Smoky Hill River near Russell water level

Name: Smoky Hill River near Russell 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

4.18ft Down 0.04 ft over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 20, 2026, 06:30 AM CDT (1 hour ago)

Flow: 30.8 cfs

History

7 days

Water level Minor flood stage

What this means

The Smoky Hill River near Russell is at 4.18 ft, in the normal range.

It is 13.82 ft below the flood stage of 18.00 ft.

It has dropped 0.04 ft over the past 24 hours. In the last month it has stayed between 4.17 ft and 4.35 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: 20.43 ftMay 25, 2019

Floating and fishing near Smoky Hill River near Russell

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

Flood stage here is 18.00 ft, 13.82 ft above the current reading. Beyond it, the National Weather Service also defines moderate and major flood stages.

What happens at each level

38.00 ft: The north bridge approach on Highway 281 at the gage site begins to flood. Expect widespread flooding of agricultural areas.
20.00 ft: Flooding of croplands and fields will occur.
18.00 ft: Expect flooding of fields and low lying areas especially on the left bank.
10.00 ft: The left bank overflows at this height.
4.18 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	20.43 ft	May 25, 2019
2	18.96 ft	October 10, 2018
3	18.61 ft	August 26, 2019
4	15.20 ft	June 22, 2026
5	15.13 ft	May 27, 2021
6	13.38 ft	September 5, 2016
7	12.35 ft	June 22, 2020
8	11.75 ft	August 20, 2018
9	11.58 ft	April 20, 2016
10	10.57 ft	June 28, 2014

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 64° 31° – Wind 14 mph

18 Sun 67° 40° – Wind 20 mph

19 Mon 71° 41° – Wind 15 mph

20 Tue 72° 54° 0.02 in Wind 19 mph

21 Wed 82° 59° – Wind 17 mph

22 Thu 85° 61° – Wind 17 mph

23 Fri 80° 67° – Wind 22 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:50 AM Sunset 06:51 PM Daylight 11 hr, 1 min First quarter 68%

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	4.61 ft	Very high	−0.03 ft	108 mi
Smoky Hill River near ArnoldRiver gauge, Smoky Hill River	0.23 ft	Low	−0.01 ft	63 mi
Smoky Hill River near SchoenchenRiver gauge, Smoky Hill River	3.07 ft	Normal	±0	27 mi
Smoky Hill River below SchoenchenRiver gauge, Smoky Hill River	2.86 ft	Very high	−0.02 ft	24 mi
Smoky Hill River at PfeiferRiver gauge, Smoky Hill River	9.2 cfs	Normal	−0.5 cfs	17 mi
Smoky Hill River at EllsworthRiver gauge, Smoky Hill River	1.75 ft	Normal	−0.02 ft	34 mi
Smoky Hill River near LangleyRiver gauge, Smoky Hill River	3.67 ft	Normal	−0.02 ft	50 mi
Smoky Hill River at LindsborgRiver gauge, Smoky Hill River	7.32 ft	Below flood stage	−0.03 ft	66 mi
Smoky Hill River near MentorRiver gauge, Smoky Hill River	4.39 ft	Normal	−0.02 ft	69 mi
Smoky Hill River at New CambriaRiver gauge, Smoky Hill River	5.95 ft	Below flood stage	−0.02 ft	74 mi
Smoky Hill River at EnterpriseRiver gauge, Smoky Hill River	7.41 ft	Normal	−0.06 ft	94 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Saline River near RussellRiver gauge, Saline River	4.50 ft	Normal	−0.01 ft	13 mi
Paradise Creek near ParadiseRiver gauge, Paradise Creek	8.37 ft	Below flood stage	−0.01 ft	20 mi
Cheyenne Bottoms Dv near Great BendRiver gauge, Cheyenne Bottoms Dv	1.2 cfs	Normal	−0.8 cfs	23 mi
Walnut Creek at AlbertRiver gauge, Walnut Creek	2.46 ft	Low	−0.12 ft	23 mi
Wilson Lake near WilsonLake, Wilson Lake	1,511.16 ft	Low	−0.02 ft	23 mi
Saline River at Wilson DamRiver gauge, Saline River	2.76 ft	Normal	−0.10 ft	24 mi
Big Creek near HaysRiver gauge, Big Creek	4.67 ft	Normal	−0.01 ft	25 mi

Questions and answers

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

The official flood stage is 18.00 ft. The level is currently 13.82 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 near Russell today?

On Oct 20, 2026, 06:30 AM CDT, the water level was 4.18 ft. Down 0.04 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Smoky Hill River near Russell rising or falling?

Down 0.04 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of Smoky Hill River near Russell 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 near Russell?

The highest level on record is 20.43 ft on May 25, 2019.

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:06864000 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 38.77668, -98.85481 (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	4.18 ft	2026-10-20 11:30	Provisional
Flow	30.8 cfs	2026-10-20 11:30	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Smoky Hill River near Russell (usgs:06864000). Accessed October 20, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/kansas/smoky-hill-river-near-russell

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