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North Cottonwood River below Marion Lake water level

River gauge, North Cottonwood River, Kansas, United States

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Right now

Normal for mid-October

Water level

4.96ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Flow
31.4 cfs
4.8 5.0 5.2 5.5

History

History
4.85.05.35.5ftOct 16Oct 17Oct 18Oct 19Oct 204.85.05.35.5ftOct 16Oct 18Oct 20
6810ftSep 21Sep 28Oct 5Oct 13Oct 206810ftSep 21Oct 5Oct 20
46810ftOct 2025Jan 2026Apr 2026Jul 2026Oct 202646810ftOct 2025Apr 2026Oct 2026
46810ftJanMarMayJulSepNov202646810ftJanAprJulOct2026

20252026

Water level Normal range (10–90 %)

What this means

The gauge at North Cottonwood River below Marion Lake reads 4.96 ft, a normal level for mid-October.

The median for mid-October is 5.02 ft, based on 38 years of readings, so the river stage is 0.06 ft below typical. On the same day last year the reading was 4.83 ft, a difference of +0.13 ft.

It has barely moved over the past 24 hours. Over the past 30 days it has moved between 4.62 ft and 9.82 ft.

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

Compared with 38 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Median for this date
5.02 ft0.06 ft below the median for this date
Normal for this date
4.73 ft – 5.50 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (38 years of records)
Same day last year
4.83 ft+0.13 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days
4.62 ft – 9.82 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months
4.55 ft – 9.82 ft

What the stage means on the water

A normal level is usually prime time for floating and wade fishing, as long as the weather holds upstream.

Weather at the gauge

No rain in the last 3 days.

20 Tue 70° 50° 0.06 in Wind 13 mph
21 Wed 74° 51° – Wind 11 mph
22 Thu 76° 58° – Wind 15 mph
23 Fri 77° 60° – Wind 19 mph
24 Sat 78° 60° – Wind 18 mph
25 Sun 74° 61° – Wind 13 mph
26 Mon 63° 42° 0.70 in, 20% Wind 19 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:43 AM Sunset 06:45 PM Daylight 11 hr, 2 min Waxing gibbous 72%

Map

Nearby gauges

Gauge Level Compared with normal 24 hours Distance
Nf Cottonwood River near DurhamRiver gauge, Nf Cottonwood River 6.4 cfs High ±0 13 mi
Cottonwood River near FlorenceRiver gauge, Cottonwood River 3.15 ft Below flood stage −0.01 ft 14 mi
Cedar Creek near Cedar PointRiver gauge, Cedar Creek 3.88 ft Low −0.01 ft 18 mi
Gypsum Creek near GypsumRiver gauge, Gypsum Creek 10.2 cfs High ±0 26 mi
Cottonwood River at Cottonwood FallsRiver gauge, Cottonwood River 259 cfs High −12.0 cfs 26 mi
Sf Cottonwood River near BazaarRiver gauge, Sf Cottonwood River 39.4 cfs Normal −2.1 cfs 31 mi
Lake Arkansas River at Alta MillsRiver gauge, Lake Arkansas River −0.69 ft Very low −0.01 ft 33 mi
Emma Creek at SedgwickRiver gauge, Emma Creek −1.93 ft Below flood stage −0.03 ft 33 mi

Questions and answers

Is the North Cottonwood River below Marion Lake higher than last year?

Yes, it is 0.13 ft higher than on the same day last year, when the reading was 4.83 ft.

What is a normal level for the North Cottonwood River below Marion Lake in mid-October?

The median for mid-October is 5.02 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 4.73 ft and 5.50 ft, based on 38 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 North Cottonwood River below Marion Lake today?

On Oct 20, 2026, 06:30 PM CDT, the water level was 4.96 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is North Cottonwood River below Marion Lake rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours. Down 0.25 ft over the last 7 days.

Is the level of North Cottonwood River below Marion Lake normal?

Normal for mid-October. Compared with 38 years of daily readings for this time of year.

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:07179795 (Agency page)
Coordinates
38.36586, -97.08231 (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

ParameterLast valueTime (UTC)Quality
Water level 4.96 ft 2026-10-20 23:30 Provisional
Flow 31.4 cfs 2026-10-20 23:30 Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: North Cottonwood River below Marion Lake (usgs:07179795). Accessed October 20, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/kansas/north-cottonwood-river-below-marion-lake

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.