Search
Menu

Explore

Hazards

Analysis

Rankings

Reference

Cottonwood River at Emporia

Highest listed crest 33.40 ftFlood stage 20.0 ft116 crests since 1904

The Cottonwood River at Emporia crested at major flood stage 1 time among the 116 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1904 to 2025. The highest, 33.40 ft on July 11, 1951, was major flooding, 13.40 feet above flood stage. 1 other gauge 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
33.40 ft
July 11, 1951
Flood stage
20.0 ft
Major flooding from 32.0 ft
Crests at major
1
51st of 171 gauges in Kansas
Most recent flood crest
June 5, 2025
25.73 ft, moderate flooding
Location
Lyon County
Near Emporia (1.2 mi)

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 Emporia
Action stage15.04Jun 28, 2021The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)20.056Jun 11, 2024Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage24.053Jun 5, 2025Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage32.01Jul 11, 1951Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

116 crests from 1904 to 2025. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Cottonwood River at Emporia, 1904 to 2025 010203040ft Flood stage 20.0 ftMajor 32.0 ft Apr 5, 1904: 25.10 ft, moderate floodingJun 10, 1923: 25.10 ft, moderate floodingSep 13, 1926: 27.90 ft, moderate floodingNov 17, 1928: 27.00 ft, moderate floodingJul 12, 1929: 25.50 ft, moderate floodingSep 7, 1941: 25.43 ft, moderate floodingOct 22, 1941: 25.00 ft, moderate floodingMay 23, 1944: 27.70 ft, moderate floodingDec 6, 1944: 26.00 ft, moderate floodingApr 17, 1945: 27.40 ft, moderate floodingOct 1, 1945: 25.20 ft, moderate floodingJul 20, 1948: 29.50 ft, moderate floodingJun 30, 1951: 29.10 ft, moderate floodingJul 11, 1951: 33.40 ft, major floodingMay 18, 1957: 24.70 ft, moderate floodingJul 18, 1958: 20.80 ft, minor floodingMay 20, 1959: 24.81 ft, moderate floodingJul 19, 1959: 22.03 ft, minor floodingMar 28, 1961: 22.30 ft, minor floodingMay 24, 1961: 24.80 ft, moderate floodingJan 31, 1962: 22.00 ft, minor floodingJun 6, 1962: 22.42 ft, minor floodingSep 26, 1962: 25.04 ft, moderate floodingJun 5, 1965: 26.70 ft, moderate floodingJun 10, 1965: 26.90 ft, moderate floodingSep 22, 1965: 23.90 ft, minor floodingJun 23, 1967: 25.82 ft, moderate floodingMay 28, 1969: 23.39 ft, minor floodingApr 20, 1970: 23.46 ft, minor floodingJun 21, 1970: 21.76 ft, minor floodingJun 3, 1971: 25.37 ft, moderate floodingJul 7, 1971: 22.66 ft, minor floodingJul 13, 1971: 22.44 ft, minor floodingJul 12, 1972: 21.14 ft, minor floodingMar 7, 1973: 23.95 ft, minor floodingMar 11, 1973: 25.05 ft, moderate floodingMar 27, 1973: 20.94 ft, minor floodingMay 24, 1973: 21.16 ft, minor floodingSep 28, 1973: 25.81 ft, moderate floodingOct 12, 1973: 27.25 ft, moderate floodingApr 24, 1974: 22.59 ft, minor floodingJun 20, 1975: 24.44 ft, moderate floodingJun 26, 1975: 24.00 ft, moderate floodingApr 30, 1976: 22.45 ft, minor floodingJun 29, 1977: 23.99 ft, minor floodingMar 24, 1978: 18.00 ft, action stageJun 10, 1979: 22.23 ft, minor floodingJul 7, 1979: 23.47 ft, minor floodingMar 31, 1980: 22.95 ft, minor floodingJun 27, 1981: 20.45 ft, minor floodingJul 5, 1981: 20.70 ft, minor floodingMay 13, 1982: 23.06 ft, minor floodingMar 20, 1984: 24.52 ft, moderate floodingApr 10, 