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Kansas River at Wamego

Highest listed crest 30.56 ftFlood stage 19.0 ft92 crests since 1902

The Kansas River at Wamego crested above flood stage 32 times among the 92 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1902 to 2023. The highest, 30.56 ft on July 13, 1951, was moderate flooding, 11.56 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
30.56 ft
July 13, 1951; 400,000 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
19.0 ft
Major flooding from 38.0 ft
Crests at major
0
32 above flood stage
Most recent flood crest
April 11, 1997
20.49 ft, minor flooding
Location
Pottawatomie County
Kansas

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 Wamego
Action stage15.012Jun 1, 2019The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)19.027Apr 11, 1997Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage26.05Jul 26, 1993Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage38.00—Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

92 crests from 1902 to 2023. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Kansas River at Wamego, 1902 to 2023 010203040ft Flood stage 19.0 ftMajor 38.0 ft Jul 13, 1902: 22.00 ft, minor floodingMay 30, 1903: 29.30 ft, moderate floodingJun 11, 1908: 26.00 ft, moderate floodingJun 20, 1915: 23.50 ft, minor floodingMay 8, 1930: 19.30 ft, minor floodingJun 4, 1935: 26.79 ft, moderate floodingJun 11, 1941: 24.80 ft, minor floodingOct 10, 1941: 21.24 ft, minor floodingOct 23, 1941: 19.77 ft, minor floodingJun 17, 1943: 23.85 ft, minor floodingApr 23, 1944: 20.02 ft, minor floodingMay 4, 1944: 20.18 ft, minor floodingAug 27, 1944: 22.76 ft, minor floodingApr 17, 1945: 22.29 ft, minor floodingMay 16, 1945: 20.15 ft, minor floodingMay 24, 1945: 22.58 ft, minor floodingMay 28, 1945: 20.91 ft, minor floodingJun 26, 1947: 21.05 ft, minor floodingJul 21, 1948: 19.75 ft, minor floodingJul 20, 1950: 21.78 ft, minor floodingOct 4, 1950: 19.60 ft, minor floodingJun 9, 1951: 22.00 ft, minor floodingJun 17, 1951: 20.54 ft, minor floodingJun 23, 1951: 24.56 ft, minor floodingJun 30, 1951: 25.88 ft, minor floodingJul 13, 1951: 30.56 ft, moderate flooding; 400,000 cubic feet per secondSep 5, 1951: 20.53 ft, minor floodingSep 14, 1951: 19.41 ft, minor floodingMar 29, 1960: 19.04 ft, minor floodingMay 23, 1961: 19.71 ft, minor flooding; 72,100 cubic feet per secondJan 31, 1962: 13.95 ft, below flood stage; 36,200 cubic feet per secondJul 3, 1963: 8.40 ft, below flood stage; 12,100 cubic feet per secondJun 23, 1964: 9.97 ft, below flood stage; 17,900 cubic feet per secondJun 28, 1965: 15.60 ft, action stage; 44,600 cubic feet per secondOct 6, 1965: 9.15 ft, below flood stage; 14,600 cubic feet per secondJun 21, 1967: 16.62 ft, action stage; 50,700 cubic feet per secondOct 8, 1967: 14.27 ft, below flood stage; 36,900 cubic feet per secondMar 4, 1969: 14.16 ft, below flood stage; 37,300 cubic feet per secondJun 4, 1970: 13.34 ft, below flood stage; 34,200 cubic feet per secondMay 25, 1971: 15.08 ft, action stage; 40,700 cubic feet per secondSep 7, 1972: 9.82 ft, below flood stage; 16,400 cubic feet per secondApr 6, 1973: 15.66 ft, action stage; 44,300 cubic feet per secondOct 12, 1973: 18.70 ft, action stage; 72,900 cubic feet per secondJun 11, 1975: 11.47 ft, below flood stage; 23,900 cubic feet per secondApr 29, 1976: 11.18 ft, below flood stage; 22,700 cubic feet per secondJun 19, 1977: 14.09 ft, below flood stage; 36,600 cubic feet per secondMar 31, 1978: 