Arkansas River at Oxford, KS
River level and flood forecast · Sumner County
Normal7.5 ftas of Mon 2:45 PM
The river is 9.5 ft below flood stage (17 ft).
Flow: 419 cubic feet per second (USGS).
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
| Major flood stage | 23 ft |
| Moderate flood stage | 20 ft |
| Flood stage | 17 ft |
| Action stage | 15 ft |
| Record crest (November 2, 1998) | 26.85 ft |
What floods at each level
From the National Weather Service, highest first.
- 27 ftFlood waters reach the cement foundations of metal storage bins on Wea Street in Oxford. South of the bins, flooding occurs on Wea Street and into the low lying areas of the flood plain. Flood waters flow across a section of Highway 160 east of the river bridge near the Sumner Cowley County line.
- 25 ftFlood waters are within a few feet of reaching the dirt road that surrounds the metal grain bins. On Wea Street south of the bins the road floods in the low-lying area that leads into the flood plain. Expect widespread flooding of low-lying farmland.
- 22.5 ftFlood waters cover Wea Street leading east into the low lying areas of the flood plain.
- 18 ftLow lying agricultural fields flood north of the river gage site.
Highest crests on record
- 26.85 ft — November 2, 1998
- 24.9 ft — September 14, 2008
- 22.2 ft — April 28, 2009
- 21.71 ft — September 11, 2016
- 21.64 ft — May 10, 2019
Recent crests: 19.94 ft (June 27, 2026) · 20.1 ft (June 26, 2026) · 16.07 ft (June 23, 2026) · 17.02 ft (June 21, 2026) · 18.87 ft (June 19, 2025)
Up and down the river, and nearby
Not an official source. River levels, forecasts, flood stages and impacts are from the National Weather Service (OXFK1); flow from the U.S. Geological Survey. Readings are provisional. In a flood, follow your local officials and the NWS at weather.gov.