Soldier Creek near Topeka water level

Name: Soldier Creek near Topeka 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, Soldier Creek, Kansas, United States

Directions

Normal for mid-October

Water level

0.29ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 20, 2026, 08:45 AM CDT (1 hour ago)

Flow: 36.9 cfs

History

7 days 30 days 1 year Years compared

20252026

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

The forecast expects the river to fall to 0.20 ft by Wednesday, October 21 at 07:00 PM. Issued Monday, October 19 at 09:05 AM by NOAA National Weather Service.

What this means

Water levels are unremarkable at Soldier Creek near Topeka, where the gauge shows 0.29 ft.

That puts it 0.27 ft below the median of 0.56 ft for mid-October, based on 35 years of readings. It is 28.71 ft below the flood stage of 29.00 ft. A year ago it stood at −0.08 ft (+0.37 ft).

The level has held steady over the past 24 hours. The forecast expects the river to fall to 0.20 ft by Wednesday, October 21 at 07:00 PM. The 30-day range is 0.15 ft – 11.90 ft.

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

Key numbers

Median for this date: 0.56 ft0.27 ft below the median for this date
Normal for this date: −0.30 ft – 1.57 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (35 years of records)
Same day last year: −0.08 ft+0.37 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days: 0.15 ft – 11.90 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months: −0.20 ft – 12.04 ft
Highest on record: 34.67 ftOctober 2, 2005
Forecast peak: 0.30 ftTuesday, October 20 at 07:00 AM

Paddling and fishing conditions

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

For reference, flood stage is 29.00 ft.

What happens at each level

39.47 ft: Brickyard Road bridge over the Soldier Creek floods.
34.50 ft: Widespread flooding occurs and affects first floors of home and business along the creek.
29.00 ft: Low land flooding from Grove to the Kansas River.
0.29 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	34.67 ft	October 2, 2005
2	33.06 ft	June 22, 1951
3	27.75 ft	May 7, 2007
4	27.44 ft	June 9, 1982
5	25.90 ft	July 27, 1981
6	25.24 ft	June 28, 1999
7	23.91 ft	October 11, 1973
8	23.58 ft	June 5, 2015
9	23.42 ft	July 10, 1993
10	22.48 ft	May 27, 2016

Weather at the gauge

No rain in the last 3 days.

19 Mon 68° 42° – Wind 12 mph

20 Tue 68° 45° – Wind 12 mph

21 Wed 74° 47° – Wind 11 mph

22 Thu 77° 59° – Wind 12 mph

23 Fri 78° 59° – Wind 16 mph

24 Sat 78° 60° – Wind 18 mph

25 Sun 71° 60° 0.05 in Wind 5 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:38 AM Sunset 06:39 PM Daylight 11 hr First quarter 69%

Map

Other gauges on Soldier Creek

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Soldier Creek near CorningRiver gauge, Soldier Creek	6.22 ft	Very low	−0.01 ft	38 mi
Soldier Creek near DeliaRiver gauge, Soldier Creek	5.62 ft	Normal	−0.01 ft	13 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Kansas River above Topeka Weir at TopekaRiver gauge, Kansas River	14,200 cfs	High	−300.0 cfs	2.0 mi
Kansas River at TopekaRiver gauge, Kansas River	12.02 ft	Very high	−0.10 ft	4.6 mi
Shunganunga Creek at TopekaRiver gauge, Shunganunga Creek	4.23 ft	Very low	−0.04 ft	5.3 mi
Shunganunga Creek at Gage Blvd, TopekaRiver gauge, Shunganunga Creek	4.80 ft	Below flood stage	−0.03 ft	5.7 mi
Cross Creek at RossvilleRiver gauge, Cross Creek	7.63 ft	Below flood stage	−0.01 ft	13 mi
Wakarusa River at WakarusaRiver gauge, Wakarusa River	2.93 ft	Below flood stage	−0.01 ft	15 mi
Wakarusa River near RichlandRiver gauge, Wakarusa River	21.5 cfs	High	−1.9 cfs	16 mi
Perry Lake near PerryLake, Perry Lake	894.03 ft	Very high	−0.01 ft	16 mi

Questions and answers

How does Soldier Creek near Topeka compare with last year?

It is 0.37 ft higher than on the same day last year, when the reading was −0.08 ft.

What is flood stage for Soldier Creek near Topeka?

The official flood stage is 29.00 ft. The level is currently 28.71 ft below it.

What is a normal level for Soldier Creek near Topeka in mid-October?

The median for mid-October is 0.56 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between −0.30 ft and 1.57 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 Soldier Creek near Topeka today?

On Oct 20, 2026, 08:45 AM CDT, the water level was 0.29 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Soldier Creek near Topeka rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours. Down 0.12 ft over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Soldier Creek near Topeka normal?

Normal 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:06889500 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 39.09944, -95.72498 (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	0.29 ft	2026-10-20 13:45	Provisional
Flow	36.9 cfs	2026-10-20 13:45	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Soldier Creek near Topeka (usgs:06889500). Accessed October 20, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/kansas/soldier-creek-near-topeka

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