10.58 ft, below flood stage; 20,300 cubic feet per secondMar 28, 1979: 15.34 ft, action stage; 43,800 cubic feet per secondApr 3, 1980: 14.27 ft, below flood stage; 37,400 cubic feet per secondAug 4, 1981: 9.72 ft, below flood stage; 15,700 cubic feet per secondJul 10, 1982: 15.06 ft, action stage; 39,200 cubic feet per secondApr 2, 1983: 11.27 ft, below flood stage; 21,300 cubic feet per secondApr 30, 1984: 14.73 ft, below flood stage; 39,000 cubic feet per secondAug 11, 1985: 13.51 ft, below flood stage; 32,100 cubic feet per secondOct 11, 1985: 13.38 ft, below flood stage; 32,500 cubic feet per secondApr 17, 1987: 16.48 ft, action stage; 50,900 cubic feet per secondFeb 21, 1988: 5.70 ft, below flood stage; 5,610 cubic feet per secondSep 9, 1989: 13.90 ft, below flood stage; 35,400 cubic feet per secondAug 17, 1990: 11.41 ft, below flood stage; 24,200 cubic feet per secondJun 7, 1991: 9.18 ft, below flood stage; 14,700 cubic feet per secondAug 5, 1992: 14.69 ft, below flood stage; 38,300 cubic feet per secondJul 26, 1993: 27.33 ft, moderate flooding; 199,000 cubic feet per secondOct 2, 1993: 10.23 ft, below flood stage; 20,600 cubic feet per secondMay 18, 1995: 17.86 ft, action stage; 59,100 cubic feet per secondJun 2, 1996: 11.31 ft, below flood stage; 25,300 cubic feet per secondApr 11, 1997: 20.49 ft, minor flooding; 48,800 cubic feet per secondApr 2, 1998: 13.68 ft, below flood stage; 33,800 cubic feet per secondMay 24, 1999: 15.95 ft, action stage; 45,100 cubic feet per secondMar 27, 2000: 8.83 ft, below flood stage; 14,100 cubic feet per secondJun 20, 2001: 13.09 ft, below flood stage; 31,100 cubic feet per secondOct 1, 2001: 7.66 ft, below flood stage; 10,600 cubic feet per secondSep 17, 2003: 7.03 ft, below flood stage; 6,780 cubic feet per secondMar 10, 2004: 11.69 ft, below flood stage; 25,000 cubic feet per secondJun 5, 2005: 14.91 ft, below flood stage; 37,600 cubic feet per secondApr 3, 2006: 6.07 ft, below flood stage; 4,930 cubic feet per secondMay 24, 2007: 14.41 ft, below flood stage; 37,100 cubic feet per secondJun 20, 2008: 13.66 ft, below flood stage; 32,100 cubic feet per secondApr 27, 2009: 11.89 ft, below flood stage; 24,400 cubic feet per secondJun 17, 2010: 13.21 ft, below flood stage; 30,100 cubic feet per secondJun 2, 2011: 17.06 ft, action stage; 48,900 cubic feet per secondOct 1, 2011: 8.97 ft, below flood stage; 13,000 cubic feet per secondAug 3, 2013: 12.01 ft, below flood stage; 24,400 cubic feet per secondJun 10, 2014: 12.06 ft, below flood stage; 24,600 cubic feet per secondJun 26, 2015: 13.44 ft, below flood stage; 32,000 cubic feet per secondMay 27, 2016: 14.09 ft, below flood stage; 35,100 cubic feet per secondMay 27, 2017: 12.78 ft, below flood stage; 28,500 cubic feet per secondSep 14, 2018: 10.30 ft, below flood stage; 18,200 cubic feet per secondJun 1, 2019: 17.85 ft, action stage; 56,000 cubic feet per secondAug 11, 2020: 12.15 ft, below flood stage; 25,200 cubic feet per secondMay 28, 2021: 12.24 ft, below flood stage; 25,600 cubic feet per secondMay 31, 2022: 10.05 ft, below flood stage; 16,700 cubic feet per secondMay 16, 2023: 5.55 ft, below flood stage; 4,040 cubic feet per second Highest, 30.56 ft, Jul 13, 1951 192019401960198020002020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Kansas River at Wamego 1900s: 3 1910s: 1 1920s: 0 1930s: 2 1940s: 13 13 1950s: 9 1960s: 2 1970s: 0 1980s: 0 1990s: 2 2000s: 0 2010s: 0 2020s: 0 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 92 listed crests.

