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Smoky Hill River near New Cambria

Highest listed crest 31.72 ftFlood stage 27.0 ft50 crests since 1977

The Smoky Hill River near New Cambria crested above flood stage 24 times among the 50 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1977 to 2025. The highest, 31.72 ft on June 25, 1993, was moderate flooding, 4.72 feet above flood stage. 3 other gauges on the Smoky Hill River crested above flood stage within a week of it.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
31.72 ft
June 25, 1993; 18,600 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
27.0 ft
Major flooding from 33.1 ft
Crests at major
0
24 above flood stage
Most recent flood crest
September 10, 2025
27.09 ft, minor flooding
Location
Saline County
Near Salina (7.9 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 near New Cambria
Action stage25.06May 26, 2020The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)27.014Sep 10, 2025Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage30.010May 23, 2019Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage33.10—Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

50 crests from 1977 to 2025. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Smoky Hill River near New Cambria, 1977 to 2025 010203040ft Flood stage 27.0 ftMajor 33.1 ft Sep 2, 1977: 26.39 ft, action stage; 8,040 cubic feet per secondSep 21, 1978: 16.69 ft, below flood stage; 3,180 cubic feet per secondMar 24, 1979: 25.27 ft, action stage; 6,990 cubic feet per secondMar 31, 1980: 28.91 ft, minor flooding; 12,100 cubic feet per secondJun 12, 1981: 23.99 ft, below flood stage; 6,600 cubic feet per secondJul 2, 1982: 28.10 ft, minor flooding; 11,000 cubic feet per secondApr 6, 1983: 13.57 ft, below flood stage; 2,080 cubic feet per secondMay 1, 1984: 24.73 ft, below flood stage; 7,640 cubic feet per secondAug 23, 1985: 19.02 ft, below flood stage; 4,470 cubic feet per secondOct 10, 1985: 26.90 ft, action stageMar 25, 1987: 30.29 ft, moderate flooding; 13,500 cubic feet per secondMar 29, 1987: 27.60 ft, minor floodingAug 24, 1988: 10.43 ft, below flood stage; 1,140 cubic feet per secondJul 6, 1989: 12.94 ft, below flood stage; 1,870 cubic feet per secondJul 27, 1990: 19.58 ft, below flood stage; 4,510 cubic feet per secondMay 31, 1991: 16.96 ft, below flood stage; 3,330 cubic feet per secondAug 13, 1992: 22.18 ft, below flood stage; 5,830 cubic feet per secondMay 12, 1993: 30.64 ft, moderate floodingJun 25, 1993: 31.72 ft, moderate flooding; 18,600 cubic feet per secondJul 3, 1993: 27.28 ft, minor floodingJul 15, 1993: 31.45 ft, moderate floodingJul 22, 1993: 31.60 ft, moderate floodingOct 2, 1993: 18.35 ft, below flood stage; 4,200 cubic feet per secondMay 19, 1995: 27.13 ft, minor floodingMay 25, 1995: 29.90 ft, minor floodingMay 29, 1995: 31.02 ft, moderate floodingJun 2, 1996: 28.45 ft, minor flooding; 11,700 cubic feet per secondMar 31, 1998: 24.33 ft, below flood stage; 7,950 cubic feet per secondNov 3, 1998: 29.59 ft, minor flooding; 11,200 cubic feet per secondMar 25, 2000: 28.10 ft, minor flooding; 10,300 cubic feet per secondMay 7, 2007: 31.12 ft, moderate flooding; 16,632 cubic feet per secondMay 25, 2007: 31.42 ft, moderate flooding; 17,724 cubic feet per secondJul 31, 2013: 25.02 ft, action stageMay 28, 2016: 26.86 ft, action stageMay 21, 2017: 20.99 ft, below flood stageSep 4, 2018: 14.21 ft, below flood stageOct 11, 2018: 27.92 ft, minor flooding; 11,240 cubic feet per secondMay 10, 2019: 30.01 ft, moderate flooding; 13,925 cubic feet per secondMay 23, 2019: 30.67 ft, moderate flooding; 15,496 cubic feet per secondMay 28, 2019: 29.50 ft, minor flooding; 13,201 cubic feet per secondJun 24, 2019: 29.94 ft, minor flooding; 13,817 cubic feet per secondJul 5, 2019: 27.60 ft, minor flooding; 10,704 cubic feet per secondMay 26, 2020: 26.39 ft, action stageMay 28, 2021: 23.83 ft, below flood stageMay 27, 2022: 18.79 ft, below flood stageJul 15, 2023: 8.07 ft, below flood stageJun 10, 2024: 9.80 ft, below flood stageJun 19, 2025: 15.65 ft, below flood stageJul 23, 2025: 23.59 ft, below flood stageSep 10, 2025: 27.09 ft, minor flooding Highest, 31.72 ft, Jun 25, 1993 19801990200020102020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Smoky Hill River near New Cambria 1970s: 0 1980s: 4 1990s: 10 10 2000s: 3 2010s: 6 2020s: 1 1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s2020s
  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 near New Cambria
1Jun 25, 199331.72+4.72Moderate18,600
2Jul 22, 199331.60+4.60Moderate—
3Jul 15, 199331.45+4.45Moderate—
4May 25, 200731.42+4.42Moderate17,724
5May 7, 200731.12+4.12Moderate16,632
6May 29, 199531.02+4.02Moderate—
7May 23, 201930.67+3.67Moderate15,496
8May 12, 199330.64+3.64Moderate—
9Mar 25, 198730.29+3.29Moderate13,500
10May 10, 201930.01+3.01Moderate13,925
11Jun 24, 201929.94+2.94Minor13,817
12May 25, 199529.90+2.90Minor—
13Nov 3, 199829.59+2.59Minor11,200
14May 28, 201929.50+2.50Minor13,201
15Mar 31, 198028.91+1.91Minor12,100
16Jun 2, 199628.45+1.45Minor11,700
17Jul 2, 198228.10+1.10Minor11,000
18Mar 25, 200028.10+1.10Minor10,300
19Oct 11, 201827.92+0.92Minor11,240
20Mar 29, 198727.60+0.60Minor—
21Jul 5, 201927.60+0.60Minor10,704
22Jul 3, 199327.28+0.28Minor—
23May 19, 199527.13+0.13Minor—
24Sep 10, 202527.09+0.09Minor—
25Oct 10, 198526.90−0.10Action—
26May 28, 201626.86−0.14Action—
27Sep 2, 197726.39−0.61Action8,040
28May 26, 202026.39−0.61Action—
29Mar 24, 197925.27−1.73Action6,990
30Jul 31, 201325.02−1.98Action—
31May 1, 198424.73−2.27Below flood stage7,640
32Mar 31, 199824.33−2.67Below flood stage7,950
33Jun 12, 198123.99−3.01Below flood stage6,600
34May 28, 202123.83−3.17Below flood stage—
35Jul 23, 202523.59−3.41Below flood stage—
36Aug 13, 199222.18−4.82Below flood stage5,830
37May 21, 201720.99−6.01Below flood stage—
38Jul 27, 199019.58−7.42Below flood stage4,510
39Aug 23, 198519.02−7.98Below flood stage4,470
40May 27, 202218.79−8.21Below flood stage—
41Oct 2, 199318.35−8.65Below flood stage4,200
42May 31, 199116.96−10.04Below flood stage3,330
43Sep 21, 197816.69−10.31Below flood stage3,180
44Jun 19, 202515.65−11.35Below flood stage—
45Sep 4, 201814.21−12.79Below flood stage—
46Apr 6, 198313.57−13.43Below flood stage2,080
47Jul 6, 198912.94−14.06Below flood stage1,870
48Aug 24, 198810.43−16.57Below flood stage1,140
49Jun 10, 20249.80−17.20Below flood stage—
50Jul 15, 20238.07−18.93Below flood stage—

