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Walnut River near El Dorado

Highest listed crest 26.65 ftFlood stage 19.0 ft26 crests since 1965

The Walnut River near El Dorado crested at major flood stage 1 time among the 26 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1965 to 2025. The highest, 26.65 ft on June 8, 1979, was major flooding, 7.65 feet above flood stage. 2 other gauges on the Walnut River crested above flood stage within a week of it.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
26.65 ft
June 8, 1979
Flood stage
19.0 ft
Major flooding from 25.0 ft
Crests at major
1
51st of 171 gauges in Kansas
Most recent flood crest
June 3, 2025
21.31 ft, minor flooding
Location
Butler County
Near El Dorado (1.3 mi)
Identifiers
NWS EDEK1
No USGS station

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, Walnut River near El Dorado
Action stage17.02May 21, 2019The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)19.05Jun 3, 2025Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage23.03Aug 25, 2005Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage25.01Jun 8, 1979Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

26 crests from 1965 to 2025. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Walnut River near El Dorado, 1965 to 2025 51015202530ft Flood stage 19.0 ftMajor 25.0 ft Jun 5, 1965: 24.95 ft, moderate floodingJul 3, 1976: 24.45 ft, moderate floodingJun 8, 1979: 26.65 ft, major floodingMay 12, 1982: 11.59 ft, below flood stage; 6,910 cubic feet per secondApr 5, 1983: 7.59 ft, below flood stage; 3,120 cubic feet per secondMar 18, 1984: 7.58 ft, below flood stage; 3,110 cubic feet per secondMay 7, 1985: 7.57 ft, below flood stage; 3,100 cubic feet per secondOct 10, 1985: 14.52 ft, below flood stage; 9,350 cubic feet per secondOct 3, 1986: 10.95 ft, below flood stage; 5,100 cubic feet per secondApr 1, 1988: 8.11 ft, below flood stage; 3,210 cubic feet per secondAug 29, 1989: 8.79 ft, below flood stage; 3,570 cubic feet per secondJun 15, 1990: 7.34 ft, below flood stage; 2,800 cubic feet per secondApr 17, 1991: 6.35 ft, below flood stage; 2,300 cubic feet per secondJun 10, 1992: 10.04 ft, below flood stage; 4,340 cubic feet per secondMay 8, 1993: 11.78 ft, below flood stage; 5,950 cubic feet per secondApr 28, 1994: 6.65 ft, below flood stage; 2,460 cubic feet per secondFeb 22, 1996: 5.15 ft, below flood stage; 1,420 cubic feet per secondNov 1, 1998: 19.77 ft, minor floodingAug 25, 2005: 23.08 ft, moderate flooding; 24,503 cubic feet per secondSep 12, 2008: 19.12 ft, minor flooding; 16,900 cubic feet per secondApr 27, 2009: 19.92 ft, minor flooding; 18,436 cubic feet per secondJul 3, 2016: 17.49 ft, action stageMay 8, 2019: 16.04 ft, below flood stage; 11,604 cubic feet per secondMay 21, 2019: 18.63 ft, action stage; 15,997 cubic feet per secondMay 25, 2019: 20.14 ft, minor flooding; 24,863 cubic feet per secondJun 3, 2025: 21.31 ft, minor flooding; 27,900 cubic feet per second Highest, 26.65 ft, Jun 8, 1979 197019801990200020102020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Walnut River near El Dorado 1960s: 1 1970s: 2 1980s: 0 1990s: 1 2000s: 3 3 2010s: 1 2020s: 1 1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s2020s
  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. 1 crest measured on an earlier gauge datum is left out: 19.60 ft on Jul 23, 1961.

Highest crests

Highest listed crests, Walnut River near El Dorado
1Jun 8, 197926.65+7.65Major—
2Jun 5, 196524.95+5.95Moderate—
3Jul 3, 197624.45+5.45Moderate—
4Aug 25, 200523.08+4.08Moderate24,503
5Jun 3, 202521.31+2.31Minor27,900
6May 25, 201920.14+1.14Minor24,863
7Apr 27, 200919.92+0.92Minor18,436
8Nov 1, 199819.77+0.77Minor—
9Sep 12, 200819.12+0.12Minor16,900
10May 21, 201918.63−0.37Action15,997
11Jul 3, 201617.49−1.51Action—
12May 8, 201916.04−2.96Below flood stage11,604
13Oct 10, 198514.52−4.48Below flood stage9,350
14May 8, 199311.78−7.22Below flood stage5,950
15May 12, 198211.59−7.41Below flood stage6,910
16Oct 3, 198610.95−8.05Below flood stage5,100
17Jun 10, 199210.04−8.96Below flood stage4,340
18Aug 29, 19898.79−10.21Below flood stage3,570
19Apr 1, 19888.11−10.89Below flood stage3,210
20Apr 5, 19837.59−11.41Below flood stage3,120
21Mar 18, 19847.58−11.42Below flood stage3,110
22May 7, 19857.57−11.43Below flood stage3,100
23Jun 15, 19907.34−11.66Below flood stage2,800
24Apr 28, 19946.65−12.35Below flood stage2,460
25Apr 17, 19916.35−12.65Below flood stage2,300
26Feb 22, 19965.15−13.85Below flood stage1,420

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.

June 8, 1979: 26.65 ft here, major flooding

June 5, 1965: 24.95 ft here, moderate flooding

  • AugustaKS · Jun 5, 1965 · 36.35 ft · Major · its highest
  • WinfieldKS · Jun 6, 1965 · 35.97 ft · Major
  • Arkansas CityKS · Jun 7, 1965 · 25.08 ft · Moderate

July 3, 1976: 24.45 ft here, moderate flooding

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 CityKS18.032.45 ft, Nov 3, 19985
AugustaKS23.036.35 ft, Jun 5, 19651
WinfieldKS18.041.00 ft, Nov 18, 192842
El Dorado this gaugeKS19.026.65 ft, Jun 8, 19791

Other gauges in Butler County

Flood gauges in Butler County
Augusta23.036.35 ft, Jun 5, 19651
El Dorado21.032.14 ft, Jun 8, 19793
Augusta21.034.95 ft, Nov 1, 19985
Towanda22.030.54 ft, Nov 1, 19987

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge EDEK1, 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.