Kansas River at Topeka water level

Name: Kansas River at Topeka 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

12.14ft Down 0.10 ft over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 19, 2026, 01:30 AM CDT (57 min 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 10.20 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 Topeka is well above normal at 12.14 ft.

That puts it 6.85 ft above the median of 5.29 ft for mid-October, based on 38 years of readings. It is 13.86 ft below the flood stage of 26.00 ft. A year ago it stood at 5.65 ft (+6.49 ft).

It has dropped 0.10 ft over the past 24 hours. The forecast expects the river to fall to 10.20 ft by Friday, October 23 at 07:00 AM. In the last month it has stayed between 6.05 ft and 21.98 ft.

Compared with 38 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Median for this date: 5.29 ft6.85 ft above the median for this date
Normal for this date: 4.51 ft – 8.53 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (38 years of records)
Same day last year: 5.65 ft+6.49 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days: 6.05 ft – 21.98 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months: 5.22 ft – 21.98 ft
Highest on record: 47.20 ftJune 1, 1844
Forecast peak: 12.10 ftMonday, October 19 at 01:00 AM

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

43.00 ft: Floodwaters overflow West Waterworks levee top.
42.00 ft: Water tops the levees on north and south banks at the Sardou bridge.
38.00 ft: Flood waters reach South Topeka Gap at Union Pacific Railroad bridge.
37.50 ft: Floodwaters overflow Union Pacific Railroad lifting bridge west of Topeka Blvd.
37.00 ft: Flood waters reach base of stoplog gap across Union Pacific Railroad near Ward Martin Creek.
26.00 ft: River Road under the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railroad bridge begins to flood.
23.00 ft: Overflow of low-lying rural areas begins west of topeka.
12.14 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 %.

Rank	Level	Date
1	47.20 ft	June 1, 1844
2	40.80 ft	July 13, 1951
3	34.97 ft	July 24, 1993
4	33.90 ft	June 30, 1951
5	33.00 ft	June 9, 1908
6	32.70 ft	June 5, 1935
7	32.29 ft	October 12, 1973
8	31.80 ft	June 17, 1943
9	30.80 ft	June 12, 1941
10	29.40 ft	May 24, 1995

Weather at the gauge

Rain in the last 3 days: 0.06 in. Rain that falls upstream can take hours or days to show up at a river gauge.

18 Sun 63° 39° – Wind 12 mph

19 Mon 65° 42° – Wind 9 mph

20 Tue 72° 50° – Wind 13 mph

21 Wed 74° 54° – Wind 13 mph

22 Thu 76° 59° – Wind 10 mph

23 Fri 79° 60° – Wind 17 mph

24 Sat 79° 58° 0.02 in Wind 18 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:37 AM Sunset 06:40 PM Daylight 11 hr, 3 min First quarter 57%

Map

Other gauges on the Kansas River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Kansas River at Fort RileyRiver gauge, Kansas River	6.06 ft	Normal	−0.07 ft	60 mi
Kansas River at ManhattanRiver gauge, Kansas River	7.67 ft	Normal	−0.10 ft	49 mi
Kansas River at WamegoRiver gauge, Kansas River	9.28 ft	Very high	−0.10 ft	36 mi
Kansas River near BelvueRiver gauge, Kansas River	15.61 ft	Very high	−0.07 ft	28 mi
Kansas River above Topeka Weir at TopekaRiver gauge, Kansas River	14,500 cfs	High	−200.0 cfs	3.6 mi
Kansas River at LecomptonRiver gauge, Kansas River	7.99 ft	Very high	−0.06 ft	14 mi
Kansas River at LawrenceRiver gauge, Kansas River	13.71 ft	Normal	−0.05 ft	23 mi
Kansas River at DesotoRiver gauge, Kansas River	9.78 ft	Very high	−0.04 ft	37 mi
Kansas River near Lake QuiviraRiver gauge, Kansas River	12.44 ft	Below flood stage	−0.03 ft	46 mi
Kansas River at Kansas CityRiver gauge, Kansas River	15.45 ft	Normal	+0.08 ft	56 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Shunganunga Creek at TopekaRiver gauge, Shunganunga Creek	4.28 ft	Low	−0.02 ft	3.2 mi
Soldier Creek near TopekaRiver gauge, Soldier Creek	0.30 ft	Normal	±0	4.6 mi
Shunganunga Creek at Gage Blvd, TopekaRiver gauge, Shunganunga Creek	4.85 ft	Below flood stage	−0.01 ft	5.3 mi
Perry Lake near PerryLake, Perry Lake	894.06 ft	Very high	−0.16 ft	12 mi
Wakarusa River near RichlandRiver gauge, Wakarusa River	24.7 cfs	High	−4.9 cfs	12 mi
Wakarusa River at WakarusaRiver gauge, Wakarusa River	2.95 ft	Below flood stage	−0.05 ft	13 mi
Cross Creek at RossvilleRiver gauge, Cross Creek	7.65 ft	Below flood stage	−0.02 ft	17 mi
Soldier Creek near DeliaRiver gauge, Soldier Creek	5.63 ft	Normal	±0	17 mi

Questions and answers

How does the Kansas River at Topeka compare with last year?

It is 6.49 ft higher than on the same day last year, when the reading was 5.65 ft.

What is flood stage for the Kansas River at Topeka?

The official flood stage is 26.00 ft. The level is currently 13.86 ft below it.

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

The median for mid-October is 5.29 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 4.51 ft and 8.53 ft, based on 38 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 Topeka today?

On Oct 19, 2026, 01:30 AM CDT, the water level was 12.14 ft. Down 0.10 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Kansas River at Topeka rising or falling?

Down 0.10 ft over the last 24 hours. Down 0.60 ft over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Kansas River at Topeka normal?

Very high for mid-October. Compared with 38 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:06889000 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 39.06667, -95.64970 (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	12.14 ft	2026-10-19 06:30	Provisional
Flow	15,000 cfs	2026-10-19 06:30	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Kansas River at Topeka (usgs:06889000). Accessed October 19, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/kansas/kansas-river-at-topeka

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