Smoky Hill River at Lindsborg water level

Name: Smoky Hill River at Lindsborg 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, Smoky Hill River, Kansas, United States

Directions

Below flood stage

Water level

7.33ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 19, 2026, 01:30 PM CDT (54 min ago)

Flow: 150 cfs

History

7 days

Water level Minor flood stage

What this means

The Smoky Hill River at Lindsborg is at 7.33 ft, in the normal range.

It is 13.67 ft below the flood stage of 21.00 ft.

The level has held steady over the past 24 hours. In the last month it has stayed between 7.33 ft and 7.42 ft.

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

Judged against the official flood stage for this gauge. How to read levels

Key numbers

Highest on record: 33.90 ftMay 28, 1903

Floating and fishing near Smoky Hill River at Lindsborg

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

Flood stage here is 21.00 ft, 13.67 ft above the current reading. Beyond it, the National Weather Service also defines moderate and major flood stages.

What happens at each level

34.50 ft: The First Street Bridge and road leading into the city floods. Widespread flooding of low-lying and agricultural areas will result.
33.90 ft: The north bridge approach at the gage site on First Street begins to flood. Widespread flooding of low-lying and agricultural areas occurs.
32.00 ft: Highway Business 81, about 5 miles northeast of the gage site begins to flood.
29.00 ft: Highway 4, 1 mile west of the gage site begins to flood.
24.50 ft: The Old Mill Campgrounds are covered by 3 to 4 feet of flood waters.
21.00 ft: South bank overflows extend out to 20 feet from bank. Old Mill Park floods along with low lying fields in rural areas.
19.00 ft: The river begins to flow out of its banks at the Old Mill Campground.
7.33 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: 8 %.

Rank	Level	Date
1	33.90 ft	May 28, 1903
2	33.10 ft	January 1, 1901
3	32.55 ft	June 3, 1938
4	32.46 ft	October 20, 1941
5	31.30 ft	August 17, 1927
6	29.70 ft	October 12, 1973
7	29.32 ft	July 12, 1951
8	28.28 ft	September 4, 1941
9	27.96 ft	June 21, 1942
10	27.30 ft	June 14, 1909

Weather at the gauge

Rain in the last 3 days: 0.20 in. Rain that falls upstream can take hours or days to show up at a river gauge.

17 Sat 63° 32° – Wind 13 mph

18 Sun 65° 43° – Wind 21 mph

19 Mon 70° 46° – Wind 17 mph

20 Tue 73° 53° – Wind 18 mph

21 Wed 77° 58° – Wind 19 mph

22 Thu 82° 60° – Wind 16 mph

23 Fri 80° 65° – Wind 22 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:44 AM Sunset 06:48 PM Daylight 11 hr, 4 min First quarter 61%

Map

Other gauges on the Smoky Hill River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Smoky Hill River near ArnoldRiver gauge, Smoky Hill River	0.23 ft	Low	+0.01 ft	128 mi
Smoky Hill River near SchoenchenRiver gauge, Smoky Hill River	3.10 ft	Normal	−0.03 ft	91 mi
Smoky Hill River below SchoenchenRiver gauge, Smoky Hill River	2.86 ft	Very high	−0.03 ft	88 mi
Smoky Hill River at PfeiferRiver gauge, Smoky Hill River	9.7 cfs	Normal	−0.5 cfs	81 mi
Smoky Hill River near RussellRiver gauge, Smoky Hill River	4.21 ft	Below flood stage	−0.08 ft	66 mi
Smoky Hill River at EllsworthRiver gauge, Smoky Hill River	1.77 ft	Normal	−0.04 ft	33 mi
Smoky Hill River near LangleyRiver gauge, Smoky Hill River	3.68 ft	Normal	−0.02 ft	16 mi
Smoky Hill River near MentorRiver gauge, Smoky Hill River	4.41 ft	Normal	−0.01 ft	11 mi
Smoky Hill River at New CambriaRiver gauge, Smoky Hill River	5.95 ft	Below flood stage	−0.03 ft	23 mi
Smoky Hill River at EnterpriseRiver gauge, Smoky Hill River	7.45 ft	Normal	−0.06 ft	38 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Gypsum Creek near GypsumRiver gauge, Gypsum Creek	10.7 cfs	High	−0.5 cfs	14 mi
Kanopolis Lake near KanopolisLake, Kanopolis Lake	1,466.82 ft	Very high	−0.04 ft	17 mi
Mulberry Creek near SalinaRiver gauge, Mulberry Creek	3.80 ft	Below flood stage	−0.04 ft	19 mi
Nf Cottonwood River near DurhamRiver gauge, Nf Cottonwood River	6.4 cfs	High	−0.6 cfs	22 mi
Solomon River at NilesRiver gauge, Solomon River	4.51 ft	Normal	±0	30 mi
Lake Arkansas River at Alta MillsRiver gauge, Lake Arkansas River	−0.68 ft	Very low	−0.02 ft	31 mi
Saline River at TescottRiver gauge, Saline River	6.65 ft	Normal	−0.03 ft	32 mi

Questions and answers

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

The official flood stage is 21.00 ft. The level is currently 13.67 ft below it.

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 Lindsborg today?

On Oct 19, 2026, 01:30 PM CDT, the water level was 7.33 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Smoky Hill River at Lindsborg rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of Smoky Hill River at Lindsborg normal?

Below flood stage. Judged against the official flood stage for this gauge.

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

The highest level on record is 33.90 ft on May 28, 1903.

How often is this data updated?

The U.S. Geological Survey publishes a new reading every 15 minutes. This page refreshes within minutes of each update.

For specialists

Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads

Operator: U.S. Geological Survey
Station code: usgs:06866000 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 38.56381, -97.66649 (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	7.33 ft	2026-10-19 18:30	Provisional
Flow	150 cfs	2026-10-19 18:30	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Smoky Hill River at Lindsborg (usgs:06866000). Accessed October 19, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/kansas/smoky-hill-river-at-lindsborg

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