Wakarusa River river
Total streamflow across the Wakarusa River was last observed at 1,020 cfs, and is expected to yield approximately 2,023 acre-ft of water today; about 228% of normal. River levels are high. Average streamflow for this time of year is 447 cfs, with recent peaks last observed on 2025-06-04 when daily discharge volume was observed at 5,670 cfs.
Maximum discharge along the river is currently at the Wakarusa R Nr Richland reporting a streamflow rate of 1,020 cfs. This is also the highest stage along the Wakarusa River, with a gauge stage of 8.07 ft at this location. This river is monitored from 2 different streamgauging stations along the Wakarusa River, the highest being situated at an altitude of 898 ft, the Wakarusa R Nr Richland.
River streamflow levels
Daily aggregate streamflow across every monitored gauge along the Wakarusa River. Use the range buttons to zoom in on a specific period.
Total streamflow
Sum of all monitored streamgauges · daily
Every streamgauge along the Wakarusa River
All 2 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)▾ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Wakarusa R Nr Richland
KS
USGS 06891260
|
1,020 | 8.07 | 933.4 | 829% | 0 | 6,850 | 898 |
|
Wakarusa R Nr Lawrence
KS
USGS 06891500
|
87 | 5.17 | -67.6 | 78% | 0 | 5,380 | 840 |
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
Wakarusa River
The Wakarusa River is a 80-mile-long tributary of the Kansas River, located in eastern Kansas. The river's headwaters are located in Douglas County, and it flows through Shawnee and Osage Counties before joining the Kansas River. The river has a history of flooding, which has been mitigated through the construction of various reservoirs and dams, including the Clinton Lake and the Pomona Lake. The river's hydrology has been affected by agricultural practices, such as the conversion of wetlands to farmland, and by urban expansion. The river is important for recreational activities, including fishing and boating, and for agricultural uses, such as irrigation and livestock watering. However, water quality and quantity issues have been a concern for these uses.
Recreation along the Wakarusa River
Fishing access and paddle runs Snoflo tracks within the watershed.
Track the Wakarusa 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 Wakarusa River
Where does the data for the Wakarusa 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.