 Wed 73° 54° – Wind 9 mph

22 Thu 77° 59° – Wind 15 mph

23 Fri 77° 60° – Wind 18 mph

24 Sat 74° 60° 0.02 in Wind 18 mph

25 Sun 65° 61° 0.05 in Wind 6 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:42 AM Sunset 06:44 PM Daylight 11 hr, 2 min Waxing gibbous 71%

Map

Other gauges on the Cottonwood River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Cottonwood River at MarionRiver gauge, Cottonwood River	4.86 ft	No reference yet	±0	11 mi
Cottonwood River at Cottonwood FallsRiver gauge, Cottonwood River	262 cfs	High	−12.0 cfs	18 mi
Cottonwood River near PlymouthRiver gauge, Cottonwood River	4.15 ft	High	−0.15 ft	30 mi
Cottonwood River at EmporiaRiver gauge, Cottonwood River	3.18 ft	Below flood stage	−0.16 ft	39 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Cedar Creek near Cedar PointRiver gauge, Cedar Creek	3.87 ft	Low	−0.02 ft	4.0 mi
North Cottonwood River below Marion LakeRiver gauge, North Cottonwood River	4.95 ft	Normal	−0.01 ft	14 mi
Sf Cottonwood River near BazaarRiver gauge, Sf Cottonwood River	40.1 cfs	Normal	−2.9 cfs	20 mi
Nf Cottonwood River near DurhamRiver gauge, Nf Cottonwood River	6.4 cfs	High	±0	28 mi
Wb Walnut River near El DoradoRiver gauge, Wb Walnut River	5.60 ft	Below flood stage	−0.04 ft	28 mi
Whitewater River at TowandaRiver gauge, Whitewater River	1.68 ft	Normal	−0.04 ft	31 mi
Emma Creek at SedgwickRiver gauge, Emma Creek	−1.93 ft	Below flood stage	−0.04 ft	35 mi
Neosho River at Council GroveRiver gauge, Neosho River	9.22 ft	Very high	±0	36 mi

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for the Cottonwood River near Florence?

The official flood stage is 22.00 ft. The level is currently 18.86 ft below it.

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 Cottonwood River near Florence today?

On Oct 20, 2026, 01:15 PM CDT, the water level was 3.14 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Cottonwood River near Florence rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of Cottonwood River near Florence normal?

Below flood stage. Judged against the official flood stage for this gauge.

What is the highest water level ever recorded at Cottonwood River near Florence?

The highest level on record is 28.81 ft on November 2, 1998.

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.

For specialists

Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads

Operator: U.S. Geological Survey
Station code: usgs:07180400 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 38.23613, -96.87724 (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	3.14 ft	2026-10-20 18:15	Provisional
Flow	91.7 cfs	2026-10-20 18:15	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Cottonwood River near Florence (usgs:07180400). Accessed October 20, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/kansas/cottonwood-river-near-florence

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