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Wildcat Creek at Keats

Highest listed crest 25.97 ftFlood stage 17.0 ft9 crests since 2014

The Wildcat Creek at Keats crested at major flood stage 1 time among the 9 crests the National Weather Service lists from 2014 to 2025. The highest, 25.97 ft on September 3, 2018, was major flooding, 8.97 feet above flood stage. 1 other gauge on the Wildcat Creek crested above flood stage within a week of it, 1 at its own highest listed crest.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
25.97 ft
September 3, 2018
Flood stage
17.0 ft
Major flooding from 25.0 ft
Crests at major
1
51st of 171 gauges in Kansas
Most recent flood crest
April 2, 2025
18.77 ft, minor flooding
Location
Riley County
Near Manhattan (6.0 mi)

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, Wildcat Creek at Keats
Action stage12.03May 15, 2023The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)17.03Apr 2, 2025Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage19.02Jul 15, 2021Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage25.01Sep 3, 2018Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

9 crests from 2014 to 2025. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Wildcat Creek at Keats, 2014 to 2025 1015202530ft Flood stage 17.0 ftMajor 25.0 ft Jun 10, 2014: 19.69 ft, moderate floodingJun 5, 2015: 14.24 ft, action stageMay 27, 2016: 17.27 ft, minor floodingMay 20, 2017: 17.17 ft, minor floodingSep 3, 2018: 25.97 ft, major floodingJul 15, 2021: 19.91 ft, moderate floodingMay 18, 2022: 13.60 ft, action stageMay 15, 2023: 16.32 ft, action stageApr 2, 2025: 18.77 ft, minor flooding Highest, 25.97 ft, Sep 3, 2018 201520202025

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Wildcat Creek at Keats 2010s: 4 4 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.

Highest crests

Highest listed crests, Wildcat Creek at Keats
1Sep 3, 201825.97+8.97Major—
2Jul 15, 202119.91+2.91Moderate—
3Jun 10, 201419.69+2.69Moderate—
4Apr 2, 202518.77+1.77Minor—
5May 27, 201617.27+0.27Minor—
6May 20, 201717.17+0.17Minor—
7May 15, 202316.32−0.68Action—
8Jun 5, 201514.24−2.76Action—
9May 18, 202213.60−3.40Action—

The worst floods along the Wildcat Creek

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

September 3, 2018: 25.97 ft here, major flooding

July 15, 2021: 19.91 ft here, moderate flooding

June 10, 2014: 19.69 ft here, moderate flooding

Gauges on the Wildcat Creek

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

Flood gauges on the Wildcat Creek
Keats this gaugeKS17.025.97 ft, Sep 3, 20181
Manhattan Scenic DriveKS14.028.29 ft, Sep 3, 20181

Other gauges in Riley County

Flood gauges in Riley County
Tuttle Creek Lake1,136.01,137.76 ft, Jul 23, 19930
Manhattan19.036.04 ft, Jul 12, 19512
Manhattan18.040.00 ft, Jun 1, 18440
Manhattan Scenic Drive14.028.29 ft, Sep 3, 20181

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge WKCK1, 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.