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Smoky Hill River near New Cambria, KS

River level and flood forecast · Saline County

Normal6.1 ftas of Mon 2:45 PM

The river is 20.9 ft below flood stage (27 ft).

The last 7 days and the forecast

010203040TueWedThuFriSatSunMonAction 25 ftFlood 27 ftModerate 30 ftMajor 33.1 ftNowObserved (ft)NWS forecast

NWS forecast issued Fri, Oct 2, 8:25 AM. Forecasts change as rain falls and as upstream water arrives.

Flood stages

Major flood stage33.1 ft
Moderate flood stage30 ft
Flood stage27 ft
Action stage25 ft
Record crest (June 25, 1993)31.72 ft

What floods at each level

From the National Weather Service, highest first.

  • 33.1 ftExpect roads surrounding and within the city of New Cambria to be flooded and along with roads in the vicinity of the river. In addition, expect widespread flooding of low-lying areas.
  • 31 ftAll roads leading into New Cambria become flooded. Old Highway 40 between Marymount Road and Whitmore Road is closed due to flood waters. Dependent on high flows coming down from Saline River the railroad trestle bridge just south of Old Highway 40 may be overtopped.
  • 30 ftNiles Road south of Stimmel Road near the gage site begins to flood. Also expect extensive flooding of low-lying areas and croplands. Within the city the following roads become flooded, Railroad Street and Mill Street, First Street and Second Street and Cunningham. Dependent on high flows coming down from Saline River, Old Highway 40 may flood about a foot deep from Simpson Road to Niles Road.
  • 29.5 ftWater covers Railroad Street and Mill Street, Cunningham Road and First Street and Second Street.
  • 28 ftFlood waters flow over North Street just east of the intersection of Simpson Road. This location is 2 1/2 miles southwest of New Cambria.
  • 27 ftBoth banks overflow at about this height. Expect flooding of low-lying areas and bottom land along both sides of the river.

Highest crests on record

  1. 31.72 ft — June 25, 1993
  2. 31.6 ft — July 22, 1993
  3. 31.45 ft — July 15, 1993
  4. 31.42 ft — May 25, 2007
  5. 31.12 ft — May 7, 2007

Recent crests: 27.09 ft (September 10, 2025) · 23.59 ft (July 23, 2025) · 15.65 ft (June 19, 2025) · 9.8 ft (June 10, 2024) · 8.07 ft (July 15, 2023)

Up and down the river, and nearby

See it on the live map →Radar & warnings for Saline CountyNWS gauge pageUSGS gauge 06870200

Not an official source. River levels, forecasts, flood stages and impacts are from the National Weather Service (NCMK1); flow from the U.S. Geological Survey. Readings are provisional. In a flood, follow your local officials and the NWS at weather.gov.