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Arkansas River at Derby

Highest listed crest 16.60 ftFlood stage 12.0 ft58 crests since 1968

The Arkansas River at Derby crested at major flood stage 1 time among the 58 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1968 to 2026. The highest, 16.60 ft on November 2, 1998, was major flooding, 4.60 feet above flood stage. 3 other gauges on the Arkansas River crested above flood stage within a week of it, 2 at their own highest listed crest.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
16.60 ft
November 2, 1998; 60,700 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
12.0 ft
Major flooding from 16.2 ft
Crests at major
1
51st of 171 gauges in Kansas
Most recent flood crest
June 3, 2025
12.10 ft, minor flooding
Location
Sedgwick County
Near Derby (1.5 mi), Haysville (4.5 mi), Wichita (10.8 mi)

Flood stages

The thresholds the National Weather Service uses for this gauge today, and how many listed crests reached each.

Flood categories, Arkansas River at Derby
Action stage10.014Jun 26, 2026The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)12.017Jun 3, 2025Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage15.010May 25, 2019Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage16.21Nov 2, 1998Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

58 crests from 1968 to 2026. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Arkansas River at Derby, 1968 to 2026 05101520ft Flood stage 12.0 ftMajor 16.2 ft Oct 17, 1968: 13.53 ft, minor flooding; 27,300 cubic feet per secondApr 27, 1969: 10.46 ft, action stage; 11,400 cubic feet per secondJun 20, 1970: 10.07 ft, action stage; 10,300 cubic feet per secondJun 14, 1971: 8.06 ft, below flood stage; 5,860 cubic feet per secondNov 2, 1971: 8.74 ft, below flood stage; 7,630 cubic feet per secondMar 11, 1973: 13.73 ft, minor flooding; 23,300 cubic feet per secondMar 31, 1973: 15.51 ft, moderate flooding; 45,600 cubic feet per secondOct 1, 1973: 15.51 ft, moderate flooding; 45,800 cubic feet per secondOct 14, 1973: 15.43 ft, moderate flooding; 44,500 cubic feet per secondApr 21, 1974: 15.47 ft, moderate flooding; 45,100 cubic feet per secondJun 9, 1975: 9.59 ft, below flood stage; 11,600 cubic feet per secondApr 29, 1976: 11.38 ft, action stage; 16,100 cubic feet per secondJun 23, 1977: 10.06 ft, action stage; 12,200 cubic feet per secondMay 20, 1978: 8.25 ft, below flood stage; 7,920 cubic feet per secondMar 23, 1979: 9.20 ft, below flood stage; 10,300 cubic feet per secondNov 1, 1979: 15.87 ft, moderate flooding; 51,700 cubic feet per secondJun 29, 1981: 7.39 ft, below flood stage; 5,800 cubic feet per secondNov 2, 1981: 9.54 ft, below flood stage; 11,000 cubic feet per secondJul 4, 1983: 11.64 ft, action stage; 17,700 cubic feet per secondMar 24, 1984: 11.70 ft, action stage; 17,900 cubic feet per secondSep 22, 1985: 9.74 ft, below flood stage; 12,600 cubic feet per secondOct 10, 1985: 15.30 ft, moderate floodingMar 