Sf Ninnescah River near Pratt water level

Name: Sf Ninnescah River near Pratt 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, Sf Ninnescah River, Kansas, United States

Directions

Normal for mid-October

Water level

2.73ft Down 0.05 ft over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 19, 2026, 05:00 AM CDT (23 min ago)

Flow: 5.6 cfs

History

7 days 30 days 1 year Years compared

20252026

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

What this means

Water levels are unremarkable at Sf Ninnescah River near Pratt, where the gauge shows 2.73 ft.

That puts it 0.16 ft above the median of 2.57 ft for mid-October, based on 34 years of readings. It is 6.27 ft below the flood stage of 9.00 ft. A year ago it stood at 2.60 ft (+0.13 ft).

It is still going down, by 0.05 ft over the past 24 hours. The 30-day range is 2.66 ft – 2.87 ft.

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

Compared with 34 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Median for this date: 2.57 ft0.16 ft above the median for this date
Normal for this date: 2.34 ft – 2.95 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (34 years of records)
Same day last year: 2.60 ft+0.13 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days: 2.66 ft – 2.87 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months: 2.49 ft – 7.45 ft
Highest on record: 14.44 ftSeptember 3, 2018

Paddling and fishing conditions

Most paddlers and anglers will find the river in good shape at this stage.

For reference, flood stage is 9.00 ft.

What happens at each level

13.00 ft: Highway 281 in the south part of Pratt becomes flooded. Lemon Park becomes inundated with swiftly flowing flood waters. Pedestrian bridges and ball fields become inundated. Flood waters cover the Green Nature Trail and impact the Kansas Department of Wildlife headquarters building and facilities located on the southeast side of Pratt. Veterans Memorial Lake takes on the Ninnescah River flood waters to the point that camping areas and fishing piers are completely inundated.
11.00 ft: Flood waters cover numerous county roads from the vicinity of Pratt to the Pratt and Kingman county line. Expect road closures.
9.00 ft: Expect overflow of banks. Stream overflows narrowly on the left bank and more broadly on the right bank. Stream is approximately 260 ft wide at this stage.
2.73 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: 7 %.

Rank	Level	Date
1	14.44 ft	September 3, 2018
2	11.54 ft	July 4, 1987
3	11.12 ft	July 20, 1997
4	11.08 ft	May 8, 2019
5	10.94 ft	August 3, 1996
6	10.34 ft	May 27, 1995
7	10.22 ft	March 23, 2000
8	10.06 ft	October 10, 2018
9	10.03 ft	April 30, 1985
10	9.89 ft	July 19, 1988

Weather at the gauge

Rain in the last 3 days: 0.25 in. Rain that falls upstream can take hours or days to show up at a river gauge.

18 Sun 67° 41° – Wind 20 mph

19 Mon 68° 45° – Wind 15 mph

20 Tue 71° 51° 0.05 in Wind 18 mph

21 Wed 76° 55° 0.07 in Wind 17 mph

22 Thu 79° 58° – Wind 16 mph

23 Fri 76° 62° – Wind 22 mph

24 Sat 74° 64° – Wind 22 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:47 AM Sunset 06:53 PM Daylight 11 hr, 6 min First quarter 58%

Map

Other gauges on the Sf Ninnescah River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Sf Ninnescah River near MurdockRiver gauge, Sf Ninnescah River	3.23 ft	Very low	+0.01 ft	48 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Rattlesnake Creek near MacksvilleRiver gauge, Rattlesnake Creek	2.80 ft	Normal	±0	18 mi
Rattlesnake Creek near ZenithRiver gauge, Rattlesnake Creek	11.74 ft	Normal	−0.01 ft	33 mi
Nf Ninnescah River above Cheney ReRiver gauge, Nf Ninnescah River	5.92 ft	Normal	−0.03 ft	42 mi
Arkansas River near LarnedRiver gauge, Arkansas River	3.97 ft	Normal	−0.04 ft	42 mi
Medicine Lodge River near KiowaRiver gauge, Medicine Lodge River	0.04 ft	Low	−0.07 ft	44 mi
Arkansas River near NickersonRiver gauge, Arkansas River	8.98 ft	Normal	+0.01 ft	48 mi
Cow Creek near HutchinsonRiver gauge, Cow Creek	1.49 ft	Normal	±0	52 mi
Pawnee River at RozelRiver gauge, Pawnee River	7.21 ft	Normal	−0.02 ft	54 mi

Questions and answers

How does the Sf Ninnescah River near Pratt compare with last year?

It is 0.13 ft higher than on the same day last year, when the reading was 2.60 ft.

What is flood stage for the Sf Ninnescah River near Pratt?

The official flood stage is 9.00 ft. The level is currently 6.27 ft below it.

What is a normal level for the Sf Ninnescah River near Pratt in mid-October?

The median for mid-October is 2.57 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 2.34 ft and 2.95 ft, based on 34 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 Sf Ninnescah River near Pratt today?

On Oct 19, 2026, 05:00 AM CDT, the water level was 2.73 ft. Down 0.05 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Sf Ninnescah River near Pratt rising or falling?

Down 0.05 ft over the last 24 hours. Up 0.07 ft over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Sf Ninnescah River near Pratt normal?

Normal for mid-October. Compared with 34 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:07144910 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 37.63780, -98.72092 (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	2.73 ft	2026-10-19 10:00	Provisional
Flow	5.6 cfs	2026-10-19 10:00	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Sf Ninnescah River near Pratt (usgs:07144910). Accessed October 19, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/kansas/sf-ninnescah-river-near-pratt

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