Rivers in Kansas

Wakarusa River at Wakarusa

Shawnee County, KansasNWS WRWK1USGS 06891200Topeka office

Below flood stage
2.70ftStage

Observed Tue, Sep 22, 4:15 PM CDT

Flood stage
15.00 ft
Record crest
28.60 ft2007

Open the live map with the river flood outlook

Flood stages and impacts

CategoryStage
Major flood24.00 ft
Moderate flood22.00 ft
Minor flood15.00 ft
Action10.00 ft
  1. 24.00 ftMajor flooding occurs with most homes and businesses in Wakarusa affected by flood waters. Farm field on the downstream north bank floods. Jordan Road north of the gage begins to flood.
  2. 23.00 ftBuildings north of the river begin to flood on the first floor. Flood waters reach the southwest corner of the parking lot near the chiropratic office.
  3. 22.50 ftFlood waters begin moving north in a low depression area toward homes.
  4. 15.00 ftMinor flooding occurs along the Wakarusa River.

Flood outlook

Chance of flooding, September to November

CategoryChance
Minor flooding6%
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

17 crests on NOAA’s list since 2007.

#DateStage
1May 8, 200728.60 ft
2August 30, 201922.14 ft
3April 27, 201619.88 ft
4June 5, 201519.80 ft
5May 24, 201518.56 ft
6May 27, 201618.27 ft
7July 1, 202417.54 ft
8August 22, 201717.17 ft
9May 8, 201917.02 ft
10June 23, 201916.77 ft
11June 10, 201416.68 ft
12May 21, 201916.46 ft
13June 4, 202516.29 ft
14May 31, 202316.12 ft
15May 27, 202115.61 ft
16April 24, 202012.68 ft
17May 25, 202210.44 ft

Most recent crests

  • June 4, 2025: 16.29 ft
  • July 1, 2024: 17.54 ft
  • May 31, 2023: 16.12 ft
  • May 25, 2022: 10.44 ft
  • May 27, 2021: 15.61 ft
  • April 24, 2020: 12.68 ft
  • August 30, 2019: 22.14 ft
  • June 23, 2019: 16.77 ft
  • May 21, 2019: 16.46 ft
  • May 8, 2019: 17.02 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. 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. River forecasts for this location take into account past precipitation and the precipitation amounts expected approximately 48 hours into the future from the forecast issuance time. Stage may be affected by ice during winter months.

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.