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Smoky Hill River at Ellsworth

Highest listed crest 30.07 ftFlood stage 20.0 ft99 crests since 1919

The Smoky Hill River at Ellsworth crested at major flood stage 2 times among the 99 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1919 to 2025. The highest, 30.07 ft on July 22, 1993, was major flooding, 10.07 feet above flood stage. 6 other gauges on the Smoky Hill River crested above flood stage within a week of it, 3 at their own highest listed crest.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
30.07 ft
July 22, 1993; 61,000 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
20.0 ft
Major flooding from 27.0 ft
Crests at major
2
29th of 171 gauges in Kansas
Most recent flood crest
June 22, 2020
21.43 ft, minor flooding
Location
Ellsworth County
Kansas

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, Smoky Hill River at Ellsworth
Action stage18.020May 20, 2024The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)20.020Jun 22, 2020Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage24.03Jul 26, 1990Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage27.02Jul 22, 1993Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

99 crests from 1919 to 2025. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Smoky Hill River at Ellsworth, 1919 to 2025 010203040ft Flood stage 20.0 ftMajor 27.0 ft May 5, 1919: 11.40 ft, below flood stage; 5,000 cubic feet per secondMay 23, 1920: 6.30 ft, below flood stage; 1,650 cubic feet per secondJul 6, 1921: 8.10 ft, below flood stage; 2,410 cubic feet per secondApr 24, 1922: 18.10 ft, action stage; 12,900 cubic feet per secondSep 19, 1923: 14.10 ft, below flood stage; 7,880 cubic feet per secondAug 22, 1924: 6.08 ft, below flood stage; 1,350 cubic feet per secondApr 3, 1925: 8.35 ft, below flood stage; 2,560 cubic feet per secondAug 13, 1927: 25.70 ft, moderate flooding; 44,800 cubic feet per secondAug 4, 1928: 22.00 ft, minor flooding; 18,800 cubic feet per secondMay 12, 1929: 19.85 ft, action stage; 15,200 cubic feet per secondJun 5, 1930: 19.30 ft, action stage; 13,600 cubic feet per secondSep 12, 1932: 15.46 ft, below flood stage; 8,470 cubic feet per secondSep 1, 1933: 13.77 ft, below flood stage; 7,260 cubic feet per secondJun 18, 1934: 14.80 ft, below flood stage; 7,630 cubic feet per secondJun 28, 1935: 18.67 ft, action stage; 12,800 cubic feet per secondMay 10, 1936: 11.40 ft, below flood stage; 4,320 cubic feet per secondJul 14, 1937: 11.00 ft, below flood stage; 4,320 cubic feet per secondJun 1, 1938: 27.20 ft, major flooding; 61,000 cubic feet per secondJun 16, 1939: 16.00 ft, below flood stage; 9,100 cubic feet per secondJul 4, 1940: 11.17 ft, below flood stage; 4,680 cubic feet per secondSep 2, 1941: 21.14 ft, minor flooding; 18,300 cubic feet per secondSep 21, 1941: 21.35 ft, minor floodingJun 19, 1942: 20.65 ft, minor flooding; 17,000 cubic feet per secondJun 16, 1943: 9.67 ft, below flood stage; 3,840 cubic feet per secondMay 4, 1944: 18.57 ft, action stage; 12,900 cubic feet per secondMay 21, 1945: 18.71 ft, action stage; 13,100 cubic feet per secondOct 10, 1946: 18.00 ft, action stage; 11,200 cubic feet per secondJul 17, 1948: 10.09 ft, below flood stage; 3,780 cubic feet per secondJun 9, 1949: 18.44 ft, action stage; 11,000 cubic feet per secondJul 19, 1950: 19.35 ft, action stage; 13,300 cubic feet per secondMay 23, 1951: 24.12 ft, moderate flooding; 30,000 cubic feet per secondJun 7, 1951: 22.50 ft, minor floodingJun 24, 1951: 22.16 ft, minor floodingMay 24, 1952: 18.28 ft, action stage; 11,100 cubic feet per secondAug 4, 1953: 8.85 ft, below flood stage; 3,190 cubic feet per secondJun 15, 1954: 9.28 ft, below flood stage; 3,510 cubic feet per secondJul 1, 1955: 18.05 ft, action stage; 10,800 cubic feet per secondJun 1, 1956: 10.32 ft, below flood stage; 4,060 cubic feet per secondJul 2, 1957: 19.89 ft, action stage; 13,900 cubic feet per secondMar 30, 1958: 17.25 ft, below flood stage; 10,200 cubic feet per secondAug 29, 1960: 21.28 ft, minor floodingSep 13, 1961: 21.47 ft, minor floodingJul 9, 1962: 20.12 ft, minor flooding; 15,100 cubic feet per secondSep 2, 1963: 10.00 ft, below flood stage; 4,100 cubic feet per secondSep 