Big Blue River at Blue Rapids water level

Name: Big Blue River at Blue Rapids 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, Big Blue River, Kansas, United States

Directions

Normal for mid-October

Water level

17.87ft Up 0.16 ft over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 18, 2026, 03:15 PM CDT (33 min ago)

History

7 days 30 days 1 year Years compared

20252026

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

What this means

Water levels are unremarkable at Big Blue River at Blue Rapids, where the gauge shows 17.87 ft.

That puts it 2.23 ft above the median of 15.64 ft for mid-October, based on 22 years of readings. It is 8.13 ft below the flood stage of 26.00 ft. A year ago it stood at 15.41 ft (+2.46 ft).

It is on the way up, by 0.16 ft over the past 24 hours. There is still 8.13 ft of room before flood stage. The 30-day range is 16.00 ft – 33.96 ft.

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

Compared with 22 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Median for this date: 15.64 ft2.23 ft above the median for this date
Normal for this date: 14.69 ft – 21.98 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (22 years of records)
Same day last year: 15.41 ft+2.46 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days: 16.00 ft – 33.96 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months: 15.31 ft – 33.96 ft
Highest on record: 63.30 ftJuly 22, 1993

Paddling and fishing conditions

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

For reference, flood stage is 26.00 ft.

What happens at each level

68.00 ft: River reaches top of levee east of Blue Rapids.
26.00 ft: Minor lowland flooding occurs from Marysville to Tuttle Creek Lake.
17.87 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: 43 %.

Rank	Level	Date
1	63.30 ft	July 22, 1993
2	61.32 ft	May 31, 2019
3	53.19 ft	October 18, 1973
4	50.20 ft	August 5, 1993
5	40.96 ft	June 7, 2015
6	40.72 ft	May 9, 2015
7	39.83 ft	September 6, 2018
8	37.68 ft	May 8, 2007
9	37.58 ft	September 28, 1973
10	36.39 ft	December 2, 2018

Weather at the gauge

Rain in the last 3 days: 0.35 in. Rain that falls upstream can take hours or days to show up at a river gauge.

17 Sat 61° 31° – Wind 12 mph

18 Sun 65° 38° – Wind 18 mph

19 Mon 68° 42° – Wind 14 mph

20 Tue 72° 50° 0.01 in Wind 15 mph

21 Wed 75° 56° 0.02 in Wind 17 mph

22 Thu 80° 58° – Wind 11 mph

23 Fri 79° 64° – Wind 20 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:40 AM Sunset 06:44 PM Daylight 11 hr, 4 min First quarter 52%

Map

Other gauges on the Big Blue River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Big Blue River near CreteRiver gauge, Big Blue River	10.11 ft	Very high	−0.13 ft	65 mi
Big Blue River at BarnestonRiver gauge, Big Blue River	5.23 ft	High	+0.58 ft	25 mi
Big Blue River at MarysvilleRiver gauge, Big Blue River	15.10 ft	Very high	+0.39 ft	11 mi
Big Blue River near ManhattanRiver gauge, Big Blue River	11.40 ft	Very high	−0.15 ft	31 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Lake Blue River near BarnesRiver gauge, Lake Blue River	5.40 ft	High	+0.18 ft	9 mi
Black Vermillion River near FrankfortRiver gauge, Black Vermillion River	3.22 ft	Low	−0.02 ft	10 mi
Mill Creek at WashingtonRiver gauge, Mill Creek	2.03 ft	Normal	−0.06 ft	23 mi
Little Blue River at HollenbergRiver gauge, Little Blue River	2.85 ft	High	−0.02 ft	28 mi
Tuttle C Lake near ManhattanLake, Tuttle C Lake	1,086.07 ft	Very high	−1.21 ft	30 mi
Vermillion Creek near WamegoRiver gauge, Vermillion Creek	3.31 ft	Low	±0	33 mi
Wildcat Creek at KeatsRiver gauge, Wildcat Creek	8.20 ft	High	−0.01 ft	33 mi

Questions and answers

How does the Big Blue River at Blue Rapids compare with last year?

It is 2.46 ft higher than on the same day last year, when the reading was 15.41 ft.

What is flood stage for the Big Blue River at Blue Rapids?

The official flood stage is 26.00 ft. The level is currently 8.13 ft below it.

What is a normal level for the Big Blue River at Blue Rapids in mid-October?

The median for mid-October is 15.64 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 14.69 ft and 21.98 ft, based on 22 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 Big Blue River at Blue Rapids today?

On Oct 18, 2026, 03:15 PM CDT, the water level was 17.87 ft. Up 0.16 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Big Blue River at Blue Rapids rising or falling?

Up 0.16 ft over the last 24 hours. Down 1.75 ft over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Big Blue River at Blue Rapids normal?

Normal for mid-October. Compared with 22 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:06884700 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 39.68722, -96.64002 (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	17.87 ft	2026-10-18 20:15	Provisional

Download

Embed this gauge

Add a live card for this gauge to your website. It updates on its own and links back here.

<iframe src="https://nivelmap.com/embed/5428?lang=en" width="360" height="230" style="border:0;max-width:100%" loading="lazy" title="Big Blue River at Blue Rapids water level"></iframe>

How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Big Blue River at Blue Rapids (usgs:06884700). Accessed October 18, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/kansas/big-blue-river-at-blue-rapids

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