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Walnut River at Arkansas City

Highest listed crest 32.45 ftFlood stage 18.0 ft94 crests since 1904

The Walnut River at Arkansas City crested at major flood stage 5 times among the 94 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1904 to 2026. The highest, 32.45 ft on November 3, 1998, was major flooding, 14.45 feet above flood stage. 3 other gauges on the Walnut River crested above flood stage within a week of it.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
32.45 ft
November 3, 1998
Flood stage
18.0 ft
Major flooding from 28.0 ft
Crests at major
5
12th of 171 gauges in Kansas
Most recent flood crest
June 28, 2026
21.84 ft, minor flooding
Location
Cowley County
Near Arkansas City (1.4 mi), Winfield (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, Walnut River at Arkansas City
Action stage16.010Jun 3, 2022The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)18.045Jun 28, 2026Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage22.028May 27, 2019Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage28.05May 9, 2019Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

94 crests from 1904 to 2026. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Walnut River at Arkansas City, 1904 to 2026 010203040ft Flood stage 18.0 ftMajor 28.0 ft Jul 10, 1904: 15.20 ft, below flood stage; 40,300 cubic feet per secondJul 14, 1922: 22.10 ft, moderate flooding; 28,600 cubic feet per secondJun 10, 1923: 28.43 ft, major floodingMay 2, 1924: 21.50 ft, minor flooding; 22,400 cubic feet per secondOct 4, 1926: 23.94 ft, moderate flooding; 45,300 cubic feet per secondJun 18, 1928: 19.46 ft, minor flooding; 19,900 cubic feet per secondJun 24, 1929: 19.60 ft, minor flooding; 20,200 cubic feet per secondMay 11, 1930: 16.84 ft, action stage; 11,700 cubic feet per secondSep 3, 1933: 18.81 ft, minor flooding; 16,800 cubic feet per secondMay 31, 1935: 21.14 ft, minor flooding; 28,300 cubic feet per secondJul 20, 1937: 17.03 ft, action stage; 11,700 cubic feet per secondMay 21, 1938: 19.50 ft, minor flooding; 19,600 cubic feet per secondJun 29, 1939: 18.19 ft, minor flooding; 14,800 cubic feet per secondSep 5, 1940: 16.95 ft, action stage; 11,400 cubic feet per secondJun 11, 1941: 18.90 ft, minor flooding; 17,200 cubic feet per secondJun 22, 1942: 24.83 ft, moderate flooding; 45,800 cubic feet per secondMay 19, 1943: 17.95 ft, action stage; 14,100 cubic feet per secondApr 24, 1944: 28.21 ft, major flooding; 73,500 cubic feet per secondApr 18, 1945: 24.94 ft, moderate flooding; 51,600 cubic feet per secondApr 15, 1947: 23.07 ft, moderate flooding; 36,000 cubic feet per secondJul 25, 1948: 22.61 ft, moderate flooding; 35,000 cubic feet per secondJun 21, 1949: 19.71 ft, minor flooding; 20,800 cubic feet per secondAug 2, 1950: 22.74 ft, moderate flooding; 36,200 cubic feet per secondMay 19, 1951: 26.47 ft, moderate flooding; 66,000 cubic feet per secondOct 4, 1955: 19.35 ft, minor flooding; 21,500 cubic feet per secondMay 18, 1957: 25.55 ft, moderate flooding; 73,100 cubic feet per secondJun 29, 1957: 22.20 ft, moderate flooding; 41,800 cubic feet per secondJul 4, 1958: 17.70 ft, action stage; 22,100 cubic feet per secondOct 3, 1959: 21.01 ft, minor flooding; 39,100 cubic feet per secondAug 25, 1960: 18.38 ft, minor flooding; 23,900 cubic feet per secondMay 6, 1961: 23.68 ft, moderate flooding; 46,100 cubic feet per secondNov 2, 1961: 18.20 ft, minor flooding; 20,800 cubic feet per secondJun 3, 1962: 18.50 ft, minor flooding; 26,100 cubic feet per secondNov 18, 1964: 26.60 ft, moderate floodingJun 7, 1965: 25.08 ft, moderate floodingJun 11, 1965: 18.35 ft, minor flooding; 26,200 cubic feet per secondJun 28, 1965: 18.40 ft, minor flooding; 26,500 cubic feet per secondJun 