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Marmaton River at Fort Scott

Highest listed crest 52.50 ftFlood stage 38.0 ft66 crests since 1904

The Marmaton River at Fort Scott crested at major flood stage 15 times among the 66 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1904 to 2022. The highest, 52.50 ft on October 3, 1986, was major flooding, 14.50 feet above flood stage.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
52.50 ft
October 3, 1986
Flood stage
38.0 ft
Major flooding from 43.0 ft
Crests at major
15
3rd of 171 gauges in Kansas
Most recent flood crest
July 16, 2021
40.48 ft, minor flooding
Location
Bourbon County
Kansas

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, Marmaton River at Fort Scott
Action stage36.03May 6, 2022The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)38.040Jul 16, 2021Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage42.08May 9, 2009Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage43.015May 22, 2019Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

66 crests from 1904 to 2022. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Marmaton River at Fort Scott, 1904 to 2022 3540455055ft Flood stage 38.0 ftMajor 43.0 ft May 1, 1904: 45.00 ft, major floodingSep 7, 1915: 42.34 ft, moderate floodingJun 11, 1916: 47.60 ft, major floodingMar 14, 1922: 43.30 ft, major floodingAug 14, 1927: 46.35 ft, major floodingMay 19, 1929: 40.70 ft, minor floodingMay 19, 1931: 40.50 ft, minor floodingOct 6, 1936: 40.10 ft, minor floodingOct 10, 1936: 40.80 ft, minor floodingMay 24, 1938: 40.10 ft, minor floodingApr 16, 1941: 42.20 ft, moderate floodingJun 21, 1942: 41.20 ft, minor floodingApr 23, 1944: 40.60 ft, minor floodingJan 6, 1946: 41.00 ft, minor floodingJul 19, 1950: 40.30 ft, minor floodingJul 11, 1951: 42.00 ft, moderate floodingSep 10, 1951: 43.30 ft, major floodingFeb 2, 1952: 41.10 ft, minor floodingMay 6, 1961: 42.67 ft, moderate floodingSep 13, 1961: 43.60 ft, major floodingOct 31, 1961: 41.61 ft, minor floodingMay 25, 1968: 43.85 ft, major floodingJul 7, 1969: 40.65 ft, minor floodingMar 25, 1973: 40.32 ft, minor floodingMar 31, 1973: 40.07 ft, minor floodingMar 11, 1974: 43.56 ft, major floodingNov 3, 1974: 43.45 ft, major floodingJun 17, 1975: 41.02 ft, minor floodingJun 22, 1977: 41.50 ft, minor floodingJun 24, 1979: 40.85 ft, minor floodingNov 21, 1979: 41.71 ft, minor floodingApr 2, 1983: 40.58 ft, minor floodingFeb 23, 1985: 44.72 ft, major floodingAug 23, 1985: 42.88 ft, moderate floodingNov 15, 1985: 42.50 ft, moderate floodingOct 3, 1986: 52.50 ft, major floodingMar 1, 1987: 40.55 ft, minor floodingApr 1, 1988: 42.00 ft, moderate floodingMay 17, 1990: 40.90 ft, minor floodingMay 10, 1993: 40.57 ft, minor floodingFeb 21, 1997: 41.00 ft, minor floodingSep 14, 1998: 49.80 ft, major floodingOct 5, 1998: 41.00 ft, minor floodingApr 28, 1999: 40.90 ft, minor floodingFeb 25, 2001: 37.70 ft, action stageMay 8, 2002: 39.80 ft, minor floodingApr 25, 2004: 38.90 ft, minor floodingJul 1, 2007: 47.15 ft, major flooding; 76,300 cubic feet per secondMay 28, 2008: 38.40 ft, minor flooding; 10,308 cubic feet per secondJun 10, 2008: 40.50 ft, minor flooding; 14,600 cubic feet per secondJun 14, 2008: 38.10 ft, minor flooding; 9,762 cubic feet per secondSep 15, 2008: 39.80 ft, minor flooding; 12,000 cubic feet per secondApr 28, 2009: 41.47 ft, minor flooding; 18,770 cubic feet per secondMay 9, 2009: 42.36 ft, moderate flooding; 19,600 cubic feet per secondJun 17, 2009: 38.26 ft, minor flooding; 12,363 cubic feet per secondSep 16, 2010: 38.90 ft, minor flooding; 11,200 cubic feet per secondMar 21, 2012: 39.75 ft, minor flooding; 14,600 cubic feet per secondJul 30, 2013: 39.03 ft, minor flooding; 11,618 cubic feet per secondAug 5, 2013: 40.21 ft, minor flooding; 16,800 cubic feet per secondMay 24, 2015: 37.33 ft, action stage; 12,200 cubic feet per secondApr 30, 2017: 43.25 ft, major flooding; 25,951 cubic feet per secondMay 22, 2019: 43.45 ft, major flooding; 22,136 cubic feet per secondMar 13, 2021: 39.51 ft, minor flooding; 13,850 cubic feet per secondMar 18, 2021: 38.65 ft, minor flooding; 12,509 cubic feet per secondJul 16, 2021: 40.48 ft, minor flooding; 17,200 cubic feet per secondMay 6, 2022: 37.90 ft, action stage; 12,900 cubic feet per second Highest, 52.50 ft, Oct 3, 1986 192019401960198020002020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Marmaton River at Fort Scott 1900s: 1 1910s: 2 1920s: 3 1930s: 4 1940s: 4 1950s: 4 1960s: 5 1970s: 8 1980s: 7 1990s: 6 2000s: 10 10 2010s: 6 2020s: 3 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 66 listed crests.

