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Medicine Lodge River near Kiowa water level

River gauge, Medicine Lodge River, Kansas, United States

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Right now

Low for mid-October

Water level

-0.01ft Down 0.04 ft over the last 24 hours

Flow
44.2 cfs
0 5 10 15 Highest onrecord 15.50 ft Minor floodstage 10.00 ft

History

History
-012ftOct 16Oct 17Oct 18Oct 19Oct 20-012ftOct 16Oct 18Oct 20
-02ftSep 21Sep 28Oct 5Oct 13Oct 20-02ftSep 21Oct 5Oct 20
-0510ftOct 2025Jan 2026Apr 2026Jul 2026Oct 2026Minor flood stage-0510ftOct 2025Apr 2026Oct 2026Minor flood stage
-024ftJanMarMayJulSepNov2026-024ftJanAprJulOct2026

20252026

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

What this means

Low water at Medicine Lodge River near Kiowa: the gauge reads −0.01 ft, below normal for mid-October.

The median for mid-October is 1.11 ft, based on 35 years of readings, so the river stage is 1.12 ft below typical. It is 10.01 ft below the flood stage of 10.00 ft. On the same day last year the reading was 0.18 ft, a difference of −0.19 ft.

It is still going down, by 0.04 ft over the past 24 hours. Without real rain upstream, that is unlikely to change quickly. The 30-day range is −0.73 ft – 1.12 ft.

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

Compared with 35 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Median for this date
1.11 ft1.12 ft below the median for this date
Normal for this date
−0.17 ft – 2.10 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (35 years of records)
Same day last year
0.18 ft−0.19 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days
−0.73 ft – 1.12 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months
−0.76 ft – 1.37 ft
Highest on record
15.50 ftJune 15, 1957

Paddling and fishing conditions

At low levels, plan for shorter paddling trips and expect to walk your boat through a few shoals.

For reference, flood stage is 10.00 ft.

What happens at each level

12.50 ft
Prepare for right bank (west bank) overflows encroaching onto the adjacent lowlands when the river stage exceeds 12.5 feet.
11.50 ft
Left bank (east bank) overflows onto the surrounding countryside will begin when the river stage exceeds 11.5 feet.
−0.01 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: 19 %.

RankLevelDate
115.50 ftJune 15, 1957
212.14 ftMay 10, 2019
312.10 ftOctober 12, 1973
411.75 ftOctober 22, 1941
511.67 ftMay 27, 2019
611.30 ftOctober 31, 1979
711.16 ftOctober 17, 1968
811.14 ftMarch 31, 1973
911.07 ftJune 6, 1965
1011.05 ftMay 5, 1938

Weather at the gauge

Rain in the last 3 days: 0.21 in. Rain that falls upstream can take hours or days to show up at a river gauge.

18 Sun 65° 39° – Wind 16 mph
19 Mon 67° 44° – Wind 13 mph
20 Tue 72° 53° 0.01 in Wind 16 mph
21 Wed 78° 56° – Wind 16 mph
22 Thu 82° 60° – Wind 14 mph
23 Fri 79° 63° – Wind 18 mph
24 Sat 73° 57° 0.14 in Wind 16 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:47 AM Sunset 06:52 PM Daylight 11 hr, 5 min Waxing gibbous 69%

Map

Nearby gauges

Gauge Level Compared with normal 24 hours Distance
Salt Fork Arkansas River near AlvaRiver gauge, Salt Fork Arkansas River 2.29 ft Below flood stage −0.03 ft 18 mi
Cimarron River near WaynokaRiver gauge, Cimarron River 5.54 ft Below flood stage −0.01 ft 43 mi
Sf Ninnescah River near PrattRiver gauge, Sf Ninnescah River 2.73 ft High −0.02 ft 44 mi
Sf Ninnescah River near MurdockRiver gauge, Sf Ninnescah River 3.20 ft Very low −0.01 ft 50 mi

Questions and answers

Is the Medicine Lodge River near Kiowa higher than last year?

No, it is 0.19 ft lower than on the same day last year, when the reading was 0.18 ft.

What is flood stage for the Medicine Lodge River near Kiowa?

The official flood stage is 10.00 ft. The level is currently 10.01 ft below it.

What is a normal level for the Medicine Lodge River near Kiowa in mid-October?

The median for mid-October is 1.11 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between −0.17 ft and 2.10 ft, based on 35 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 Medicine Lodge River near Kiowa today?

On Oct 20, 2026, 10:30 AM CDT, the water level was −0.01 ft. Down 0.04 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Medicine Lodge River near Kiowa rising or falling?

Down 0.04 ft over the last 24 hours. Up 0.28 ft over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Medicine Lodge River near Kiowa normal?

Low for mid-October. Compared with 35 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:07149000 (Agency page)
Coordinates
37.03891, -98.47016 (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 −0.01 ft 2026-10-20 15:30 Provisional
Flow 44.2 cfs 2026-10-20 15:30 Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Medicine Lodge River near Kiowa (usgs:07149000). Accessed October 20, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/kansas/medicine-lodge-river-near-kiowa

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.