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Solomon River at Niles

Highest listed crest 31.76 ftFlood stage 24.0 ft85 crests since 1951

The Solomon River at Niles crested above flood stage 40 times among the 85 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1951 to 2023. The highest, 31.76 ft on July 14, 1951, was moderate flooding, 7.76 feet above flood stage. 2 other gauges on the Solomon River crested above flood stage within a week of it, 2 at their own highest listed crest.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
31.76 ft
July 14, 1951; 178,000 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
24.0 ft
Major flooding from 34.0 ft
Crests at major
0
40 above flood stage
Most recent flood crest
May 16, 2021
24.48 ft, minor flooding
Location
Ottawa County
Near Salina (13.1 mi)

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, Solomon River at Niles
Action stage19.012Jul 30, 2013The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)24.021May 16, 2021Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage28.019May 24, 2019Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage34.00—Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

85 crests from 1951 to 2023. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Solomon River at Niles, 1951 to 2023 010203040ft Flood stage 24.0 ftMajor 34.0 ft Jun 21, 1951: 31.00 ft, moderate floodingJul 14, 1951: 31.76 ft, moderate flooding; 178,000 cubic feet per secondMay 9, 1961: 13.77 ft, below flood stage; 2,530 cubic feet per secondMay 27, 1961: 28.76 ft, moderate flooding; 15,200 cubic feet per secondJun 12, 1961: 28.36 ft, moderate flooding; 12,600 cubic feet per secondAug 21, 1961: 20.84 ft, action stage; 5,140 cubic feet per secondSep 18, 1961: 28.26 ft, moderate flooding; 12,100 cubic feet per secondOct 31, 1961: 15.59 ft, below flood stage; 2,560 cubic feet per secondJan 31, 1962: 23.28 ft, action stage; 6,070 cubic feet per secondMar 23, 1962: 16.94 ft, below flood stage; 3,720 cubic feet per secondJun 5, 1962: 23.58 ft, action stage; 6,940 cubic feet per secondJun 28, 1962: 18.91 ft, below flood stage; 4,600 cubic feet per secondJul 7, 1962: 19.85 ft, action stage; 5,080 cubic feet per secondJul 15, 1962: 14.63 ft, below flood stage; 2,790 cubic feet per secondJul 22, 1962: 16.00 ft, below flood stage; 3,340 cubic feet per secondAug 8, 1962: 14.73 ft, below flood stage; 2,830 cubic feet per secondAug 17, 1963: 15.01 ft, below flood stage; 2,940 cubic feet per secondSep 27, 1963: 18.24 ft, below flood stage; 4,300 cubic feet per secondJun 23, 1964: 14.20 ft, below flood stage; 2,620 cubic feet per secondJun 12, 1965: 18.52 ft, below flood stage; 4,160 cubic feet per secondJul 1, 1965: 25.76 ft, minor flooding; 8,410 cubic feet per secondJul 6, 1965: 17.01 ft, below flood stage; 3,550 cubic feet per secondAug 21, 1966: 21.87 ft, action stage; 4,640 cubic feet per secondSep 21, 1967: 29.01 ft, moderate flooding; 9,930 cubic feet per secondJun 12, 1968: 18.10 ft, below flood stage; 3,660 cubic feet per secondFeb 28, 1969: 23.33 ft, action stage; 6,800 cubic feet per secondJun 2, 1970: 13.92 ft, below flood stage; 2,500 cubic feet per secondMay 23, 1971: 25.63 ft, minor flooding; 6,890 cubic feet per secondNov 19, 1972: 17.22 ft, below flood stage; 3,690 cubic feet per secondSep 28, 1973: 30.38 ft, moderate flooding; 28,500 cubic feet per secondOct 11, 1973: 30.92 ft, moderate flooding; 52,400 cubic feet per secondJun 25, 1975: 26.60 