24, 1987: 12.07 ft, minor flooding; 20,600 cubic feet per secondApr 1, 1988: 6.73 ft, below flood stage; 6,600 cubic feet per secondSep 5, 1989: 10.99 ft, action stage; 18,500 cubic feet per secondJun 9, 1990: 5.26 ft, below flood stage; 3,410 cubic feet per secondAug 29, 1991: 8.13 ft, below flood stage; 10,300 cubic feet per secondJun 19, 1992: 8.30 ft, below flood stage; 10,700 cubic feet per secondMay 9, 1993: 16.08 ft, moderate flooding; 52,600 cubic feet per secondJul 15, 1993: 16.19 ft, moderate flooding; 54,200 cubic feet per secondJul 19, 1993: 14.76 ft, minor floodingJul 27, 1994: 5.72 ft, below flood stage; 5,270 cubic feet per secondMay 28, 1995: 13.49 ft, minor floodingJun 5, 1996: 7.26 ft, below flood stage; 8,410 cubic feet per secondNov 2, 1998: 16.60 ft, major flooding; 60,700 cubic feet per secondFeb 25, 2001: 10.06 ft, action stage; 16,000 cubic feet per secondMar 5, 2004: 11.99 ft, action stage; 23,400 cubic feet per secondJun 10, 2005: 12.79 ft, minor flooding; 26,900 cubic feet per secondMay 9, 2007: 12.22 ft, minor flooding; 24,445 cubic feet per secondMay 28, 2007: 12.98 ft, minor flooding; 30,600 cubic feet per secondSep 13, 2008: 15.19 ft, moderate flooding; 37,100 cubic feet per secondApr 27, 2009: 14.33 ft, minor flooding; 32,300 cubic feet per secondJun 14, 2010: 13.23 ft, minor flooding; 26,800 cubic feet per secondJul 31, 2013: 10.11 ft, action stage; 15,390 cubic feet per secondAug 9, 2013: 13.09 ft, minor flooding; 28,500 cubic feet per secondJun 16, 2015: 11.23 ft, action stage; 21,400 cubic feet per secondJul 3, 2016: 13.66 ft, minor flooding; 31,100 cubic feet per secondSep 10, 2016: 14.54 ft, minor flooding; 35,000 cubic feet per secondOct 10, 2018: 12.62 ft, minor flooding; 25,200 cubic feet per secondMay 9, 2019: 14.37 ft, minor flooding; 34,606 cubic feet per secondMay 25, 2019: 15.53 ft, moderate flooding; 39,779 cubic feet per secondJun 24, 2019: 12.41 ft, minor flooding; 25,957 cubic feet per secondMay 16, 2020: 5.93 ft, below flood stage; 6,360 cubic feet per secondJun 27, 2021: 7.43 ft, below flood stage; 9,610 cubic feet per secondJun 1, 2022: 11.13 ft, action stage; 21,400 cubic feet per secondJun 3, 2025: 12.10 ft, minor flooding; 23,800 cubic feet per secondJun 19, 2025: 10.14 ft, action stage; 16,500 cubic feet per secondJun 26, 2026: 11.53 ft, action stage; 21,522 cubic feet per second Highest, 16.60 ft, Nov 2, 1998 197019801990200020102020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Arkansas River at Derby 1960s: 1 1970s: 6 1980s: 2 1990s: 5 2000s: 5 2010s: 8 8 2020s: 1 1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s2020s
  1. These are the crests the local National Weather Service office lists for the gauge: the highest on record and recent crests. Lesser floods between them may be missing, so counts by decade are a floor.
  2. Categories use today's flood stages. Levees, dams and channel changes since a crest can make old and new stages not directly comparable.

