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Arkansas River at Arkansas City water level

River gauge, Arkansas River, Kansas, United States

Directions

Low for mid-October

Water level

3.79ft Down 0.17 ft over the last 24 hours

Flow
848 cfs
10 20 Highest onrecord 20.91 ft Minor floodstage 11.00 ft

History

510ftOct 16Oct 17Oct 18Oct 19Oct 20Minor flood stage510ftOct 16Oct 18Oct 20Minor flood stage
510ftSep 21Sep 28Oct 5Oct 13Oct 20Minor flood stage510ftSep 21Oct 5Oct 20Minor flood stage
5101520ftOct 2025Jan 2026Apr 2026Jul 2026Oct 2026Minor flood stage5101520ftOct 2025Apr 2026Oct 2026Minor flood stage
5101520ftJanMarMayJulSepNov20265101520ftJanAprJulOct2026

20252026

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

What this means

The Arkansas River at Arkansas City is running below normal at 3.79 ft.

The median for mid-October is 9.44 ft, based on 39 years of readings, so the river stage is 5.65 ft below typical. It is 7.21 ft below the flood stage of 11.00 ft. On the same day last year the reading was 4.03 ft, a difference of −0.24 ft.

It has dropped 0.17 ft over the past 24 hours. Without real rain upstream, that is unlikely to change quickly. In the last month it has stayed between 3.21 ft and 8.44 ft.

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

Compared with 39 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Median for this date
9.44 ft5.65 ft below the median for this date
Normal for this date
3.05 ft – 10.89 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (39 years of records)
Same day last year
4.03 ft−0.24 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days
3.21 ft – 8.44 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months
3.16 ft – 17.03 ft
Highest on record
20.91 ftMay 9, 2019

Floating and fishing near Arkansas River at Arkansas City

Low water exposes gravel bars that make good wading access, but some boat ramps may be left high and dry.

Flood stage here is 11.00 ft, 7.21 ft above the current reading. Beyond it, the National Weather Service also defines moderate and major flood stages.

What happens at each level

35.00 ft
Water begins to overtop the levee.
27.00 ft
Preparations are made to install Stop logs at Highway 77 on Summit Street Bridge at the levee.
21.00 ft
Preperations are made to close West 166 Highway. Stop-logs are installed on West Madison Avenue at the levee.
14.00 ft
The Water Plant takes precautions on water well pump houses west of the Arkansas River.
11.00 ft
Flooding of agricultural lands can be expected with bank overflows on west side of river. West Chestnut Avenue west of the river floods, expect road closure.
10.00 ft
The river is at the top of its banks.
8.00 ft
The city begins to check and start closing storm water flood gates.
3.79 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: 53 %.

RankLevelDate
120.91 ftMay 9, 2019
220.48 ftMay 28, 2019
320.22 ftMay 24, 2019
419.19 ftSeptember 11, 2016
517.79 ftJune 28, 2026
617.61 ftAugust 17, 1995
717.44 ftOctober 12, 2018
817.27 ftFebruary 2, 1973
917.23 ftMarch 22, 1979
1016.60 ftJune 19, 2025

Weather at the gauge

The forecast is not available right now.

Sunrise 07:41 AM Sunset 06:46 PM Daylight 11 hr, 5 min First quarter 67%

Map

Other gauges on the Arkansas River

Gauge Level Compared with normal 24 hours Distance
Arkansas River at Great BendRiver gauge, Arkansas River 0.65 ft Low −0.01 ft 131 mi
Arkansas River near NickersonRiver gauge, Arkansas River 8.97 ft Normal ±0 96 mi
Arkansas River near HutchinsonRiver gauge, Arkansas River 2.07 ft Low ±0 75 mi
Arkansas River near MaizeRiver gauge, Arkansas River 4.60 ft Low −0.02 ft 55 mi
Arkansas River at WichitaRiver gauge, Arkansas River 2.67 ft Low −0.05 ft 45 mi
Arkansas River at DerbyRiver gauge, Arkansas River 0.73 ft Very low −0.06 ft 37 mi
Arkansas River at MulvaneRiver gauge, Arkansas River 5.55 ft Below flood stage −0.07 ft 33 mi
Arkansas River at RalstonRiver gauge, Arkansas River 4.26 ft Below flood stage −0.43 ft 41 mi
Arkansas River at SH 344 near TulsaRiver gauge, Arkansas River 8.05 ft No reference yet +1.04 ft 82 mi
Arkansas River at TulsaRiver gauge, Arkansas River 3.03 ft Below flood stage −0.23 ft 84 mi
Arkansas River near HaskellRiver gauge, Arkansas River 2.55 ft Below flood stage −0.23 ft 115 mi
Arkansas River near MuskogeeRiver gauge, Arkansas River 18.14 ft Below flood stage −0.17 ft 131 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge Level Compared with normal 24 hours Distance
Walnut River at Arkansas CityRiver gauge, Walnut River 3.42 ft Normal −0.18 ft 1.5 mi
Walnut River at WinfieldRiver gauge, Walnut River 1.04 ft Low −0.13 ft 13 mi
Arkansas R on Highway 160 at OxfordRiver gauge, Arkansas R on Highway 160 7.76 ft Below flood stage −0.10 ft 18 mi
Chikaskia River near BlackwellRiver gauge, Chikaskia River 3.53 ft Below flood stage −0.29 ft 20 mi
Slate Creek at WellingtonRiver gauge, Slate Creek 4.50 ft High −0.08 ft 25 mi
Salt Fork Arkansas River at TonkawaRiver gauge, Salt Fork Arkansas River 2.80 ft Below flood stage −0.05 ft 29 mi
Chikaskia River near CorbinRiver gauge, Chikaskia River 2.86 ft High −0.13 ft 32 mi
Ninnescah River near PeckRiver gauge, Ninnescah River 2.77 ft Low −0.08 ft 36 mi

Questions and answers

Is the Arkansas River at Arkansas City higher than last year?

No, it is 0.24 ft lower than on the same day last year, when the reading was 4.03 ft.

What is flood stage for the Arkansas River at Arkansas City?

The official flood stage is 11.00 ft. The level is currently 7.21 ft below it.

What is a normal level for the Arkansas River at Arkansas City in mid-October?

The median for mid-October is 9.44 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 3.05 ft and 10.89 ft, based on 39 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 Arkansas River at Arkansas City today?

On Oct 20, 2026, 05:00 AM CDT, the water level was 3.79 ft. Down 0.17 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Arkansas River at Arkansas City rising or falling?

Down 0.17 ft over the last 24 hours. Up 0.30 ft over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Arkansas River at Arkansas City normal?

Low for mid-October. Compared with 39 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:07146500 (Agency page)
Coordinates
37.03751, -97.03922 (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 3.79 ft 2026-10-20 10:00 Provisional
Flow 848 cfs 2026-10-20 10:00 Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Arkansas River at Arkansas City (usgs:07146500). Accessed October 20, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/kansas/arkansas-river-at-arkansas-city

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