River stage
Great Bend, Arkansas River
- River level
- 0.69 ft
- Status
- Below flood stage
- 7-day change
- -1.06 ft
- Recent high
- 8.27 ft
- Recent low
- 0.52 ft
Last reported 2026-10-13 | NWS GTBK1
- 30-day change
- +0.14 ft
- Average
- 1.29 ft
- Readings
- 122
- Data span
- 122 days
- Record crest
- 17.70 ft
In brief
The Arkansas River at Great Bend, KS read 0.69 ft on Oct 13, 2026, 9.31 ft below action stage. That is 0.14 ft higher than 30 days earlier.
Source: National Weather Service gauge GTBK1
River level timeline
Stage threshold profile
Highest crests on record
| Rank | Crest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 17.70 ft | 1981-06-15 |
| 2 | 14.62 ft | 1973-04-03 |
| 3 | 14.46 ft | 2019-05-29 |
| 4 | 13.94 ft | 1973-09-29 |
| 5 | 13.31 ft | 1993-07-22 |
| 6 | 13.21 ft | 1993-07-21 |
| 7 | 13.20 ft | 1987-07-10 |
| 8 | 12.81 ft | 1979-07-29 |
Flood crests recorded at this gauge by the National Weather Service.
What happens at each level
- 12.00 ft
Minor flooding of low-lying areas and bottom land can be expected. Minor flooding begins to affect agricultural communities 3 miles upstream.
- 12.50 ft
Minor overflows begins to affect agricultural communities 3 miles upstream.
- 14.11 ft
Water begins to threaten the City's Sewage Treatment Plant which is southeast of the city. Flooding will affect agricultural communities.
- 24.00 ft
The sidewalk openings in the levee at the Highway 281 Bridge will start to flood.
- 27.81 ft
The levees on both banks at the Highway 281 Bridge, at the gage site, will begin to overtop.
Written by the local National Weather Service forecast office for this exact gauge.
Frequently asked questions
Is the Arkansas River flooding at Great Bend?
No. The Arkansas River at Great Bend is at 0.69 ft, 9.31 ft below action stage.
What is the flood stage at Great Bend?
The National Weather Service sets action stage 10 ft, minor flooding 12 ft, moderate flooding 16 ft and major flooding 18 ft.
What is the highest the Arkansas River has been at Great Bend?
The highest crest on record is 17.7 ft, on 1981-06-15.
Is the Arkansas River high or low right now at Great Bend?
At 0.69 ft it is higher than 49% of readings over the last 122 days.
Stage and flood information from the NOAA National Weather Service (gauge GTBK1); daily history from the U.S. Geological Survey (site 07141300). Last reading 2026-10-13. For flood safety decisions always follow official National Weather Service warnings.