Elk City Lake Water Level
Kansas · Elk River
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Water level history
About Elk City Lake
Elk City Lake is a reservoir on the Elk River in Kansas, operated by U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Its full summer pool sits at 796 ft above sea level. Live water levels come from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (CWMS) and update hourly.
Understanding Elk City Lake's water level
Elk City Lake has no spillway gates. Its spillway is an uncontrolled concrete ogee weir 400 feet wide, so once the pool reaches the top of the flood-control zone at 825 feet the lake begins spilling on its own, up to 120,800 cubic feet per second at maximum pool. Everything below that is controlled through a single 16-foot conduit. The conservation pool sits at 796 feet, raised four feet from its original 792 on 1 February 1977, and the 29 feet of flood storage above it holds nearly seven times the conservation volume.
The dam sits only 8.7 river miles above the point where the Elk River joins the Verdigris at Independence, which means there is almost no channel between the outlet and the gauge that governs releases. That is the practical reason Elk City holds water for so long: there is nowhere to put it that does not immediately show up at the control point. In May 2019 the pool reached 829.19 feet, more than four feet above the top of the flood pool and physically spilling over the weir. In December 2023 drought took it to 789.87 feet, six feet below conservation pool, in a year when the lake never once reached full.
It is a turbid, hypereutrophic lake, averaging around 43 nephelometric turbidity units with Secchi depth about a third of a metre, and it is silting at roughly 341 acre-feet a year, with one projection putting it half full of sediment by 2040. What draws people is the ground around it. The Elk River Hiking Trail runs fifteen miles one way along the rocky ridge on the north side, a National Recreation Trail that Backpacker rated the best hike in Kansas, threading sheer rock walls, tunnels and chambers. The shorter Table Mound Trail covers 2.75 miles from the dam overlook, including a twenty-foot bluff with a crack hikers climb down through. The land was once part of the Osage Diminished Reserve.
Elk City Lake — frequently asked
What is Elk City Lake's full pool elevation?
The top of the conservation pool is 796 feet above sea level, raised from 792 on 1 February 1977. The top of the flood-control pool is 825 feet and the top of the dam is 849. The spillway is uncontrolled with its crest at the top of the flood pool, so above 825 the lake spills without anyone opening a gate.
Why does Elk City Lake stay high for weeks after rain?
The dam is only 8.7 river miles above where the Elk River joins the Verdigris at Independence, so releases arrive at the downstream control point almost immediately. There is no length of channel to absorb them. The Corps therefore holds water in the lake until the Verdigris has capacity, which is why the pool can sit well above 796 feet long after the rain has stopped.
What is Elk City Lake's record high level?
829.19 feet on 28 May 2019, which is 33 feet above conservation pool and more than four feet above the top of the flood-control pool. Because the spillway is uncontrolled with its crest at 825 feet, the lake was physically spilling over the weir at that stage. The largest recorded inflow was 176,000 cubic feet per second on 3 July 1976.
How low does Elk City Lake get?
The lowest reading in the modern record is 789.87 feet on 15 December 2023, about six feet below conservation pool. 2023 was the standout drought year: the lake never reached conservation pool at any point, peaking at 793.82 feet, more than two feet short of full for the entire year.
Is the Elk River Hiking Trail worth the trip?
It is the best-known thing about this lake. The trail runs fifteen miles one way along the rocky ridge on the north shore, is designated a National Recreation Trail, and was rated the best hike in Kansas by Backpacker. It passes sheer rock walls, rock tunnels and chambers, table rocks and ledges. The shorter Table Mound Trail covers 2.75 miles between the dam overlook and Timber Road campground, including a twenty-foot bluff with a crack you descend through.
What is the water quality like at Elk City Lake?
Poor by most measures and that is longstanding. State assessments classify it as hypereutrophic, with average turbidity around 43 nephelometric turbidity units and Secchi depth about a third of a metre. It is also silting at roughly 341 acre-feet a year, and one published projection has it half full of sediment by 2040, sooner than neighbouring Fall River despite being seventeen years younger.
Other lakes near Elk City Lake
- Fall River LakeKS
- El Dorado LakeKS
- John Redmond ReservoirKS
- Council Grove LakeKS
- Marion ReservoirKS
- Clinton LakeKS
See current levels for all 12 Kansas lakes and reservoirs →
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