Highest listed crests, Marmaton River at Fort Scott
1Oct 3, 198652.50+14.50Major—
2Sep 14, 199849.80+11.80Major—
3Jun 11, 191647.60+9.60Major—
4Jul 1, 200747.15+9.15Major76,300
5Aug 14, 192746.35+8.35Major—
6May 1, 190445.00+7.00Major—
7Feb 23, 198544.72+6.72Major—
8May 25, 196843.85+5.85Major—
9Sep 13, 196143.60+5.60Major—
10Mar 11, 197443.56+5.56Major—
11Nov 3, 197443.45+5.45Major—
12May 22, 201943.45+5.45Major22,136
13Mar 14, 192243.30+5.30Major—
14Sep 10, 195143.30+5.30Major—
15Apr 30, 201743.25+5.25Major25,951
16Aug 23, 198542.88+4.88Moderate—
17May 6, 196142.67+4.67Moderate—
18Nov 15, 198542.50+4.50Moderate—
19May 9, 200942.36+4.36Moderate19,600
20Sep 7, 191542.34+4.34Moderate—
21Apr 16, 194142.20+4.20Moderate—
22Jul 11, 195142.00+4.00Moderate—
23Apr 1, 198842.00+4.00Moderate—
24Nov 21, 197941.71+3.71Minor—
25Oct 31, 196141.61+3.61Minor—
26Jun 22, 197741.50+3.50Minor—
27Apr 28, 200941.47+3.47Minor18,770
28Jun 21, 194241.20+3.20Minor—
29Feb 2, 195241.10+3.10Minor—
30Jun 17, 197541.02+3.02Minor—
31Jan 6, 194641.00+3.00Minor—
32Feb 21, 199741.00+3.00Minor—
33Oct 5, 199841.00+3.00Minor—
34May 17, 199040.90+2.90Minor—
35Apr 28, 199940.90+2.90Minor—
36Jun 24, 197940.85+2.85Minor—
37Oct 10, 193640.80+2.80Minor—
38May 19, 192940.70+2.70Minor—
39Jul 7, 196940.65+2.65Minor—
40Apr 23, 194440.60+2.60Minor—
41Apr 2, 198340.58+2.58Minor—
42May 10, 199340.57+2.57Minor—
43Mar 1, 198740.55+2.55Minor—
44May 19, 193140.50+2.50Minor—
45Jun 10, 200840.50+2.50Minor14,600
46Jul 16, 202140.48+2.48Minor17,200
47Mar 25, 197340.32+2.32Minor—
48Jul 19, 195040.30+2.30Minor—
49Aug 5, 201340.21+2.21Minor16,800
50Oct 6, 193640.10+2.10Minor—

The worst floods along the Marmaton River

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

July 1, 2007: 47.15 ft here, major flooding

  • NevadaMO · Jul 2, 2007 · 33.17 ft · Major · its highest
  • RichardsMO · Jul 1, 2007 · 34.68 ft · Moderate · its highest
  • UniontownKS · Jun 30, 2007 · 17.32 ft · Minor · its highest

Gauges on the Marmaton River

In USGS station-number order, which runs downstream within a river basin.

Flood gauges on the Marmaton River
UniontownKS12.017.32 ft, Jun 30, 20070
Fort Scott this gaugeKS38.052.50 ft, Oct 3, 198615
RichardsMO23.034.68 ft, Jul 1, 20070
NevadaMO20.033.17 ft, Jul 2, 20071

Other gauges in Bourbon County

Flood gauges in Bourbon County
Fulton22.028.96 ft, May 22, 20190
Uniontown12.017.32 ft, Jun 30, 20070

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge FSKK1, 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.