Smoky Hill River at New Cambria water level

Name: Smoky Hill River at New Cambria 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, Smoky Hill River, Kansas, United States

Directions

Below flood stage

Water level

5.94ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 20, 2026, 09:45 AM CDT (22 min ago)

History

7 days

Water level Minor flood stage

What this means

The Smoky Hill River at New Cambria is at 5.94 ft, in the normal range.

It is 21.06 ft below the flood stage of 27.00 ft.

The level has held steady over the past 24 hours. In the last month it has stayed between 5.94 ft and 6.08 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: 31.72 ftJune 25, 1993

Floating and fishing near Smoky Hill River at New Cambria

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

Flood stage here is 27.00 ft, 21.06 ft above the current reading. Beyond it, the National Weather Service also defines moderate and major flood stages.

What happens at each level

33.10 ft: Expect roads surrounding and within the city of New Cambria to be flooded and along with roads in the vicinity of the river. In addition, expect widespread flooding of low-lying areas.
31.00 ft: All roads leading into New Cambria become flooded. Old Highway 40 between Marymount Road and Whitmore Road is closed due to flood waters. Dependent on high flows coming down from Saline River the railroad trestle bridge just south of Old Highway 40 may be overtopped.
30.00 ft: Niles Road south of Stimmel Road near the gage site begins to flood. Also expect extensive flooding of low-lying areas and croplands. Within the city the following roads become flooded, Railroad Street and Mill Street, First Street and Second Street and Cunningham. Dependent on high flows coming down from Saline River, Old Highway 40 may flood about a foot deep from Simpson Road to Niles Road.
29.50 ft: Water covers Railroad Street and Mill Street, Cunningham Road and First Street and Second Street.
28.00 ft: Flood waters flow over North Street just east of the intersection of Simpson Road. This location is 2 1/2 miles southwest of New Cambria.
27.00 ft: Both banks overflow at about this height. Expect flooding of low-lying areas and bottom land along both sides of the river.
5.94 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: 9 %.

Rank	Level	Date
1	31.72 ft	June 25, 1993
2	31.60 ft	July 22, 1993
3	31.45 ft	July 15, 1993
4	31.42 ft	May 25, 2007
5	31.12 ft	May 7, 2007
6	31.02 ft	May 29, 1995
7	30.67 ft	May 23, 2019
8	30.64 ft	May 12, 1993
9	30.29 ft	March 25, 1987
10	30.01 ft	May 10, 2019

Weather at the gauge

No rain in the last 3 days.

20 Tue 71° 49° – Wind 14 mph

21 Wed 74° 52° – Wind 10 mph

22 Thu 79° 60° – Wind 15 mph

23 Fri 78° 63° – Wind 20 mph

24 Sat 80° 65° – Wind 19 mph

25 Sun 69° 61° 0.04 in, 31% Wind 10 mph

26 Mon 66° 43° 0.71 in, 28% Wind 17 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:45 AM Sunset 06:46 PM Daylight 11 hr, 1 min First quarter 69%

Map

Other gauges on the Smoky Hill River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Smoky Hill River near ArnoldRiver gauge, Smoky Hill River	0.23 ft	Low	±0	137 mi
Smoky Hill River near SchoenchenRiver gauge, Smoky Hill River	3.07 ft	Normal	−0.02 ft	101 mi
Smoky Hill River below SchoenchenRiver gauge, Smoky Hill River	2.86 ft	Very high	−0.01 ft	98 mi
Smoky Hill River at PfeiferRiver gauge, Smoky Hill River	9.5 cfs	Normal	−0.5 cfs	91 mi
Smoky Hill River near RussellRiver gauge, Smoky Hill River	4.17 ft	Below flood stage	−0.04 ft	74 mi
Smoky Hill River at EllsworthRiver gauge, Smoky Hill River	1.73 ft	Normal	−0.05 ft	42 mi
Smoky Hill River near LangleyRiver gauge, Smoky Hill River	3.67 ft	Normal	−0.02 ft	31 mi
Smoky Hill River at LindsborgRiver gauge, Smoky Hill River	7.31 ft	Below flood stage	−0.03 ft	23 mi
Smoky Hill River near MentorRiver gauge, Smoky Hill River	4.40 ft	Normal	−0.01 ft	12 mi
Smoky Hill River at EnterpriseRiver gauge, Smoky Hill River	7.37 ft	Normal	−0.08 ft	20 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Solomon River at NilesRiver gauge, Solomon River	4.48 ft	Normal	−0.02 ft	7 mi
Mulberry Creek near SalinaRiver gauge, Mulberry Creek	3.83 ft	Below flood stage	+0.04 ft	10 mi
Mud Creek near TalmageRiver gauge, Mud Creek	3.98 ft	Below flood stage	±0	15 mi
Gypsum Creek near GypsumRiver gauge, Gypsum Creek	10.2 cfs	High	−0.5 cfs	17 mi
Solomon River near MinneapolisRiver gauge, Solomon River	2.35 ft	Below flood stage	−0.01 ft	22 mi
Saline River at TescottRiver gauge, Saline River	6.60 ft	Normal	−0.07 ft	23 mi
Chapman Creek near ChapmanRiver gauge, Chapman Creek	4.40 ft	Normal	−0.05 ft	26 mi

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for the Smoky Hill River at New Cambria?

The official flood stage is 27.00 ft. The level is currently 21.06 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 Smoky Hill River at New Cambria today?

On Oct 20, 2026, 09:45 AM CDT, the water level was 5.94 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Smoky Hill River at New Cambria rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of Smoky Hill River at New Cambria normal?

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

What is the highest water level ever recorded at Smoky Hill River at New Cambria?

The highest level on record is 31.72 ft on June 25, 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:06870200 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 38.86400, -97.48316 (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	5.94 ft	2026-10-20 14:45	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Smoky Hill River at New Cambria (usgs:06870200). Accessed October 20, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/kansas/smoky-hill-river-at-new-cambria

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