West Branch Walnut River at El Dorado
Kansas · Fishing & wading
Measured at USGS 07146800 — WB WALNUT R NR EL DORADO, KS · NWS forecast point EDWK1
Reading taken Jul 28, 11:00 PM UTC
Low and clear — wadeable, and fish will be spooky
At 5.3 CFS, this gauge is running 57% of normal for late July — below the 9.2 CFS median USGS has recorded for this date across 16 years of record (2010–2026).
Data-derived guidance from USGS and NWS published values — not official advice, and not a safety assessment.
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Flood stages at El Dorado
Official National Weather Service categories for gauge EDWK1, issued by WFO ICT. Impact statements are the NWS's own wording for this location, reproduced verbatim.
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Major flood 24.0 ft
- 24.0 ft North and south of the river gage bridge, flood waters cover parts of Main St near 6th Avenue and 12th Avenue. Flooding also affects the streets between SW 40th and SW 50th along SW Haverhill Road, located southwest of the city.
- 25.0 ft Roads flood in northeast El Dorado between 8th Avenue and 12th Avenue. Then 10 miles north of El Dorado, flood waters cover county roads from northwest 75th to 110th.
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Moderate flood 22.0 ft
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Minor flood 21.0 ft
- 21.0 ft The road floods on both side of the 9th Avenue Bridge. Expect bank overflows.
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Action 20.0 ft
- Right now 5.73 ft
12 months of flow at El Dorado
Daily values from USGS gauge 07146800. Provisional data, subject to revision.
Highest crests on record at El Dorado
| Stage | Flow | Date |
|---|---|---|
| 32.14 ft | — | Jun 8, 1979 |
| 26.73 ft | 7,140 CFS | Jun 3, 2025 |
| 26.25 ft | 20,817 CFS | Aug 25, 2005 |
| 23.92 ft | 13,683 CFS | Apr 27, 2009 |
| 22.68 ft | — | Jun 8, 1995 |
| 21.50 ft | 9,428 CFS | Sep 12, 2008 |
| 21.34 ft | 7,240 CFS | May 25, 2019 |
| 19.73 ft | 5,785 CFS | May 21, 2019 |
| 19.61 ft | 5,705 CFS | May 26, 2019 |
| 19.50 ft | 6,470 CFS | Jul 3, 2016 |
Historical crests published by the National Weather Service for this gauge.
About West Branch Walnut River at El Dorado
This gauge sits on West Branch Walnut River at El Dorado, Kansas, immediately below El Dorado Lake. Flow here is controlled by releases from the dam, so it can change by hundreds of CFS within an hour with no rain anywhere in the basin — check it before you go, not the day before.
Raw CFS means little on its own, so every reading on this page is shown against the USGS median for the same calendar day — 9.2 CFS for late July, from 16 years of record.
Because the National Weather Service also operates a forecast point here, the page carries the official flood-category ladder and the NWS's own stage-by-stage impact statements.
Reservoir feeding this stretch
Flow at this gauge is set by releases from El Dorado Lake. A full pool usually means more water is on its way down.
West Branch Walnut River at El Dorado — common questions
What is the current flow on West Branch Walnut River at El Dorado?
As of the last reading on this page, West Branch Walnut River at El Dorado was running 5.3 CFS at a gage height of 5.73 ft, or 57% of the USGS median for this date. The number updates automatically from USGS gauge 07146800, which reports every 15 to 60 minutes.
Is that high or low for this time of year?
The USGS median flow for late July at this gauge is 9.2 CFS, calculated from 16 years of record (2010–2026). Comparing today's reading against that median is the only way a raw CFS number tells you anything — 200 CFS is a drought on one river and a flood on another.
How often does this reading update?
USGS transmits from this gauge every 15 to 60 minutes. This page bakes in the most recent reading when it is rebuilt, then refreshes live from USGS when you open it. Readings are provisional and subject to revision by USGS.
Is West Branch Walnut River at El Dorado wadeable right now?
That depends on the reach and on your own judgement — riverlvl will not tell you the water is safe to stand in. What it will tell you is whether today's flow is unusually high or low for the date, against a seasonal median of 9.2 CFS, which is the single most useful input to that decision. On a dam tailwater like this one, the bigger risk is a sudden generation release, which can raise the river several feet with little warning.
How do releases from El Dorado Lake affect this stretch?
Directly and quickly. When the dam generates or spills, flow at this gauge climbs — often within an hour, often by an order of magnitude. The reservoir level itself is tracked on lakelvl.com, and the link on this page goes straight to it, so you can see whether the pool is high enough that releases are likely.
Where does this data come from?
Flow and gage height are public-domain USGS data from gauge 07146800. Flood categories, impact statements and the forecast come from the NOAA / National Weather Service National Water Prediction Service, gauge EDWK1. riverlvl adds the seasonal comparison and plain-English summary; it is not an official source and does not issue warnings.