1, 1964: 11.12 ft, below flood stage; 4,970 cubic feet per secondJul 6, 1965: 18.13 ft, action stage; 11,600 cubic feet per secondJul 27, 1966: 14.15 ft, below flood stage; 7,280 cubic feet per secondSep 19, 1967: 21.00 ft, minor floodingSep 23, 1968: 13.44 ft, below flood stage; 6,650 cubic feet per secondJun 22, 1969: 19.84 ft, action stage; 14,860 cubic feet per secondJun 16, 1970: 23.13 ft, minor floodingJun 11, 1971: 19.48 ft, action stage; 12,200 cubic feet per secondNov 17, 1971: 13.65 ft, below flood stage; 6,950 cubic feet per secondMar 31, 1973: 20.67 ft, minor flooding; 17,700 cubic feet per secondOct 11, 1973: 21.71 ft, minor flooding; 20,300 cubic feet per secondAug 29, 1975: 16.38 ft, below flood stage; 10,100 cubic feet per secondApr 21, 1976: 11.02 ft, below flood stage; 4,670 cubic feet per secondAug 6, 1977: 14.22 ft, below flood stage; 7,520 cubic feet per secondMay 12, 1978: 4.49 ft, below flood stage; 826 cubic feet per secondMar 24, 1979: 17.99 ft, below flood stage; 12,500 cubic feet per secondApr 1, 1980: 9.24 ft, below flood stage; 3,420 cubic feet per secondMay 5, 1981: 13.67 ft, below flood stage; 6,970 cubic feet per secondJul 19, 1982: 13.39 ft, below flood stage; 6,690 cubic feet per secondApr 1, 1983: 2.85 ft, below flood stage; 254 cubic feet per secondApr 30, 1984: 8.18 ft, below flood stage; 2,560 cubic feet per secondAug 22, 1985: 19.64 ft, action stage; 11,600 cubic feet per secondJul 6, 1986: 10.35 ft, below flood stage; 2,800 cubic feet per secondMar 23, 1987: 21.20 ft, minor floodingApr 16, 1987: 22.35 ft, minor flooding; 16,800 cubic feet per secondJul 29, 1988: 3.44 ft, below flood stage; 360 cubic feet per secondSep 9, 1989: 10.40 ft, below flood stage; 3,740 cubic feet per secondJul 26, 1990: 24.85 ft, moderate flooding; 24,100 cubic feet per secondMay 30, 1991: 14.04 ft, below flood stage; 6,680 cubic feet per secondJul 23, 1992: 18.29 ft, action stage; 12,200 cubic feet per secondJul 22, 1993: 30.07 ft, major flooding; 61,000 cubic feet per secondJul 3, 1994: 6.29 ft, below flood stage; 1,410 cubic feet per secondMay 24, 1995: 19.10 ft, action stage; 11,000 cubic feet per secondJun 8, 2001: 18.90 ft, action stage; 12,500 cubic feet per secondJul 1, 2003: 4.76 ft, below flood stage; 683 cubic feet per secondMay 6, 2007: 22.67 ft, minor floodingAug 2, 2007: 22.97 ft, minor flooding; 18,500 cubic feet per secondJun 12, 2008: 17.08 ft, below flood stage; 9,740 cubic feet per secondMay 27, 2010: 9.96 ft, below flood stage; 3,640 cubic feet per secondMay 26, 2011: 13.23 ft, below flood stage; 6,210 cubic feet per secondApr 16, 2012: 4.43 ft, below flood stage; 699 cubic feet per secondJul 26, 2013: 9.10 ft, below flood stage; 2,310 cubic feet per secondJun 29, 2014: 8.79 ft, below flood stage; 2,630 cubic feet per secondAug 5, 2015: 3.96 ft, below flood stage; 458 cubic feet per secondAug 31, 2016: 13.65 ft, below flood stage; 5,620 cubic feet per secondMay 20, 2017: 16.98 ft, below flood stage; 9,000 cubic feet per secondSep 4, 2018: 13.41 ft, below flood stage; 5,600 cubic feet per secondOct 10, 2018: 23.04 ft, minor flooding; 18,212 cubic feet per secondMay 26, 2019: 20.90 ft, minor flooding; 14,004 cubic feet per secondJun 22, 2020: 21.43 ft, minor flooding; 14,900 cubic feet per secondMay 27, 2021: 14.68 ft, below flood stage; 6,850 cubic feet per secondJun 6, 2022: 11.66 ft, below flood stage; 4,440 cubic feet per secondJul 1, 2023: 4.76 ft, below flood stage; 683 cubic feet per secondMay 20, 2024: 18.50 ft, action stage; 10,200 cubic feet per secondSep 21, 2025: 13.10 ft, below flood stage; 5,030 cubic feet per second Highest, 30.07 ft, Jul 22, 1993 192019401960198020002020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Smoky Hill River at Ellsworth 1910s: 0 1920s: 2 1930s: 1 1940s: 3 1950s: 3 1960s: 4 4 1970s: 3 1980s: 2 1990s: 2 2000s: 2 2010s: 2 2020s: 1 1910s1920s1930s1940s1950s1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s2020s
  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.
  3. 11 crests measured on an earlier gauge datum are left out: 21.60 ft on Jul 5, 1895; 9.80 ft on Jun 7, 1896; 4.60 ft on Apr 4, 1897; 5.80 ft on May 29, 1898; 15.60 ft on Jul 8, 1899; 4.80 ft on Jul 2, 1900; and more.

