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Big Blue River at Tuttle Creek Lake

Highest listed crest 1,137.76 ftFlood stage 1,136.0 ft34 crests since 1962

The Big Blue River at Tuttle Creek Lake crested above flood stage 1 time among the 34 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1962 to 1995. The highest, 1,137.76 ft on July 23, 1993, was minor flooding, 1.76 feet above flood stage. 5 other gauges on the Big Blue River crested above flood stage within a week of it, 1 at its own highest listed crest.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
1,137.76 ft
July 23, 1993
Flood stage
1,136.0 ft
Major flooding from 1,159.0 ft
Crests at major
0
1 above flood stage
Most recent flood crest
July 23, 1993
1,137.76 ft, minor flooding
Location
Riley County
Near Manhattan (4.6 mi)

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, Big Blue River at Tuttle Creek Lake
Action stage1,130.00—The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)1,136.01Jul 23, 1993Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage1,145.00—Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage1,159.00—Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

34 crests from 1962 to 1995. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Big Blue River at Tuttle Creek Lake, 1962 to 1995 106010801100112011401160ft Flood stage 1,136.0 ftMajor 1,159.0 ft Dec 31, 1962: 1,063.09 ft, below flood stageJun 29, 1963: 1,081.68 ft, below flood stageJun 26, 1964: 1,089.39 ft, below flood stageJul 7, 1965: 1,094.28 ft, below flood stageJan 16, 1966: 1,077.09 ft, below flood stageJun 22, 1967: 1,090.17 ft, below flood stageOct 21, 1968: 1,086.58 ft, below flood stageMar 25, 1969: 1,084.98 ft, below flood stageMay 12, 1970: 1,078.68 ft, below flood stageMay 25, 1971: 1,084.66 ft, below flood stageSep 8, 1972: 1,082.06 ft, below flood stageOct 18, 1973: 1,127.90 ft, below flood stageJun 28, 1974: 1,079.70 ft, below flood stageJun 28, 1975: 1,086.45 ft, below flood stageApr 27, 1976: 1,083.60 ft, below flood stageSep 16, 1977: 1,086.10 ft, below flood stageMar 23, 1978: 1,096.60 ft, below flood stageMar 26, 1979: 1,109.10 ft, below flood stageApr 6, 1980: 1,091.92 ft, below flood stageJul 28, 1981: 1,083.50 ft, below flood stageJun 2, 1982: 1,091.50 ft, below flood stageJul 3, 1983: 1,097.98 ft, below flood stageJun 26, 1984: 1,112.30 ft, below flood stageOct 13, 1985: 1,086.20 ft, below flood stageOct 16, 1986: 1,099.50 ft, below flood stageApr 17, 1987: 1,111.90 ft, below flood stageJul 16, 1988: 1,078.70 ft, below flood stageSep 11, 1989: 1,086.60 ft, below flood stageJun 20, 1990: 1,096.30 ft, below flood stageJun 3, 1991: 1,080.10 ft, below flood stageJul 31, 1992: 1,098.50 ft, below flood stageJul 23, 1993: 1,137.76 ft, minor floodingOct 19, 1994: 1,079.30 ft, below flood stageJun 2, 1995: 1,105.02 ft, below flood stage Highest, 1,137.76 ft, Jul 23, 1993 197019801990

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Big Blue River at Tuttle Creek Lake 1960s: 0 1970s: 0 1980s: 0 1990s: 1 1 1960s1970s1980s1990s
  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

Highest listed crests, Big Blue River at Tuttle Creek Lake
1Jul 23, 19931,137.76+1.76Minor—
2Oct 18, 19731,127.90−8.10Below flood stage—
3Jun 26, 19841,112.30−23.70Below flood stage—
4Apr 17, 19871,111.90−24.10Below flood stage—
5Mar 26, 19791,109.10−26.90Below flood stage—
6Jun 2, 19951,105.02−30.98Below flood stage—
7Oct 16, 19861,099.50−36.50Below flood stage—
8Jul 31, 19921,098.50−37.50Below flood stage—
9Jul 3, 19831,097.98−38.02Below flood stage—
10Mar 23, 19781,096.60−39.40Below flood stage—
11Jun 20, 19901,096.30−39.70Below flood stage—
12Jul 7, 19651,094.28−41.72Below flood stage—
13Apr 6, 19801,091.92−44.08Below flood stage—
14Jun 2, 19821,091.50−44.50Below flood stage—
15Jun 22, 19671,090.17−45.83Below flood stage—
16Jun 26, 19641,089.39−46.61Below flood stage—
17Sep 11, 19891,086.60−49.40Below flood stage—
18Oct 21, 19681,086.58−49.42Below flood stage—
19Jun 28, 19751,086.45−49.55Below flood stage—
20Oct 13, 19851,086.20−49.80Below flood stage—
21Sep 16, 19771,086.10−49.90Below flood stage—
22Mar 25, 19691,084.98−51.02Below flood stage—
23May 25, 19711,084.66−51.34Below flood stage—
24Apr 27, 19761,083.60−52.40Below flood stage—
25Jul 28, 19811,083.50−52.50Below flood stage—
26Sep 8, 19721,082.06−53.94Below flood stage—
27Jun 29, 19631,081.68−54.32Below flood stage—
28Jun 3, 19911,080.10−55.90Below flood stage—
29Jun 28, 19741,079.70−56.30Below flood stage—
30Oct 19, 19941,079.30−56.70Below flood stage—
31Jul 16, 19881,078.70−57.30Below flood stage—
32May 12, 19701,078.68−57.32Below flood stage—
33Jan 16, 19661,077.09−58.91Below flood stage—
34Dec 31, 19621,063.09−72.91Below flood stage—

The worst floods along the Big Blue River

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

July 23, 1993: 1,137.76 ft here, minor flooding

  • ManhattanKS · Jul 23, 1993 · 32.71 ft · Major
  • Blue RapidsKS · Jul 22, 1993 · 63.30 ft · Moderate · its highest
  • BeatriceNE · Jul 26, 1993 · 28.77 ft · Moderate
  • BarnestonNE · Jul 27, 1993 · 27.87 ft · Moderate
  • MarysvilleKS · Jul 28, 1993 · 36.10 ft · Minor

Gauges on the Big Blue River

In USGS station-number order, which runs downstream within a river basin.

Flood gauges on the Big Blue River
SurpriseNE7.011.52 ft, Jul 19, 19650
SewardNE18.024.11 ft, Mar 14, 20190
CreteNE21.030.64 ft, Mar 15, 20190
BeatriceNE18.033.02 ft, Oct 12, 19731
BarnestonNE20.030.21 ft, Jun 14, 19840
MarysvilleKS35.045.39 ft, Jun 9, 19413
Blue RapidsKS26.063.30 ft, Jul 22, 19930
Tuttle Creek Lake this gaugeKS1,136.01,137.76 ft, Jul 23, 19930
ManhattanKS19.036.04 ft, Jul 12, 19512

Other gauges in Riley County

Flood gauges in Riley County
Manhattan19.036.04 ft, Jul 12, 19512
Manhattan18.040.00 ft, Jun 1, 18440
Keats17.025.97 ft, Sep 3, 20181
Manhattan Scenic Drive14.028.29 ft, Sep 3, 20181

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge MTTK1, 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.