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Kansas River at De Soto

Highest listed crest 37.30 ftFlood stage 26.0 ft22 crests since 1951

The Kansas River at De Soto crested at major flood stage 1 time among the 22 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1951 to 2021. The highest, 37.30 ft on July 13, 1951, was major flooding, 11.30 feet above flood stage. 7 other gauges on the Kansas River crested above flood stage within a week of it, 3 at their own highest listed crest.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
37.30 ft
July 13, 1951; 510,000 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
26.0 ft
Major flooding from 36.0 ft
Crests at major
1
51st of 171 gauges in Kansas
Most recent flood crest
July 27, 1993
26.91 ft, minor flooding
Location
Leavenworth County
Near Lenexa (8.7 mi), Shawnee (8.8 mi), Olathe (10.5 mi)

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, Kansas River at De Soto
Action stage22.05Jun 24, 2019The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)26.02Jul 27, 1993Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage33.00—Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage36.01Jul 13, 1951Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

22 crests from 1951 to 2021. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Kansas River at De Soto, 1951 to 2021 010203040ft Flood stage 26.0 ftMajor 36.0 ft Jul 13, 1951: 37.30 ft, major flooding; 510,000 cubic feet per secondOct 13, 1973: 27.54 ft, minor flooding; 146,000 cubic feet per secondJun 10, 1982: 21.97 ft, below flood stage; 92,900 cubic feet per secondOct 10, 1985: 21.43 ft, below flood stage; 91,800 cubic feet per secondJul 27, 1993: 26.91 ft, minor flooding; 170,000 cubic feet per secondNov 3, 1998: 23.34 ft, action stage; 103,000 cubic feet per secondJun 21, 2001: 20.98 ft, below flood stage; 80,800 cubic feet per secondMay 8, 2007: 25.99 ft, action stage; 120,000 cubic feet per secondJun 21, 2008: 15.01 ft, below flood stage; 39,100 cubic feet per secondApr 28, 2009: 20.00 ft, below flood stage; 76,200 cubic feet per secondJun 17, 2010: 16.14 ft, below flood stage; 46,800 cubic feet per secondJun 3, 2011: 20.59 ft, below flood stage; 80,200 cubic feet per secondOct 1, 2011: 9.96 ft, below flood stage; 15,600 cubic feet per secondAug 5, 2013: 12.13 ft, below flood stage; 24,800 cubic feet per secondJun 11, 2014: 14.73 ft, below flood stage; 38,600 cubic feet per secondJun 6, 2015: 22.33 ft, action stage; 90,900 cubic feet per secondMay 28, 2016: 23.97 ft, action stage; 104,000 cubic feet per secondApr 6, 2017: 17.25 ft, below flood stage; 55,500 cubic feet per secondOct 22, 2017: 10.94 ft, below flood stage; 19,800 cubic feet per secondJun 24, 2019: 23.29 ft, action stage; 103,000 cubic feet per secondJul 31, 2020: 16.92 ft, below flood stage; 54,900 cubic feet per secondMay 18, 2021: 15.34 ft, below flood stage; 44,000 cubic feet per second Highest, 37.30 ft, Jul 13, 1951 1960197019801990200020102020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Kansas River at De Soto 1950s: 1 1 1960s: 0 1970s: 1 1980s: 0 1990s: 1 2000s: 0 2010s: 0 2020s: 0 1950s1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s2020s
  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, Kansas River at De Soto
1Jul 13, 195137.30+11.30Major510,000
2Oct 13, 197327.54+1.54Minor146,000
3Jul 27, 199326.91+0.91Minor170,000
4May 8, 200725.99−0.01Action120,000
5May 28, 201623.97−2.03Action104,000
6Nov 3, 199823.34−2.66Action103,000
7Jun 24, 201923.29−2.71Action103,000
8Jun 6, 201522.33−3.67Action90,900
9Jun 10, 198221.97−4.03Below flood stage92,900
10Oct 10, 198521.43−4.57Below flood stage91,800
11Jun 21, 200120.98−5.02Below flood stage80,800
12Jun 3, 201120.59−5.41Below flood stage80,200
13Apr 28, 200920.00−6.00Below flood stage76,200
14Apr 6, 201717.25−8.75Below flood stage55,500
15Jul 31, 202016.92−9.08Below flood stage54,900
16Jun 17, 201016.14−9.86Below flood stage46,800
17May 18, 202115.34−10.66Below flood stage44,000
18Jun 21, 200815.01−10.99Below flood stage39,100
19Jun 11, 201414.73−11.27Below flood stage38,600
20Aug 5, 201312.13−13.87Below flood stage24,800
21Oct 22, 201710.94−15.06Below flood stage19,800
22Oct 1, 20119.96−16.04Below flood stage15,600

The worst floods along the Kansas River

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

July 13, 1951: 37.30 ft here, major flooding

  • 23rd Street - Kansas City - KSKS · Jul 14, 1951 · 61.30 ft · Major · its highest
  • Ft. RileyKS · Jul 13, 1951 · 34.50 ft · Major
  • LecomptonKS · Jul 13, 1951 · 30.23 ft · Major · its highest
  • LawrenceKS · Jul 13, 1951 · 29.90 ft · Major
  • TopekaKS · Jul 13, 1951 · 40.80 ft · Moderate
  • ManhattanKS · Jul 13, 1951 · 33.39 ft · Moderate
  • WamegoKS · Jul 13, 1951 · 30.56 ft · Moderate · its highest

October 13, 1973: 27.54 ft here, minor flooding

July 27, 1993: 26.91 ft here, minor flooding

  • 23rd Street - Kansas City - KSKS · Jul 28, 1993 · 54.80 ft · Moderate
  • Turner BridgeKS · Jul 27, 1993 · 53.64 ft · Moderate · its highest
  • TopekaKS · Jul 24, 1993 · 34.97 ft · Moderate
  • ManhattanKS · Jul 25, 1993 · 29.92 ft · Moderate
  • Ft. RileyKS · Jul 26, 1993 · 27.93 ft · Moderate
  • WamegoKS · Jul 26, 1993 · 27.33 ft · Moderate
  • LawrenceKS · Jul 27, 1993 · 26.80 ft · Moderate
  • LecomptonKS · Jul 27, 1993 · 24.65 ft · Moderate
  • BelvueKS · Jul 26, 1993 · 26.00 ft · Minor · its highest

Gauges on the Kansas River

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

Flood gauges on the Kansas River
23rd Street - Kansas City - KSKS33.061.30 ft, Jul 14, 19511
De Soto this gaugeKS26.037.30 ft, Jul 13, 19511
Ft. RileyKS21.034.50 ft, Jul 1, 19512
LawrenceKS18.029.90 ft, Jul 1, 18442
LecomptonKS17.030.23 ft, Jul 13, 19512
ManhattanKS18.040.00 ft, Jun 1, 18440
TopekaKS26.047.20 ft, Jun 1, 18441
Turner BridgeKS41.053.64 ft, Jul 27, 19930
WamegoKS19.030.56 ft, Jul 13, 19510
BelvueKS20.026.00 ft, Jul 26, 19930
Lake QuiviraKS26.028.14 ft, May 28, 20160

Other gauges in Leavenworth County

Flood gauges in Leavenworth County
Leavenworth20.035.34 ft, Jul 28, 19933
Easton17.027.80 ft, May 7, 20076
Tonganoxie23.029.88 ft, Sep 13, 19770

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge DSOK1, 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.