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Wildcat Creek at Seth Childs Road, Manhattan water level

River gauge, Wildcat Creek, Kansas, United States

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Right now

Normal for mid-October

Water level

2.73ft Steady over the last 24 hours

0 10 20 Highest onrecord 25.18 ft

History

History
2.53.03.5ftOct 16Oct 17Oct 18Oct 19Oct 202.53.03.5ftOct 16Oct 18Oct 20
246ftSep 21Sep 28Oct 5Oct 13Oct 20246ftSep 21Oct 5Oct 20
35810ftOct 2025Jan 2026Apr 2026Jul 2026Oct 202635810ftOct 2025Apr 2026Oct 2026
35810ftJanMarMayJulSepNov202635810ftJanAprJulOct2026

20252026

Water level Normal range (10–90 %)

What this means

Wildcat Creek at Seth Childs Road, Manhattan is at 2.73 ft, in the normal range for mid-October.

The median for mid-October is 2.45 ft, based on 14 years of readings, so the river stage is 0.28 ft above typical. On the same day last year the reading was 2.40 ft, a difference of +0.33 ft.

It has barely moved over the past 24 hours. In the last month it has stayed between 2.37 ft and 7.48 ft.

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

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

Key numbers

Median for this date
2.45 ft0.28 ft above the median for this date
Normal for this date
2.16 ft – 3.45 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (14 years of records)
Same day last year
2.40 ft+0.33 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days
2.37 ft – 7.48 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months
2.09 ft – 8.47 ft
Highest on record
25.18 ftSeptember 3, 2018

Floating and fishing near Wildcat Creek at Seth Childs Road, Manhattan

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

Highest crests on record

RankLevelDate
125.18 ftSeptember 3, 2018
216.82 ftMay 8, 2019
314.27 ftJune 10, 2014
413.26 ftJuly 15, 2021
512.17 ftMay 27, 16
610.83 ftMay 20, 2017
79.70 ftJuly 2, 2022
89.48 ftMay 16, 2023
99.40 ftJuly 29, 2020
109.27 ftJune 5, 2015

Weather at the gauge

The forecast is not available right now.

Sunrise 07:42 AM Sunset 06:42 PM Daylight 11 hr Waxing gibbous 70%

Map

Other gauges on Wildcat Creek

Gauge Level Compared with normal 24 hours Distance
Wildcat Creek at KeatsRiver gauge, Wildcat Creek 8.20 ft High −0.02 ft 5.8 mi
Wildcat Creek at Scenic Drive, ManhattanRiver gauge, Wildcat Creek 3.02 ft Below flood stage ±0 1.7 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge Level Compared with normal 24 hours Distance
Kansas River at ManhattanRiver gauge, Kansas River 7.29 ft Normal −0.29 ft 3.1 mi
Big Blue River near ManhattanRiver gauge, Big Blue River 11.15 ft Very high −0.15 ft 4.2 mi
Tuttle C Lake near ManhattanLake, Tuttle C Lake 1,083.97 ft Very high −1.13 ft 4.8 mi
Kings Creek near ManhattanRiver gauge, Kings Creek 2.6 cfs Very high −0.3 cfs 5.8 mi
Kansas River at Fort RileyRiver gauge, Kansas River 5.53 ft Normal −0.49 ft 12 mi
Republican River at Junction CityRiver gauge, Republican River 159 cfs Normal −122.0 cfs 15 mi
Kansas River at WamegoRiver gauge, Kansas River 9.11 ft Very high −0.15 ft 16 mi
Milford Lake near Junction CityLake, Milford Lake 1,145.82 ft Very high +0.03 ft 17 mi

Questions and answers

Is Wildcat Creek at Seth Childs Road, Manhattan higher than last year?

Yes, it is 0.33 ft higher than on the same day last year, when the reading was 2.40 ft.

What is a normal level for Wildcat Creek at Seth Childs Road, Manhattan in mid-October?

The median for mid-October is 2.45 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 2.16 ft and 3.45 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 Seth Childs Road, Manhattan today?

On Oct 20, 2026, 12:30 PM CDT, the water level was 2.73 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Wildcat Creek at Seth Childs Road, Manhattan rising or falling?

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

Is the level of Wildcat Creek at Seth Childs Road, Manhattan normal?

Normal for mid-October. Compared with 14 years of daily readings for this time of year.

What is the highest water level ever recorded at Wildcat Creek at Seth Childs Road, Manhattan?

The highest level on record is 25.18 ft on September 3, 2018.

For specialists

Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads
Operator
U.S. Geological Survey
Station code
usgs:06879815 (Agency page)
Coordinates
39.18474, -96.61084 (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

ParameterLast valueTime (UTC)Quality
Water level 2.73 ft 2026-10-20 17:30 Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Wildcat Creek at Seth Childs Road, Manhattan (usgs:06879815). Accessed October 20, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/kansas/wildcat-creek-at-seth-childs-road-manhattan

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.