USGS Streamgage 06856600
Republican River at Clay Center, KS
Republican River at Clay Center, KS is USGS streamgage 06856600 in Kansas, monitoring river discharge in hydrologic subbasin 10250017. It sits on the Republican River, alongside 10 other gauges Rivermatics tracks on the same river. It drains a watershed of about 24,542 square miles. Discharge records at this site go back to 1903. Typical flow runs near 591.6 cfs in July and 591.1 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
- 24,542 sq mi
- Gauge elevation
- 1,176 ft
- Subbasin (HUC-8)
- 10250017
- Coordinates
- 39.35555, -97.12752
- USGS site number
- 06856600
- Records begin
- 1903-05-29 (123 years)
- Rivermatics forecast
- 14-day flow outlook + water temperature
14-day flow forecast
Based on observations through for Republican River at Clay Center, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 24.1 | 26.8 | 30.1 | ||
| 22.4 | 25.9 | 31.2 | ||
| 21 | 25.2 | 32.3 | ||
| 21 | 27.4 | 47.1 | ||
| 21.4 | 30.1 | 73 | ||
| 23.5 | 36.8 | 132 | ||
| 26.5 | 47.8 | 316 | ||
| 27.3 | 61.1 | 552 | ||
| 27 | 74.5 | 631 | ||
| 28 | 81.6 | 566 | ||
| 27.9 | 78 | 427 | ||
| 26.3 | 66.1 | 299 | ||
| 26.5 | 61.7 | 273 | ||
| 26.3 | 62.7 | 297 |
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 109 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 | 72.3 | 279.3 | 711.8 | |
| February | 110.6 | 410.8 | 1,207.4 | |
| March | 147.2 | 585.3 | 1,580 | |
| April | 135.5 | 591.1 | 1,986.3 | |
| May | 147 | 707.9 | 3,259.7 | |
| June | 173.6 | 835.5 | 4,667 | |
| July | 150.7 | 591.6 | 3,127.1 | |
| August | 105.6 | 445.4 | 1,997.1 | |
| September | 61.5 | 306.2 | 1,868.3 | |
| October | 47.3 | 219.5 | 1,306.2 | |
| November | 63.4 | 267.8 | 931 | |
| December | 67.4 | 274.3 | 769.9 |
All values in cubic feet per second (cfs).
Common questions
- When does Republican River at Clay Center, KS normally run highest?
- June, on the long-term record. The median daily flow that month is about 835.5 cfs, against 219.5 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 Republican River at Clay Center, KS?
- It depends on the month. In January, half of days historically fall near 279.3 cfs, with the middle 80% of days between 72.3 and 711.8 cfs. The month-by-month table on this page gives the full range.
- How long has Republican River at Clay Center, KS been measured?
- Discharge records at USGS site 06856600 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 Republican River at Clay Center, 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 Republican River at Clay Center, KS?
- The gauge sits at 39.35555, -97.12752, in Kansas, in hydrologic subbasin 10250017, at an elevation of about 1,176 feet, draining roughly 24,542 square miles.
- Can I use Republican River at Clay Center, 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 Republican River
Every gauge Rivermatics tracks on this river, ordered by drainage area — upstream first. See the Republican River in full.
- Republican River at Benkelman, Nebr. 4,880 sq mi
- Republican River at Stratton, Nebr. 8,200 sq mi
- Republican River at McCook, Nebr. 12,240 sq mi
- Republican River at Cambridge, Nebr. 14,460 sq mi
- Republican River near Orleans, Nebr. 15,580 sq mi
- Republican River at Guide Rock, Nebr. 22,100 sq mi
- Republican River near Hardy, NE 22,401 sq mi
- Republican River at Scandia, KS 23,560 sq mi
- Republican River at Concordia, KS 23,560 sq mi
- Republican River at Clay Center, KS this page
- Republican River at Junction City, KS 24,900 sq mi