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Smoky Hill River at Enterprise water level

River gauge, Smoky Hill River, Kansas, United States

Directions

Normal for mid-October

Water level

7.44ft Down 0.09 ft over the last 24 hours

Flow
475 cfs
Water temperature
60 °F
0 10 20 30 Highest onrecord 33.95 ft Minor floodstage 26.00 ft

History

1020ftOct 13Oct 14Oct 16Oct 18Oct 19Minor flood stage1020ftOct 13Oct 16Oct 19Minor flood stage
1020ftSep 20Sep 27Oct 4Oct 12Oct 19Minor flood stage1020ftSep 20Oct 4Oct 19Minor flood stage
-01020ftOct 2025Jan 2026Apr 2026Jul 2026Oct 2026Minor flood stage-01020ftOct 2025Apr 2026Oct 2026Minor flood stage
-01020ftJanMarMayJulSepNov2026-01020ftJanAprJulOct2026

20252026

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

What this means

The Smoky Hill River at Enterprise is at 7.44 ft, in the normal range for mid-October.

The median for mid-October is 7.03 ft, based on 39 years of readings, so the river stage is 0.41 ft above typical. It is 18.56 ft below the flood stage of 26.00 ft. On the same day last year the reading was 6.74 ft, a difference of +0.70 ft.

It has dropped 0.09 ft over the past 24 hours. In the last month it has stayed between 6.84 ft and 17.99 ft.

Fall is often low-water season on rivers, until steadier rain returns. The water temperature at the gauge is 60 °F.

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

Key numbers

Median for this date
7.03 ft0.41 ft above the median for this date
Normal for this date
3.56 ft – 13.18 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (39 years of records)
Same day last year
6.74 ft+0.70 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days
6.84 ft – 17.99 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months
5.80 ft – 27.49 ft
Highest on record
33.95 ftJuly 22, 1993

Floating and fishing near Smoky Hill River at Enterprise

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

Flood stage here is 26.00 ft, 18.56 ft above the current reading. Beyond it, the National Weather Service also defines moderate and major flood stages.

What happens at each level

33.50 ft
Flood waters reach the base of the Burlington Northern and Santa Fe Railroad bridge about one quarter mile downstream of Kansas Highway 43.
30.00 ft
Kansas Highway 43 just north of the river floods.
27.00 ft
Railroad tracks near Enterprise flood.
26.00 ft
Valley north of the Kansas Highway 43 bridge on the north side of Enterprise floods.
21.00 ft
Low land agricultural flooding occurs from near Enterprise to near Junction City.
7.44 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: 14 %.

RankLevelDate
133.95 ftJuly 22, 1993
232.62 ftJuly 16, 1993
332.00 ftMay 1, 1903
430.98 ftJuly 6, 2019
530.52 ftMay 25, 2019
630.36 ftMay 30, 1995
730.12 ftJune 24, 1993
830.02 ftMay 12, 1993
929.91 ftMay 26, 2007
1029.89 ftMay 14, 1993

Weather at the gauge

Rain in the last 3 days: 1.74 in. Rain that falls upstream can take hours or days to show up at a river gauge.

17 Sat 64° 31° – Wind 12 mph
18 Sun 65° 39° – Wind 20 mph
19 Mon 69° 42° – Wind 16 mph
20 Tue 73° 52° 0.00 in Wind 16 mph
21 Wed 77° 58° – Wind 18 mph
22 Thu 82° 59° – Wind 14 mph
23 Fri 80° 65° – Wind 20 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:42 AM Sunset 06:46 PM Daylight 11 hr, 3 min First quarter 62%

Map

Other gauges on the Smoky Hill River

Gauge Level Compared with normal 24 hours Distance
Smoky Hill River near SchoenchenRiver gauge, Smoky Hill River 3.10 ft Normal −0.02 ft 121 mi
Smoky Hill River below SchoenchenRiver gauge, Smoky Hill River 2.87 ft Very high −0.01 ft 118 mi
Smoky Hill River at PfeiferRiver gauge, Smoky Hill River 9.7 cfs Normal −0.5 cfs 110 mi
Smoky Hill River near RussellRiver gauge, Smoky Hill River 4.20 ft Below flood stage −0.08 ft 94 mi
Smoky Hill River at EllsworthRiver gauge, Smoky Hill River 1.76 ft Normal −0.05 ft 61 mi
Smoky Hill River near LangleyRiver gauge, Smoky Hill River 3.68 ft Normal −0.02 ft 49 mi
Smoky Hill River at LindsborgRiver gauge, Smoky Hill River 7.33 ft Below flood stage −0.03 ft 38 mi
Smoky Hill River near MentorRiver gauge, Smoky Hill River 4.41 ft Normal −0.02 ft 28 mi
Smoky Hill River at New CambriaRiver gauge, Smoky Hill River 5.95 ft Below flood stage −0.04 ft 20 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge Level Compared with normal 24 hours Distance
Chapman Creek near ChapmanRiver gauge, Chapman Creek 4.42 ft Normal +0.01 ft 10 mi
Mud Creek near TalmageRiver gauge, Mud Creek 3.98 ft Below flood stage −0.01 ft 10 mi
Milford Lake near Junction CityLake, Milford Lake 1,145.78 ft Very high −0.02 ft 17 mi
Republican River at Junction CityRiver gauge, Republican River 202 cfs Normal −604.0 cfs 18 mi
Solomon River at NilesRiver gauge, Solomon River 4.47 ft Normal −0.04 ft 20 mi
Kansas River at Fort RileyRiver gauge, Kansas River 5.74 ft Normal −0.34 ft 22 mi
Gypsum Creek near GypsumRiver gauge, Gypsum Creek 10.7 cfs High −0.3 cfs 26 mi
Neosho River near ParkervilleRiver gauge, Neosho River 2.9 cfs Normal −0.4 cfs 27 mi

Questions and answers

Is the Smoky Hill River at Enterprise higher than last year?

Yes, it is 0.70 ft higher than on the same day last year, when the reading was 6.74 ft.

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

The official flood stage is 26.00 ft. The level is currently 18.56 ft below it.

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

The median for mid-October is 7.03 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 3.56 ft and 13.18 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 Smoky Hill River at Enterprise today?

On Oct 19, 2026, 03:15 PM CDT, the water level was 7.44 ft. Down 0.09 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Smoky Hill River at Enterprise rising or falling?

Down 0.09 ft over the last 24 hours. Down 0.39 ft over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Smoky Hill River at Enterprise 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:06877600 (Agency page)
Coordinates
38.90639, -97.11780 (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 7.44 ft 2026-10-19 20:15 Provisional
Flow 475 cfs 2026-10-19 20:15 Provisional
Water temperature 60 °F 2026-10-19 20:30 Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Smoky Hill River at Enterprise (usgs:06877600). Accessed October 19, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/kansas/smoky-hill-river-at-enterprise

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