Cowskin Creek at 119th St at Wichita water level

Name: Cowskin Creek at 119th St at Wichita 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, Cowskin Creek, Kansas, United States

Directions

Low for mid-October

Water level

6.68ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 20, 2026, 05:30 PM CDT (1 hour ago)

Flow: 1.9 cfs

History

7 days 30 days 1 year Years compared

20252026

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

What this means

At 6.68 ft, Cowskin Creek at 119th St at Wichita is below normal for mid-October.

That puts it 0.49 ft below the median of 7.17 ft for mid-October, based on 25 years of readings. It is 11.32 ft below the flood stage of 18.00 ft. A year ago it stood at 7.10 ft (−0.42 ft).

The level has held steady over the past 24 hours. Without real rain upstream, that is unlikely to change quickly. Over the past 30 days it has moved between 6.63 ft and 8.40 ft.

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

Compared with 25 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Median for this date: 7.17 ft0.49 ft below the median for this date
Normal for this date: 6.67 ft – 8.44 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (25 years of records)
Same day last year: 7.10 ft−0.42 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days: 6.63 ft – 8.40 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months: 6.57 ft – 18.86 ft
Highest on record: 22.00 ftOctober 31, 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 18.00 ft, still 11.32 ft away.

What happens at each level

24.00 ft: Major flooding of homes and businesses is likely along the path of the creek. This would especially be true to homes around 119th St to south of 13th St and then around Central mainly to the west of Maize Rd. Expect widespread road closures across northwest Wichita. Water from the Cowskin Creek may backup into Calfskin and Dry Creeks and cause additional flooding of residences along these creeks.
22.00 ft: Water levels will be encroacing on area residential structures and many roads will likely be closed across northwest Wichita. Water from Calfskin and Dry Creeks could backup into residential yards and some structures may be flooded at their lowest levels. Businesses west of Maize Road, to the north and south of Central, will likely take on water.
20.00 ft: Flood waters of about 2 feet in depth cover sections of Maize Road just to the south of Central. Flood waters flow over 13th Street in the low water spot about a half mile west of 119th Street. Expect road closures. The few houses on the north side of 21st Street, along the east bank of the creek may see flood waters encroach near their homes.
18.00 ft: Flood waters backup into residential yards southeast of river gage site along Lost Creek Circle and southeast of Central and Karren Streets. Flood waters begin to creep over 13th street in the low water spot about a half mile west of 119th Street. Expect typical flooding of low water crossings and low cropland areas as well as fields near the creek.
15.00 ft: Many sections along the creek will see minor bank overflows.
13.50 ft: Minor bank overflows occur further downstream near Kellogg Road area.
6.68 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: 12 %.

Rank	Level	Date
1	22.00 ft	October 31, 1998
2	20.77 ft	April 27, 2009
3	20.72 ft	September 13, 2008
4	20.13 ft	October 9, 2003
5	20.12 ft	June 18, 2025
6	20.04 ft	May 8, 2019
7	19.89 ft	June 26, 2026
8	19.88 ft	August 29, 2005
9	19.87 ft	September 9, 2009
10	19.84 ft	June 14, 2010

Weather at the gauge

No rain in the last 3 days.

20 Tue 74° 54° – Wind 10 mph

21 Wed 74° 54° – Wind 8 mph

22 Thu 78° 55° – Wind 12 mph

23 Fri 77° 62° – Wind 15 mph

24 Sat 78° 63° – Wind 13 mph

25 Sun 76° 64° – Wind 12 mph

26 Mon 65° 46° 0.61 in, 33% Wind 17 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:44 AM Sunset 06:47 PM Daylight 11 hr, 4 min Waxing gibbous 72%

Map

Other gauges on Cowskin Creek

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Cowskin Creek at 29th St North of WichitaRiver gauge, Cowskin Creek	11.12 ft	No reference yet	−0.01 ft	2.5 mi
Cowskin Creek at Kellogg St, WichitaRiver gauge, Cowskin Creek	2.8 cfs	Normal	−0.6 cfs	2.8 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Calfskin Creek at 119th St, WichitaRiver gauge, Calfskin Creek	0.1 cfs	Normal	−0.1 cfs	1.9 mi
Arkansas River near MaizeRiver gauge, Arkansas River	4.60 ft	Low	−0.01 ft	7 mi
Arkansas River at WichitaRiver gauge, Arkansas River	2.66 ft	Low	+0.10 ft	9 mi
Lake Arkansas River at Valley CenterRiver gauge, Lake Arkansas River	1.13 ft	Normal	−0.04 ft	10 mi
Lake Arkansas River near SedgwickRiver gauge, Lake Arkansas River	1.83 ft	Very low	−0.03 ft	13 mi
Arkansas River at DerbyRiver gauge, Arkansas River	0.76 ft	Very low	−0.02 ft	16 mi
Ninnescah River near PeckRiver gauge, Ninnescah River	2.72 ft	Low	−0.07 ft	17 mi
Cheney Re near CheneyLake, Cheney Re	1,420.17 ft	Normal	+0.01 ft	17 mi

Questions and answers

How does Cowskin Creek at 119th St at Wichita compare with last year?

It is 0.42 ft lower than on the same day last year, when the reading was 7.10 ft.

What is flood stage for Cowskin Creek at 119th St at Wichita?

The official flood stage is 18.00 ft. The level is currently 11.32 ft below it.

What is a normal level for Cowskin Creek at 119th St at Wichita in mid-October?

The median for mid-October is 7.17 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 6.67 ft and 8.44 ft, based on 25 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 Cowskin Creek at 119th St at Wichita today?

On Oct 20, 2026, 05:30 PM CDT, the water level was 6.68 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Cowskin Creek at 119th St at Wichita rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours. Down 0.14 ft over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Cowskin Creek at 119th St at Wichita normal?

Low for mid-October. Compared with 25 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:07144480 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 37.70169, -97.48061 (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	6.68 ft	2026-10-20 22:30	Provisional
Flow	1.9 cfs	2026-10-20 22:30	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Cowskin Creek at 119th St at Wichita (usgs:07144480). Accessed October 20, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/kansas/cowskin-creek-at-119th-st-at-wichita

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