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Little Blue River near Barnes

Highest listed crest 28.02 ftFlood stage 16.0 ft22 crests since 2005

The Little Blue River near Barnes crested above flood stage 13 times among the 22 crests the National Weather Service lists from 2005 to 2023. The highest, 28.02 ft on May 8, 2015, was moderate flooding, 12.02 feet above flood stage. 2 other gauges on the Little Blue River crested above flood stage within a week of it, 1 at its own highest listed crest.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
28.02 ft
May 8, 2015; 58,700 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
16.0 ft
Major flooding from 39.0 ft
Crests at major
0
13 above flood stage
Most recent flood crest
July 29, 2020
18.08 ft, minor flooding
Location
Marshall County
Kansas

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, Little Blue River near Barnes
Action stage11.06Jul 7, 2022The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)16.012Jul 29, 2020Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage23.01May 8, 2015Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage39.00—Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

22 crests from 2005 to 2023. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Little Blue River near Barnes, 2005 to 2023 010203040ft Flood stage 16.0 ftMajor 39.0 ft May 12, 2005: 12.03 ft, action stage; 7,010 cubic feet per secondAug 17, 2006: 9.05 ft, below flood stage; 3,490 cubic feet per secondMay 7, 2007: 19.16 ft, minor flooding; 19,900 cubic feet per secondJul 19, 2008: 16.43 ft, minor flooding; 14,200 cubic feet per secondOct 24, 2008: 16.32 ft, minor flooding; 13,800 cubic feet per secondMay 21, 2011: 15.20 ft, action stage; 11,900 cubic feet per secondApr 16, 2012: 10.38 ft, below flood stage; 5,160 cubic feet per secondMay 29, 2013: 11.06 ft, action stage; 6,010 cubic feet per secondOct 5, 2013: 11.10 ft, action stage; 5,940 cubic feet per secondMay 8, 2015: 28.02 ft, moderate flooding; 58,700 cubic feet per secondMay 29, 2016: 16.75 ft, minor flooding; 13,200 cubic feet per secondMay 21, 2017: 19.50 ft, minor flooding; 19,169 cubic feet per secondSep 5, 2018: 20.75 ft, minor flooding; 21,600 cubic feet per secondMar 15, 2019: 21.11 ft, minor flooding; 22,400 cubic feet per secondMay 25, 2019: 17.05 ft, minor floodingMay 31, 2019: 19.46 ft, minor floodingJun 23, 2019: 16.95 ft, minor floodingOct 3, 2019: 18.20 ft, minor floodingJul 29, 2020: 18.08 ft, minor flooding; 16,500 cubic feet per secondAug 13, 2021: 12.28 ft, action stage; 7,380 cubic feet per secondJul 7, 2022: 14.14 ft, action stage; 9,980 cubic feet per secondMay 15, 2023: 10.47 ft, below flood stage; 5,170 cubic feet per second Highest, 28.02 ft, May 8, 2015 2005201020152020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Little Blue River near Barnes 2000s: 3 2010s: 9 9 2020s: 1 2000s2010s2020s
  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, Little Blue River near Barnes
1May 8, 201528.02+12.02Moderate58,700
2Mar 15, 201921.11+5.11Minor22,400
3Sep 5, 201820.75+4.75Minor21,600
4May 21, 201719.50+3.50Minor19,169
5May 31, 201919.46+3.46Minor—
6May 7, 200719.16+3.16Minor19,900
7Oct 3, 201918.20+2.20Minor—
8Jul 29, 202018.08+2.08Minor16,500
9May 25, 201917.05+1.05Minor—
10Jun 23, 201916.95+0.95Minor—
11May 29, 201616.75+0.75Minor13,200
12Jul 19, 200816.43+0.43Minor14,200
13Oct 24, 200816.32+0.32Minor13,800
14May 21, 201115.20−0.80Action11,900
15Jul 7, 202214.14−1.86Action9,980
16Aug 13, 202112.28−3.72Action7,380
17May 12, 200512.03−3.97Action7,010
18Oct 5, 201311.10−4.90Action5,940
19May 29, 201311.06−4.94Action6,010
20May 15, 202310.47−5.53Below flood stage5,170
21Apr 16, 201210.38−5.62Below flood stage5,160
22Aug 17, 20069.05−6.95Below flood stage3,490

The worst floods along the Little Blue River

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

May 8, 2015: 28.02 ft here, moderate flooding

  • FairburyNE · May 7, 2015 · 25.48 ft · Major · its highest
  • HollenbergKS · May 7, 2015 · 22.97 ft · Moderate

September 5, 2018: 20.75 ft here, minor flooding

  • DeweeseNE · Sep 3, 2018 · 10.89 ft · Minor

May 31, 2019: 19.46 ft here, minor flooding

  • DeshlerNE · May 28, 2019 · 19.35 ft · Minor · its highest
  • HebronNE · May 29, 2019 · 15.63 ft · Minor · its highest
  • DeweeseNE · May 27, 2019 · 14.35 ft · Minor

Gauges on the Little Blue River

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

Flood gauges on the Little Blue River
HebronNE13.515.63 ft, May 29, 20190
Barnes this gaugeKS16.028.02 ft, May 8, 20150
DeshlerNE16.019.35 ft, May 28, 20190
DeweeseNE10.020.57 ft, Aug 31, 19693
FairburyNE18.525.48 ft, May 7, 20152
HollenbergKS19.023.07 ft, Oct 12, 19730

Other gauges in Marshall County

Flood gauges in Marshall County
Blue Rapids26.063.30 ft, Jul 22, 19930
Marysville35.045.39 ft, Jun 9, 19413
Frankfort19.032.72 ft, Jun 29, 20190

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge BANK1, 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.