Wildcat Creek at Keats water level

Name: Wildcat Creek at Keats 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, Wildcat Creek, Kansas, United States

Directions

High for mid-October

Water level

8.20ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 19, 2026, 09:00 PM CDT (31 min ago)

History

7 days 30 days 1 year Years compared

20252026

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

What this means

High water at Wildcat Creek at Keats: the latest reading is 8.20 ft, above normal for mid-October.

The median for mid-October is 7.91 ft, based on 14 years of readings, so the river stage is 0.29 ft above typical. It is 8.80 ft below the flood stage of 17.00 ft. On the same day last year the reading was 7.97 ft, a difference of +0.23 ft.

It has barely moved over the past 24 hours. The 30-day range is 7.99 ft – 12.17 ft.

That stands out in fall, when many rivers are usually near their lowest.

Compared with 14 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Median for this date: 7.91 ft0.29 ft above the median for this date
Normal for this date: 7.13 ft – 8.46 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (14 years of records)
Same day last year: 7.97 ft+0.23 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days: 7.99 ft – 12.17 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months: 7.94 ft – 13.27 ft
Highest on record: 25.97 ftSeptember 3, 2018

Paddling and fishing conditions

Above-normal flows push fish to the edges and make wading risky. Wait for the river to drop and clear.

For reference, flood stage is 17.00 ft.

Highest crests on record

Rank	Level	Date
1	25.97 ft	September 3, 2018
2	19.91 ft	July 15, 2021
3	19.69 ft	June 10, 2014
4	18.77 ft	April 2, 2025
5	17.27 ft	May 27, 2016
6	17.17 ft	May 20, 2017
7	16.32 ft	May 15, 2023
8	14.24 ft	June 5, 2015
9	13.60 ft	May 18, 2022

Weather at the gauge

No rain in the last 3 days.

19 Mon 70° 46° – Wind 12 mph

20 Tue 71° 46° – Wind 13 mph

21 Wed 75° 55° – Wind 13 mph

22 Thu 78° 58° – Wind 13 mph

23 Fri 79° 60° – Wind 19 mph

24 Sat 77° 64° – Wind 20 mph

25 Sun 64° 58° 0.06 in Wind 9 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:42 AM Sunset 06:42 PM Daylight 11 hr First quarter 64%

Map

Other gauges on Wildcat Creek

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Wildcat Creek at Scenic Drive, ManhattanRiver gauge, Wildcat Creek	3.03 ft	Below flood stage	+0.01 ft	4.2 mi
Wildcat Creek at Seth Childs Road, ManhattanRiver gauge, Wildcat Creek	2.73 ft	Normal	−0.01 ft	5.8 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Tuttle C Lake near ManhattanLake, Tuttle C Lake	1,084.69 ft	Very high	−1.14 ft	6 mi
Big Blue River near ManhattanRiver gauge, Big Blue River	11.24 ft	Very high	−0.13 ft	8 mi
Kansas River at ManhattanRiver gauge, Kansas River	7.58 ft	Normal	−0.06 ft	9 mi
Kings Creek near ManhattanRiver gauge, Kings Creek	2.8 cfs	Very high	−0.2 cfs	10 mi
Kansas River at Fort RileyRiver gauge, Kansas River	5.61 ft	Normal	−0.46 ft	11 mi
Republican River at Junction CityRiver gauge, Republican River	177 cfs	Normal	−649.0 cfs	14 mi
Milford Lake near Junction CityLake, Milford Lake	1,145.80 ft	Very high	+0.01 ft	14 mi
Kansas River at WamegoRiver gauge, Kansas River	9.23 ft	Very high	−0.09 ft	22 mi

Questions and answers

Is Wildcat Creek at Keats higher than last year?

Yes, it is 0.23 ft higher than on the same day last year, when the reading was 7.97 ft.

What is flood stage for Wildcat Creek at Keats?

The official flood stage is 17.00 ft. The level is currently 8.80 ft below it.

What is a normal level for Wildcat Creek at Keats in mid-October?

The median for mid-October is 7.91 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 7.13 ft and 8.46 ft, based on 14 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 Wildcat Creek at Keats today?

On Oct 19, 2026, 09:00 PM CDT, the water level was 8.20 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Wildcat Creek at Keats rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours. Down 0.04 ft over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Wildcat Creek at Keats normal?

High for mid-October. Compared with 14 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:06879805 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 39.21858, -96.71003 (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	8.20 ft	2026-10-20 02:00	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Wildcat Creek at Keats (usgs:06879805). Accessed October 20, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/kansas/wildcat-creek-at-keats

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