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.

June 25, 1993: 31.72 ft here, moderate flooding

  • EnterpriseKS · Jun 24, 1993 · 30.12 ft · Moderate
  • AbileneKS · Jun 25, 1993 · 27.27 ft · Minor
  • LindsborgKS · Jun 24, 1993 · 27.16 ft · Minor

July 22, 1993: 31.60 ft here, moderate flooding

  • EllsworthKS · Jul 22, 1993 · 30.07 ft · Major · its highest
  • 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
  • LindsborgKS · Jul 29, 1993 · 25.63 ft · Minor
  • ArnoldKS · Jul 20, 1993 · 7.95 ft · Minor

July 15, 1993: 31.45 ft here, moderate flooding

  • EllsworthKS · Jul 22, 1993 · 30.07 ft · Major · its highest
  • 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
  • LindsborgKS · Jul 14, 1993 · 25.71 ft · Minor
  • ArnoldKS · Jul 20, 1993 · 7.95 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
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 Cambria this gaugeKS27.031.72 ft, Jun 25, 19930
OakleyKS9.015.20 ft, May 30, 19381

Other gauges in Saline County

Flood gauges in Saline County
Salina24.027.75 ft, May 24, 20072
Mentor20.024.65 ft, Jun 24, 20190

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge NCMK1, 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.