Kansas River at Lecompton water level

Name: Kansas River at Lecompton 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, Kansas River, Kansas, United States

Directions

Very high for mid-October

Water level

8.01ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 18, 2026, 05:30 PM CDT (1 hour ago)

Flow: 15,000 cfs

History

7 days 30 days 1 year Years compared

20252026

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

The forecast expects the river to fall to 6.90 ft by Friday, October 23 at 07:00 AM. Issued Sunday, October 18 at 08:54 AM by NOAA National Weather Service.

What this means

The Kansas River at Lecompton is well above normal at 8.01 ft.

The median for mid-October is 2.75 ft, based on 33 years of readings, so the river stage is 5.26 ft above typical. It is 8.99 ft below the flood stage of 17.00 ft. The record high is 30.23 ft, set on July 13, 1951.

It has barely moved over the past 24 hours. The forecast expects the river to fall to 6.90 ft by Friday, October 23 at 07:00 AM. In the last month it has stayed between 3.09 ft and 15.94 ft.

Compared with 33 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Median for this date: 2.75 ft5.26 ft above the median for this date
Normal for this date: 2.04 ft – 5.42 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (33 years of records)
Lowest and highest in 30 days: 3.09 ft – 15.94 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months: 2.23 ft – 15.94 ft
Highest on record: 30.23 ftJuly 13, 1951
Forecast peak: 8.10 ftSunday, October 18 at 01:00 PM

Flood levels and safety

Most flood deaths in the US happen in vehicles. Six inches of fast water can knock an adult off their feet, and a foot or two can float a car. If a road is covered, turn around.

Readings can change quickly after heavy rain upstream, so check again before heading near the water.

What happens at each level

26.00 ft: Railroad tracks along the south bank of the Kansas River flood.
23.80 ft: Lecompton Road north of the Kansas River floods.
19.00 ft: Considerable agricultural flooding occurs.
16.50 ft: Low lying farm fields begin to flood along the Kansas River.
8.01 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: 8 %.

Rank	Level	Date
1	30.23 ft	July 13, 1951
2	27.90 ft	May 31, 1903
3	24.65 ft	July 27, 1993
4	22.73 ft	October 12, 1973
5	21.88 ft	May 7, 2007
6	20.86 ft	May 18, 1995
7	20.69 ft	May 24, 1995
8	20.57 ft	June 21, 1967
9	20.52 ft	June 24, 2019
10	19.71 ft	May 28, 2016

Weather at the gauge

Rain in the last 3 days: 0.03 in. Rain that falls upstream can take hours or days to show up at a river gauge.

18 Sun 62° 38° – Wind 13 mph

19 Mon 65° 42° 0.00 in Wind 10 mph

20 Tue 72° 50° 0.00 in Wind 10 mph

21 Wed 74° 54° – Wind 12 mph

22 Thu 77° 57° – Wind 10 mph

23 Fri 77° 60° – Wind 16 mph

24 Sat 76° 57° 0.11 in Wind 15 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:35 AM Sunset 06:40 PM Daylight 11 hr, 5 min First quarter 54%

Map

Other gauges on the Kansas River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Kansas River at Fort RileyRiver gauge, Kansas River	6.07 ft	Normal	−0.08 ft	74 mi
Kansas River at ManhattanRiver gauge, Kansas River	7.69 ft	Normal	−0.12 ft	63 mi
Kansas River at WamegoRiver gauge, Kansas River	9.33 ft	Very high	−0.08 ft	50 mi
Kansas River near BelvueRiver gauge, Kansas River	15.66 ft	Very high	−0.06 ft	42 mi
Kansas River above Topeka Weir at TopekaRiver gauge, Kansas River	14,600 cfs	High	−100.0 cfs	18 mi
Kansas River at TopekaRiver gauge, Kansas River	12.19 ft	Very high	−0.05 ft	14 mi
Kansas River at LawrenceRiver gauge, Kansas River	13.70 ft	Normal	+18.96 ft	10 mi
Kansas River at DesotoRiver gauge, Kansas River	9.82 ft	Very high	−0.06 ft	23 mi
Kansas River near Lake QuiviraRiver gauge, Kansas River	12.49 ft	Below flood stage	−0.01 ft	32 mi
Kansas River at Kansas CityRiver gauge, Kansas River	15.40 ft	Normal	+0.10 ft	42 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Perry Lake near PerryLake, Perry Lake	894.10 ft	Very high	−0.17 ft	4.9 mi
Clinton Lake near LawrenceLake, Clinton Lake	876.79 ft	Normal	−0.03 ft	9 mi
Wakarusa River near LawrenceRiver gauge, Wakarusa River	4.25 ft	Normal	−0.03 ft	12 mi
Wakarusa River near RichlandRiver gauge, Wakarusa River	25.3 cfs	Normal	−5.8 cfs	16 mi
Shunganunga Creek at TopekaRiver gauge, Shunganunga Creek	4.28 ft	Low	−0.03 ft	16 mi
Shunganunga Creek at Gage Blvd, TopekaRiver gauge, Shunganunga Creek	4.86 ft	Below flood stage	−0.01 ft	18 mi
Soldier Creek near TopekaRiver gauge, Soldier Creek	0.30 ft	Normal	−0.01 ft	18 mi

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for the Kansas River at Lecompton?

The official flood stage is 17.00 ft. The level is currently 8.99 ft below it.

What is a normal level for the Kansas River at Lecompton in mid-October?

The median for mid-October is 2.75 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 2.04 ft and 5.42 ft, based on 33 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 Kansas River at Lecompton today?

On Oct 18, 2026, 05:30 PM CDT, the water level was 8.01 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Kansas River at Lecompton rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours. Down 1.35 ft over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Kansas River at Lecompton normal?

Very high for mid-October. Compared with 33 years of daily readings for this time of year.

What is the highest water level ever recorded at Kansas River at Lecompton?

The highest level on record is 30.23 ft on July 13, 1951.

For specialists

Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads

Operator: U.S. Geological Survey
Station code: usgs:06891000 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 39.05111, -95.38636 (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	8.01 ft	2026-10-18 22:30	Provisional
Flow	15,000 cfs	2026-10-18 22:30	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Kansas River at Lecompton (usgs:06891000). Accessed October 18, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/kansas/kansas-river-at-lecompton

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