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Missouri River at Atchison water level

River gauge, Missouri River, Kansas, United States

Directions

Below flood stage

Water level

10.02ft Up 0.49 ft over the last 24 hours

10 20 30 Highest onrecord 31.63 ft Minor floodstage 22.00 ft

History

9.69.810.0ftOct 12Oct 13Oct 15Oct 16Oct 189.69.810.0ftOct 12Oct 15Oct 18
101520ftSep 19Sep 26Oct 3Oct 10Oct 18Minor flood stage101520ftSep 19Oct 3Oct 18Minor flood stage
102030ftOct 2025Jan 2026Apr 2026Jul 2026Oct 2026Minor flood stage102030ftOct 2025Apr 2026Oct 2026Minor flood stage
-0102030ftJanMarMayJulSepNov2026-0102030ftJanAprJulOct2026

20252026

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

What this means

The Missouri River at Atchison is at 10.02 ft, in the normal range.

It is 11.98 ft below the flood stage of 22.00 ft. On the same day last year the reading was 8.02 ft, a difference of +2.00 ft.

It has risen 0.49 ft over the past 24 hours. There is still 11.98 ft of room before flood stage. In the last month it has stayed between 8.91 ft and 21.30 ft.

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

Judged against the official flood stage for this gauge. How to read levels

Key numbers

Same day last year
8.02 ft+2.00 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days
8.91 ft – 21.30 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months
2.71 ft – 21.30 ft
Highest on record
31.63 ftJuly 26, 1993

Floating and fishing near Missouri River at Atchison

Normal flows mean predictable rapids and good access at most put-ins.

Flood stage here is 22.00 ft, 11.98 ft above the current reading. Beyond it, the National Weather Service also defines moderate and major flood stages.

What happens at each level

30.00 ft
The Rushville-Sugar Lake, Bean Lake, and Henry Pohl Levees will likely be overtopped.
27.00 ft
River Road in Atchison floods and levees on the Missouri side of the river are overtopped. If the river remains above 27 feet for several days then U.S. Highway 59 and large portions of the floodplain in Missouri flood.
25.00 ft
A castings plant in Atchison is affected by flood waters.
22.00 ft
Low-lying areas on the Missouri side of the river begin to flood.
10.02 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: 17 %.

RankLevelDate
131.63 ftJuly 26, 1993
231.20 ftMarch 22, 2019
331.00 ftJune 29, 2011
429.83 ftJune 25, 2010
529.50 ftApril 23, 1952
629.26 ftMay 31, 2019
729.15 ftMay 8, 2007
828.85 ftJune 13, 2008
927.50 ftOctober 13, 1973
1026.80 ftJune 24, 1996

Weather at the gauge

Rain in the last 3 days: 0.20 in. Rain that falls upstream can take hours or days to show up at a river gauge.

17 Sat 61° 34° – Wind 9 mph
18 Sun 64° 40° – Wind 15 mph
19 Mon 66° 40° – Wind 12 mph
20 Tue 71° 50° – Wind 11 mph
21 Wed 73° 54° – Wind 13 mph
22 Thu 77° 58° – Wind 11 mph
23 Fri 75° 60° – Wind 16 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:34 AM Sunset 06:38 PM Daylight 11 hr, 4 min First quarter 47%

Map

Other gauges on the Missouri River

Gauge Level Compared with normal 24 hours Distance
Missouri River at Hwy 92 at OmahaRiver gauge, Missouri River 14.07 ft Low −0.15 ft 122 mi
Missouri River at Hwy 370 at BellevueRiver gauge, Missouri River 15.59 ft Low −0.12 ft 116 mi
Missouri River at Nebraska CityRiver gauge, Missouri River 9.29 ft Below flood stage −0.33 ft 87 mi
Missouri River at BrownvilleRiver gauge, Missouri River 25.31 ft Below flood stage −0.11 ft 65 mi
Missouri River at RuloRiver gauge, Missouri River 8.74 ft Below flood stage −0.02 ft 38 mi
Missouri River at St. JosephRiver gauge, Missouri River 8.09 ft Below flood stage +0.33 ft 19 mi
Missouri River at LeavenworthRiver gauge, Missouri River 5.28 ft Below flood stage +0.45 ft 19 mi
Missouri River above ParkvilleRiver gauge, Missouri River 10.63 ft Below flood stage +0.34 ft 31 mi
Missouri River at Kansas CityRiver gauge, Missouri River 13.13 ft Below flood stage −0.05 ft 42 mi
Missouri River at NapoleonRiver gauge, Missouri River 9.66 ft Below flood stage −0.27 ft 63 mi
Missouri River at WaverlyRiver gauge, Missouri River 13.87 ft Below flood stage −0.48 ft 89 mi
Missouri River at GlasgowRiver gauge, Missouri River 15.00 ft Below flood stage −0.79 ft 123 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge Level Compared with normal 24 hours Distance
Stranger Creek at EastonRiver gauge, Stranger Creek 2.84 ft Below flood stage −0.14 ft 15 mi
Delaware River near MuscotahRiver gauge, Delaware River 2.92 ft Normal −0.05 ft 22 mi
Platte River at Sharps StationRiver gauge, Platte River 5.31 ft Below flood stage −0.10 ft 23 mi
Platte River near AgencyRiver gauge, Platte River 7.51 ft Below flood stage −0.11 ft 24 mi
Little Platte River at SmithvilleRiver gauge, Little Platte River 12.28 ft Below flood stage −0.02 ft 31 mi
Stranger Creek near TonganoxieRiver gauge, Stranger Creek 3.16 ft Normal −0.35 ft 31 mi
Perry Lake near PerryLake, Perry Lake 894.22 ft Very high −0.16 ft 35 mi

Questions and answers

Is the Missouri River at Atchison higher than last year?

Yes, it is 2.00 ft higher than on the same day last year, when the reading was 8.02 ft.

What is flood stage for the Missouri River at Atchison?

The official flood stage is 22.00 ft. The level is currently 11.98 ft below it.

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 Missouri River at Atchison today?

On Oct 18, 2026, 01:30 AM CDT, the water level was 10.02 ft. Up 0.49 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Missouri River at Atchison rising or falling?

Up 0.49 ft over the last 24 hours. Down 0.37 ft over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Missouri River at Atchison normal?

Below flood stage. Judged against the official flood stage for this gauge.

What is the highest water level ever recorded at Missouri River at Atchison?

The highest level on record is 31.63 ft on July 26, 1993.

For specialists

Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads
Operator
U.S. Geological Survey
Station code
usgs:06818300 (Agency page)
Coordinates
39.55972, -95.11389 (WGS84)
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 10.02 ft 2026-10-18 06:30 Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Missouri River at Atchison (usgs:06818300). Accessed October 18, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/kansas/missouri-river-at-atchison

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