Medicine Lodge River near Kiowa water level

Name: Medicine Lodge River near Kiowa 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, Medicine Lodge River, Kansas, United States

Directions

Low for mid-October

Water level

-0.03ft Down 0.04 ft over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 20, 2026, 06:30 PM CDT (23 min ago)

Flow: 42.0 cfs

History

7 days 30 days 1 year Years compared

20252026

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

What this means

Low water at Medicine Lodge River near Kiowa: the gauge reads −0.03 ft, below normal for mid-October.

The median for mid-October is 1.11 ft, based on 35 years of readings, so the river stage is 1.14 ft below typical. It is 10.03 ft below the flood stage of 10.00 ft. On the same day last year the reading was 0.18 ft, a difference of −0.21 ft.

It is still going down, by 0.04 ft over the past 24 hours. Without real rain upstream, that is unlikely to change quickly. The 30-day range is −0.73 ft – 1.12 ft.

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

Compared with 35 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Median for this date: 1.11 ft1.14 ft below the median for this date
Normal for this date: −0.17 ft – 2.10 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (35 years of records)
Same day last year: 0.18 ft−0.21 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days: −0.73 ft – 1.12 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months: −0.76 ft – 1.37 ft
Highest on record: 15.50 ftJune 15, 1957

Paddling and fishing conditions

At low levels, plan for shorter paddling trips and expect to walk your boat through a few shoals.

For reference, flood stage is 10.00 ft.

What happens at each level

12.50 ft: Prepare for right bank (west bank) overflows encroaching onto the adjacent lowlands when the river stage exceeds 12.5 feet.
11.50 ft: Left bank (east bank) overflows onto the surrounding countryside will begin when the river stage exceeds 11.5 feet.
−0.03 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: 19 %.

Rank	Level	Date
1	15.50 ft	June 15, 1957
2	12.14 ft	May 10, 2019
3	12.10 ft	October 12, 1973
4	11.75 ft	October 22, 1941
5	11.67 ft	May 27, 2019
6	11.30 ft	October 31, 1979
7	11.16 ft	October 17, 1968
8	11.14 ft	March 31, 1973
9	11.07 ft	June 6, 1965
10	11.05 ft	May 5, 1938

Weather at the gauge

No rain in the last 3 days.

20 Tue 76° 55° – Wind 16 mph

21 Wed 76° 57° 0.02 in, 38% Wind 14 mph

22 Thu 80° 55° – Wind 15 mph

23 Fri 78° 60° – Wind 17 mph

24 Sat 78° 61° – Wind 15 mph

25 Sun 74° 62° – Wind 14 mph

26 Mon 65° 46° 0.80 in, 33% Wind 19 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:47 AM Sunset 06:52 PM Daylight 11 hr, 5 min Waxing gibbous 72%

Map

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Salt Fork Arkansas River near AlvaRiver gauge, Salt Fork Arkansas River	2.27 ft	Below flood stage	−0.03 ft	18 mi
Cimarron River near WaynokaRiver gauge, Cimarron River	5.53 ft	Below flood stage	±0	43 mi
Sf Ninnescah River near PrattRiver gauge, Sf Ninnescah River	2.73 ft	High	+0.01 ft	44 mi
Sf Ninnescah River near MurdockRiver gauge, Sf Ninnescah River	3.20 ft	Very low	−0.02 ft	50 mi

Questions and answers

Is the Medicine Lodge River near Kiowa higher than last year?

No, it is 0.21 ft lower than on the same day last year, when the reading was 0.18 ft.

What is flood stage for the Medicine Lodge River near Kiowa?

The official flood stage is 10.00 ft. The level is currently 10.03 ft below it.

What is a normal level for the Medicine Lodge River near Kiowa in mid-October?

The median for mid-October is 1.11 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between −0.17 ft and 2.10 ft, based on 35 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 Medicine Lodge River near Kiowa today?

On Oct 20, 2026, 06:30 PM CDT, the water level was −0.03 ft. Down 0.04 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Medicine Lodge River near Kiowa rising or falling?

Down 0.04 ft over the last 24 hours. Up 0.26 ft over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Medicine Lodge River near Kiowa normal?

Low for mid-October. Compared with 35 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:07149000 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 37.03891, -98.47016 (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	−0.03 ft	2026-10-20 23:30	Provisional
Flow	42.0 cfs	2026-10-20 23:30	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Medicine Lodge River near Kiowa (usgs:07149000). Accessed October 20, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/kansas/medicine-lodge-river-near-kiowa

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