Kansas River river
Total streamflow across the Kansas River was last observed at 38,448 cfs, and is expected to yield approximately 76,261 acre-ft of water today; about 181% of normal. River levels are high. Average streamflow for this time of year is 21,243 cfs, with recent peaks last observed on 2026-04-28 when daily discharge volume was observed at 126,700 cfs.
Maximum discharge along the river is currently at the Kansas R At Lecompton reporting a streamflow rate of 9,250 cfs. However, the streamgauge with the highest stage along the river is the Kansas R Nr Belvue with a gauge stage of 13.25 ft. This river is monitored from 6 different streamgauging stations along the Kansas River, the highest being situated at an altitude of 1,038 ft, the Kansas R At Fort Riley.
River streamflow levels
Daily aggregate streamflow across every monitored gauge along the Kansas River. Use the range buttons to zoom in on a specific period.
Total streamflow
Sum of all monitored streamgauges · daily
Every streamgauge along the Kansas River
All 6 USGS gauges Snoflo tracks for this river, with current flow, stage, recent change, percent of normal, and the gauge's all-time min / max. Click any header to sort. Cells are heatmapped relative to the column min/max -- darker blue = higher.
| Streamgauge▾ | Streamflow (cfs)▾ | Gauge stage (ft)▾ | 24h Δ (%)▾ | % Normal▾ | Min (cfs)▾ | Max (cfs)▾ | Elevation (ft)▾ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Kansas R At Fort Riley
KS
USGS 06879100
|
598 | 4.74 | -7.0 | 12% | 135 | 36,500 | 1,038 |
|
Kansas R At Wamego
KS
USGS 06887500
|
6,140 | 6.55 | 0.3 | 76% | 427 | 57,700 | 955 |
|
Kansas R Nr Belvue
KS
USGS 06888350
|
6,530 | 13.25 | 3.3 | 79% | 324 | 67,200 | 940 |
|
Kansas R At Topeka
KS
USGS 06889000
|
8,330 | 9.67 | 24.5 | 114% | 446 | 87,100 | 854 |
|
Kansas R At Lecompton
KS
USGS 06891000
|
9,250 | 6.34 | 23.2 | 94% | 493 | 105,000 | 824 |
|
Kansas R At Desoto
KS
USGS 06892350
|
7,600 | 7.72 | 1.1 | 48% | 569 | 104,000 | 759 |
Maximum streamflow discharge by year
The single highest aggregate discharge recorded each year. Spotting the multi-year trend reveals droughts vs. wet cycles long before the headline daily flow does.
Annual peak discharge
From the river's full record · one point per water year
Streamflow elevation profile
Each bubble is one gauge along the river, plotted by current streamflow (x-axis) vs elevation (y-axis), sized by gauge stage. Reading top-to-bottom traces the river from headwaters down to its mouth -- you can see flow accumulate as elevation drops.
Elevation vs streamflow
One point per monitored gauge · bubble size = gauge stage
Kansas River
The Kansas River is around 148 miles long and runs through Kansas from Junction City to Kansas City. It was an essential water source for Native Americans and European settlers, facilitating trade and transportation. The river's hydrology has been altered by human activities such as damming and levee construction. Some of the significant reservoirs/dams on the river include the Tuttle Creek Dam, Milford Dam, and Perry Dam. These structures provide flood control, hydroelectric power, and water supply. The river is used for various recreational activities such as fishing, boating, and canoeing. Additionally, agriculture is a major industry on the river, with farmers using the river's water to irrigate crops. The river also plays a significant role in providing water for municipal and industrial uses.
Recreation along the Kansas River
Fishing access and paddle runs Snoflo tracks within the watershed.
Track the Kansas River in the Snoflo app
Set per-gauge push alerts (e.g. "alert me when flow at the Russian R Nr Healdsburg crosses 5,000 cfs"), and Snoflo's iOS app pushes the moment USGS reports the crossing.
About the Kansas River
Where does the data for the Kansas River come from?
Streamflow and gauge stage data are sourced from the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) National Water Information System. The aggregate flow shown at the top of the page is computed by Snoflo as the sum of all monitored gauges along the river.
How is "percent of normal" calculated?
Today's aggregate streamflow is compared to the historical average aggregate streamflow on this calendar day across the river's full record. 100% means right on average; values above 100% indicate above-normal flow (wet year); values below indicate below-normal (dry year or drought).
Why are some gauges showing very different flows?
Gauges along a river measure flow at different points: headwater gauges read what's coming off the snowpack or mountain runoff; downstream gauges integrate everything upstream, including tributary inputs. Wide spreads usually mean a tributary is contributing significantly between gauges.
What's the elevation profile chart showing?
Each bubble is one gauge along the river, plotted by streamflow (x-axis) and elevation (y-axis), sized by gauge stage. Reading top-down traces the river from headwaters to mouth -- you can see flow build as elevation drops.
Can I get alerts when a specific gauge crosses a threshold?
Yes -- alerts are managed in the Snoflo iOS app on a per-gauge basis. Open any individual streamgauge from the table above and favorite it to set a discharge threshold.