Saline River at Lincoln water level

Name: Saline River at Lincoln 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, Saline River, Kansas, United States

Directions

Below flood stage

Water level

10.40ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 19, 2026, 01:45 PM CDT (1 hour ago)

Flow: 14.9 cfs

History

7 days

Water level Minor flood stage

What this means

The Saline River at Lincoln is at 10.40 ft, in the normal range.

It is 19.60 ft below the flood stage of 30.00 ft.

The level has held steady over the past 24 hours. In the last month it has stayed between 10.38 ft and 10.52 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: 38.55 ftJuly 23, 1993

Floating and fishing near Saline River at Lincoln

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

Flood stage here is 30.00 ft, 19.60 ft above the current reading. Beyond it, the National Weather Service also defines moderate and major flood stages.

What happens at each level

38.00 ft: Widespread flooding of low-lying and agricultural areas can be expected. Several roads near Lincoln will be flooded.
36.00 ft: Highway 14 south of the gage site begins to flood.
33.00 ft: Flood waters cover 220th Road near the river, located just southeast of Lincoln. Expect the river to be out of its banks between 1/4 to 1/2 miles in expanse. Lowland flooding occurs east and west of town.
32.00 ft: The lowlands around the gage site begin to flood. Much of this lowland is cultivated land.
30.00 ft: The railroad tracks flood 4 miles west of Lincoln when Spillman Creek is high. Water may be near 2 feet deep.
10.40 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: 5 %.

Rank	Level	Date
1	38.55 ft	July 23, 1993
2	36.40 ft	April 15, 1987
3	35.82 ft	June 24, 1993
4	35.50 ft	March 24, 1987
5	35.10 ft	May 23, 1961
6	35.00 ft	June 3, 2011
7	34.85 ft	March 27, 1960
8	34.85 ft	March 27, 1960
9	34.75 ft	July 3, 1982
10	34.65 ft	May 20, 1958

Weather at the gauge

No rain in the last 3 days.

19 Mon 70° 46° – Wind 13 mph

20 Tue 71° 47° – Wind 14 mph

21 Wed 77° 57° 0.02 in Wind 13 mph

22 Thu 82° 57° – Wind 15 mph

23 Fri 80° 65° – Wind 23 mph

24 Sat 76° 64° 0.13 in, 37% Wind 19 mph

25 Sun 70° 58° 0.02 in, 30% Wind 8 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:47 AM Sunset 06:50 PM Daylight 11 hr, 3 min First quarter 62%

Map

Other gauges on the Saline River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Saline River near WakeeneyRiver gauge, Saline River	2.10 ft	Normal	±0	92 mi
Saline River near RussellRiver gauge, Saline River	4.50 ft	Normal	−0.02 ft	38 mi
Saline River at Wilson DamRiver gauge, Saline River	2.85 ft	Normal	±0	19 mi
Saline River at TescottRiver gauge, Saline River	6.66 ft	Normal	−0.03 ft	15 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Salt Creek near AdaRiver gauge, Salt Creek	4.51 ft	Normal	−0.08 ft	18 mi
Wilson Lake near WilsonLake, Wilson Lake	1,511.16 ft	Low	−0.05 ft	19 mi
Smoky Hill River at EllsworthRiver gauge, Smoky Hill River	1.75 ft	Normal	−0.05 ft	21 mi
Solomon River near MinneapolisRiver gauge, Solomon River	2.35 ft	Below flood stage	−0.02 ft	24 mi
Mulberry Creek near SalinaRiver gauge, Mulberry Creek	3.80 ft	Below flood stage	−0.03 ft	29 mi
Solomon River at BeloitRiver gauge, Solomon River	2.88 ft	Below flood stage	−0.10 ft	30 mi
Smoky Hill River near LangleyRiver gauge, Smoky Hill River	3.68 ft	Normal	−0.02 ft	31 mi
Kanopolis Lake near KanopolisLake, Kanopolis Lake	1,466.82 ft	Very high	−0.03 ft	31 mi

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for the Saline River at Lincoln?

The official flood stage is 30.00 ft. The level is currently 19.60 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 Saline River at Lincoln today?

On Oct 19, 2026, 01:45 PM CDT, the water level was 10.40 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Saline River at Lincoln rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of Saline River at Lincoln normal?

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

What is the highest water level ever recorded at Saline River at Lincoln?

The highest level on record is 38.55 ft on July 23, 1993.

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:06868850 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 39.02832, -98.15017 (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	10.40 ft	2026-10-19 18:45	Provisional
Flow	14.9 cfs	2026-10-19 18:45	Provisional

Download

Embed this gauge

Add a live card for this gauge to your website. It updates on its own and links back here.

<iframe src="https://nivelmap.com/embed/15097?lang=en" width="360" height="230" style="border:0;max-width:100%" loading="lazy" title="Saline River at Lincoln water level"></iframe>

How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Saline River at Lincoln (usgs:06868850). Accessed October 19, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/kansas/saline-river-at-lincoln

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