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Cottonwood River at Cottonwood Falls

Highest listed crest 17.20 ftFlood stage 9.0 ft53 crests since 1944

The Cottonwood River at Cottonwood Falls crested above flood stage 45 times among the 53 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1944 to 2026. The highest, 17.20 ft on November 1, 1998, was moderate flooding, 8.20 feet above flood stage. 3 other gauges on the Cottonwood River crested above flood stage within a week of it, 1 at its own highest listed crest.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
17.20 ft
November 1, 1998
Flood stage
9.0 ft
Major flooding from 18.0 ft
Crests at major
0
45 above flood stage
Most recent flood crest
June 4, 2025
13.40 ft, moderate flooding
Location
Chase County
Kansas
Identifiers
NWS CTWK1
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, Cottonwood River at Cottonwood Falls
Action stage7.07Jul 4, 2026The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)9.020Jun 9, 2024Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage11.025Jun 4, 2025Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage18.00—Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

53 crests from 1944 to 2026. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Cottonwood River at Cottonwood Falls, 1944 to 2026 05101520ft Flood stage 9.0 ftMajor 18.0 ft Apr 23, 1944: 16.00 ft, moderate floodingMay 1, 1951: 13.60 ft, moderate floodingJun 30, 1951: 16.40 ft, moderate floodingMay 7, 1961: 9.00 ft, minor floodingJun 6, 1965: 13.50 ft, moderate floodingOct 7, 1967: 9.40 ft, minor floodingMar 11, 1973: 11.20 ft, moderate floodingApr 22, 1974: 10.40 ft, minor floodingJun 18, 1975: 13.30 ft, moderate floodingJun 22, 1977: 10.30 ft, minor floodingMar 24, 1978: 4.90 ft, below flood stageJul 5, 1979: 8.00 ft, action stageMar 21, 1984: 9.00 ft, minor floodingJun 13, 1985: 13.00 ft, moderate floodingOct 11, 1985: 15.70 ft, moderate floodingMay 11, 1990: 7.00 ft, action stageMay 9, 1993: 16.10 ft, moderate floodingJul 16, 1993: 9.50 ft, minor floodingJul 22, 1993: 12.30 ft, moderate floodingMay 24, 1995: 11.00 ft, moderate floodingMay 28, 1995: 11.50 ft, moderate floodingJun 10, 1995: 9.30 ft, minor floodingNov 1, 1998: 17.20 ft, moderate floodingMar 6, 2004: 11.90 ft, moderate flooding; 16,444 cubic feet per secondJul 10, 2004: 9.00 ft, minor flooding; 12,545 cubic feet per secondJul 27, 2004: 9.00 ft, minor flooding; 12,545 cubic feet per secondMay 13, 2005: 10.00 ft, minor flooding; 13,790 cubic feet per secondJun 6, 2005: 9.70 ft, minor flooding; 13,417 cubic feet per secondJun 13, 2005: 12.80 ft, moderate flooding; 17,716 cubic feet per secondAug 27, 2005: 11.00 ft, moderate flooding; 18,799 cubic feet per secondMay 8, 2007: 12.50 ft, moderate flooding; 22,891 cubic feet per secondSep 14, 2008: 12.10 ft, moderate flooding; 21,691 cubic feet per secondApr 28, 2009: 10.50 ft, minor flooding; 17,449 cubic feet per secondJun 15, 2010: 13.20 ft, moderate flooding; 25,773 cubic feet per secondAug 1, 2013: 11.10 ft, moderate flooding; 19,062 cubic feet per secondMay 17, 2015: 10.00 ft, minor flooding; 16,103 cubic feet per secondMay 24, 2015: 10.50 ft, minor flooding; 17,454 cubic feet per secondMay 28, 2016: 10.50 ft, minor flooding; 17,454 cubic feet per secondMar 30, 2017: 11.10 ft, moderate flooding; 19,067 cubic feet per secondApr 6, 2017: 7.70 ft, action stage; 11,264 cubic feet per secondOct 10, 2018: 8.70 ft, action stage; 13,274 cubic feet per secondMay 2, 2019: 9.10 ft, minor flooding; 14,017 cubic feet per secondMay 9, 2019: 14.10 ft, moderate flooding; 30,608 cubic feet per secondMay 26, 2019: 11.20 ft, moderate flooding; 19,330 cubic feet per secondJun 25, 2019: 10.60 ft, minor flooding; 17,724 cubic feet per secondJul 7, 2019: 11.10 ft, moderate flooding; 19,067 cubic feet per secondJul 31, 2020: 10.30 ft, minor flooding; 16,914 cubic feet per secondJun 6, 2022: 9.50 ft, minor flooding; 14,916 cubic feet per secondJun 9, 2024: 9.10 ft, minor flooding; 14,017 cubic feet per secondJun 4, 2025: 13.40 ft, moderate flooding; 26,600 cubic feet per secondJun 19, 2025: 7.60 ft, action stage; 11,100 cubic feet per secondSep 2, 2025: 7.70 ft, action stage; 11,264 cubic feet per secondJul 4, 2026: 7.60 ft, action stage; 11,067 cubic feet per second Highest, 17.20 ft, Nov 1, 1998 1960198020002020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Cottonwood River at Cottonwood Falls 1940s: 1 1950s: 2 1960s: 3 1970s: 4 1980s: 3 1990s: 7 2000s: 10 2010s: 11 11 2020s: 4 1940s1950s1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s2020s
  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 53 listed crests.