Highest crests

The 50 highest of 58 listed crests.

Highest listed crests, Arkansas River at Derby
1Nov 2, 199816.60+4.60Major60,700
2Jul 15, 199316.19+4.19Moderate54,200
3May 9, 199316.08+4.08Moderate52,600
4Nov 1, 197915.87+3.87Moderate51,700
5May 25, 201915.53+3.53Moderate39,779
6Mar 31, 197315.51+3.51Moderate45,600
7Oct 1, 197315.51+3.51Moderate45,800
8Apr 21, 197415.47+3.47Moderate45,100
9Oct 14, 197315.43+3.43Moderate44,500
10Oct 10, 198515.30+3.30Moderate—
11Sep 13, 200815.19+3.19Moderate37,100
12Jul 19, 199314.76+2.76Minor—
13Sep 10, 201614.54+2.54Minor35,000
14May 9, 201914.37+2.37Minor34,606
15Apr 27, 200914.33+2.33Minor32,300
16Mar 11, 197313.73+1.73Minor23,300
17Jul 3, 201613.66+1.66Minor31,100
18Oct 17, 196813.53+1.53Minor27,300
19May 28, 199513.49+1.49Minor—
20Jun 14, 201013.23+1.23Minor26,800
21Aug 9, 201313.09+1.09Minor28,500
22May 28, 200712.98+0.98Minor30,600
23Jun 10, 200512.79+0.79Minor26,900
24Oct 10, 201812.62+0.62Minor25,200
25Jun 24, 201912.41+0.41Minor25,957
26May 9, 200712.22+0.22Minor24,445
27Jun 3, 202512.10+0.10Minor23,800
28Mar 24, 198712.07+0.07Minor20,600
29Mar 5, 200411.99−0.01Action23,400
30Mar 24, 198411.70−0.30Action17,900
31Jul 4, 198311.64−0.36Action17,700
32Jun 26, 202611.53−0.47Action21,522
33Apr 29, 197611.38−0.62Action16,100
34Jun 16, 201511.23−0.77Action21,400
35Jun 1, 202211.13−0.87Action21,400
36Sep 5, 198910.99−1.01Action18,500
37Apr 27, 196910.46−1.54Action11,400
38Jun 19, 202510.14−1.86Action16,500
39Jul 31, 201310.11−1.89Action15,390
40Jun 20, 197010.07−1.93Action10,300
41Jun 23, 197710.06−1.94Action12,200
42Feb 25, 200110.06−1.94Action16,000
43Sep 22, 19859.74−2.26Below flood stage12,600
44Jun 9, 19759.59−2.41Below flood stage11,600
45Nov 2, 19819.54−2.46Below flood stage11,000
46Mar 23, 19799.20−2.80Below flood stage10,300
47Nov 2, 19718.74−3.26Below flood stage7,630
48Jun 19, 19928.30−3.70Below flood stage10,700
49May 20, 19788.25−3.75Below flood stage7,920
50Aug 29, 19918.13−3.87Below flood stage10,300

The worst floods along the Arkansas River

For this gauge's highest crests, the other gauges on the Arkansas River that crested above flood stage within a week.

November 2, 1998: 16.60 ft here, major flooding

  • OxfordKS · Nov 2, 1998 · 26.85 ft · Major · its highest
  • MulvaneKS · Nov 2, 1998 · 20.90 ft · Moderate · its highest
  • RalstonOK · Nov 3, 1998 · 18.50 ft · Moderate

July 15, 1993: 16.19 ft here, moderate flooding

May 9, 1993: 16.08 ft here, moderate flooding

Gauges on the Arkansas River

Flood gauges sharing the river's name, linked within 80 miles of one another.

Flood gauges on the Arkansas River
Arkansas CityKS11.020.91 ft, May 9, 20190
DardanelleAR32.045.91 ft, May 30, 20195
Derby this gaugeKS12.016.60 ft, Nov 2, 19981
Great BendKS12.017.70 ft, Jun 15, 19810
HutchinsonKS8.013.85 ft, Apr 2, 19730
Little RockAR23.034.60 ft, Jun 17, 183329
MorriltonAR30.043.03 ft, Jun 4, 201910
OxfordKS17.026.85 ft, Nov 2, 19982
Ozark L/D TailwaterAR357.0374.99 ft, May 30, 20197
PendletonAR31.037.63 ft, Jun 6, 20194
Pine BluffAR42.052.10 ft, May 28, 19436
RalstonOK16.023.00 ft, Jun 11, 192310
Toad Suck Lock and DamAR275.0285.40 ft, Jun 4, 20195
TulsaOK18.025.21 ft, Oct 5, 19864
Van BurenAR22.040.79 ft, Jun 1, 201918
HaskellOK19.026.02 ft, Jan 1, 19802
HavenKS10.013.08 ft, May 8, 20079
Kinsley 2EKS12.017.60 ft, Jun 21, 19651
MulvaneKS16.520.90 ft, Nov 2, 19980
MuskogeeOK28.048.20 ft, May 21, 194311
Ponca CityOK17.022.26 ft, May 24, 20191

Other gauges in Sedgwick County

Flood gauges in Sedgwick County
Wichita 119th St18.022.00 ft, Oct 31, 19980
Sedgwick22.026.28 ft, Jul 17, 19931

Sedgwick County: every hazard · River floods across the country · Kansas

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge DRBK1, retrieved October 30, 2026. Stages in feet on the gauge's own datum, not elevation. Crests are as the National Weather Service lists them; preliminary values may be revised.