Arkansas River at Garden City, KS

The last 7 days and the forecast

NWS forecast issued Sun, Dec 31, 6 PM. Forecasts change as rain falls and as upstream water arrives.

Flood stages

What floods at each level

From the National Weather Service, highest first.

• 22.5 ftWater surface elevation will reach low bridge steel of U.S. highway 83 - business district.
• 19 ftFloodwaters will extend to Maple Street in southern Garden City... And some houses will be partly submerged with 2 to 3 feet of water. Bridge approaches adjacent to the Arkansas River will be flooded with 1 to 2 feet of water. Residences along Burnside Drive will be flooded. Flooding will also reach into southern parts of Holcomb, south of the railroad tracks.
• 17 ftThe Fairgrounds, Finnup park and Lee Richardson Zoo will be inundated with 1 to 2 feet of water. Roads along the Arkansas River up and downstream from Lakin to Cimarron will be flooded in many areas.
• 16 ftFloodwaters will rise into Finnup Park, Lee Richardson Zoo, and the Finney County Fairgrounds. Some street flooding and yard flooding will occur along Burnside Drive. South of the Arkansas River and east of Highway 83, the lowest portions of south River Road will be overtopped by rapidly moving water, as will other low-lying portions of roads along the Arkansas River between Lakin and Cimarron.
• 15 ftIn Garden City, the blacktop road south of the Arkansas River will be close to overflowing. Expect inundations of 5 feet or more along unleveed portions of the Arkansas River outside of Garden City. Move livestock well away from river.
• 14 ftExpect inundations up to four feet or more along unleveed portions of the Arkansas River as the river moves out of the main channel farther out onto the adjacent floodplain. Irrigation systems near the river may be threatened by floating debris or the washing out of sandy soil. In Garden City, inundation of the lowest portions of south River Road west of Hwy 283, as well as Burnside Drive will initiate if the river stage rises between 15 to 16 feet.
• 13 ftExpect inundations of one foot or more along either side of the Arkansas River upstream and downstream of Garden City as the river begins to move out of its main channel onto its first terrace. Cattle or livestock grazing in the immediate vicinity of the river may be endangered by the swiftly flowing waters.
• 11.5 ftAt 11.5 feet, the Arkansas River is at bankfull stage in Garden City.
• 10 ftThe Arkansas River is mostly at bankfull stage between Lakin and Cimarron. Irrigation systems near the river bank are threatened.
• 9 ftExpect near bankfull conditions along the lowest-lying areas of the Arkansas River outside of Garden City. In the city of Cimarron, the Arkansas River will begin to enter the southern part of the city park.

Highest crests on record

1. 22.3 ft — June 19, 1965
2. 18.57 ft — May 16, 1951
3. 17.42 ft — June 7, 1949
4. 16.74 ft — August 9, 1929
5. 9.01 ft — May 29, 1996

Recent crests: 6.95 ft (March 1, 2019) · 7.29 ft (February 7, 2018) · 6.35 ft (June 28, 2014) · 6.18 ft (May 19, 2010) · 5.46 ft (August 10, 2003)

Up and down the river, and nearby

• UpstreamArkansas River at Deerfield, KS
• DownstreamArkansas River at Dodge City, KS
• Arkansas River at Kendall, KS
• Buckner Creek above Horse Thief Reservoir, KS
• Buckner Creek below Horse Thief Reservoir, KS
• Arkansas River at Syracuse, KS
• Buckner Creek near Jetmore, KS
• Smoky Hill River near Oakley, KS