Highest listed crests, Cottonwood River at Cottonwood Falls
1Nov 1, 199817.20+8.20Moderate—
2Jun 30, 195116.40+7.40Moderate—
3May 9, 199316.10+7.10Moderate—
4Apr 23, 194416.00+7.00Moderate—
5Oct 11, 198515.70+6.70Moderate—
6May 9, 201914.10+5.10Moderate30,608
7May 1, 195113.60+4.60Moderate—
8Jun 6, 196513.50+4.50Moderate—
9Jun 4, 202513.40+4.40Moderate26,600
10Jun 18, 197513.30+4.30Moderate—
11Jun 15, 201013.20+4.20Moderate25,773
12Jun 13, 198513.00+4.00Moderate—
13Jun 13, 200512.80+3.80Moderate17,716
14May 8, 200712.50+3.50Moderate22,891
15Jul 22, 199312.30+3.30Moderate—
16Sep 14, 200812.10+3.10Moderate21,691
17Mar 6, 200411.90+2.90Moderate16,444
18May 28, 199511.50+2.50Moderate—
19Mar 11, 197311.20+2.20Moderate—
20May 26, 201911.20+2.20Moderate19,330
21Aug 1, 201311.10+2.10Moderate19,062
22Mar 30, 201711.10+2.10Moderate19,067
23Jul 7, 201911.10+2.10Moderate19,067
24May 24, 199511.00+2.00Moderate—
25Aug 27, 200511.00+2.00Moderate18,799
26Jun 25, 201910.60+1.60Minor17,724
27Apr 28, 200910.50+1.50Minor17,449
28May 24, 201510.50+1.50Minor17,454
29May 28, 201610.50+1.50Minor17,454
30Apr 22, 197410.40+1.40Minor—
31Jun 22, 197710.30+1.30Minor—
32Jul 31, 202010.30+1.30Minor16,914
33May 13, 200510.00+1.00Minor13,790
34May 17, 201510.00+1.00Minor16,103
35Jun 6, 20059.70+0.70Minor13,417
36Jul 16, 19939.50+0.50Minor—
37Jun 6, 20229.50+0.50Minor14,916
38Oct 7, 19679.40+0.40Minor—
39Jun 10, 19959.30+0.30Minor—
40May 2, 20199.10+0.10Minor14,017
41Jun 9, 20249.10+0.10Minor14,017
42May 7, 19619.000.00Minor—
43Mar 21, 19849.000.00Minor—
44Jul 10, 20049.000.00Minor12,545
45Jul 27, 20049.000.00Minor12,545
46Oct 10, 20188.70−0.30Action13,274
47Jul 5, 19798.00−1.00Action—
48Apr 6, 20177.70−1.30Action11,264
49Sep 2, 20257.70−1.30Action11,264
50Jun 19, 20257.60−1.40Action11,100

The worst floods along the Cottonwood River

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

November 1, 1998: 17.20 ft here, moderate flooding

  • PlymouthKS · Nov 2, 1998 · 36.78 ft · Moderate
  • EmporiaKS · Nov 2, 1998 · 29.50 ft · Moderate
  • FlorenceKS · Nov 2, 1998 · 28.81 ft · Moderate · its highest

June 30, 1951: 16.40 ft here, moderate flooding

  • EmporiaKS · Jun 30, 1951 · 29.10 ft · Moderate

May 9, 1993: 16.10 ft here, moderate flooding

  • PlymouthKS · May 10, 1993 · 35.00 ft · Moderate
  • FlorenceKS · May 9, 1993 · 27.85 ft · Moderate

Gauges on the Cottonwood River

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

Flood gauges on the Cottonwood River
Cottonwood Falls this gaugeKS9.017.20 ft, Nov 1, 19980
EmporiaKS20.033.40 ft, Jul 11, 19511
FlorenceKS22.028.81 ft, Nov 2, 19980
PlymouthKS32.037.80 ft, Jul 11, 19511

Other gauges in Chase County

Flood gauges in Chase County
Plymouth32.037.80 ft, Jul 11, 19511

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge CTWK1, 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.