TornadoLiveMap

Smoky Hill River near Oakley — water level right now

Logan County, Kansas · NWS gauge OKYK1
Loading the latest reading…
–
current stage (ft)
 
9
minor flood stage
 
15.2
record crest
set 1938-05-30
–
flood status
official NWS category
Official NOAA forecast → USGS data → Full US flood map →

Flood stages at this gauge

Where the water stands right now against the four official thresholds:

action · 8
minor · 9
moderate · 11
major · 13
Flood stageLevel (ft)What it means
Major flood stage13extensive inundation and significant evacuations — a serious event
Moderate flood stage11some buildings and roads inundated; evacuations possible
Minor flood stage9low-lying roads and fields near the river start to flood
Action stage8water is approaching flood level — time to pay attention

Highest floods on record here

#Crest (ft)Datevs. minor flood stage
115.21938-05-30+6.2 above
211.021955-06-17+2.02 above
310.851969-08-23+1.85 above
410.791951-06-11+1.79 above
59.931957-07-11+0.93 above
69.581962-06-08+0.58 above
79.551947-10-07+0.55 above
89.382014-06-29+0.38 above
99.21996-09-07+0.2 above
109.032019-09-10+0.03 above
119.011941-07-02+0.01 above
128.581956-07-030.42 below

Historic crests recorded at this gauge by the National Weather Service — the 12 highest on file.

Where this gauge is

The marker is this gauge; nearby gauges load live and are clickable.

Nearby river gauges

Smoky Hill River near Arnold 45 mi away · loading… Saline River (KS) near Wakeeney 57 mi away · loading… Arkansas River at Garden City 58 mi away · loading… Arkansas River at Deerfield 59 mi away · loading… Arkansas River at Syracuse 75 mi away · loading… Pawnee River near Burdett 77 mi away · loading…

Gauge details

NWS gauge IDOKYK1
USGS site06860000
CountyLogan
StateKansas
NWS forecast officeGoodland
River forecast centerMissouri Basin River Forecast Center
Coordinates38.795, -100.858
Time zoneCST6CDT
Turn Around, Don't Drown. Six inches of moving water can knock you off your feet and twelve inches can float a car. Never drive around barricades or into water of unknown depth — most flood deaths happen in vehicles.

Questions about Smoky Hill River near Oakley

Is Smoky Hill River near Oakley flooding right now?

The live reading at the top of this page answers that: the gauge is compared against its official NWS flood stages every 15 minutes. Minor flooding at this gauge begins at 9 ft. Blue means normal, yellow is action stage, orange minor, red moderate and dark red major flooding.

What is flood stage for Smoky Hill River near Oakley?

major flood stage 13 ft, moderate flood stage 11 ft, minor flood stage 9 ft, action stage 8 ft. These are official National Weather Service thresholds set specifically for this gauge, not generic values.

What is the record flood at Smoky Hill River near Oakley?

The highest crest on file at this gauge is 15.2 ft, reached on 1938-05-30 — that is 6.2 ft above minor flood stage. The full list of the highest crests is in the table on this page.

Where does this data come from?

From the NOAA National Water Prediction Service, the official U.S. river gauge network — a U.S. government work in the public domain. Live stage is refreshed every 15 minutes; flood thresholds and historic crests are refreshed monthly. For life-safety decisions follow NWS Goodland and local emergency management.