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Arkansas River at Garden City water level

River gauge, Arkansas River, Kansas, United States

Directions

Right now

Normal for mid-October

Water level

5.18ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Flow
0.0 cfs
10 20 Highest onrecord 22.30 ft Minor floodstage 10.00 ft

History

History
5.05.56.0ftOct 16Oct 17Oct 18Oct 19Oct 205.05.56.0ftOct 16Oct 18Oct 20
5.05.56.0ftSep 21Sep 28Oct 5Oct 13Oct 205.05.56.0ftSep 21Oct 5Oct 20
46810ftOct 2025Jan 2026Apr 2026Jul 2026Oct 2026Minor flood stage46810ftOct 2025Apr 2026Oct 2026Minor flood stage
4567ftJanMarMayJulSepNov20264567ftJanAprJulOct2026

20252026

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

What this means

Water levels are unremarkable at Arkansas River at Garden City, where the gauge shows 5.18 ft.

The median for mid-October is 5.19 ft, based on 26 years of readings, and the gauge is right on it. It is 4.82 ft below the flood stage of 10.00 ft. A year ago it stood at 5.14 ft (+0.04 ft).

The level has held steady over the past 24 hours. The 30-day range is 5.17 ft – 5.31 ft.

Fall is often low-water season on rivers, until steadier rain returns.

Compared with 26 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Median for this date
5.19 ft0.00 ft below the median for this date
Normal for this date
4.77 ft – 5.90 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (26 years of records)
Same day last year
5.14 ft+0.04 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days
5.17 ft – 5.31 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months
5.13 ft – 5.37 ft
Highest on record
22.30 ftJune 19, 1965

Paddling and fishing conditions

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

For reference, flood stage is 10.00 ft.

What happens at each level

22.50 ft
Water surface elevation will reach low bridge steel of U.S. highway 83 - business district.
19.00 ft
Floodwaters will extend to Maple Street in southern Garden City... And some houses will be partly submerged with 2 to 3 feet of water. Bridge approaches adjacent to the Arkansas River will be flooded with 1 to 2 feet of water. Residences along Burnside Drive will be flooded. Flooding will also reach into southern parts of Holcomb, south of the railroad tracks.
17.00 ft
The Fairgrounds, Finnup park and Lee Richardson Zoo will be inundated with 1 to 2 feet of water. Roads along the Arkansas River up and downstream from Lakin to Cimarron will be flooded in many areas.
16.00 ft
Floodwaters will rise into Finnup Park, Lee Richardson Zoo, and the Finney County Fairgrounds. Some street flooding and yard flooding will occur along Burnside Drive. South of the Arkansas River and east of Highway 83, the lowest portions of south River Road will be overtopped by rapidly moving water, as will other low-lying portions of roads along the Arkansas River between Lakin and Cimarron.
15.00 ft
In Garden City, the blacktop road south of the Arkansas River will be close to overflowing. Expect inundations of 5 feet or more along unleveed portions of the Arkansas River outside of Garden City. Move livestock well away from river.
14.00 ft
Expect inundations up to four feet or more along unleveed portions of the Arkansas River as the river moves out of the main channel farther out onto the adjacent floodplain. Irrigation systems near the river may be threatened by floating debris or the washing out of sandy soil. In Garden City, inundation of the lowest portions of south River Road west of Hwy 283, as well as Burnside Drive will initiate if the river stage rises between 15 to 16 feet.
13.00 ft
Expect inundations of one foot or more along either side of the Arkansas River upstream and downstream of Garden City as the river begins to move out of its main channel onto its first terrace. Cattle or livestock grazing in the immediate vicinity of the river may be endangered by the swiftly flowing waters.
11.50 ft
At 11.5 feet, the Arkansas River is at bankfull stage in Garden City.
10.00 ft
The Arkansas River is mostly at bankfull stage between Lakin and Cimarron. Irrigation systems near the river bank are threatened.
9.00 ft
Expect near bankfull conditions along the lowest-lying areas of the Arkansas River outside of Garden City. In the city of Cimarron, the Arkansas River will begin to enter the southern part of the city park.
5.18 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 %.

