USGS Streamgage 06891500
Wakarusa River near Lawrence, KS
Wakarusa River near Lawrence, KS is USGS streamgage 06891500 in Kansas, monitoring river discharge in hydrologic subbasin 10270104. It sits on the Wakarusa River, alongside 1 other gauge Rivermatics tracks on the same river. It drains a watershed of about 425 square miles. Discharge records at this site go back to 1921. Typical flow runs near 28.8 cfs in July and 71.4 cfs in April, with the higher of the two arriving in April. 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
- 425 sq mi
- Gauge elevation
- 827 ft
- Subbasin (HUC-8)
- 10270104
- Coordinates
- 38.91139, -95.26108
- USGS site number
- 06891500
- Records begin
- 1921-01-01 (105 years)
- Rivermatics forecast
- 14-day flow outlook
14-day flow forecast
Based on observations through for Wakarusa River near Lawrence, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 21 | 25.8 | 30.6 | ||
| 19.2 | 24.7 | 29.9 | ||
| 18.4 | 24.7 | 31.2 | ||
| 17.6 | 24.6 | 33.8 | ||
| 17.5 | 23.9 | 34.2 | ||
| 16.8 | 24 | 41 | ||
| 16.5 | 23.7 | 43.3 | ||
| 15.5 | 24.2 | 55.3 | ||
| 14.6 | 23.4 | 42.2 | ||
| 13.9 | 23.4 | 42.1 | ||
| 12.7 | 23.1 | 39 | ||
| 13.4 | 23.3 | 43.4 | ||
| 13.4 | 23.1 | 45.7 | ||
| 12.8 | 22.7 | 48.6 |
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 96 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 | 0.8 | 18 | 360 | |
| February | 1.4 | 26.2 | 403.6 | |
| March | 1.8 | 46 | 639.3 | |
| April | 5.5 | 71.4 | 873.1 | |
| May | 14.7 | 86.6 | 1,314.4 | |
| June | 10.3 | 81.4 | 1,401.3 | |
| July | 2.4 | 28.8 | 827.7 | |
| August | 0.6 | 19.5 | 295.9 | |
| September | 0 | 18.5 | 227.3 | |
| October | 0 | 10.2 | 275.5 | |
| November | 0.2 | 11.3 | 340.9 | |
| December | 0.4 | 15.4 | 345.5 |
All values in cubic feet per second (cfs).
Common questions
- When does Wakarusa River near Lawrence, KS normally run highest?
- May, on the long-term record. The median daily flow that month is about 86.6 cfs, against 10.2 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 Wakarusa River near Lawrence, KS?
- It depends on the month. In January, half of days historically fall near 18 cfs, with the middle 80% of days between 0.8 and 360 cfs. The month-by-month table on this page gives the full range.
- How long has Wakarusa River near Lawrence, KS been measured?
- Discharge records at USGS site 06891500 begin in 1921, about 105 years, covering roughly 9,142 days of published daily values. The long record is what makes the monthly percentiles on this page meaningful.
- Is there a flow forecast for Wakarusa River near Lawrence, 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 Wakarusa River near Lawrence, KS?
- The gauge sits at 38.91139, -95.26108, in Kansas, in hydrologic subbasin 10270104, at an elevation of about 827 feet, draining roughly 425 square miles.
- Can I use Wakarusa River near Lawrence, 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 Wakarusa River
Every gauge Rivermatics tracks on this river, ordered by drainage area — upstream first. See the Wakarusa River in full.
- Wakarusa River near Richland, KS 164 sq mi
- Wakarusa River near Lawrence, KS this page