Vermillion Creek near Wamego water level

Name: Vermillion Creek near Wamego 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, Vermillion Creek, Kansas, United States

Directions

Low for mid-October

Water level

3.28ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 20, 2026, 11:45 AM CDT (48 min ago)

Flow: 79.3 cfs

History

7 days 30 days 1 year Years compared

20252026

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

What this means

At 3.28 ft, Vermillion Creek near Wamego is below normal for mid-October.

The median for mid-October is 4.19 ft, based on 25 years of readings, so the river stage is 0.91 ft below typical. It is 16.72 ft below the flood stage of 20.00 ft. On the same day last year the reading was 2.54 ft, a difference of +0.74 ft.

It has barely moved over the past 24 hours. Without real rain upstream, that is unlikely to change quickly. Over the past 30 days it has moved between 3.16 ft and 17.46 ft.

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

Compared with 25 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Median for this date: 4.19 ft0.91 ft below the median for this date
Normal for this date: 2.59 ft – 5.57 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (25 years of records)
Same day last year: 2.54 ft+0.74 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days: 3.16 ft – 17.46 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months: 2.44 ft – 17.46 ft
Highest on record: 30.14 ftJune 9, 1984

What the stage means on the water

Low water means more dragging on shallow riffles and slower floats. Fish crowd into the deeper runs, and warm, low water stresses them, so play and release them quickly.

The National Weather Service puts flood stage for this gauge at 20.00 ft, still 16.72 ft away.

What happens at each level

30.00 ft: Flooding of Pauling Run Road as well as widespread agricultural flooding along the creek.
24.00 ft: Pauling Run Road just east of the Gage floods. Flooding of agricultural fields continues.
20.00 ft: Minlor flooding occurs along Vermillion Creek.
3.28 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: 12 %.

Rank	Level	Date
1	30.14 ft	June 9, 1984
2	29.70 ft	July 13, 1951
3	29.50 ft	October 11, 1973
4	28.51 ft	May 29, 1962
5	28.49 ft	June 9, 1982
6	28.38 ft	June 18, 1983
7	28.24 ft	May 11, 1970
8	28.15 ft	September 21, 1965
9	28.03 ft	June 5, 2015
10	27.72 ft	March 31, 1973

Weather at the gauge

No rain in the last 3 days.

20 Tue 73° 46° – Wind 12 mph

21 Wed 72° 53° 0.04 in, 22% Wind 9 mph

22 Thu 76° 56° – Wind 12 mph

23 Fri 78° 58° – Wind 17 mph

24 Sat 79° 61° – Wind 17 mph

25 Sun 75° 62° – Wind 13 mph

26 Mon 64° 42° 0.65 in, 31% Wind 17 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:40 AM Sunset 06:40 PM Daylight 11 hr Waxing gibbous 70%

Map

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Kansas River near BelvueRiver gauge, Kansas River	15.48 ft	Very high	−0.10 ft	11 mi
Kansas River at WamegoRiver gauge, Kansas River	9.11 ft	Very high	−0.15 ft	11 mi
Soldier Creek near DeliaRiver gauge, Soldier Creek	5.62 ft	Normal	−0.01 ft	19 mi
Mill Creek near PaxicoRiver gauge, Mill Creek	3.68 ft	High	−0.01 ft	20 mi
Cross Creek at RossvilleRiver gauge, Cross Creek	7.62 ft	Below flood stage	−0.02 ft	20 mi
Big Blue River near ManhattanRiver gauge, Big Blue River	11.15 ft	Very high	−0.15 ft	20 mi
Tuttle C Lake near ManhattanLake, Tuttle C Lake	1,083.97 ft	Very high	−1.13 ft	22 mi
Kansas River at ManhattanRiver gauge, Kansas River	7.29 ft	Normal	−0.29 ft	22 mi

Questions and answers

Is Vermillion Creek near Wamego higher than last year?

Yes, it is 0.74 ft higher than on the same day last year, when the reading was 2.54 ft.

What is flood stage for Vermillion Creek near Wamego?

The official flood stage is 20.00 ft. The level is currently 16.72 ft below it.

What is a normal level for Vermillion Creek near Wamego in mid-October?

The median for mid-October is 4.19 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 2.59 ft and 5.57 ft, based on 25 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 Vermillion Creek near Wamego today?

On Oct 20, 2026, 11:45 AM CDT, the water level was 3.28 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Vermillion Creek near Wamego rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours. Down 0.13 ft over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Vermillion Creek near Wamego normal?

Low for mid-October. Compared with 25 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:06888000 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 39.34777, -96.21750 (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	3.28 ft	2026-10-20 16:45	Provisional
Flow	79.3 cfs	2026-10-20 16:45	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Vermillion Creek near Wamego (usgs:06888000). Accessed October 20, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/kansas/vermillion-creek-near-wamego

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