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Arkansas River at Great Bend water level

River gauge, Arkansas River, Kansas, United States

Directions

Low for mid-October

Water level

0.66ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Flow
6.2 cfs
0 10 Highest onrecord 17.70 ft Minor floodstage 12.00 ft

History

123ftOct 13Oct 14Oct 16Oct 17Oct 19123ftOct 13Oct 16Oct 19
123ftSep 20Sep 27Oct 4Oct 12Oct 19123ftSep 20Oct 4Oct 19
-0510ftOct 2025Jan 2026Apr 2026Jul 2026Oct 2026Minor flood stage-0510ftOct 2025Apr 2026Oct 2026Minor flood stage
-0358ftJanMarMayJulSepNov2026-0358ftJanAprJulOct2026

20252026

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

What this means

At 0.66 ft, the Arkansas River at Great Bend is below normal for mid-October.

That puts it 0.85 ft below the median of 1.51 ft for mid-October, based on 37 years of readings. It is 11.34 ft below the flood stage of 12.00 ft. A year ago it stood at 0.89 ft (−0.23 ft).

The level has held steady over the past 24 hours. Without real rain upstream, that is unlikely to change quickly. Over the past 30 days it has moved between 0.56 ft and 1.74 ft.

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

Compared with 37 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Median for this date
1.51 ft0.85 ft below the median for this date
Normal for this date
0.59 ft – 2.87 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (37 years of records)
Same day last year
0.89 ft−0.23 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days
0.56 ft – 1.74 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months
0.53 ft – 8.27 ft
Highest on record
17.70 ftJune 15, 1981

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 12.00 ft, still 11.34 ft away.

What happens at each level

27.81 ft
The levees on both banks at the Highway 281 Bridge, at the gage site, will begin to overtop.
24.00 ft
The sidewalk openings in the levee at the Highway 281 Bridge will start to flood.
14.11 ft
Water begins to threaten the City's Sewage Treatment Plant which is southeast of the city. Flooding will affect agricultural communities.
12.50 ft
Minor overflows begins to affect agricultural communities 3 miles upstream.
12.00 ft
Minor flooding of low-lying areas and bottom land can be expected. Minor flooding begins to affect agricultural communities 3 miles upstream.
0.66 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: 11 %.

RankLevelDate
117.70 ftJune 15, 1981
214.62 ftApril 3, 1973
314.46 ftMay 29, 2019
413.94 ftSeptember 29, 1973
513.31 ftJuly 22, 1993
613.21 ftJuly 21, 1993
713.20 ftJuly 10, 1987
812.81 ftJuly 29, 1979
911.18 ftJuly 4, 2016
1011.06 ftMay 25, 1951

Weather at the gauge

The forecast is not available right now.

Sunrise 07:48 AM Sunset 06:53 PM Daylight 11 hr, 4 min First quarter 60%

Map

Other gauges on the Arkansas River

Gauge Level Compared with normal 24 hours Distance
Arkansas River at KendallRiver gauge, Arkansas River 6.52 ft Very high −0.03 ft 154 mi
Arkansas River at DeerfieldRiver gauge, Arkansas River 5.95 ft Normal −0.01 ft 131 mi
Arkansas River at Garden CityRiver gauge, Arkansas River 5.18 ft Normal ±0 118 mi
Arkansas River at Dodge CityRiver gauge, Arkansas River 6.73 ft High ±0 81 mi
Arkansas River near LarnedRiver gauge, Arkansas River 3.97 ft Normal −0.04 ft 16 mi
Arkansas River near NickersonRiver gauge, Arkansas River 8.97 ft Normal −0.01 ft 38 mi
Arkansas River near HutchinsonRiver gauge, Arkansas River 2.06 ft Low ±0 61 mi
Arkansas River near MaizeRiver gauge, Arkansas River 4.60 ft Low −0.01 ft 85 mi
Arkansas River at WichitaRiver gauge, Arkansas River 2.73 ft Low −0.04 ft 92 mi
Arkansas River at DerbyRiver gauge, Arkansas River 0.76 ft Very low −0.01 ft 98 mi
Arkansas River at MulvaneRiver gauge, Arkansas River 5.61 ft Below flood stage −0.02 ft 102 mi
Arkansas River at Arkansas CityRiver gauge, Arkansas River 3.93 ft Low −0.32 ft 131 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge Level Compared with normal 24 hours Distance
Cheyenne Bottoms Dv near Great BendRiver gauge, Cheyenne Bottoms Dv 1.7 cfs Normal −1.2 cfs 7 mi
Walnut Creek at AlbertRiver gauge, Walnut Creek 2.59 ft Low ±0 15 mi
Rattlesnake Creek near ZenithRiver gauge, Rattlesnake Creek 11.75 ft Normal −0.01 ft 21 mi
Smoky Hill River near RussellRiver gauge, Smoky Hill River 4.21 ft Below flood stage −0.10 ft 30 mi
Cow Creek near LyonsRiver gauge, Cow Creek 3.61 ft Very low +0.01 ft 31 mi
Smoky Hill River at PfeiferRiver gauge, Smoky Hill River 10.0 cfs Normal −0.5 cfs 33 mi
Rattlesnake Creek near MacksvilleRiver gauge, Rattlesnake Creek 2.81 ft Normal ±0 34 mi
Pawnee River at RozelRiver gauge, Pawnee River 7.20 ft Normal −0.03 ft 36 mi

Questions and answers

How does the Arkansas River at Great Bend compare with last year?

It is 0.23 ft lower than on the same day last year, when the reading was 0.89 ft.

What is flood stage for the Arkansas River at Great Bend?

The official flood stage is 12.00 ft. The level is currently 11.34 ft below it.

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

The median for mid-October is 1.51 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 0.59 ft and 2.87 ft, based on 37 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 Great Bend today?

On Oct 19, 2026, 09:30 AM CDT, the water level was 0.66 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Arkansas River at Great Bend rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours. Down 0.04 ft over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Arkansas River at Great Bend normal?

Low for mid-October. Compared with 37 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:07141300 (Agency page)
Coordinates
38.35307, -98.76425 (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 0.66 ft 2026-10-19 14:30 Provisional
Flow 6.2 cfs 2026-10-19 14:30 Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Arkansas River at Great Bend (usgs:07141300). Accessed October 19, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/kansas/arkansas-river-at-great-bend

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