Smoky Hill River below Schoenchen, KS

Ellis County, Kansas · USGS gauge 06862850 · NWS SCSK1 · Smoky Hill River flood status · Kansas river levels

Is Smoky Hill River below Schoenchen, KS flooding right now?

Smoky Hill River below Schoenchen, KS measured 2.82 ft on 2026-10-27 17:00:00 UTC. That observation was 8.2 ft below its 11 ft flood stage. This is the latest available reading, not a guarantee of current conditions.

Gauge height

2.82 ft

as of 60 min ago

Streamflow

4 cfs

data refreshed 14 min ago

Minor flooding here begins at 11 ft, with major flooding at 17 ft. The highest crest on record was 17.6 ft on Wed, Jul 21, 1993.

Streamflow outlook

NOAA National Water Model forecast, issued 12 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

Category	Stage	Current distance
Action	10 ft	7.2 ft below
Minor flood	11 ft	8.2 ft below
Moderate flood	14 ft	11.2 ft below
Major flood	17 ft	14.2 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

Stage	Date
17.6 ft	1993-07-21
13.57 ft	1987-04-14
12.42 ft	2007-06-01
12.22 ft	2019-05-22
11.42 ft	2018-10-10

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Distance	County
Smoky Hill River near Schoenchen, KS	2.9 mi	Ellis County
Smoky Hill River at Pfeifer, KS	7.5 mi	Ellis County
Big C near Hays, KS	9.8 mi	Ellis County
Smoky Hill River near Ellis, KS	14.9 mi	Ellis County
Walnut C at Nekoma, KS	18.0 mi	Rush 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