1984: 21.74 ft, minor floodingFeb 25, 1985: 20.10 ft, minor floodingJun 6, 1985: 24.82 ft, moderate floodingAug 24, 1985: 24.44 ft, moderate floodingSep 25, 1985: 20.33 ft, minor floodingOct 11, 1985: 28.50 ft, moderate floodingSep 27, 1986: 20.01 ft, minor floodingOct 5, 1986: 24.82 ft, moderate floodingMar 2, 1987: 24.53 ft, moderate floodingMar 20, 1987: 21.47 ft, minor floodingApr 3, 1988: 22.30 ft, minor floodingAug 30, 1989: 19.60 ft, action stageMay 17, 1990: 21.80 ft, minor floodingApr 12, 1994: 10.95 ft, below flood stageMar 15, 1995: 20.48 ft, minor floodingMay 19, 1995: 21.00 ft, minor floodingMay 28, 1995: 24.90 ft, moderate floodingJun 11, 1995: 24.00 ft, moderate floodingAug 24, 1996: 21.00 ft, minor floodingNov 18, 1996: 20.50 ft, minor floodingApr 13, 1997: 24.17 ft, moderate floodingOct 6, 1998: 25.06 ft, moderate floodingNov 2, 1998: 29.50 ft, moderate floodingApr 16, 1999: 24.12 ft, moderate floodingApr 24, 1999: 20.14 ft, minor floodingApr 28, 1999: 24.09 ft, moderate floodingOct 6, 1999: 25.06 ft, moderate floodingFeb 26, 2001: 21.96 ft, minor floodingApr 26, 2003: 21.81 ft, minor floodingSep 1, 2003: 22.40 ft, minor floodingMar 6, 2004: 24.58 ft, moderate floodingJun 20, 2004: 22.18 ft, minor floodingJul 11, 2004: 23.93 ft, minor floodingJul 28, 2004: 20.98 ft, minor floodingMay 9, 2007: 25.19 ft, moderate flooding; 24,887 cubic feet per secondApr 28, 2009: 24.49 ft, moderate flooding; 18,336 cubic feet per secondMay 10, 2009: 24.76 ft, moderate flooding; 20,156 cubic feet per secondJun 17, 2009: 23.29 ft, minor flooding; 15,733 cubic feet per secondJun 11, 2010: 22.25 ft, minor flooding; 14,350 cubic feet per secondJun 16, 2010: 25.91 ft, moderate flooding; 34,292 cubic feet per secondJun 10, 2014: 17.42 ft, action stage; 9,570 cubic feet per secondMay 19, 2015: 23.15 ft, minor floodingMay 25, 2015: 24.63 ft, moderate flooding; 17,900 cubic feet per secondJul 11, 2015: 21.40 ft, minor floodingApr 28, 2016: 22.23 ft, minor floodingMay 28, 2016: 25.17 ft, moderate floodingMar 30, 2017: 24.74 ft, moderate floodingApr 6, 2017: 21.43 ft, minor floodingOct 10, 2018: 25.76 ft, moderate floodingMay 3, 2019: 23.91 ft, minor floodingMay 9, 2019: 26.17 ft, moderate floodingMay 23, 2019: 25.50 ft, moderate floodingJun 26, 2019: 24.20 ft, moderate floodingJul 9, 2019: 23.53 ft, minor floodingAug 2, 2020: 22.07 ft, minor floodingJun 28, 2021: 19.02 ft, action stage; 11,300 cubic feet per secondMay 6, 2022: 20.91 ft, minor floodingMay 28, 2022: 21.39 ft, minor flooding; 13,800 cubic feet per secondJun 2, 2022: 22.01 ft, minor flooding; 14,500 cubic feet per secondJun 7, 2022: 23.89 ft, minor flooding; 16,800 cubic feet per secondJun 6, 2023: 7.44 ft, below flood stage; 2,400 cubic feet per secondJun 11, 2024: 23.11 ft, minor flooding; 15,800 cubic feet per secondJun 5, 2025: 25.73 ft, moderate flooding; 19,879 cubic feet per second Highest, 33.40 ft, Jul 11, 1951 192019401960198020002020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Cottonwood River at Emporia 1900s: 1 1910s: 0 1920s: 4 1930s: 0 1940s: 7 1950s: 6 1960s: 10 1970s: 19 19 1980s: 16 1990s: 14 2000s: 11 2010s: 15 2020s: 7 1900s1910s1920s1930s1940s1950s1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s2020s
  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 116 listed crests.