30, 1967: 17.04 ft, action stage; 17,700 cubic feet per secondOct 18, 1968: 19.28 ft, minor flooding; 32,300 cubic feet per secondApr 28, 1969: 18.10 ft, minor flooding; 25,700 cubic feet per secondApr 19, 1970: 19.90 ft, minor flooding; 31,500 cubic feet per secondNov 3, 1971: 14.64 ft, below flood stage; 10,100 cubic feet per secondMar 12, 1973: 21.59 ft, minor flooding; 41,500 cubic feet per secondMar 27, 1973: 19.39 ft, minor flooding; 29,000 cubic feet per secondApr 2, 1973: 22.84 ft, moderate flooding; 49,900 cubic feet per secondSep 30, 1973: 22.00 ft, moderate flooding; 44,000 cubic feet per secondOct 13, 1973: 23.72 ft, moderate flooding; 56,800 cubic feet per secondApr 22, 1974: 21.39 ft, minor flooding; 40,300 cubic feet per secondNov 4, 1974: 18.00 ft, minor floodingJun 19, 1975: 19.85 ft, minor flooding; 32,800 cubic feet per secondJul 5, 1976: 23.60 ft, moderate floodingJun 25, 1977: 20.86 ft, minor floodingSep 3, 1977: 19.57 ft, minor flooding; 30,800 cubic feet per secondJun 11, 1979: 24.32 ft, moderate floodingNov 2, 1979: 22.48 ft, moderate flooding; 47,400 cubic feet per secondNov 3, 1981: 17.00 ft, action stage; 19,400 cubic feet per secondApr 2, 1983: 18.15 ft, minor flooding; 23,800 cubic feet per secondMar 25, 1984: 20.71 ft, minor flooding; 37,300 cubic feet per secondSep 23, 1985: 18.00 ft, minor flooding; 22,900 cubic feet per secondOct 12, 1985: 26.10 ft, moderate flooding; 85,200 cubic feet per secondOct 3, 1986: 23.00 ft, moderate floodingMar 19, 1987: 18.54 ft, minor flooding; 23,100 cubic feet per secondMar 25, 1987: 20.52 ft, minor flooding; 35,500 cubic feet per secondMay 28, 1987: 20.33 ft, minor flooding; 35,000 cubic feet per secondJul 7, 1987: 18.82 ft, minor flooding; 26,800 cubic feet per secondSep 6, 1989: 20.04 ft, minor floodingMay 3, 1993: 18.67 ft, minor floodingMay 11, 1993: 26.10 ft, moderate floodingJun 11, 1995: 29.22 ft, major floodingSep 21, 1996: 14.74 ft, below flood stage; 11,300 cubic feet per secondNov 3, 1998: 32.45 ft, major floodingMar 7, 2004: 19.79 ft, minor flooding; 34,907 cubic feet per secondMay 15, 2004: 18.17 ft, minor flooding; 30,083 cubic feet per secondJun 15, 2005: 19.90 ft, minor flooding; 34,482 cubic feet per secondJun 2, 2007: 18.59 ft, minor flooding; 33,363 cubic feet per secondJul 1, 2007: 26.12 ft, moderate flooding; 74,710 cubic feet per secondSep 15, 2008: 24.18 ft, moderate flooding; 61,558 cubic feet per secondApr 29, 2009: 22.12 ft, moderate flooding; 50,367 cubic feet per secondJul 5, 2016: 18.85 ft, minor flooding; 34,772 cubic feet per secondSep 12, 2016: 23.04 ft, moderate flooding; 55,266 cubic feet per secondOct 12, 2018: 20.84 ft, minor flooding; 43,833 cubic feet per secondMay 9, 2019: 28.52 ft, major flooding; 90,714 cubic feet per secondMay 23, 2019: 26.08 ft, moderate flooding; 74,515 cubic feet per secondMay 27, 2019: 25.96 ft, moderate flooding; 73,701 cubic feet per secondMay 17, 2020: 17.27 ft, action stageJun 27, 2021: 13.65 ft, below flood stageMay 7, 2022: 17.02 ft, action stageJun 3, 2022: 17.55 ft, action stageDec 26, 2023: 8.93 ft, below flood stageNov 4, 2024: 11.84 ft, below flood stageJun 6, 2025: 18.25 ft, minor floodingJun 18, 2025: 18.38 ft, minor floodingJun 21, 2026: 18.59 ft, minor flooding; 33,675 cubic feet per secondJun 28, 2026: 21.84 ft, minor flooding; 48,944 cubic feet per second Highest, 32.45 ft, Nov 3, 1998 192019401960198020002020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Walnut River at Arkansas City 1900s: 0 1910s: 0 1920s: 6 1930s: 4 1940s: 7 1950s: 6 1960s: 10 1970s: 14 14 1980s: 10 1990s: 4 2000s: 7 2010s: 6 2020s: 4 1900s1910s1920s1930s1940s1950s1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s2020s
  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 94 listed crests.