ft, minor flooding; 6,170 cubic feet per secondJun 24, 1976: 13.77 ft, below flood stage; 1,860 cubic feet per secondAug 3, 1978: 23.24 ft, action stage; 5,170 cubic feet per secondMar 25, 1979: 25.60 ft, minor flooding; 7,240 cubic feet per secondMar 31, 1980: 26.00 ft, minor flooding; 7,800 cubic feet per secondJul 29, 1981: 19.98 ft, action stage; 4,170 cubic feet per secondJul 7, 1982: 28.82 ft, moderate flooding; 9,680 cubic feet per secondApr 3, 1983: 14.79 ft, below flood stage; 2,490 cubic feet per secondApr 4, 1984: 20.75 ft, action stage; 4,410 cubic feet per secondMay 18, 1986: 15.51 ft, below flood stage; 2,930 cubic feet per secondApr 17, 1987: 28.96 ft, moderate flooding; 11,800 cubic feet per secondJul 2, 1988: 8.44 ft, below flood stage; 768 cubic feet per secondJun 30, 1989: 20.08 ft, action stage; 4,040 cubic feet per secondJul 27, 1990: 17.22 ft, below flood stage; 3,050 cubic feet per secondJun 13, 1991: 15.10 ft, below flood stage; 2,340 cubic feet per secondJul 23, 1992: 27.91 ft, minor flooding; 7,730 cubic feet per secondMay 12, 1993: 28.57 ft, moderate floodingJun 27, 1993: 27.14 ft, minor floodingJul 6, 1993: 29.33 ft, moderate floodingJul 12, 1993: 29.48 ft, moderate floodingJul 22, 1993: 30.24 ft, moderate floodingAug 17, 1993: 24.17 ft, minor floodingOct 1, 1993: 17.80 ft, below flood stageMay 14, 1995: 25.50 ft, minor floodingMay 28, 1995: 28.45 ft, moderate floodingJun 10, 1995: 25.96 ft, minor floodingMay 27, 1996: 18.98 ft, below flood stage; 3,850 cubic feet per secondMay 24, 1997: 25.13 ft, minor flooding; 6,150 cubic feet per secondMar 31, 1998: 25.09 ft, minor flooding; 7,520 cubic feet per secondMay 24, 1999: 29.04 ft, moderate floodingMar 25, 2000: 13.48 ft, below flood stage; 2,180 cubic feet per secondFeb 25, 2001: 17.84 ft, below flood stage; 3,950 cubic feet per secondMay 31, 2002: 8.16 ft, below flood stage; 862 cubic feet per secondSep 15, 2003: 26.46 ft, minor flooding; 7,430 cubic feet per secondJul 11, 2004: 16.07 ft, below flood stage; 3,070 cubic feet per secondApr 8, 2005: 13.57 ft, below flood stage; 2,180 cubic feet per secondJun 2, 2006: 10.66 ft, below flood stage; 1,400 cubic feet per secondMay 24, 2007: 29.83 ft, moderate flooding; 19,100 cubic feet per secondSep 14, 2008: 20.85 ft, action stage; 4,790 cubic feet per secondOct 18, 2009: 16.90 ft, below flood stage; 3,310 cubic feet per secondJul 6, 2010: 25.02 ft, minor flooding; 6,690 cubic feet per secondJun 6, 2011: 27.83 ft, minor flooding; 10,200 cubic feet per secondApr 16, 2012: 17.17 ft, below flood stage; 3,330 cubic feet per secondJul 30, 2013: 19.10 ft, action stage; 4,200 cubic feet per secondMay 28, 2016: 27.82 ft, minor floodingJun 25, 2017: 26.25 ft, minor floodingMay 9, 2019: 28.20 ft, moderate floodingMay 24, 2019: 29.10 ft, moderate floodingAug 3, 2019: 26.90 ft, minor floodingJun 30, 2020: 25.67 ft, minor floodingJul 30, 2020: 25.90 ft, minor floodingMay 16, 2021: 24.48 ft, minor flooding; 5,710 cubic feet per secondMay 27, 2022: 15.83 ft, below flood stage; 2,440 cubic feet per secondJul 5, 2023: 7.52 ft, below flood stage; 508 cubic feet per second Highest, 31.76 ft, Jul 14, 1951 1960197019801990200020102020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Solomon River at Niles 1950s: 2 1960s: 5 1970s: 5 1980s: 3 1990s: 13 13 2000s: 2 2010s: 7 2020s: 3 1950s1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s2020s
  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 85 listed crests.

