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Neosho River near Iola water level

River gauge, Neosho River, Kansas, United States

Directions

Very high for mid-October

Water level

8.92ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Flow
4,110 cfs
0 10 20 30 Highest onrecord 33.26 ft Minor floodstage 15.00 ft

History

51015ftOct 13Oct 15Oct 18Oct 20Oct 23Minor flood stage51015ftOct 13Oct 18Oct 23Minor flood stage
51015ftSep 20Sep 28Oct 6Oct 15Oct 23Minor flood stage51015ftSep 20Oct 6Oct 23Minor flood stage
51015ftOct 2025Jan 2026Apr 2026Jul 2026Oct 2026Minor flood stage51015ftOct 2025Apr 2026Oct 2026Minor flood stage
51015ftJanMarMayJulSepNov202651015ftJanAprJulOct2026

20252026

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

The forecast expects the river to fall to 8.80 ft by Wednesday, October 21 at 01:00 AM. Issued Sunday, October 18 at 08:16 AM by NOAA National Weather Service.

What this means

High water at Neosho River near Iola: the latest reading is 8.92 ft, well above normal for mid-October.

The median for mid-October is 6.80 ft, based on 38 years of readings, so the river stage is 2.12 ft above typical. It is 6.08 ft below the flood stage of 15.00 ft. On the same day last year the reading was 7.45 ft, a difference of +1.47 ft.

It has barely moved over the past 24 hours. The forecast expects the river to fall to 8.80 ft by Wednesday, October 21 at 01:00 AM. The 30-day range is 7.31 ft – 9.03 ft.

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

Key numbers

Median for this date
6.80 ft2.12 ft above the median for this date
Normal for this date
2.58 ft – 8.55 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (38 years of records)
Same day last year
7.45 ft+1.47 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days
7.31 ft – 9.03 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months
6.96 ft – 13.64 ft
Highest on record
33.26 ftJuly 13, 1951
Forecast peak
8.90 ftSunday, October 18 at 07:00 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

33.00 ft
Expect one third of the city of Iola to be inundated by 3 feet of flood waters.
27.00 ft
The base of the Iola Water Power Plant begins to take on water. Expect flooding of some streets in Iola.
21.00 ft
Flood waters reach the Cabins on west bank of river.
19.50 ft
Flood waters flow over 1300 Street, just north of Elm Creek, and over low lying fields next to the Water Plant. Expect west bank overflows north of gage site.
19.00 ft
The gravel road below the low water dam on west side of river floods as well as agricultural fields.
17.00 ft
Flood waters cover West Bruner Street by Riverside Park.
15.00 ft
Flooding occurs for about 1.5 miles over Dry Lake Corner on 1000 Street north of Highway 54.
8.92 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: 41 %.

RankLevelDate
133.26 ftJuly 13, 1951
226.90 ftJuly 1, 2007
323.50 ftSeptember 13, 1926
422.65 ftApril 25, 1944
522.40 ftApril 18, 1945
622.10 ftOctober 3, 1986
721.38 ftMay 26, 2019
821.20 ftJuly 4, 1951
921.15 ftSeptember 15, 1961
1021.10 ftDecember 8, 1944

Weather at the gauge

Rain in the last 3 days: 0.49 in. Rain that falls upstream can take hours or days to show up at a river gauge.

17 Sat 61° 33° – Wind 6 mph
18 Sun 64° 40° – Wind 17 mph
19 Mon 69° 39° – Wind 12 mph
20 Tue 72° 53° – Wind 11 mph
21 Wed 75° 53° – Wind 13 mph
22 Thu 79° 57° – Wind 12 mph
23 Fri 78° 59° – 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 Neosho River

Gauge Level Compared with normal 24 hours Distance
Neosho River above Council Grove LakeRiver gauge, Neosho River 4.27 ft No reference yet −0.13 ft 83 mi
Neosho River at Council GroveRiver gauge, Neosho River 9.23 ft Very high +0.01 ft 77 mi
Neosho River near DunlapRiver gauge, Neosho River 12.93 ft No reference yet −0.06 ft 67 mi
Neosho River near AmericusRiver gauge, Neosho River 4.85 ft Normal −0.10 ft 58 mi
Neosho River at Burlingame Road near EmporiaRiver gauge, Neosho River 446 cfs High −54.0 cfs 53 mi
Neosho River at Neosho RapidsRiver gauge, Neosho River 8.21 ft Below flood stage −0.89 ft 44 mi
Neosho River at HartfordRiver gauge, Neosho River 7.86 ft High −0.85 ft 39 mi
Neosho River at BurlingtonRiver gauge, Neosho River 10.54 ft High −0.07 ft 25 mi
Neosho River near ErieRiver gauge, Neosho River 14.45 ft Below flood stage +1.57 ft 27 mi
Neosho River near ParsonsRiver gauge, Neosho River 10.01 ft High +1.58 ft 44 mi
Neosho River near CommerceRiver gauge, Neosho River 3.37 ft Below flood stage −0.29 ft 73 mi
Neosho River at MiamiRiver gauge, Neosho River 743.05 ft Normal −0.02 ft 79 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge Level Compared with normal 24 hours Distance
Marmaton River near UniontownRiver gauge, Marmaton River −0.04 ft Below flood stage −0.07 ft 25 mi
Pottawatomie Creek near GarnettRiver gauge, Pottawatomie Creek 3.85 ft Below flood stage −0.31 ft 30 mi
Verdigris River near AltoonaRiver gauge, Verdigris River 3.43 ft Normal +0.01 ft 30 mi
Verdigris River near VirgilRiver gauge, Verdigris River 70.4 cfs Normal −16.8 cfs 33 mi
Fall River at FredoniaRiver gauge, Fall River 3.02 ft Normal −0.02 ft 36 mi
Marmaton River near Fort ScottRiver gauge, Marmaton River 7.81 ft Below flood stage −0.33 ft 40 mi
Lake Osage River at FultonRiver gauge, Lake Osage River 3.35 ft Normal −0.12 ft 40 mi

Questions and answers

Is the Neosho River near Iola higher than last year?

Yes, it is 1.47 ft higher than on the same day last year, when the reading was 7.45 ft.

What is flood stage for the Neosho River near Iola?

The official flood stage is 15.00 ft. The level is currently 6.08 ft below it.

What is a normal level for the Neosho River near Iola in mid-October?

The median for mid-October is 6.80 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 2.58 ft and 8.55 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 Neosho River near Iola today?

On Oct 18, 2026, 06:30 PM CDT, the water level was 8.92 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Neosho River near Iola rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours. Down 0.05 ft over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Neosho River near Iola 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:07183000 (Agency page)
Coordinates
37.92226, -95.42776 (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 8.92 ft 2026-10-18 23:30 Provisional
Flow 4,110 cfs 2026-10-18 23:30 Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Neosho River near Iola (usgs:07183000). Accessed October 19, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/kansas/neosho-river-near-iola

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