Saline River near Russell water level

Name: Saline River near Russell water level (U.S. Geological Survey)
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
License: https://www.usgs.gov/information-policies-and-instructions/copyrights-and-credits

River gauge, Saline River, Kansas, United States

Directions

Normal for mid-October

Water level

4.51ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 19, 2026, 05:30 AM CDT (44 min ago)

Flow: 12.9 cfs

History

7 days 30 days 1 year Years compared

20252026

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

What this means

The gauge at Saline River near Russell reads 4.51 ft, a normal level for mid-October.

That puts it 0.17 ft above the median of 4.34 ft for mid-October, based on 39 years of readings. It is 13.49 ft below the flood stage of 18.00 ft. A year ago it stood at 5.48 ft (−0.97 ft).

The level has held steady over the past 24 hours. Over the past 30 days it has moved between 4.16 ft and 7.34 ft.

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

Compared with 39 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Median for this date: 4.34 ft0.17 ft above the median for this date
Normal for this date: 3.46 ft – 6.10 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (39 years of records)
Same day last year: 5.48 ft−0.97 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days: 4.16 ft – 7.34 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months: 4.16 ft – 14.12 ft
Highest on record: 25.73 ftJuly 21, 1993

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 18.00 ft, still 13.49 ft away.

What happens at each level

20.50 ft: Fields are inundated especially on the south side of the river. Land Road, 1/2 mile south of river guage site, will be covered by flood waters less than 1 inch deep. Saline River Road between Canyon Road and 180th Street, 7 miles northwest of the guage site, will have several areas underwater. Low secondary road bridges may be underwater. Water reaches outbuildings that are 1/2 mile upstream.
18.00 ft: Widespread flooding of lowlands in the vicinity of the gage occurs affecting pasture and cultivated land. The width of the river extends to approximately 400 ft. The areas where Saline River Road, Canyon Road and 180th Street connect, several sections along those roads will begin to flood. It may be possible small bridge crossings in the vicinity may be underwater. Further upstream all the way up to Fairport, expect some county roads along the river to be underwater.
10.60 ft: The right bank begins to overflow and affects pasture and cultivated land near the gage site.
9.70 ft: Expect left bank overflows to begin.
4.51 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 %.

Rank	Level	Date
1	25.73 ft	July 21, 1993
2	23.04 ft	July 2, 1993
3	22.22 ft	September 4, 2016
4	22.11 ft	May 23, 1995
5	21.04 ft	September 4, 2016
6	20.50 ft	June 1, 1957
7	19.70 ft	September 1, 1964
8	19.23 ft	May 31, 2018
9	19.12 ft	June 28, 1951
10	18.44 ft	June 22, 1951

Weather at the gauge

Rain in the last 3 days: 0.24 in. Rain that falls upstream can take hours or days to show up at a river gauge.

17 Sat 64° 31° – Wind 15 mph

18 Sun 68° 40° – Wind 20 mph

19 Mon 71° 42° – Wind 14 mph

20 Tue 73° 53° 0.02 in Wind 18 mph

21 Wed 82° 59° 0.02 in Wind 15 mph

22 Thu 85° 60° – Wind 16 mph

23 Fri 81° 67° – Wind 21 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:49 AM Sunset 06:53 PM Daylight 11 hr, 3 min First quarter 58%

Map

Other gauges on the Saline River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Saline River near WakeeneyRiver gauge, Saline River	2.09 ft	Normal	−0.05 ft	55 mi
Saline River at Wilson DamRiver gauge, Saline River	2.87 ft	Normal	+0.01 ft	20 mi
Saline River at LincolnRiver gauge, Saline River	10.39 ft	Below flood stage	−0.03 ft	38 mi
Saline River at TescottRiver gauge, Saline River	6.67 ft	Normal	−0.02 ft	53 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Paradise Creek near ParadiseRiver gauge, Paradise Creek	8.39 ft	Below flood stage	−0.01 ft	6 mi
Smoky Hill River near RussellRiver gauge, Smoky Hill River	4.22 ft	Below flood stage	−0.12 ft	13 mi
Wilson Lake near WilsonLake, Wilson Lake	1,511.17 ft	Low	−0.03 ft	19 mi
Smoky Hill River at PfeiferRiver gauge, Smoky Hill River	9.7 cfs	Normal	−0.8 cfs	24 mi
Big Creek near HaysRiver gauge, Big Creek	4.68 ft	Normal	±0	26 mi
Smoky Hill River below SchoenchenRiver gauge, Smoky Hill River	2.88 ft	Very high	−0.01 ft	29 mi
Smoky Hill River near SchoenchenRiver gauge, Smoky Hill River	3.09 ft	Normal	−0.03 ft	32 mi
Sf Solomon River at OsborneRiver gauge, Sf Solomon River	3.10 ft	Low	−0.06 ft	33 mi

Questions and answers

How does the Saline River near Russell compare with last year?

It is 0.97 ft lower than on the same day last year, when the reading was 5.48 ft.

What is flood stage for the Saline River near Russell?

The official flood stage is 18.00 ft. The level is currently 13.49 ft below it.

What is a normal level for the Saline River near Russell in mid-October?

The median for mid-October is 4.34 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 3.46 ft and 6.10 ft, based on 39 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 Saline River near Russell today?

On Oct 19, 2026, 05:30 AM CDT, the water level was 4.51 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Saline River near Russell rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours. Down 0.06 ft over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Saline River near Russell normal?

Normal for mid-October. Compared with 39 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:06867000 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 38.96586, -98.85409 (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

Parameter	Last value	Time (UTC)	Quality
Water level	4.51 ft	2026-10-19 10:30	Provisional
Flow	12.9 cfs	2026-10-19 10:30	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Saline River near Russell (usgs:06867000). Accessed October 19, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/kansas/saline-river-near-russell

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