Highest listed crests, Walnut River at Arkansas City
1Nov 3, 199832.45+14.45Major—
2Jun 11, 199529.22+11.22Major—
3May 9, 201928.52+10.52Major90,714
4Jun 10, 192328.43+10.43Major—
5Apr 24, 194428.21+10.21Major73,500
6Nov 18, 196426.60+8.60Moderate—
7May 19, 195126.47+8.47Moderate66,000
8Jul 1, 200726.12+8.12Moderate74,710
9Oct 12, 198526.10+8.10Moderate85,200
10May 11, 199326.10+8.10Moderate—
11May 23, 201926.08+8.08Moderate74,515
12May 27, 201925.96+7.96Moderate73,701
13May 18, 195725.55+7.55Moderate73,100
14Jun 7, 196525.08+7.08Moderate—
15Apr 18, 194524.94+6.94Moderate51,600
16Jun 22, 194224.83+6.83Moderate45,800
17Jun 11, 197924.32+6.32Moderate—
18Sep 15, 200824.18+6.18Moderate61,558
19Oct 4, 192623.94+5.94Moderate45,300
20Oct 13, 197323.72+5.72Moderate56,800
21May 6, 196123.68+5.68Moderate46,100
22Jul 5, 197623.60+5.60Moderate—
23Apr 15, 194723.07+5.07Moderate36,000
24Sep 12, 201623.04+5.04Moderate55,266
25Oct 3, 198623.00+5.00Moderate—
26Apr 2, 197322.84+4.84Moderate49,900
27Aug 2, 195022.74+4.74Moderate36,200
28Jul 25, 194822.61+4.61Moderate35,000
29Nov 2, 197922.48+4.48Moderate47,400
30Jun 29, 195722.20+4.20Moderate41,800
31Apr 29, 200922.12+4.12Moderate50,367
32Jul 14, 192222.10+4.10Moderate28,600
33Sep 30, 197322.00+4.00Moderate44,000
34Jun 28, 202621.84+3.84Minor48,944
35Mar 12, 197321.59+3.59Minor41,500
36May 2, 192421.50+3.50Minor22,400
37Apr 22, 197421.39+3.39Minor40,300
38May 31, 193521.14+3.14Minor28,300
39Oct 3, 195921.01+3.01Minor39,100
40Jun 25, 197720.86+2.86Minor—
41Oct 12, 201820.84+2.84Minor43,833
42Mar 25, 198420.71+2.71Minor37,300
43Mar 25, 198720.52+2.52Minor35,500
44May 28, 198720.33+2.33Minor35,000
45Sep 6, 198920.04+2.04Minor—
46Apr 19, 197019.90+1.90Minor31,500
47Jun 15, 200519.90+1.90Minor34,482
48Jun 19, 197519.85+1.85Minor32,800
49Mar 7, 200419.79+1.79Minor34,907
50Jun 21, 194919.71+1.71Minor20,800

The worst floods along the Walnut River

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

November 3, 1998: 32.45 ft here, major flooding

  • WinfieldKS · Nov 2, 1998 · 37.81 ft · Major
  • AugustaKS · Nov 1, 1998 · 34.65 ft · Moderate
  • El DoradoKS · Nov 1, 1998 · 19.77 ft · Minor

June 11, 1995: 29.22 ft here, major flooding

  • WinfieldKS · Jun 10, 1995 · 37.75 ft · Major
  • AugustaKS · Jun 9, 1995 · 30.09 ft · Moderate

May 9, 2019: 28.52 ft here, major flooding

  • WinfieldKS · May 9, 2019 · 36.72 ft · Major
  • AugustaKS · May 8, 2019 · 27.81 ft · Minor

Gauges on the Walnut River

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

Flood gauges on the Walnut River
Arkansas City this gaugeKS18.032.45 ft, Nov 3, 19985
AugustaKS23.036.35 ft, Jun 5, 19651
WinfieldKS18.041.00 ft, Nov 18, 192842
El DoradoKS19.026.65 ft, Jun 8, 19791

Other gauges in Cowley County

Flood gauges in Cowley County
Arkansas City11.020.91 ft, May 9, 20190
Winfield18.041.00 ft, Nov 18, 192842

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge ARKK1, 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.