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Republican River at Clay Center water level

River gauge, Republican River, Kansas, United States

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Right now

Normal for mid-October

Water level

7.81ft Up 0.05 ft over the last 24 hours

Flow
353 cfs
Water temperature
56 °F
10 20 Highest onrecord 25.74 ft Minor floodstage 15.00 ft

History

History
6810ftOct 13Oct 14Oct 16Oct 18Oct 196810ftOct 13Oct 16Oct 19
1015ftSep 20Sep 27Oct 4Oct 12Oct 19Minor flood stage1015ftSep 20Oct 4Oct 19Minor flood stage
1015ftOct 2025Jan 2026Apr 2026Jul 2026Oct 2026Minor flood stage1015ftOct 2025Apr 2026Oct 2026Minor flood stage
1015ftJanMarMayJulSepNov20261015ftJanAprJulOct2026

20252026

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

What this means

The gauge at Republican River at Clay Center reads 7.81 ft, a normal level for mid-October.

The median for mid-October is 7.02 ft, based on 38 years of readings, so the river stage is 0.80 ft above typical. It is 7.19 ft below the flood stage of 15.00 ft. On the same day last year the reading was 6.74 ft, a difference of +1.07 ft.

The water is rising: up 0.05 ft over the past 24 hours. There is still 7.19 ft of room before flood stage.

Fall is often low-water season on rivers, until steadier rain returns. The water temperature at the gauge is 56 °F.

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

Key numbers

Median for this date
7.02 ft0.80 ft above the median for this date
Normal for this date
6.25 ft – 9.15 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (38 years of records)
Same day last year
6.74 ft+1.07 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days
6.47 ft – 14.58 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months
6.31 ft – 14.58 ft
Highest on record
25.74 ftJune 3, 1935

What the stage means on the water

A normal level is usually prime time for floating and wade fishing, as long as the weather holds upstream.

The National Weather Service puts flood stage for this gauge at 15.00 ft, still 7.19 ft away.

What happens at each level

27.00 ft
Floodwaters overflow Kansas Highway K-15 bridge.
22.50 ft
Highway 15 floods. A high fill which carries the road bed into Clay Center begins to overflow.
21.00 ft
Highways 24 and 15 flood. A high fill which carries the road bed into Clay Center begins to overflow.
17.00 ft
Flooding occurs between 16th, 17th, and 18th Roads and between Limestone and Osage Roads.
15.00 ft
Lowland agricultural flooding occurs from U.S. Highway 24 to Milford Lake.
7.81 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
125.74 ftJune 3, 1935
223.36 ftJuly 24, 1993
322.92 ftJune 26, 1947
422.75 ftJuly 8, 1993
522.60 ftSeptember 5, 1958
622.28 ftJuly 18, 1993
722.20 ftJuly 12, 1951
822.18 ftJune 2, 2011
921.82 ftJuly 31, 2020
1021.47 ftOctober 14, 1974

Weather at the gauge

The forecast is not available right now.

Sunrise 07:43 AM Sunset 06:45 PM Daylight 11 hr, 2 min First quarter 62%

Map

Other gauges on the Republican River

Gauge Level Compared with normal 24 hours Distance
Republican River near OrleansRiver gauge, Republican River 0.82 ft Normal ±0 137 mi
Republican River at Guide RockRiver gauge, Republican River 4.83 ft Very high −0.04 ft 81 mi
Republican River near HardyRiver gauge, Republican River 2.36 ft Normal −0.08 ft 61 mi
Republican River at ScandiaRiver gauge, Republican River 1.36 ft Below flood stage −0.09 ft 47 mi
Republican River at ConcordiaRiver gauge, Republican River 5.53 ft Normal −0.10 ft 33 mi
Republican River at Junction CityRiver gauge, Republican River 214 cfs Normal −597.0 cfs 27 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge Level Compared with normal 24 hours Distance
Milford Lake near Junction CityLake, Milford Lake 1,145.78 ft Very high −0.01 ft 23 mi
Chapman Creek near ChapmanRiver gauge, Chapman Creek 4.42 ft Normal −0.02 ft 23 mi
Wildcat Creek at KeatsRiver gauge, Wildcat Creek 8.21 ft High +0.01 ft 24 mi
Mud Creek near TalmageRiver gauge, Mud Creek 3.98 ft Below flood stage −0.02 ft 26 mi
Kansas River at Fort RileyRiver gauge, Kansas River 5.81 ft Normal −0.27 ft 28 mi
Wildcat Creek at Scenic Drive, ManhattanRiver gauge, Wildcat Creek 3.03 ft Below flood stage +0.01 ft 28 mi
Tuttle C Lake near ManhattanLake, Tuttle C Lake 1,084.98 ft Very high −1.09 ft 29 mi
Wildcat Creek at Seth Childs Road, ManhattanRiver gauge, Wildcat Creek 2.75 ft Normal −0.01 ft 30 mi

Questions and answers

Is the Republican River at Clay Center higher than last year?

Yes, it is 1.07 ft higher than on the same day last year, when the reading was 6.74 ft.

What is flood stage for the Republican River at Clay Center?

The official flood stage is 15.00 ft. The level is currently 7.19 ft below it.

What is a normal level for the Republican River at Clay Center in mid-October?

The median for mid-October is 7.02 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 6.25 ft and 9.15 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 Republican River at Clay Center today?

On Oct 19, 2026, 02:30 PM CDT, the water level was 7.81 ft. Up 0.05 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Republican River at Clay Center rising or falling?

Up 0.05 ft over the last 24 hours. Down 0.37 ft over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Republican River at Clay Center normal?

Normal 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:06856600 (Agency page)
Coordinates
39.35555, -97.12752 (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 7.81 ft 2026-10-19 19:30 Provisional
Flow 353 cfs 2026-10-19 19:30 Provisional
Water temperature 56 °F 2026-10-19 19:30 Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Republican River at Clay Center (usgs:06856600). Accessed October 19, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/kansas/republican-river-at-clay-center

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.