Highest crests

The 50 highest of 99 listed crests.

Highest listed crests, Smoky Hill River at Ellsworth
1Jul 22, 199330.07+10.07Major61,000
2Jun 1, 193827.20+7.20Major61,000
3Aug 13, 192725.70+5.70Moderate44,800
4Jul 26, 199024.85+4.85Moderate24,100
5May 23, 195124.12+4.12Moderate30,000
6Jun 16, 197023.13+3.13Minor—
7Oct 10, 201823.04+3.04Minor18,212
8Aug 2, 200722.97+2.97Minor18,500
9May 6, 200722.67+2.67Minor—
10Jun 7, 195122.50+2.50Minor—
11Apr 16, 198722.35+2.35Minor16,800
12Jun 24, 195122.16+2.16Minor—
13Aug 4, 192822.00+2.00Minor18,800
14Oct 11, 197321.71+1.71Minor20,300
15Sep 13, 196121.47+1.47Minor—
16Jun 22, 202021.43+1.43Minor14,900
17Sep 21, 194121.35+1.35Minor—
18Aug 29, 196021.28+1.28Minor—
19Mar 23, 198721.20+1.20Minor—
20Sep 2, 194121.14+1.14Minor18,300
21Sep 19, 196721.00+1.00Minor—
22May 26, 201920.90+0.90Minor14,004
23Mar 31, 197320.67+0.67Minor17,700
24Jun 19, 194220.65+0.65Minor17,000
25Jul 9, 196220.12+0.12Minor15,100
26Jul 2, 195719.89−0.11Action13,900
27May 12, 192919.85−0.15Action15,200
28Jun 22, 196919.84−0.16Action14,860
29Aug 22, 198519.64−0.36Action11,600
30Jun 11, 197119.48−0.52Action12,200
31Jul 19, 195019.35−0.65Action13,300
32Jun 5, 193019.30−0.70Action13,600
33May 24, 199519.10−0.90Action11,000
34Jun 8, 200118.90−1.10Action12,500
35May 21, 194518.71−1.29Action13,100
36Jun 28, 193518.67−1.33Action12,800
37May 4, 194418.57−1.43Action12,900
38May 20, 202418.50−1.50Action10,200
39Jun 9, 194918.44−1.56Action11,000
40Jul 23, 199218.29−1.71Action12,200
41May 24, 195218.28−1.72Action11,100
42Jul 6, 196518.13−1.87Action11,600
43Apr 24, 192218.10−1.90Action12,900
44Jul 1, 195518.05−1.95Action10,800
45Oct 10, 194618.00−2.00Action11,200
46Mar 24, 197917.99−2.01Below flood stage12,500
47Mar 30, 195817.25−2.75Below flood stage10,200
48Jun 12, 200817.08−2.92Below flood stage9,740
49May 20, 201716.98−3.02Below flood stage9,000
50Aug 29, 197516.38−3.62Below flood stage10,100

The worst floods along the Smoky Hill River

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

July 22, 1993: 30.07 ft here, major flooding

  • SchoenchenKS · Jul 21, 1993 · 17.60 ft · Major · its highest
  • EnterpriseKS · Jul 22, 1993 · 33.95 ft · Moderate · its highest
  • AbileneKS · Jul 22, 1993 · 32.10 ft · Moderate · its highest
  • New CambriaKS · Jul 22, 1993 · 31.60 ft · Moderate
  • LindsborgKS · Jul 22, 1993 · 25.63 ft · Minor
  • ArnoldKS · Jul 20, 1993 · 7.95 ft · Minor

June 1, 1938: 27.20 ft here, major flooding

  • ArnoldKS · May 30, 1938 · 19.00 ft · Major · its highest
  • OakleyKS · May 30, 1938 · 15.20 ft · Major · its highest
  • LindsborgKS · Jun 3, 1938 · 32.55 ft · Moderate

August 13, 1927: 25.70 ft here, moderate flooding

  • LindsborgKS · Aug 17, 1927 · 31.30 ft · Moderate

Gauges on the Smoky Hill River

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

Flood gauges on the Smoky Hill River
Ellsworth this gaugeKS20.030.07 ft, Jul 22, 19932
EnterpriseKS26.033.95 ft, Jul 22, 19930
LindsborgKS21.033.90 ft, May 28, 19031
RussellKS18.020.43 ft, May 25, 20190
SchoenchenKS11.017.60 ft, Jul 21, 19931
AbileneKS27.032.10 ft, Jul 22, 19930
ArnoldKS7.019.00 ft, May 30, 19381
Junction CityKS22.035.90 ft, Jul 12, 19510
MentorKS20.024.65 ft, Jun 24, 20190
New CambriaKS27.031.72 ft, Jun 25, 19930
OakleyKS9.015.20 ft, May 30, 19381

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge ELWK1, 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.