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Wildcat Creek at Manhattan Scenic Drive

Highest listed crest 28.29 ftFlood stage 14.0 ft14 crests since 2012

The Wildcat Creek at Manhattan Scenic Drive crested at major flood stage 1 time among the 14 crests the National Weather Service lists from 2012 to 2023. The highest, 28.29 ft on September 3, 2018, was major flooding, 14.29 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
28.29 ft
September 3, 2018
Flood stage
14.0 ft
Major flooding from 23.0 ft
Crests at major
1
51st of 171 gauges in Kansas
Most recent flood crest
July 15, 2021
16.13 ft, minor flooding
Location
Riley County
Near Manhattan (2.0 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 Manhattan Scenic Drive
Action stage9.05May 15, 2023The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)14.05Jul 15, 2021Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage17.02May 8, 2019Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage23.01Sep 3, 2018Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

14 crests from 2012 to 2023. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Wildcat Creek at Manhattan Scenic Drive, 2012 to 2023 51015202530ft Flood stage 14.0 ftMajor 23.0 ft Apr 5, 2012: 6.67 ft, below flood stage; 1,010 cubic feet per secondAug 2, 2013: 10.18 ft, action stage; 1,690 cubic feet per secondJun 10, 2014: 17.53 ft, moderate flooding; 3,920 cubic feet per secondJun 5, 2015: 10.54 ft, action stage; 1,760 cubic feet per secondMay 27, 2016: 14.32 ft, minor flooding; 2,887 cubic feet per secondMay 20, 2017: 12.57 ft, action stage; 2,455 cubic feet per secondSep 3, 2018: 28.29 ft, major floodingMay 8, 2019: 20.10 ft, moderate floodingMay 19, 2019: 15.70 ft, minor floodingJun 23, 2019: 16.75 ft, minor floodingAug 30, 2019: 16.57 ft, minor floodingJul 15, 2021: 16.13 ft, minor flooding; 3,880 cubic feet per secondMay 25, 2022: 11.21 ft, action stage; 2,100 cubic feet per secondMay 15, 2023: 11.05 ft, action stage; 2,070 cubic feet per second Highest, 28.29 ft, Sep 3, 2018 20152020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Wildcat Creek at Manhattan Scenic Drive 2010s: 7 7 2020s: 1 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 Manhattan Scenic Drive
1Sep 3, 201828.29+14.29Major—
2May 8, 201920.10+6.10Moderate—
3Jun 10, 201417.53+3.53Moderate3,920
4Jun 23, 201916.75+2.75Minor—
5Aug 30, 201916.57+2.57Minor—
6Jul 15, 202116.13+2.13Minor3,880
7May 19, 201915.70+1.70Minor—
8May 27, 201614.32+0.32Minor2,887
9May 20, 201712.57−1.43Action2,455
10May 25, 202211.21−2.79Action2,100
11May 15, 202311.05−2.95Action2,070
12Jun 5, 201510.54−3.46Action1,760
13Aug 2, 201310.18−3.82Action1,690
14Apr 5, 20126.67−7.33Below flood stage1,010

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: 28.29 ft here, major flooding

  • KeatsKS · Sep 3, 2018 · 25.97 ft · Major · its highest

June 10, 2014: 17.53 ft here, moderate flooding

  • KeatsKS · Jun 10, 2014 · 19.69 ft · Moderate

Gauges on the Wildcat Creek

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

Flood gauges on the Wildcat Creek
KeatsKS17.025.97 ft, Sep 3, 20181
Manhattan Scenic Drive this gaugeKS14.028.29 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
Keats17.025.97 ft, Sep 3, 20181

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge MWCK1, 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.