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Smoky Hill River at Ellsworth water level

River gauge, Smoky Hill River, Kansas, United States

Directions

Normal for mid-October

Water level

1.77ft Down 0.04 ft over the last 24 hours

Flow
71.2 cfs
0 10 20 30 Highest onrecord 30.07 ft Minor floodstage 20.00 ft

History

1.01.52.02.5ftOct 13Oct 14Oct 16Oct 18Oct 191.01.52.02.5ftOct 13Oct 16Oct 19
246ftSep 20Sep 27Oct 4Oct 12Oct 19246ftSep 20Oct 4Oct 19
-01020ftNov 2025Feb 2026May 2026Jul 2026Oct 2026Minor flood stage-01020ftNov 2025May 2026Oct 2026Minor flood stage
-0510ftJanMarMayJulSepNov2026-0510ftJanAprJulOct2026

20252026

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

What this means

The Smoky Hill River at Ellsworth is at 1.77 ft, in the normal range for mid-October.

That puts it 0.15 ft above the median of 1.62 ft for mid-October, based on 38 years of readings. It is 18.23 ft below the flood stage of 20.00 ft.

It has dropped 0.04 ft over the past 24 hours. In the last month it has stayed between 1.15 ft and 6.19 ft.

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

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

Key numbers

Median for this date
1.62 ft0.15 ft above the median for this date
Normal for this date
1.00 ft – 2.62 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (38 years of records)
Lowest and highest in 30 days
1.15 ft – 6.19 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months
0.93 ft – 11.77 ft
Highest on record
30.07 ftJuly 22, 1993

Floating and fishing near Smoky Hill River at Ellsworth

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

Flood stage here is 20.00 ft, 18.23 ft above the current reading. Beyond it, the National Weather Service also defines moderate and major flood stages.

What happens at each level

27.00 ft
Major and widespread flooding is anticipated. The left bank begins to overflow into the city of Ellsworth.
24.00 ft
Extensive flooding of low-lying areas and roads around the area will be impacted including Highway 14. The bridge on Highway 14 becomes flooded along with some homes around the area.
23.00 ft
The road 100 feet south of the Highway 14 Bridge will become inundated with about 1 ft depth of water.
21.00 ft
About 100 feet south of the Highway 14 Bridge the road becomes flooded.
20.00 ft
Some flooding of low-lying areas, bottom land and roads near the gage site can be expected. The Highway 14 Bridge is closed to southbound traffic at the gage site.
18.00 ft
Overflows occur on the right bank near the gage site on Highway 14 in the southwest side of town. The bridge at the gage site is closed to southbound traffic.
17.00 ft
Minor rural overflows begin at this level.
1.77 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 %.

RankLevelDate
130.07 ftJuly 22, 1993
227.20 ftJune 1, 1938
325.70 ftAugust 13, 1927
425.57 ftJuly 23, 1993
524.85 ftJuly 26, 1990
624.12 ftMay 23, 1951
723.13 ftJune 16, 1970
823.04 ftOctober 10, 2018
922.97 ftAugust 2, 2007
1022.67 ftMay 6, 2007

Weather at the gauge

Rain in the last 3 days: 0.82 in. Rain that falls upstream can take hours or days to show up at a river gauge.

17 Sat 62° 33° – Wind 12 mph
18 Sun 64° 39° – Wind 19 mph
19 Mon 69° 44° – Wind 17 mph
20 Tue 72° 53° – Wind 20 mph
21 Wed 80° 58° 0.01 in Wind 18 mph
22 Thu 83° 60° – Wind 17 mph
23 Fri 79° 66° – Wind 24 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:47 AM Sunset 06:50 PM Daylight 11 hr, 4 min First quarter 62%

Map

Other gauges on the Smoky Hill River

Gauge Level Compared with normal 24 hours Distance
Smoky Hill River at ElkaderRiver gauge, Smoky Hill River 4.63 ft Very high ±0 141 mi
Smoky Hill River near ArnoldRiver gauge, Smoky Hill River 0.23 ft Low +0.01 ft 97 mi
Smoky Hill River near SchoenchenRiver gauge, Smoky Hill River 3.10 ft Normal −0.03 ft 60 mi
Smoky Hill River below SchoenchenRiver gauge, Smoky Hill River 2.86 ft Very high −0.03 ft 57 mi
Smoky Hill River at PfeiferRiver gauge, Smoky Hill River 9.7 cfs Normal −0.5 cfs 50 mi
Smoky Hill River near RussellRiver gauge, Smoky Hill River 4.21 ft Below flood stage −0.08 ft 34 mi
Smoky Hill River near LangleyRiver gauge, Smoky Hill River 3.68 ft Normal −0.02 ft 17 mi
Smoky Hill River at LindsborgRiver gauge, Smoky Hill River 7.33 ft Below flood stage −0.03 ft 33 mi
Smoky Hill River near MentorRiver gauge, Smoky Hill River 4.41 ft Normal −0.01 ft 36 mi
Smoky Hill River at New CambriaRiver gauge, Smoky Hill River 5.95 ft Below flood stage −0.03 ft 42 mi
Smoky Hill River at EnterpriseRiver gauge, Smoky Hill River 7.45 ft Normal −0.06 ft 61 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge Level Compared with normal 24 hours Distance
Kanopolis Lake near KanopolisLake, Kanopolis Lake 1,466.82 ft Very high −0.04 ft 17 mi
Saline River at LincolnRiver gauge, Saline River 10.40 ft Below flood stage −0.01 ft 21 mi
Wilson Lake near WilsonLake, Wilson Lake 1,511.17 ft Low −0.02 ft 22 mi
Saline River at Wilson DamRiver gauge, Saline River 2.85 ft Normal ±0 22 mi
Saline River at TescottRiver gauge, Saline River 6.65 ft Normal −0.03 ft 27 mi
Cow Creek near LyonsRiver gauge, Cow Creek 3.60 ft Very low +0.01 ft 29 mi
Mulberry Creek near SalinaRiver gauge, Mulberry Creek 3.80 ft Below flood stage −0.03 ft 32 mi

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for the Smoky Hill River at Ellsworth?

The official flood stage is 20.00 ft. The level is currently 18.23 ft below it.

What is a normal level for the Smoky Hill River at Ellsworth in mid-October?

The median for mid-October is 1.62 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 1.00 ft and 2.62 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 Smoky Hill River at Ellsworth today?

On Oct 19, 2026, 01:30 PM CDT, the water level was 1.77 ft. Down 0.04 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Smoky Hill River at Ellsworth rising or falling?

Down 0.04 ft over the last 24 hours. Down 0.35 ft over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Smoky Hill River at Ellsworth normal?

Normal for mid-October. Compared with 38 years of daily readings for this time of year.

What is the highest water level ever recorded at Smoky Hill River at Ellsworth?

The highest level on record is 30.07 ft on July 22, 1993.

For specialists

Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads
Operator
U.S. Geological Survey
Station code
usgs:06864500 (Agency page)
Coordinates
38.72668, -98.23367 (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 1.77 ft 2026-10-19 18:30 Provisional
Flow 71.2 cfs 2026-10-19 18:30 Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Smoky Hill River at Ellsworth (usgs:06864500). Accessed October 19, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/kansas/smoky-hill-river-at-ellsworth

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