Highest listed crests, Solomon River at Niles
1Jul 14, 195131.76+7.76Moderate178,000
2Jun 21, 195131.00+7.00Moderate—
3Oct 11, 197330.92+6.92Moderate52,400
4Sep 28, 197330.38+6.38Moderate28,500
5Jul 22, 199330.24+6.24Moderate—
6May 24, 200729.83+5.83Moderate19,100
7Jul 12, 199329.48+5.48Moderate—
8Jul 6, 199329.33+5.33Moderate—
9May 24, 201929.10+5.10Moderate—
10May 24, 199929.04+5.04Moderate—
11Sep 21, 196729.01+5.01Moderate9,930
12Apr 17, 198728.96+4.96Moderate11,800
13Jul 7, 198228.82+4.82Moderate9,680
14May 27, 196128.76+4.76Moderate15,200
15May 12, 199328.57+4.57Moderate—
16May 28, 199528.45+4.45Moderate—
17Jun 12, 196128.36+4.36Moderate12,600
18Sep 18, 196128.26+4.26Moderate12,100
19May 9, 201928.20+4.20Moderate—
20Jul 23, 199227.91+3.91Minor7,730
21Jun 6, 201127.83+3.83Minor10,200
22May 28, 201627.82+3.82Minor—
23Jun 27, 199327.14+3.14Minor—
24Aug 3, 201926.90+2.90Minor—
25Jun 25, 197526.60+2.60Minor6,170
26Sep 15, 200326.46+2.46Minor7,430
27Jun 25, 201726.25+2.25Minor—
28Mar 31, 198026.00+2.00Minor7,800
29Jun 10, 199525.96+1.96Minor—
30Jul 30, 202025.90+1.90Minor—
31Jul 1, 196525.76+1.76Minor8,410
32Jun 30, 202025.67+1.67Minor—
33May 23, 197125.63+1.63Minor6,890
34Mar 25, 197925.60+1.60Minor7,240
35May 14, 199525.50+1.50Minor—
36May 24, 199725.13+1.13Minor6,150
37Mar 31, 199825.09+1.09Minor7,520
38Jul 6, 201025.02+1.02Minor6,690
39May 16, 202124.48+0.48Minor5,710
40Aug 17, 199324.17+0.17Minor—
41Jun 5, 196223.58−0.42Action6,940
42Feb 28, 196923.33−0.67Action6,800
43Jan 31, 196223.28−0.72Action6,070
44Aug 3, 197823.24−0.76Action5,170
45Aug 21, 196621.87−2.13Action4,640
46Sep 14, 200820.85−3.15Action4,790
47Aug 21, 196120.84−3.16Action5,140
48Apr 4, 198420.75−3.25Action4,410
49Jun 30, 198920.08−3.92Action4,040
50Jul 29, 198119.98−4.02Action4,170

The worst floods along the Solomon River

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

July 14, 1951: 31.76 ft here, moderate flooding

  • BeloitKS · Jul 13, 1951 · 39.30 ft · Major · its highest
  • MinneapolisKS · Jul 13, 1951 · 34.10 ft · Moderate · its highest

October 11, 1973: 30.92 ft here, moderate flooding

  • GlascoKS · Oct 11, 1973 · 29.70 ft · Moderate
  • Glen ElderKS · Oct 12, 1973 · 25.79 ft · Minor

September 28, 1973: 30.38 ft here, moderate flooding

  • GlascoKS · Sep 28, 1973 · 25.50 ft · Moderate

Gauges on the Solomon River

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

Flood gauges on the Solomon River
BeloitKS20.039.30 ft, Jul 13, 19518
MinneapolisKS26.034.10 ft, Jul 13, 19510
Niles this gaugeKS24.031.76 ft, Jul 14, 19510
GlascoKS22.040.20 ft, Jul 1, 19517
Glen ElderKS21.029.57 ft, Jul 22, 19930

Other gauges in Ottawa County

Flood gauges in Ottawa County
Tescott25.030.14 ft, Jul 25, 19930
Ada18.023.42 ft, May 25, 20170
Minneapolis26.034.10 ft, Jul 13, 19510

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge NLSK1, 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.