Highest listed crests, Cottonwood River at Emporia
1Jul 11, 195133.40+13.40Major—
2Jul 20, 194829.50+9.50Moderate—
3Nov 2, 199829.50+9.50Moderate—
4Jun 30, 195129.10+9.10Moderate—
5Oct 11, 198528.50+8.50Moderate—
6Sep 13, 192627.90+7.90Moderate—
7May 23, 194427.70+7.70Moderate—
8Apr 17, 194527.40+7.40Moderate—
9Oct 12, 197327.25+7.25Moderate—
10Nov 17, 192827.00+7.00Moderate—
11Jun 10, 196526.90+6.90Moderate—
12Jun 5, 196526.70+6.70Moderate—
13May 9, 201926.17+6.17Moderate—
14Dec 6, 194426.00+6.00Moderate—
15Jun 16, 201025.91+5.91Moderate34,292
16Jun 23, 196725.82+5.82Moderate—
17Sep 28, 197325.81+5.81Moderate—
18Oct 10, 201825.76+5.76Moderate—
19Jun 5, 202525.73+5.73Moderate19,879
20Jul 12, 192925.50+5.50Moderate—
21May 23, 201925.50+5.50Moderate—
22Sep 7, 194125.43+5.43Moderate—
23Jun 3, 197125.37+5.37Moderate—
24Oct 1, 194525.20+5.20Moderate—
25May 9, 200725.19+5.19Moderate24,887
26May 28, 201625.17+5.17Moderate—
27Apr 5, 190425.10+5.10Moderate—
28Jun 10, 192325.10+5.10Moderate—
29Oct 6, 199825.06+5.06Moderate—
30Oct 6, 199925.06+5.06Moderate—
31Mar 11, 197325.05+5.05Moderate—
32Sep 26, 196225.04+5.04Moderate—
33Oct 22, 194125.00+5.00Moderate—
34May 28, 199524.90+4.90Moderate—
35Jun 6, 198524.82+4.82Moderate—
36Oct 5, 198624.82+4.82Moderate—
37May 20, 195924.81+4.81Moderate—
38May 24, 196124.80+4.80Moderate—
39May 10, 200924.76+4.76Moderate20,156
40Mar 30, 201724.74+4.74Moderate—
41May 18, 195724.70+4.70Moderate—
42May 25, 201524.63+4.63Moderate17,900
43Mar 6, 200424.58+4.58Moderate—
44Mar 2, 198724.53+4.53Moderate—
45Mar 20, 198424.52+4.52Moderate—
46Apr 28, 200924.49+4.49Moderate18,336
47Jun 20, 197524.44+4.44Moderate—
48Aug 24, 198524.44+4.44Moderate—
49Jun 26, 201924.20+4.20Moderate—
50Apr 13, 199724.17+4.17Moderate—

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.

July 11, 1951: 33.40 ft here, major flooding

  • PlymouthKS · Jul 11, 1951 · 37.80 ft · Major · its highest

November 2, 1998: 29.50 ft here, moderate flooding

  • PlymouthKS · Nov 2, 1998 · 36.78 ft · Moderate
  • FlorenceKS · Nov 2, 1998 · 28.81 ft · Moderate · its highest
  • Cottonwood FallsKS · Nov 1, 1998 · 17.20 ft · Moderate · its highest

June 30, 1951: 29.10 ft here, moderate flooding

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 FallsKS9.017.20 ft, Nov 1, 19980
Emporia this gaugeKS20.033.40 ft, Jul 11, 19511
FlorenceKS22.028.81 ft, Nov 2, 19980
PlymouthKS32.037.80 ft, Jul 11, 19511

Other gauges in Lyon County

Flood gauges in Lyon County
Reading19.027.47 ft, May 29, 19820
Emporia19.026.00 ft, Oct 11, 19850
Neosho Rapids22.034.30 ft, Jul 11, 19510
Americus26.028.30 ft, Jun 27, 19690

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge EMPK1, 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.