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Big Creek at Ellis

Highest listed crest 21.80 ftFlood stage 15.0 ft6 crests since 1951

The Big Creek at Ellis crested at major flood stage 2 times among the 6 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1951 to 1999. The highest, 21.80 ft on June 17, 1957, was major flooding, 6.80 feet above flood stage.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
21.80 ft
June 17, 1957
Flood stage
15.0 ft
Major flooding from 19.0 ft
Crests at major
2
29th of 171 gauges in Kansas
Most recent flood crest
June 17, 1957
21.80 ft, major flooding
Location
Ellis County
Near Hays (13.5 mi)
Identifiers
NWS ELLK1
No USGS station

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, Big Creek at Ellis
Action stage13.01Jul 21, 1993The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)15.00—Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage17.00—Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage19.02Jun 17, 1957Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

6 crests from 1951 to 1999. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Big Creek at Ellis, 1951 to 1999 10121416182022ft Flood stage 15.0 ftMajor 19.0 ft Jun 22, 1951: 19.75 ft, major floodingJun 17, 1957: 21.80 ft, major floodingMar 22, 1960: 11.50 ft, below flood stageJul 21, 1993: 14.20 ft, action stageJul 29, 1999: 10.35 ft, below flood stageAug 3, 1999: 12.10 ft, below flood stage Highest, 21.80 ft, Jun 17, 1957 19601970198019902000

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Big Creek at Ellis 1950s: 2 2 1960s: 0 1970s: 0 1980s: 0 1990s: 0 1950s1960s1970s1980s1990s
  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 Creek at Ellis
1Jun 17, 195721.80+6.80Major—
2Jun 22, 195119.75+4.75Major—
3Jul 21, 199314.20−0.80Action—
4Aug 3, 199912.10−2.90Below flood stage—
5Mar 22, 196011.50−3.50Below flood stage—
6Jul 29, 199910.35−4.65Below flood stage—

Other gauges in Ellis County

Flood gauges in Ellis County
Schoenchen11.017.60 ft, Jul 21, 19931

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge ELLK1, 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.