How high is the Smoky Hill River at Ellsworth, KS right now?

The Smoky Hill River at Ellsworth, KS is currently flowing at 1,570 cubic feet per second with a gage height of 6.78 feet, based on the most recent USGS instantaneous reading.

Is the flow on the Smoky Hill River at Ellsworth, KS normal for this time of year?

Current flow is classified as high for June 11. Today's discharge is at the 89th percentile compared to the long-term historical record at this gauge.

Is the Smoky Hill River at Ellsworth, KS at flood stage?

No — the gage height is 13.22 feet below the NWS flood-stage threshold of 20.0 feet.

What is the historical median flow for the Smoky Hill River at Ellsworth, KS on June 11?

The long-term median discharge for this date is 131 cfs based on USGS daily statistics. The 10th–95th percentile range historically is 27 to 2,020 cfs.

Where is the Smoky Hill River at Ellsworth, KS stream gauge located?

The Smoky Hill River at Ellsworth, KS stream gauge is operated by the USGS in Ellsworth County, KS on the Smoky Hill River. USGS site number 06864500 (coordinates 38.7267, -98.2337).

Smoky Hill River at Ellsworth, KS

USGS Site No: 06864500 • Smoky Hill River • Ellsworth County, KS

Smoky Hill River at Ellsworth, KS on the Smoky Hill River is currently at 1,570 cfs (High — 89th percentile for this date) . Gage height: 6.78 ft.

Reading from 1 week ago

↑ Upstream on Smoky Hill River

Smoky Hill River near Russell, KS

Downstream on Smoky Hill River ↓

Smoky Hill River near Langley, KS

1,570

CFS Discharge

6.78

Gage Height (ft)

High

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	27
25th	Low threshold	54
50th (Median)	Normal (median)	131
75th	High threshold	401
95th	Very High threshold	2,020	Today: 1,570 cfs

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	80	1.69
May 27, 2026	62	1.55
May 26, 2026	73	1.66
May 25, 2026	87	1.79
May 24, 2026	108	1.97
May 23, 2026	144	2.23
May 22, 2026	206	2.60
May 21, 2026	326	3.16
May 20, 2026	661	4.38
May 19, 2026	1,470	6.56
May 18, 2026	2,250	7.18
May 17, 2026	20	0.95
May 16, 2026	18	0.93
May 15, 2026	18	0.94
Apr 20, 2026	20	0.98
Apr 19, 2026	21	0.98
Apr 18, 2026	21	0.99
Apr 17, 2026	21	0.99
Apr 16, 2026	21	1.00
Apr 15, 2026	22	1.01
Apr 14, 2026	22	1.02
Apr 13, 2026	23	1.03
Apr 12, 2026	23	1.03
Apr 11, 2026	23	1.02
Apr 10, 2026	23	1.02
Apr 9, 2026	22	1.02
Apr 8, 2026	22	1.01
Apr 7, 2026	22	1.02
Apr 6, 2026	23	1.02
Apr 5, 2026	23	1.03

Station Information

USGS Site No: 06864500
State: KS
County: Ellsworth County
Coordinates: 38.7267, -98.2337
Drainage Area: 7,580 mi²
Datum (ft): 1,509.6
HUC Code: 10260006

View on USGS NWIS →

Flood Stage Thresholds

Action Stage: 18.0 ft
Flood Stage: 20.0 ft
Moderate Flood: 24.0 ft
Major Flood: 27.0 ft

Currently 13.22 ft below flood stage.

Recent Extremes

Max discharge: 3,000 cfs

Sep 21, 2025
Min discharge: 10 cfs

Jul 20, 2025
Days at flood stage: 0

Computed from the local daily-values archive.

Nearby Gauges

Smoky Hill River near Langley, KS
17.1 mi · 85 cfs

Normal
Saline River at Lincoln, KS
21.3 mi · 569 cfs

Normal
Saline River at Wilson Dam, KS
22.0 mi · 19 cfs

Normal
Saline River at Tescott, KS
27.2 mi · 3,570 cfs

Very High
Cow C near Lyons, KS
28.9 mi · 11 cfs

Normal