Smoky Hill River near Mentor water level

Name: Smoky Hill River near Mentor 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

Normal for mid-October

Water level

4.40ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 20, 2026, 07:45 AM CDT (1 hour ago)

Flow: 152 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 Smoky Hill River near Mentor, where the gauge shows 4.40 ft.

That puts it 0.10 ft below the median of 4.50 ft for mid-October, based on 38 years of readings. It is 15.60 ft below the flood stage of 20.00 ft. A year ago it stood at 4.33 ft (+0.07 ft).

The level has held steady over the past 24 hours. The 30-day range is 3.91 ft – 5.36 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: 4.50 ft0.10 ft below the median for this date
Normal for this date: 3.94 ft – 5.56 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (38 years of records)
Same day last year: 4.33 ft+0.07 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days: 3.91 ft – 5.36 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months: 3.62 ft – 10.90 ft
Highest on record: 24.65 ftJune 24, 2019

Paddling and fishing conditions

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

For reference, flood stage is 20.00 ft.

What happens at each level

33.00 ft: Widespread major flooding may be anticipated as water approaches the top of the levee system that surrounds the City of Salina with a possibility of a breach. Evacuations may be necessary.
31.00 ft: Flooding of several roads outside the levee system around Salina can be expected as well as widespread flooding of farmland. The Army Corps of Engineers continue surveillance of the Salina Levee System.
28.00 ft: The Kansas City U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will conduct continuous surveillance of the Salina Levee System. Low lying portions of Mentor Road near the river begin to flood as well as parts of Lamer Road south of Bridgeport. Widespread flooding of farmland near the river can be expected.
24.00 ft: Some low lying rural county roads begin to flood along with extensive field flooding.
22.00 ft: The lower portions of ball fields and bike trail at Burke Park in Salina floods along with soccer fields near the river south of Magnolia Road.
20.00 ft: Flood waters overflow the banks and agricultural fields upstream from Bridgeport to Assaria. Lowland flooding can be expected in the vicinity of the river. A portion of the bike trail near Burke Park in Salina floods.
4.40 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	24.65 ft	June 24, 2019
2	24.05 ft	July 4, 2019
3	21.47 ft	May 22, 2019
4	21.09 ft	July 31, 2013
5	20.99 ft	May 8, 2007
6	20.56 ft	May 9, 2019
7	20.02 ft	April 28, 2009
8	19.96 ft	May 25, 2007
9	19.17 ft	July 23, 2025
10	17.41 ft	May 28, 2016

Weather at the gauge

Rain in the last 3 days: 1.11 in. Rain that falls upstream can take hours or days to show up at a river gauge.

17 Sat 62° 32° – Wind 12 mph

18 Sun 64° 41° – Wind 19 mph

19 Mon 70° 44° – Wind 17 mph

20 Tue 73° 52° – Wind 18 mph

21 Wed 78° 58° 0.00 in Wind 19 mph

22 Thu 83° 60° – Wind 15 mph

23 Fri 81° 66° – Wind 22 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:45 AM Sunset 06:46 PM Daylight 11 hr, 1 min First quarter 69%

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	132 mi
Smoky Hill River near SchoenchenRiver gauge, Smoky Hill River	3.07 ft	Normal	−0.03 ft	96 mi
Smoky Hill River below SchoenchenRiver gauge, Smoky Hill River	2.85 ft	Very high	−0.02 ft	93 mi
Smoky Hill River at PfeiferRiver gauge, Smoky Hill River	9.5 cfs	Normal	−0.3 cfs	85 mi
Smoky Hill River near RussellRiver gauge, Smoky Hill River	4.17 ft	Below flood stage	−0.04 ft	69 mi
Smoky Hill River at EllsworthRiver gauge, Smoky Hill River	1.74 ft	Normal	−0.03 ft	36 mi
Smoky Hill River near LangleyRiver gauge, Smoky Hill River	3.67 ft	Normal	−0.02 ft	22 mi
Smoky Hill River at LindsborgRiver gauge, Smoky Hill River	7.31 ft	Below flood stage	−0.03 ft	11 mi
Smoky Hill River at New CambriaRiver gauge, Smoky Hill River	5.95 ft	Below flood stage	−0.02 ft	12 mi
Smoky Hill River at EnterpriseRiver gauge, Smoky Hill River	7.39 ft	Normal	−0.07 ft	28 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Gypsum Creek near GypsumRiver gauge, Gypsum Creek	10.2 cfs	High	−0.5 cfs	10 mi
Mulberry Creek near SalinaRiver gauge, Mulberry Creek	3.83 ft	Below flood stage	+0.03 ft	11 mi
Solomon River at NilesRiver gauge, Solomon River	4.48 ft	Normal	−0.04 ft	19 mi
Nf Cottonwood River near DurhamRiver gauge, Nf Cottonwood River	6.4 cfs	High	±0	22 mi
Kanopolis Lake near KanopolisLake, Kanopolis Lake	1,466.79 ft	Very high	−0.05 ft	23 mi
Saline River at TescottRiver gauge, Saline River	6.61 ft	Normal	−0.06 ft	26 mi
Mud Creek near TalmageRiver gauge, Mud Creek	3.98 ft	Below flood stage	±0	26 mi

Questions and answers

How does the Smoky Hill River near Mentor compare with last year?

It is 0.07 ft higher than on the same day last year, when the reading was 4.33 ft.

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

The official flood stage is 20.00 ft. The level is currently 15.60 ft below it.

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

The median for mid-October is 4.50 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 3.94 ft and 5.56 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 Mentor today?

On Oct 20, 2026, 07:45 AM CDT, the water level was 4.40 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Smoky Hill River near Mentor rising or falling?

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

Is the level of Smoky Hill River near Mentor normal?

Normal 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:06866500 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 38.71112, -97.57170 (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	4.40 ft	2026-10-20 12:45	Provisional
Flow	152 cfs	2026-10-20 12:45	Provisional

Download

Embed this gauge

Add a live card for this gauge to your website. It updates on its own and links back here.

<iframe src="https://nivelmap.com/embed/6100?lang=en" width="360" height="230" style="border:0;max-width:100%" loading="lazy" title="Smoky Hill River near Mentor water level"></iframe>

How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Smoky Hill River near Mentor (usgs:06866500). Accessed October 20, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/kansas/smoky-hill-river-near-mentor

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