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Kansas River at Wamego water level

River gauge, Kansas River, Kansas, United States

Directions

Very high for mid-October

Water level

9.26ft Down 0.09 ft over the last 24 hours

Flow
14,000 cfs
Water temperature
65 °F
0 10 20 30 Highest onrecord 30.56 ft Minor floodstage 19.00 ft

History

46810ftOct 13Oct 15Oct 18Oct 21Oct 2446810ftOct 13Oct 18Oct 24
5101520ftSep 20Sep 28Oct 7Oct 15Oct 24Minor flood stage5101520ftSep 20Oct 7Oct 24Minor flood stage
5101520ftOct 2025Jan 2026Apr 2026Jul 2026Oct 2026Minor flood stage5101520ftOct 2025Apr 2026Oct 2026Minor flood stage
510ftJanMarMayJulSepNov2026510ftJanAprJulOct2026

20252026

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

The forecast expects the river to fall to 5.90 ft by Saturday, October 24 at 07:00 AM. Issued Monday, October 19 at 09:05 AM by NOAA National Weather Service.

What this means

High water at Kansas River at Wamego: the latest reading is 9.26 ft, well above normal for mid-October.

That puts it 5.49 ft above the median of 3.77 ft for mid-October, based on 38 years of readings. It is 9.74 ft below the flood stage of 19.00 ft. A year ago it stood at 3.52 ft (+5.74 ft).

It is still going down, by 0.09 ft over the past 24 hours. The forecast expects the river to fall to 5.90 ft by Saturday, October 24 at 07:00 AM. The 30-day range is 4.00 ft – 11.05 ft.

The sensor also reports a water temperature of 65 °F.

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

Key numbers

Median for this date
3.77 ft5.49 ft above the median for this date
Normal for this date
3.24 ft – 7.59 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (38 years of records)
Same day last year
3.52 ft+5.74 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days
4.00 ft – 11.05 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months
2.82 ft – 12.33 ft
Highest on record
30.56 ftJuly 13, 1951
Forecast peak
9.30 ftMonday, October 19 at 01:00 PM

Staying safe in high water

Flood stage is only the first threshold. Above it the National Weather Service sets moderate and major flood stages, and the forecast crest tells you which of those the river is expected to reach.

Upstream gauges on the same river usually show a rise first, which is a useful early warning.

What happens at each level

26.00 ft
Highway K 99 south of the Kansas River floods if the levees fail.
19.00 ft
Low lying areas near the river flood from Manhattan to Belvue.
9.26 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
130.56 ftJuly 13, 1951
229.30 ftMay 30, 1903
327.33 ftJuly 26, 1993
426.79 ftJune 4, 1935
526.00 ftJune 11, 1908
625.88 ftJune 30, 1951
724.80 ftJune 11, 1941
824.56 ftJune 23, 1951
923.85 ftJune 17, 1943
1023.50 ftJune 20, 1915

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 66° 36° – Wind 15 mph
19 Mon 68° 40° – Wind 11 mph
20 Tue 72° 50° – Wind 13 mph
21 Wed 76° 56° – Wind 14 mph
22 Thu 79° 59° – Wind 11 mph
23 Fri 78° 64° – Wind 18 mph
24 Sat 72° 57° 0.40 in, 23% Wind 17 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:40 AM Sunset 06:42 PM Daylight 11 hr, 3 min First quarter 61%

Map

Other gauges on the Kansas River

Gauge Level Compared with normal 24 hours Distance
Kansas River at Fort RileyRiver gauge, Kansas River 5.98 ft Normal −0.11 ft 26 mi
Kansas River at ManhattanRiver gauge, Kansas River 7.55 ft Normal −0.11 ft 13 mi
Kansas River near BelvueRiver gauge, Kansas River 15.58 ft Very high −0.08 ft 8 mi
Kansas River above Topeka Weir at TopekaRiver gauge, Kansas River 14,400 cfs High −300.0 cfs 33 mi
Kansas River at TopekaRiver gauge, Kansas River 12.09 ft Very high −0.13 ft 36 mi
Kansas River at LecomptonRiver gauge, Kansas River 7.78 ft Very high −0.25 ft 50 mi
Kansas River at LawrenceRiver gauge, Kansas River 13.68 ft Normal −0.05 ft 60 mi
Kansas River at DesotoRiver gauge, Kansas River 9.75 ft Very high −0.07 ft 73 mi
Kansas River near Lake QuiviraRiver gauge, Kansas River 12.45 ft Below flood stage −0.04 ft 82 mi
Kansas River at Kansas CityRiver gauge, Kansas River 15.40 ft Normal +0.02 ft 91 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge Level Compared with normal 24 hours Distance
Vermillion Creek near WamegoRiver gauge, Vermillion Creek 3.30 ft Low −0.01 ft 11 mi
Mill Creek near PaxicoRiver gauge, Mill Creek 3.69 ft High −0.03 ft 12 mi
Big Blue River near ManhattanRiver gauge, Big Blue River 11.28 ft Very high −0.13 ft 14 mi
Tuttle C Lake near ManhattanLake, Tuttle C Lake 1,085.08 ft Very high −1.09 ft 16 mi
Wildcat Creek at Seth Childs Road, ManhattanRiver gauge, Wildcat Creek 2.74 ft Normal −0.02 ft 16 mi
Kings Creek near ManhattanRiver gauge, Kings Creek 3.0 cfs Very high −0.2 cfs 17 mi
Wildcat Creek at Scenic Drive, ManhattanRiver gauge, Wildcat Creek 3.02 ft Below flood stage −0.01 ft 18 mi
Cross Creek at RossvilleRiver gauge, Cross Creek 7.63 ft Below flood stage −0.01 ft 19 mi

Questions and answers

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

It is 5.74 ft higher than on the same day last year, when the reading was 3.52 ft.

What is flood stage for the Kansas River at Wamego?

The official flood stage is 19.00 ft. The level is currently 9.74 ft below it.

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

The median for mid-October is 3.77 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 3.24 ft and 7.59 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 Wamego today?

On Oct 19, 2026, 12:30 PM CDT, the water level was 9.26 ft. Down 0.09 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Kansas River at Wamego rising or falling?

Down 0.09 ft over the last 24 hours. Down 0.56 ft over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Kansas River at Wamego 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:06887500 (Agency page)
Coordinates
39.19833, -96.30555 (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 9.26 ft 2026-10-19 17:30 Provisional
Flow 14,000 cfs 2026-10-19 17:30 Provisional
Water temperature 65 °F 2026-10-19 17:45 Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Kansas River at Wamego (usgs:06887500). Accessed October 19, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/kansas/kansas-river-at-wamego

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