Kansas River near Lake Quivira water level

Name: Kansas River near Lake Quivira 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, Kansas River, Kansas, United States

Directions

Below flood stage

Water level

12.30ft Down 0.14 ft over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 20, 2026, 03:45 PM CDT (1 hour ago)

Flow: 14,000 cfs
Water temperature: 63 °F

History

7 days

Water level Forecast Minor flood stage

The forecast expects the river to fall to 11.60 ft by Sunday, October 25 at 07:00 AM. Issued Tuesday, October 20 at 09:21 AM by NOAA National Weather Service.

What this means

Water levels are unremarkable at Kansas River near Lake Quivira, where the gauge shows 12.30 ft.

It is 13.70 ft below the flood stage of 26.00 ft.

It is still going down, by 0.14 ft over the past 24 hours. The forecast expects the river to fall to 11.60 ft by Sunday, October 25 at 07:00 AM. The 30-day range is 12.30 ft – 12.65 ft.

The sensor also reports a water temperature of 63 °F.

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

Key numbers

Highest on record: 28.14 ftMay 28, 2016
Forecast peak: 12.30 ftTuesday, October 20 at 01:00 PM

Paddling and fishing conditions

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

For reference, flood stage is 26.00 ft.

What happens at each level

38.00 ft: Kaw Drive begins to flood between 57th and 61st. In addition, flooding affects a trailer park roughly six miles downstream of the gage.
33.00 ft: Flooding affects a concrete buisness downstream of Turner Bridge.
30.00 ft: Flooding approaches a car lot approximately a mile downstream of the gage.
27.00 ft: A gravel operation downstream of the gage begins to flood.
26.00 ft: Low-lying areas near the river begin to flood.
12.30 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: 8 %.

Rank	Level	Date
1	28.14 ft	May 28, 2016
2	27.95 ft	June 24, 2019

Weather at the gauge

No rain in the last 3 days.

20 Tue 70° 45° – Wind 7 mph

21 Wed 73° 52° – Wind 6 mph

22 Thu 76° 53° – Wind 8 mph

23 Fri 78° 57° – Wind 13 mph

24 Sat 78° 59° – Wind 13 mph

25 Sun 77° 61° – Wind 9 mph

26 Mon 64° 43° 0.32 in Wind 14 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:34 AM Sunset 06:35 PM Daylight 11 hr Waxing gibbous 71%

Map

Other gauges on the Kansas River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Kansas River at Fort RileyRiver gauge, Kansas River	5.51 ft	Normal	−0.23 ft	106 mi
Kansas River at ManhattanRiver gauge, Kansas River	7.27 ft	Normal	−0.31 ft	95 mi
Kansas River at WamegoRiver gauge, Kansas River	9.08 ft	Very high	−0.16 ft	82 mi
Kansas River near BelvueRiver gauge, Kansas River	15.45 ft	Very high	−0.13 ft	74 mi
Kansas River above Topeka Weir at TopekaRiver gauge, Kansas River	14,000 cfs	High	−300.0 cfs	50 mi
Kansas River at TopekaRiver gauge, Kansas River	11.98 ft	Very high	−0.10 ft	46 mi
Kansas River at LecomptonRiver gauge, Kansas River	7.66 ft	Very high	−0.03 ft	32 mi
Kansas River at LawrenceRiver gauge, Kansas River	13.30 ft	Very low	−0.25 ft	24 mi
Kansas River at DesotoRiver gauge, Kansas River	9.48 ft	Very high	−0.27 ft	10 mi
Kansas River at Kansas CityRiver gauge, Kansas River	14.88 ft	Normal	−0.48 ft	10 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Mill Creek at Johnson Drive, ShawneeRiver gauge, Mill Creek	19.8 cfs	Normal	−2.3 cfs	1.9 mi
Cedar Creek near DesotoRiver gauge, Cedar Creek	14.0 cfs	Normal	−2.4 cfs	9 mi
Cedar Creek at 95th St near DesotoRiver gauge, Cedar Creek	76.69 ft	Normal	−0.03 ft	9 mi
Indian Creek at Overland ParkRiver gauge, Indian Creek	5.50 ft	Low	−0.13 ft	10 mi
Brush Creek at Ward Parkway in Kansas CityRiver gauge, Brush Creek	35.79 ft	Below flood stage	−0.01 ft	10 mi
Missouri River above ParkvilleRiver gauge, Missouri River	10.28 ft	Below flood stage	−0.41 ft	10 mi
Kill Creek at 95th St near DesotoRiver gauge, Kill Creek	14.2 cfs	High	−1.1 cfs	12 mi
Missouri River at Kansas CityRiver gauge, Missouri River	12.84 ft	Below flood stage	−0.41 ft	12 mi

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for the Kansas River near Lake Quivira?

The official flood stage is 26.00 ft. The level is currently 13.70 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 Kansas River near Lake Quivira today?

On Oct 20, 2026, 03:45 PM CDT, the water level was 12.30 ft. Down 0.14 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Kansas River near Lake Quivira rising or falling?

Down 0.14 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of Kansas River near Lake Quivira normal?

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

What is the highest water level ever recorded at Kansas River near Lake Quivira?

The highest level on record is 28.14 ft on May 28, 2016.

Is Kansas River near Lake Quivira expected to rise?

The forecast expects the river to fall to 11.60 ft by Sunday, October 25 at 07:00 AM.

For specialists

Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads

Operator: U.S. Geological Survey
Station code: usgs:06892518 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 39.04611, -94.78944 (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	12.30 ft	2026-10-20 20:45	Provisional
Flow	14,000 cfs	2026-10-20 20:45	Provisional
Water temperature	63 °F	2026-10-20 20:45	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Kansas River near Lake Quivira (usgs:06892518). Accessed October 20, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/kansas/kansas-river-near-lake-quivira

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