Cottonwood River at Emporia

1. 29.20 ftWater reaches the deck floor of the Old Highway K 99 bridge over the Cottonwood River.
2. 26.50 ftWater reaches low steel of Old K 99 bridge over the Cottonwood River.
3. 25.50 ftHighway K 99 on the north bank begins to flood.
4. 24.00 ftHighway K 99 on the south bank floods.
5. 23.00 ftNorth bank of the Cottonwood River begins to flood. Lowland flooding occurs along the Cottonwood River from Plymouth to Neosho Rapids.
6. 20.00 ftSouth bank of the Cottonwood River 1 mile south of Emporia floods.

Chance of flooding, September to November

The three-month chances are the River Forecast Centers’ long-range flood outlook, issued September 21, 2026.

Most recent crests

• June 5, 2025: 25.73 ft
• June 11, 2024: 23.11 ft
• June 6, 2023: 7.44 ft
• June 7, 2022: 23.89 ft
• June 2, 2022: 22.01 ft
• May 28, 2022: 21.39 ft
• May 6, 2022: 20.91 ft
• June 28, 2021: 19.02 ft
• August 2, 2020: 22.07 ft
• July 9, 2019: 23.53 ft

• UpstreamCottonwood River at Plymouth
• Neosho River at Emporia
• Neosho River at Americus
• Neosho River at Neosho Rapids
• Marais Des Cygnes River at Reading
• Cottonwood River at Cottonwood Falls
• Cottonwood River at Cottonwood Falls
• Neosho River at John Redmond Lake

Forecasts by the Arkansas-Red Basin RFC. Forecasts are issued as needed during times of high water, but are not routinely available. River forecasts for this location take into account past precipitation and the precipitation amounts expected approximately 24 hours into the future from the forecast issuance time. Stage may be affected by ice during winter months.

Stage, flood stages, impacts and crest history from NOAA’s National Water Prediction Service. Streamflow and the daily record from the U.S. Geological Survey.