RankLevelDate
122.30 ftJune 19, 1965
218.57 ftMay 16, 1951
317.42 ftJune 7, 1949
416.74 ftAugust 9, 1929
59.01 ftMay 29, 1996
68.86 ftMay 24, 1999
78.64 ftMay 30, 2001
87.68 ftAugust 6, 1995
97.55 ftAugust 17, 1997
107.46 ftApril 6, 1998

Weather at the gauge

No rain in the last 3 days.

20 Tue 75° 48° – Wind 15 mph
21 Wed 76° 48° – Wind 7 mph
22 Thu 83° 59° – Wind 18 mph
23 Fri 78° 64° 0.02 in Wind 26 mph
24 Sat 67° 60° 0.25 in, 66% Wind 22 mph
25 Sun 62° 58° 0.43 in, 58% Wind 18 mph
26 Mon 55° 41° 0.44 in, 31% Wind 18 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:57 AM Sunset 07:00 PM Daylight 11 hr, 3 min Waxing gibbous 69%

Map

Other gauges on the Arkansas River

Gauge Level Compared with normal 24 hours Distance
Arkansas River at Las AnimasRiver gauge, Arkansas River 4.7 cfs Very low ±0 128 mi
Arkansas River below John Martin ReservoirRiver gauge, Arkansas River 23.9 cfs Low −30.9 cfs 112 mi
Arkansas River at LamarRiver gauge, Arkansas River 5.79 ft Below flood stage +0.06 ft 95 mi
Arkansas River near GranadaRiver gauge, Arkansas River 76.7 cfs Normal −1.1 cfs 79 mi
Arkansas River at HollyRiver gauge, Arkansas River 92.5 cfs Normal −6.1 cfs 68 mi
Arkansas River near CoolidgeRiver gauge, Arkansas River 2.86 ft Normal −0.02 ft 62 mi
Arkansas River at SyracuseRiver gauge, Arkansas River 4.63 ft High −0.03 ft 48 mi
Arkansas River at KendallRiver gauge, Arkansas River 6.48 ft Very high −0.04 ft 37 mi
Arkansas River at DeerfieldRiver gauge, Arkansas River 5.95 ft Normal ±0 14 mi
Arkansas River at Dodge CityRiver gauge, Arkansas River 6.73 ft High ±0 48 mi
Arkansas River near LarnedRiver gauge, Arkansas River 3.95 ft Normal −0.02 ft 103 mi
Arkansas River at Great BendRiver gauge, Arkansas River 0.65 ft Low −0.01 ft 118 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge Level Compared with normal 24 hours Distance
Farmers Ditch near DeerfieldCanal gauge, Farmers Ditch 1.69 ft No reference yet −0.01 ft 10 mi
Southside Ditch Return near DeerfieldCanal gauge, Southside Ditch Return 0.0 cfs Normal ±0 13 mi
Southside Ditch near LakinCanal gauge, Southside Ditch 1.25 ft No reference yet ±0 27 mi
Amazon Great Eastern Ditch near LakinCanal gauge, Amazon Great Eastern Ditch 4.51 ft No reference yet −0.02 ft 31 mi

Questions and answers

How does the Arkansas River at Garden City compare with last year?

It is 0.04 ft higher than on the same day last year, when the reading was 5.14 ft.

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

The official flood stage is 10.00 ft. The level is currently 4.82 ft below it.

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

The median for mid-October is 5.19 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 4.77 ft and 5.90 ft, based on 26 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 Garden City today?

On Oct 20, 2026, 09:30 AM CDT, the water level was 5.18 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Arkansas River at Garden City rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours. Steady over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Arkansas River at Garden City normal?

Normal for mid-October. Compared with 26 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:07139000 (Agency page)
Coordinates
37.95586, -100.87738 (WGS84)
Vertical datum
NGVD29
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 5.18 ft 2026-10-20 14:30 Provisional
Flow 0.0 cfs 2026-10-20 14:30 Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Arkansas River at Garden City (usgs:07139000). Accessed October 20, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/kansas/arkansas-river-at-garden-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.