Wakarusa River near Lawrence, KS

Douglas County, Kansas · USGS gauge 06891500 · NWS LAWK1 · Wakarusa River flood status · Kansas river levels

Nearby: river levels near Lawrence

Is Wakarusa River near Lawrence, KS flooding right now?

Wakarusa River near Lawrence, KS measured 4.46 ft on 2026-09-11 01:30:00 UTC. That observation was 18.5 ft below its 23 ft flood stage. This is the latest available reading, not a guarantee of current conditions.

Gauge height
4.46 ft
as of 48 min ago
Streamflow
24 cfs
data refreshed just now

Minor flooding here begins at 23 ft, with major flooding at 45 ft. The highest crest on record was 31.59 ft on Thu, Jul 12, 1951.

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
Action18 ft13.5 ft below
Minor flood23 ft18.5 ft below
Moderate flood25 ft20.5 ft below
Major flood45 ft40.5 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
31.59 ft1951-07-12
31.01 ft1973-10-11
30.86 ft1967-06-21
30.82 ft1973-09-28
30.65 ft1973-12-04

Nearby gauges

GaugeDistanceCounty
Kansas River at Lawrence, KS4.5 miDouglas County
Kansas River at Lecompton, KS11.8 miJefferson County
Delaware River at Perry, KS13.6 miJefferson County
Kill C at 95Th St near Desoto, KS15.7 miJohnson County
Kansas River at Desoto, KS16.7 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