Highest listed crests, Kansas River at Wamego
1Jul 13, 195130.56+11.56Moderate400,000
2May 30, 190329.30+10.30Moderate—
3Jul 26, 199327.33+8.33Moderate199,000
4Jun 4, 193526.79+7.79Moderate—
5Jun 11, 190826.00+7.00Moderate—
6Jun 30, 195125.88+6.88Minor—
7Jun 11, 194124.80+5.80Minor—
8Jun 23, 195124.56+5.56Minor—
9Jun 17, 194323.85+4.85Minor—
10Jun 20, 191523.50+4.50Minor—
11Aug 27, 194422.76+3.76Minor—
12May 24, 194522.58+3.58Minor—
13Apr 17, 194522.29+3.29Minor—
14Jul 13, 190222.00+3.00Minor—
15Jun 9, 195122.00+3.00Minor—
16Jul 20, 195021.78+2.78Minor—
17Oct 10, 194121.24+2.24Minor—
18Jun 26, 194721.05+2.05Minor—
19May 28, 194520.91+1.91Minor—
20Jun 17, 195120.54+1.54Minor—
21Sep 5, 195120.53+1.53Minor—
22Apr 11, 199720.49+1.49Minor48,800
23May 4, 194420.18+1.18Minor—
24May 16, 194520.15+1.15Minor—
25Apr 23, 194420.02+1.02Minor—
26Oct 23, 194119.77+0.77Minor—
27Jul 21, 194819.75+0.75Minor—
28May 23, 196119.71+0.71Minor72,100
29Oct 4, 195019.60+0.60Minor—
30Sep 14, 195119.41+0.41Minor—
31May 8, 193019.30+0.30Minor—
32Mar 29, 196019.04+0.04Minor—
33Oct 12, 197318.70−0.30Action72,900
34May 18, 199517.86−1.14Action59,100
35Jun 1, 201917.85−1.15Action56,000
36Jun 2, 201117.06−1.94Action48,900
37Jun 21, 196716.62−2.38Action50,700
38Apr 17, 198716.48−2.52Action50,900
39May 24, 199915.95−3.05Action45,100
40Apr 6, 197315.66−3.34Action44,300
41Jun 28, 196515.60−3.40Action44,600
42Mar 28, 197915.34−3.66Action43,800
43May 25, 197115.08−3.92Action40,700
44Jul 10, 198215.06−3.94Action39,200
45Jun 5, 200514.91−4.09Below flood stage37,600
46Apr 30, 198414.73−4.27Below flood stage39,000
47Aug 5, 199214.69−4.31Below flood stage38,300
48May 24, 200714.41−4.59Below flood stage37,100
49Oct 8, 196714.27−4.73Below flood stage36,900
50Apr 3, 198014.27−4.73Below flood stage37,400

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: 30.56 ft here, moderate flooding

  • 23rd Street - Kansas City - KSKS · Jul 14, 1951 · 61.30 ft · Major · its highest
  • De SotoKS · Jul 13, 1951 · 37.30 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

May 30, 1903: 29.30 ft here, moderate flooding

July 26, 1993: 27.33 ft here, moderate 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
  • LawrenceKS · Jul 27, 1993 · 26.80 ft · Moderate
  • LecomptonKS · Jul 27, 1993 · 24.65 ft · Moderate
  • De SotoKS · Jul 27, 1993 · 26.91 ft · Minor
  • 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 SotoKS26.037.30 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
Wamego this gaugeKS19.030.56 ft, Jul 13, 19510
BelvueKS20.026.00 ft, Jul 26, 19930
Lake QuiviraKS26.028.14 ft, May 28, 20160

Other gauges in Pottawatomie County

Flood gauges in Pottawatomie County
Belvue20.026.00 ft, Jul 26, 19930
Louisville27.031.70 ft, May 24, 20070
Wamego20.030.14 ft, Jun 9, 19841

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge WMGK1, 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.