USGS Streamgage 06884400
L Blue River near Barnes, KS
L Blue River near Barnes, KS is USGS streamgage 06884400 in Kansas, monitoring river discharge in hydrologic subbasin 10270207. It drains a watershed of about 3,351 square miles. Discharge records at this site go back to 1958. Typical flow runs near 323.3 cfs in July and 301.6 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.
View live conditions & forecast →
Gauge details
- State
- Kansas
- Drainage area
- 3,351 sq mi
- Gauge elevation
- 1,126 ft
- Subbasin (HUC-8)
- 10270207
- Coordinates
- 39.72584, -96.80474
- USGS site number
- 06884400
- Records begin
- 1958-05-01 (68 years)
- Rivermatics forecast
- 14-day flow outlook
14-day flow forecast
Based on observations through for L Blue River near Barnes, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 99 | 109 | 121 | ||
| 92.8 | 105 | 122 | ||
| 89.9 | 104 | 130 | ||
| 86.8 | 105 | 158 | ||
| 86.4 | 111 | 261 | ||
| 92.2 | 136 | 544 | ||
| 98.5 | 175 | 1,016 | ||
| 108 | 217 | 1,220 | ||
| 113 | 297 | 1,422 | ||
| 111 | 278 | 1,271 | ||
| 108 | 239 | 919 | ||
| 102 | 204 | 769 | ||
| 95.7 | 180 | 692 | ||
| 94.1 | 168 | 548 |
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 68 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 | 93.6 | 190 | 461 | |
| February | 127.1 | 245.4 | 857 | |
| March | 143.6 | 271.5 | 1,805.2 | |
| April | 152 | 301.6 | 1,375.3 | |
| May | 151.7 | 458.4 | 2,990 | |
| June | 136.7 | 502.1 | 3,060.7 | |
| July | 82.9 | 323.3 | 1,870.6 | |
| August | 73.2 | 247.9 | 1,357.9 | |
| September | 62.7 | 189.4 | 1,137.4 | |
| October | 89.7 | 172.4 | 994.6 | |
| November | 107.5 | 187.9 | 516.5 | |
| December | 100.1 | 181.9 | 419 |
All values in cubic feet per second (cfs).
Common questions
- When does L Blue River near Barnes, KS normally run highest?
- June, on the long-term record. The median daily flow that month is about 502.1 cfs, against 172.4 cfs in October, the lowest month. These are historical normals for the date, not a forecast and not today's reading.
- What is a normal flow for L Blue River near Barnes, KS?
- It depends on the month. In January, half of days historically fall near 190 cfs, with the middle 80% of days between 93.6 and 461 cfs. The month-by-month table on this page gives the full range.
- How long has L Blue River near Barnes, KS been measured?
- Discharge records at USGS site 06884400 begin in 1958, about 68 years, covering roughly 9,200 days of published daily values. The long record is what makes the monthly percentiles on this page meaningful.
- Is there a flow forecast for L Blue River near Barnes, 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. 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 L Blue River near Barnes, KS?
- The gauge sits at 39.72584, -96.80474, in Kansas, in hydrologic subbasin 10270207, at an elevation of about 1,126 feet, draining roughly 3,351 square miles.
- Can I use L Blue River near Barnes, 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.