Rivers in Kansas

Big Creek near Hays

Ellis County, KansasNWS HYSK1USGS 06863500Dodge City office

Below flood stage
4.32ftStage

Observed Thu, Sep 24, 3:30 AM CDT

Flood stage
26.00 ft
Record crest
21.93 ft2019

Open the live map with the river flood outlook

Flood stages and impacts

CategoryStage
Major flood32.00 ft
Moderate flood29.00 ft
Minor flood26.00 ft
Action17.00 ft
  1. 32.00 ftPrepare for major right bank (south side) flooding of 6 feet or more along Big Creek from Hays to Munjor.
  2. 29.00 ftPrepare for moderate right bank (south side) flooding of three feet or more along Big Creek from Hays to Munjor. Move livestock away from Big Creek to higher ground. At a stage of 29 feet, the city of Hays is not directly threatened by flooding from Big Creek.
  3. 27.00 ftPrepare for minor right bank (south side) overflows of 1 foot or more along Big Creek from Hays to Munjor. For safety, move livestock away from the main creek channel. At a stage of 27 feet, the city of Hays is not directly threatened by flooding from Big Creek.
  4. 26.00 ftPrepare for minor right bank (south side) overflows along Big Creek from Hays to Munjor. For safety, move livestock away from the main creek channel. At a stage of 26 feet, the city of Hays is not directly threatened by flooding from Big Creek.

Flood outlook

Chance of flooding, September to November

CategoryChance
Minor floodingUnder 5%
Moderate floodingUnder 5%
Major floodingUnder 5%

The three-month chances are the River Forecast Centers’ long-range flood outlook, issued September 23, 2026.

Crest history

11 crests on NOAA’s list since 1999.

#DateStage
1August 25, 201921.93 ft
2May 31, 201821.59 ft
3September 5, 201621.31 ft
4August 3, 199919.67 ft
5July 6, 201819.11 ft
6September 11, 200318.90 ft
7May 26, 202118.03 ft
8September 19, 200115.31 ft
9July 21, 20009.13 ft
10August 13, 20028.93 ft
11June 12, 20067.48 ft

Most recent crests

  • May 26, 2021: 18.03 ft
  • August 25, 2019: 21.93 ft
  • July 6, 2018: 19.11 ft
  • May 31, 2018: 21.59 ft
  • September 5, 2016: 21.31 ft
  • June 12, 2006: 7.48 ft
  • September 11, 2003: 18.90 ft
  • August 13, 2002: 8.93 ft
  • September 19, 2001: 15.31 ft
  • July 21, 2000: 9.13 ft

Nearby

Upstream, downstream and the gauges around this one.

What this means

Forecasts by the Missouri Basin River Forecast Center. Forecasts are issued as needed during times of high water, but are not routinely available. Stage may be affected by ice during winter months. River forecasts for this location take into account past and future precipitation. Forecast stages may be different if forecast future rainfall does not occur.

Sources

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.