USGS Streamgage 06868850
Saline River at Lincoln, KS
Saline River at Lincoln, KS is USGS streamgage 06868850 in Kansas, monitoring river discharge in hydrologic subbasin 10260010. It sits on the Saline River, alongside 4 other gauges Rivermatics tracks on the same river. It drains a watershed of about 2,550 square miles. Discharge records at this site go back to 2011. Typical flow runs near 40.4 cfs in July and 30.6 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
- 2,550 sq mi
- Gauge elevation
- 1,371 ft
- Subbasin (HUC-8)
- 10260010
- Coordinates
- 39.02832, -98.15017
- USGS site number
- 06868850
- Records begin
- 2011-01-01 (15 years)
- Rivermatics forecast
- 14-day flow outlook
14-day flow forecast
Based on observations through for Saline River at Lincoln, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12.4 | 13.6 | 15.1 | ||
| 11.6 | 13.5 | 16.1 | ||
| 11.1 | 13.6 | 18.8 | ||
| 10.4 | 13.3 | 20.8 | ||
| 10.1 | 13.5 | 27.4 | ||
| 10 | 14.2 | 45.1 | ||
| 9.8 | 14.5 | 73 | ||
| 10.2 | 16.7 | 131 | ||
| 10 | 17.3 | 137 | ||
| 9.6 | 16.3 | 89.8 | ||
| 9.1 | 15.4 | 58.8 | ||
| 8.5 | 14.3 | 45.5 | ||
| 8.2 | 13.8 | 36.6 | ||
| 7.9 | 13.3 | 32 |
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 14 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 | 10.5 | 17.1 | 496.1 | |
| February | 11.1 | 19.2 | 331.7 | |
| March | 10.8 | 18 | 681.5 | |
| April | 15 | 30.6 | 372.4 | |
| May | 17.4 | 43.5 | 1,385.8 | |
| June | 16.7 | 76.1 | 951.1 | |
| July | 13.5 | 40.4 | 627.3 | |
| August | 13 | 31.4 | 866.1 | |
| September | 10.8 | 24.2 | 1,097.5 | |
| October | 6 | 16 | 684.4 | |
| November | 6.4 | 16.6 | 252.4 | |
| December | 8.9 | 15.9 | 589 |
All values in cubic feet per second (cfs).
Common questions
- When does Saline River at Lincoln, KS normally run highest?
- June, on the long-term record. The median daily flow that month is about 76.1 cfs, against 15.9 cfs in December, the lowest month. These are historical normals for the date, not a forecast and not today's reading.
- What is a normal flow for Saline River at Lincoln, KS?
- It depends on the month. In January, half of days historically fall near 17.1 cfs, with the middle 80% of days between 10.5 and 496.1 cfs. The month-by-month table on this page gives the full range.
- How long has Saline River at Lincoln, KS been measured?
- Discharge records at USGS site 06868850 begin in 2011, about 15 years, covering roughly 5,125 days of published daily values. The long record is what makes the monthly percentiles on this page meaningful.
- Is there a flow forecast for Saline River at Lincoln, 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 Saline River at Lincoln, KS?
- The gauge sits at 39.02832, -98.15017, in Kansas, in hydrologic subbasin 10260010, at an elevation of about 1,371 feet, draining roughly 2,550 square miles.
- Can I use Saline River at Lincoln, 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 Saline River
Every gauge Rivermatics tracks on this river, ordered by drainage area — upstream first. See the Saline River in full.
- Saline River near Wakeeney, KS 696 sq mi
- Saline River near Russell, KS 1,502 sq mi
- Saline River at Wilson Dam, KS 1,917 sq mi
- Saline River at Lincoln, KS this page
- Saline River at Tescott, KS 2,820 sq mi