RIVER GAUGE · COTTONWOOD RIVER
Cottonwood River at Emporia
Lyon County, Kansas
Water level5.10 ft
Flow1,190 cfs
Last readingSep 16, 2026, 4:30 PM UTC (last recorded)
Action15 ft
Minor flood20 ft
Moderate flood24 ft
Major flood32 ft
The past week
Loading chart…
What floods at each level
- 29.2 ft
Water reaches the deck floor of the Old Highway K 99 bridge over the Cottonwood River.
- 26.5 ft
Water reaches low steel of Old K 99 bridge over the Cottonwood River.
- 25.5 ft
Highway K 99 on the north bank begins to flood.
- 24 ft
Highway K 99 on the south bank floods.
- 23 ft
North bank of the Cottonwood River begins to flood. Lowland flooding occurs along the Cottonwood River from Plymouth to Neosho Rapids.
- 20 ft
South bank of the Cottonwood River 1 mile south of Emporia floods.
Highest crests on record
| Date | Level | Flow |
|---|---|---|
| Jul 10, 1951 | 33.4 ft | — |
| Nov 1, 1998 | 29.5 ft | — |
| Jul 19, 1948 | 29.5 ft | — |
When the water runs low
- 0.4
River approaches zero flow.
More on Cottonwood River
UpstreamCottonwood River near Plymouth
Get an alert when Cottonwood River rises
Save this gauge in the free StormCast app and pick the level that matters to you. Your phone goes off when the water gets there.
