Kansas River at Lawrence, KS
River level and flood forecast · Douglas County
Normal13.7 ftas of Mon 3 PM
The river is 4.3 ft below flood stage (18 ft).
Flow: 21,000 cubic feet per second (USGS).
The last 7 days and the forecast
NWS forecast issued Sat, Oct 3, 8:57 AM. Forecasts change as rain falls and as upstream water arrives.
Flood stages
| Major flood stage | 29 ft |
| Moderate flood stage | 20 ft |
| Flood stage | 18 ft |
| Action stage | 15 ft |
| Record crest (July 1, 1844) | 29.9 ft |
What floods at each level
From the National Weather Service, highest first.
- 34 ftFlood waters reach the top of the levee on north side of the river.
- 32.3 ftThe city of Lawrence Wastewater Treatment building is flooded.
- 28 ftWater enters the first floor of the Lawrence Riverfront Mall.
- 27.3 ftThe City of Lawrence Wastewater Treatment Plant is shut down.
- 21.3 ftSandbagging of the City of Lawrence Waste Water Treatment Plant is necessary.
- 18 ftLowlands outside of the levee on the north side of the river begin to flood. Burcham Park is closed due to flooding on the south side of the river.
- 15 ftBurcham Park on the south side of the river begins to flood.
Highest crests on record
- 29.9 ft — July 1, 1844
- 29.9 ft — July 13, 1951
- 28 ft — May 31, 1903
- 26.8 ft — July 27, 1993
- 25.1 ft — June 23, 1951
Recent crests: 18.17 ft (August 31, 2019) · 20.74 ft (June 24, 2019) · 18.42 ft (May 31, 2019) · 18.57 ft (May 27, 2019) · 18.79 ft (May 22, 2019)
Up and down the river, and nearby
Not an official source. River levels, forecasts, flood stages and impacts are from the National Weather Service (LWRK1); flow from the U.S. Geological Survey. Readings are provisional. In a flood, follow your local officials and the NWS at weather.gov.