How high is the Big Blue River near Manhattan, KS right now?

The Big Blue River near Manhattan, KS is currently flowing at 4,970 cubic feet per second with a gage height of 6.62 feet, based on the most recent USGS instantaneous reading.

Is the flow on the Big Blue River near Manhattan, KS normal for this time of year?

Current flow is classified as normal for June 11. Today's discharge is at the 67th percentile compared to the long-term historical record at this gauge.

Is the Big Blue River near Manhattan, KS at flood stage?

No — the gage height is 12.38 feet below the NWS flood-stage threshold of 19.0 feet.

What is the historical median flow for the Big Blue River near Manhattan, KS on June 11?

The long-term median discharge for this date is 2,040 cfs based on USGS daily statistics. The 10th–95th percentile range historically is 285 to 15,200 cfs.

Where is the Big Blue River near Manhattan, KS stream gauge located?

The Big Blue River near Manhattan, KS stream gauge is operated by the USGS in Riley County, KS on the Big Blue River. USGS site number 06887000 (coordinates 39.2372, -96.5714).

Big Blue River near Manhattan, KS

USGS Site No: 06887000 • Big Blue River • Riley County, KS

Big Blue River near Manhattan, KS on the Big Blue River is currently at 4,970 cfs (Normal — 67th percentile for this date) . Gage height: 6.62 ft.

Reading from 1 week ago

↑ Upstream on Big Blue River

Big Blue River at Marysville, KS

4,970

CFS Discharge

6.62

Gage Height (ft)

Normal

Flow Condition

Normal

Flood Status

Historical Percentile Comparison

Today's discharge compared to the long-term record for June 11 at this station. Percentile rank shows what fraction of historical years had lower flow on this date.

Percentile	Label	CFS Threshold	Today's Flow
10th	Very Low threshold	285
25th	Low threshold	545
50th (Median)	Normal (median)	2,040
75th	High threshold	6,470	Today: 4,970 cfs
95th	Very High threshold	15,200

30-Day Hydrograph

Recent discharge plotted against the historical 10th–95th percentile envelope for the same calendar days. Source: USGS daily values + long-term statistics.

10th–95th historical Day-of-year median Recent discharge

30-Day Flow History

Date	Discharge (CFS)	Gage Ht (ft)
May 28, 2026	4,740	6.42
May 27, 2026	4,730	6.41
May 26, 2026	4,750	6.43
May 25, 2026	4,780	6.45
May 24, 2026	4,830	6.50
May 23, 2026	4,820	6.49
May 22, 2026	2,330	3.47
May 21, 2026	266	0.65
May 20, 2026	405	0.98
May 19, 2026	749	1.72
May 18, 2026	655	1.52
May 17, 2026	504	1.24
May 16, 2026	505	1.24
May 15, 2026	516	1.26
Apr 20, 2026	4,960	6.61
Apr 19, 2026	4,960	6.61
Apr 18, 2026	4,980	6.62
Apr 17, 2026	5,000	6.65
Apr 16, 2026	4,920	6.57
Apr 15, 2026	4,740	6.42
Apr 14, 2026	4,680	6.36
Apr 13, 2026	2,480	3.73
Apr 12, 2026	445	1.10
Apr 11, 2026	2,950	4.53
Apr 10, 2026	3,620	5.38
Apr 9, 2026	2,000	3.46
Apr 8, 2026	1,130	2.35
Apr 7, 2026	1,270	2.57
Apr 6, 2026	920	2.04
Apr 5, 2026	918	2.03

Station Information

USGS Site No: 06887000
State: KS
County: Riley County
Coordinates: 39.2372, -96.5714
Drainage Area: 9,640 mi²
Datum (ft): 989.3
HUC Code: 10270205

View on USGS NWIS →

Flood Stage Thresholds

Action Stage: 15.0 ft
Flood Stage: 19.0 ft
Moderate Flood: 27.0 ft
Major Flood: 30.0 ft

Currently 12.38 ft below flood stage.

Recent Extremes

Max discharge: 5,000 cfs

Apr 17, 2026
Min discharge: 51 cfs

Mar 17, 2026
Days at flood stage: 0

Computed from the local daily-values archive.

Nearby Gauges

Wildcat C at Scenic Drive, Manhattan, KS
5.1 mi · 73 cfs

Very High
Kings C near Manhattan, KS
9.4 mi · 1 cfs

Normal
Rock C near Louisville, KS
13.7 mi · 0 cfs

Unknown
Kansas River at Wamego, KS
14.5 mi · 6,120 cfs

Normal
Kansas River at Fort Riley, KS
16.0 mi · 610 cfs

Low