Kansas River at Lawrence, KS

Douglas County, Kansas · USGS gauge 06891080 · NWS LWRK1 · Kansas River flood status · Kansas river levels

Nearby: river levels near Lawrence

Is Kansas River at Lawrence, KS flooding right now?

Kansas River at Lawrence, KS measured -11.70 ft on 2026-09-11 01:55:00 UTC. That observation was 29.7 ft below its 18 ft flood stage. This is the latest available reading, not a guarantee of current conditions.

Gauge height
-11.70 ft
as of 11 min ago
Streamflow
2,340 cfs
data refreshed 4 min ago

Minor flooding here begins at 18 ft, with major flooding at 29 ft. The highest crest on record was 29.9 ft on Mon, Jul 1, 1844.

Streamflow outlook

NOAA National Water Model forecast, issued 14 hours ago. The NWM models discharge for every river reach in the country, including the many gauges the National Weather Service does not forecast individually. It is a model, not an official NWS river forecast, and it predicts flow rather than water level.

Flood stages at this gauge

CategoryStageCurrent distance
Action15 ft26.7 ft below
Minor flood18 ft29.7 ft below
Moderate flood20 ft31.7 ft below
Major flood29 ft40.7 ft below

New to these numbers? What does flood stage mean? · How to read a river gauge · Why is the river rising?

Highest crests on record

StageDate
29.9 ft1844-07-01
29.9 ft1951-07-13
28 ft1903-05-31
26.8 ft1993-07-27
25.1 ft1951-06-23

Last 7 days

flood stage 18 ft

Past 7 days · -11.67–18.00 ft

Nearby gauges

GaugeDistanceCounty
Wakarusa River near Lawrence, KS4.5 miDouglas County
Kansas River at Lecompton, KS9.9 miJefferson County
Delaware River at Perry, KS11.6 miJefferson County
Kill C at 95Th St near Desoto, KS13.9 miJohnson County
Kansas River at Desoto, KS14.4 miLeavenworth County
Provisional data: Real-time readings are provisional and subject to revision by the USGS — sensors can be affected by ice, debris, or equipment malfunction. Do not rely on this site for decisions involving personal safety; follow official guidance from the National Weather Service and local authorities.

Sources: USGS monitoring location · NWS gauge & forecast