Smoky Hill River near Arnold water level

Name: Smoky Hill River near Arnold 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

Low for mid-October

Water level

0.22ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 19, 2026, 07:30 PM CDT (55 min ago)

Flow: 0.2 cfs

History

7 days 30 days 1 year Years compared

20252026

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

What this means

Low water at Smoky Hill River near Arnold: the gauge reads 0.22 ft, below normal for mid-October.

The median for mid-October is 0.63 ft, based on 38 years of readings, so the river stage is 0.40 ft below typical. It is 6.78 ft below the flood stage of 7.00 ft. On the same day last year the reading was 0.15 ft, a difference of +0.07 ft.

It has barely moved over the past 24 hours. Without real rain upstream, that is unlikely to change quickly. The 30-day range is 0.15 ft – 2.11 ft.

Fall is often low-water season on rivers, and it usually takes a few days of steady rain to change that.

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

Key numbers

Median for this date: 0.63 ft0.40 ft below the median for this date
Normal for this date: −0.01 ft – 1.70 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (38 years of records)
Same day last year: 0.15 ft+0.07 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days: 0.15 ft – 2.11 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months: 0.02 ft – 2.75 ft
Highest on record: 19.00 ftMay 30, 1938

Paddling and fishing conditions

At low levels, plan for shorter paddling trips and expect to walk your boat through a few shoals.

For reference, flood stage is 7.00 ft.

What happens at each level

11.00 ft: Prepare for major flooding along the Smoky Hill River from the confluence of Hackberry Creek to U.S. Highway 283. Expect north bank overflows of up to four feet or more, and south bank overflows of up to one foot.
10.50 ft: Prepare for north bank overflows of 3 feet or more along the Smoky Hill River from the confluence of Hackberry Creek to U.S. Highway 283. South bank overflows are now beginning to occur as well.
9.00 ft: Prepare for moderate north bank overflows of 2 feet or more along the Smoky Hill River from the confluence of Hackberry Creek to U.S. Highway 283.
7.00 ft: Expect minor north bank flooding of up to one foot along the Smoky Hill River from the confluence of Hackberry Creek and the Smoky Hill River to east of U.S. Highway 283.
0.22 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	19.00 ft	May 30, 1938
2	9.61 ft	July 11, 1972
3	9.37 ft	July 25, 1973
4	8.96 ft	June 9, 1962
5	8.41 ft	June 14, 2007
6	8.38 ft	August 24, 1969
7	7.95 ft	July 20, 1993
8	7.95 ft	June 8, 1975
9	7.94 ft	September 16, 1962
10	7.69 ft	June 29, 1967

Weather at the gauge

Rain in the last 3 days: 0.67 in. Rain that falls upstream can take hours or days to show up at a river gauge.

17 Sat 65° 32° – Wind 16 mph

18 Sun 70° 39° – Wind 17 mph

19 Mon 71° 42° – Wind 16 mph

20 Tue 75° 53° 0.00 in Wind 21 mph

21 Wed 82° 59° – Wind 18 mph

22 Thu 85° 61° – Wind 17 mph

23 Fri 79° 68° 0.01 in Wind 23 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:55 AM Sunset 06:56 PM Daylight 11 hr, 1 min First quarter 64%

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	4.62 ft	Very high	−0.01 ft	45 mi
Smoky Hill River near SchoenchenRiver gauge, Smoky Hill River	3.09 ft	Normal	−0.03 ft	37 mi
Smoky Hill River below SchoenchenRiver gauge, Smoky Hill River	2.87 ft	Very high	±0	40 mi
Smoky Hill River at PfeiferRiver gauge, Smoky Hill River	9.5 cfs	Normal	−0.5 cfs	47 mi
Smoky Hill River near RussellRiver gauge, Smoky Hill River	4.20 ft	Below flood stage	−0.07 ft	63 mi
Smoky Hill River at EllsworthRiver gauge, Smoky Hill River	1.76 ft	Normal	−0.03 ft	97 mi
Smoky Hill River near LangleyRiver gauge, Smoky Hill River	3.68 ft	Normal	−0.02 ft	112 mi
Smoky Hill River at LindsborgRiver gauge, Smoky Hill River	7.32 ft	Below flood stage	−0.03 ft	128 mi
Smoky Hill River near MentorRiver gauge, Smoky Hill River	4.40 ft	Normal	−0.02 ft	132 mi
Smoky Hill River at New CambriaRiver gauge, Smoky Hill River	5.95 ft	Below flood stage	−0.03 ft	137 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Hackberry Creek near Trego CenterRiver gauge, Hackberry Creek	0.0 cfs	Normal	±0	2.9 mi
Cedar Bluff Re near EllisLake, Cedar Bluff Re	2,118.67 ft	Very low	−0.01 ft	16 mi
Big Creek near EllisRiver gauge, Big Creek	1.8 cfs	Normal	+0.5 cfs	22 mi
Saline River near WakeeneyRiver gauge, Saline River	2.10 ft	Normal	+0.01 ft	22 mi
Big Creek near HaysRiver gauge, Big Creek	4.67 ft	Normal	±0	38 mi
Walnut Creek at NekomaRiver gauge, Walnut Creek	6.59 ft	Normal	−0.01 ft	39 mi
Sf Solomon River above Webster ReRiver gauge, Sf Solomon River	1.81 ft	Normal	±0	46 mi
Webster ReservoirReservoir	1,865.64 ft	Low		51 mi

Questions and answers

Is the Smoky Hill River near Arnold higher than last year?

Yes, it is 0.07 ft higher than on the same day last year, when the reading was 0.15 ft.

What is flood stage for the Smoky Hill River near Arnold?

The official flood stage is 7.00 ft. The level is currently 6.78 ft below it.

What is a normal level for the Smoky Hill River near Arnold in mid-October?

The median for mid-October is 0.63 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between −0.01 ft and 1.70 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 near Arnold today?

On Oct 19, 2026, 07:30 PM CDT, the water level was 0.22 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Smoky Hill River near Arnold rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours. Steady over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Smoky Hill River near Arnold normal?

Low for mid-October. Compared with 38 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:06861000 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 38.80779, -100.02227 (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	0.22 ft	2026-10-20 00:30	Provisional
Flow	0.2 cfs	2026-10-20 00:30	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Smoky Hill River near Arnold (usgs:06861000). Accessed October 20, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/kansas/smoky-hill-river-near-arnold

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