Search
Menu

Explore

Hazards

Analysis

Rankings

Reference

Spring River near Baxter Springs

Highest listed crest 31.80 ftFlood stage 14.0 ft16 crests since 2010

The Spring River near Baxter Springs crested at major flood stage 1 time among the 16 crests the National Weather Service lists from 2010 to 2022. The highest, 31.80 ft on December 28, 2015, was major flooding, 17.80 feet above flood stage. 4 other gauges on the Spring River crested above flood stage within a week of it, 1 at its own highest listed crest.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
31.80 ft
December 28, 2015; 146,000 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
14.0 ft
Major flooding from 30.0 ft
Crests at major
1
51st of 171 gauges in Kansas
Most recent flood crest
May 6, 2022
25.72 ft, moderate flooding
Location
Cherokee County
Near Miami (12.5 mi), Joplin (12.6 mi)

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, Spring River near Baxter Springs
Action stage12.03May 1, 2012The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)14.08Mar 20, 2020Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage22.03May 6, 2022Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage30.01Dec 28, 2015Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

16 crests from 2010 to 2022. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Spring River near Baxter Springs, 2010 to 2022 101520253035ft Flood stage 14.0 ftMajor 30.0 ft Mar 26, 2010: 13.76 ft, action stage; 35,300 cubic feet per secondMay 21, 2010: 12.94 ft, action stage; 28,500 cubic feet per secondApr 26, 2011: 18.40 ft, minor flooding; 49,700 cubic feet per secondMay 24, 2011: 15.30 ft, minor flooding; 38,079 cubic feet per secondMay 1, 2012: 13.99 ft, action stage; 33,500 cubic feet per secondJun 1, 2013: 16.01 ft, minor flooding; 41,300 cubic feet per secondJun 7, 2014: 10.67 ft, below flood stage; 23,200 cubic feet per secondMay 25, 2015: 14.15 ft, minor flooding; 34,800 cubic feet per secondDec 28, 2015: 31.80 ft, major flooding; 146,000 cubic feet per secondApr 30, 2017: 27.69 ft, moderate flooding; 101,000 cubic feet per secondFeb 25, 2018: 15.37 ft, minor flooding; 38,737 cubic feet per secondMay 1, 2019: 18.09 ft, minor flooding; 49,196 cubic feet per secondMay 23, 2019: 27.00 ft, moderate flooding; 96,500 cubic feet per secondJun 25, 2019: 16.70 ft, minor flooding; 42,765 cubic feet per secondMar 20, 2020: 15.67 ft, minor flooding; 37,908 cubic feet per secondMay 6, 2022: 25.72 ft, moderate flooding; 88,200 cubic feet per second Highest, 31.80 ft, Dec 28, 2015 201020152020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Spring River near Baxter Springs 2010s: 10 10 2020s: 2 2010s2020s
  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. 3 crests measured on an earlier gauge datum are left out: 21.86 ft on Mar 20, 2008; 12.93 ft on Apr 25, 2008; 21.19 ft on Oct 10, 2009.

Highest crests

Highest listed crests, Spring River near Baxter Springs
1Dec 28, 201531.80+17.80Major146,000
2Apr 30, 201727.69+13.69Moderate101,000
3May 23, 201927.00+13.00Moderate96,500
4May 6, 202225.72+11.72Moderate88,200
5Apr 26, 201118.40+4.40Minor49,700
6May 1, 201918.09+4.09Minor49,196
7Jun 25, 201916.70+2.70Minor42,765
8Jun 1, 201316.01+2.01Minor41,300
9Mar 20, 202015.67+1.67Minor37,908
10Feb 25, 201815.37+1.37Minor38,737
11May 24, 201115.30+1.30Minor38,079
12May 25, 201514.15+0.15Minor34,800
13May 1, 201213.99−0.01Action33,500
14Mar 26, 201013.76−0.24Action35,300
15May 21, 201012.94−1.06Action28,500
16Jun 7, 201410.67−3.33Below flood stage23,200

The worst floods along the Spring River

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

December 28, 2015: 31.80 ft here, major flooding

  • QuapawOK · Dec 29, 2015 · 39.77 ft · Major
  • CarthageMO · Dec 27, 2015 · 20.33 ft · Major · its highest
  • WacoMO · Dec 28, 2015 · 30.82 ft · Moderate
  • LaRussellMO · Dec 27, 2015 · 15.70 ft · Minor

April 30, 2017: 27.69 ft here, moderate flooding

  • QuapawOK · May 1, 2017 · 34.57 ft · Major
  • CarthageMO · Apr 30, 2017 · 18.44 ft · Moderate
  • WacoMO · Apr 30, 2017 · 28.14 ft · Minor
  • LaRussellMO · Apr 29, 2017 · 13.43 ft · Minor

May 23, 2019: 27.00 ft here, moderate flooding

  • QuapawOK · May 23, 2019 · 33.96 ft · Major
  • CarthageMO · May 24, 2019 · 17.98 ft · Moderate
  • WacoMO · May 24, 2019 · 27.97 ft · Minor

Gauges on the Spring River

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

Flood gauges on the Spring River
LaRussellMO8.016.85 ft, May 20, 19790
CarthageMO10.020.33 ft, Dec 27, 20151
WacoMO19.034.06 ft, Sep 26, 19931
Baxter Springs this gaugeKS14.031.80 ft, Dec 28, 20151
QuapawOK20.046.15 ft, Sep 26, 199315

Other gauges in Cherokee County

Flood gauges in Cherokee County
McCune12.019.79 ft, Sep 25, 19930
Oswego28.034.70 ft, May 29, 20191

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge BXTK1, 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.