The Kansas Water Office is promoting Water Alert, a service that brings instant, customized updates about water conditions to Kansas residents.
The U.S. Geological Survey created Water Alert to give people timely information about river, lake and groundwater conditions. It's a nationwide service, but there are over a dozen data collection stations in the Wichita area alone.
Water Alert users can receive daily or even hourly updates about flooding, groundwater levels and water quality via e-mail or text. They can refine those alerts, too; for example, you could opt to only receive an alert if the Arkansas River rises past a certain height.
Tracy Streeter with the state Water Office says the service can be a first alert to a developing flood, or help during drought periods.
The service is available at water.usgs.gov/wateralert.