USGS Streamgage 06887000
Big Blue River near Manhattan, KS
Big Blue River near Manhattan, KS is USGS streamgage 06887000 in Kansas, monitoring river discharge in hydrologic subbasin 10270205. It sits on the Big Blue River, alongside 4 other gauges Rivermatics tracks on the same river. It drains a watershed of about 9,640 square miles. Discharge records at this site go back to 1903. Typical flow runs near 1,552.9 cfs in July and 830.7 cfs in April, with the higher of the two arriving in July. Rivermatics issues a daily machine-learned flow outlook for this gauge, reaching 14 days ahead, alongside daily high and low water-temperature forecasts.
View live conditions & forecast →
Gauge details
- State
- Kansas
- Drainage area
- 9,640 sq mi
- Gauge elevation
- 1,014 ft
- Subbasin (HUC-8)
- 10270205
- Coordinates
- 39.23722, -96.57139
- USGS site number
- 06887000
- Records begin
- 1903-05-31 (123 years)
- Rivermatics forecast
- 14-day flow outlook + water temperature
14-day flow forecast
Based on observations through for Big Blue River near Manhattan, KS. Each day carries a median estimate and the band the model expects the flow to fall within — not a single number to plan against. Forecasts are re-issued daily; see the live screen for the current outlook.
| Date | Low p10 | Expected p50 | High p90 | Range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 836 | 997 | 1,201 | ||
| 695 | 956 | 1,313 | ||
| 618 | 947 | 1,466 | ||
| 554 | 924 | 1,553 | ||
| 472 | 887 | 1,590 | ||
| 462 | 883 | 1,699 | ||
| 480 | 895 | 1,892 | ||
| 469 | 891 | 2,063 | ||
| 426 | 853 | 1,994 | ||
| 448 | 836 | 1,952 | ||
| 451 | 834 | 1,968 | ||
| 415 | 797 | 2,000 | ||
| 427 | 803 | 2,135 | ||
| 403 | 782 | 2,134 |
All values in cubic feet per second (cfs). Estimates only — do not use them for navigation or for any safety, rescue, or emergency decision.
Typical flow by month
Long-term daily discharge percentiles from the USGS record (up to 76 years of data), averaged within each month. These describe the historical normal range — they are not a forecast and not today's reading.
| Month | Low p10 | Typical p50 | High p90 | Range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 202.8 | 511.7 | 1,746.8 | |
| February | 228.2 | 650 | 3,118.3 | |
| March | 218.2 | 766 | 5,486.8 | |
| April | 231.8 | 830.7 | 8,059.7 | |
| May | 264.1 | 1,676.8 | 8,758.1 | |
| June | 351.3 | 2,163 | 12,226.7 | |
| July | 381.6 | 1,552.9 | 10,866.1 | |
| August | 236.5 | 899.7 | 5,712.9 | |
| September | 153.3 | 677.7 | 4,370 | |
| October | 96.2 | 557.7 | 3,691.3 | |
| November | 172.4 | 582.6 | 2,955.3 | |
| December | 239 | 622.7 | 3,219.4 |
All values in cubic feet per second (cfs).
Common questions
- When does Big Blue River near Manhattan, KS normally run highest?
- June, on the long-term record. The median daily flow that month is about 2,163 cfs, against 511.7 cfs in January, the lowest month. These are historical normals for the date, not a forecast and not today's reading.
- What is a normal flow for Big Blue River near Manhattan, KS?
- It depends on the month. In January, half of days historically fall near 511.7 cfs, with the middle 80% of days between 202.8 and 1,746.8 cfs. The month-by-month table on this page gives the full range.
- How long has Big Blue River near Manhattan, KS been measured?
- Discharge records at USGS site 06887000 begin in 1903, about 123 years, covering roughly 9,201 days of published daily values. The long record is what makes the monthly percentiles on this page meaningful.
- Is there a flow forecast for Big Blue River near Manhattan, KS?
- Yes. Rivermatics trains a machine-learned model — a temporal-fusion transformer — on this basin's observed flows, weather, and snowpack, and issues a daily flow outlook reaching 14 days ahead: a median estimate inside a confidence band, not a single number to bet on. A companion model forecasts each day's water-temperature high and low. Every forecast is scored against days the model never trained on, and that track record is published on the live gauge screen. Open live conditions to see the current outlook.
- Where is Big Blue River near Manhattan, KS?
- The gauge sits at 39.23722, -96.57139, in Kansas, in hydrologic subbasin 10270205, at an elevation of about 1,014 feet, draining roughly 9,640 square miles.
- Can I use Big Blue River near Manhattan, KS data for flood or safety decisions?
- No. Rivermatics provides estimates, not guarantees, and the readings and forecasts here may be delayed, inaccurate, or wrong. Do not use them for navigation or for any safety, rescue, or emergency decision. Check the National Weather Service and USGS directly, and use your own judgment.
Upstream and downstream on the Big Blue River
Every gauge Rivermatics tracks on this river, ordered by drainage area — upstream first. See the Big Blue River in full.
- Big Blue River near Crete, Nebr. 2,710 sq mi
- Big Blue River at Barneston, Nebr. 4,447 sq mi
- Big Blue River at Marysville, KS 4,777 sq mi
- Big Blue River at Blue Rapids, KS 8,342 sq mi
- Big Blue River near Manhattan, KS this page