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Smoky Hill River below Schoenchen

Highest listed crest 17.60 ftFlood stage 11.0 ft25 crests since 1982

The Smoky Hill River below Schoenchen crested at major flood stage 1 time among the 25 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1982 to 2019. The highest, 17.60 ft on July 21, 1993, was major flooding, 6.60 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
17.60 ft
July 21, 1993; 20,500 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
11.0 ft
Major flooding from 17.0 ft
Crests at major
1
51st of 171 gauges in Kansas
Most recent flood crest
May 22, 2019
12.22 ft, minor flooding
Location
Ellis County
Near Hays (11.8 mi)

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 below Schoenchen
Action stage10.06Aug 25, 2019The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)11.04May 22, 2019Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage14.00—Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage17.01Jul 21, 1993Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

25 crests from 1982 to 2019. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Smoky Hill River below Schoenchen, 1982 to 2019 05101520ft Flood stage 11.0 ftMajor 17.0 ft Mar 19, 1982: 7.42 ft, below flood stage; 1,460 cubic feet per secondMar 27, 1983: 1.73 ft, below flood stage; 11 cubic feet per secondApr 21, 1984: 6.50 ft, below flood stage; 1,100 cubic feet per secondJul 30, 1985: 5.69 ft, below flood stage; 467 cubic feet per secondMar 17, 1986: 1.89 ft, below flood stage; 4 cubic feet per secondApr 14, 1987: 13.57 ft, minor flooding; 3,740 cubic feet per secondApr 2, 1988: 7.60 ft, below flood stage; 2 cubic feet per secondSep 5, 1989: 8.77 ft, below flood stage; 1,220 cubic feet per secondJun 19, 1990: 4.25 ft, below flood stage; 154 cubic feet per secondMay 30, 1991: 1.85 ft, below flood stage; 3 cubic feet per secondAug 13, 1992: 6.64 ft, below flood stage; 571 cubic feet per secondJul 21, 1993: 17.60 ft, major flooding; 20,500 cubic feet per secondOct 19, 1993: 2.64 ft, below flood stage; 30 cubic feet per secondNov 16, 1996: 10.32 ft, action stage; 2,500 cubic feet per secondJul 1, 2000: 5.55 ft, below flood stage; 486 cubic feet per secondSep 17, 2001: 10.19 ft, action stage; 2,100 cubic feet per secondAug 9, 2002: 2.76 ft, below flood stage; 28 cubic feet per secondJan 11, 2003: 10.51 ft, action stage; 2,490 cubic feet per secondJun 1, 2007: 12.42 ft, minor flooding; 4,563 cubic feet per secondAug 24, 2010: 10.52 ft, action stage; 2,190 cubic feet per secondJul 10, 2014: 9.70 ft, below flood stage; 1,970 cubic feet per secondApr 17, 2016: 10.45 ft, action stage; 2,590 cubic feet per secondOct 10, 2018: 11.42 ft, minor flooding; 3,224 cubic feet per secondMay 22, 2019: 12.22 ft, minor flooding; 3,540 cubic feet per secondAug 25, 2019: 10.59 ft, action stage; 2,190 cubic feet per second Highest, 17.60 ft, Jul 21, 1993 1990200020102020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Smoky Hill River below Schoenchen 1980s: 1 1990s: 1 2000s: 1 2010s: 2 2 1980s1990s2000s2010s
  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, Smoky Hill River below Schoenchen
1Jul 21, 199317.60+6.60Major20,500
2Apr 14, 198713.57+2.57Minor3,740
3Jun 1, 200712.42+1.42Minor4,563
4May 22, 201912.22+1.22Minor3,540
5Oct 10, 201811.42+0.42Minor3,224
6Aug 25, 201910.59−0.41Action2,190
7Aug 24, 201010.52−0.48Action2,190
8Jan 11, 200310.51−0.49Action2,490
9Apr 17, 201610.45−0.55Action2,590
10Nov 16, 199610.32−0.68Action2,500
11Sep 17, 200110.19−0.81Action2,100
12Jul 10, 20149.70−1.30Below flood stage1,970
13Sep 5, 19898.77−2.23Below flood stage1,220
14Apr 2, 19887.60−3.40Below flood stage2
15Mar 19, 19827.42−3.58Below flood stage1,460
16Aug 13, 19926.64−4.36Below flood stage571
17Apr 21, 19846.50−4.50Below flood stage1,100
18Jul 30, 19855.69−5.31Below flood stage467
19Jul 1, 20005.55−5.45Below flood stage486
20Jun 19, 19904.25−6.75Below flood stage154
21Aug 9, 20022.76−8.24Below flood stage28
22Oct 19, 19932.64−8.36Below flood stage30
23Mar 17, 19861.89−9.11Below flood stage4
24May 30, 19911.85−9.15Below flood stage3
25Mar 27, 19831.73−9.27Below flood stage11

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 21, 1993: 17.60 ft here, major flooding

  • EllsworthKS · Jul 22, 1993 · 30.07 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 14, 1993 · 25.71 ft · Minor
  • ArnoldKS · Jul 20, 1993 · 7.95 ft · Minor

April 14, 1987: 13.57 ft here, minor flooding

  • EllsworthKS · Apr 16, 1987 · 22.35 ft · Minor

June 1, 2007: 12.42 ft here, minor flooding

  • New CambriaKS · May 25, 2007 · 31.42 ft · Moderate
  • AbileneKS · May 26, 2007 · 30.35 ft · Moderate
  • EnterpriseKS · May 26, 2007 · 29.91 ft · Moderate
  • LindsborgKS · May 25, 2007 · 23.37 ft · Minor

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
EllsworthKS20.030.07 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
Schoenchen this gaugeKS11.017.60 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

Other gauges in Ellis County

Flood gauges in Ellis County
Ellis15.021.80 ft, Jun 17, 19572

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge SCSK1, 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.