Onion Creek near Driftwood water level

Name: Onion Creek near Driftwood water level (U.S. Geological Survey)
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
License: https://www.usgs.gov/information-policies-and-instructions/copyrights-and-credits

River gauge, Onion Creek, Texas, United States

Directions

Normal for mid-October

Water level

1.12ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 19, 2026, 08:30 AM CDT (25 min ago)

Flow: 0.0 cfs

History

7 days 30 days 1 year Years compared

20252026

Water level Normal range (10–90 %) Minor flood stage

What this means

The gauge at Onion Creek near Driftwood reads 1.12 ft, a normal level for mid-October.

The median for mid-October is 1.70 ft, based on 34 years of readings, so the river stage is 0.58 ft below typical. It is 4.38 ft below the flood stage of 5.50 ft. On the same day last year the reading was 0.72 ft, a difference of +0.40 ft.

It has barely moved over the past 24 hours. Over the past 30 days it has moved between 1.12 ft and 1.76 ft.

Fall is often low-water season on rivers, until steadier rain returns.

Compared with 34 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Median for this date: 1.70 ft0.58 ft below the median for this date
Normal for this date: 0.34 ft – 2.67 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (34 years of records)
Same day last year: 0.72 ft+0.40 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days: 1.12 ft – 1.76 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months: 0.44 ft – 3.41 ft
Highest on record: 26.39 ftOctober 30, 2015

What the stage means on the water

A normal level is usually prime time for floating and wade fishing, as long as the weather holds upstream.

The National Weather Service puts flood stage for this gauge at 5.50 ft, still 4.38 ft away.

What happens at each level

25.00 ft: Major flooding is near the USGS survey 1:25 year level. Homes in a mobile home park downstream above William Cannon Drive in Austin will flood. Roads and bridges are severely flooded and very dangerous from the headwaters to the Colorado River.
23.00 ft: Major flooding makes roads and bridges very dangerous to auto traffic. A mobile home park downstream above William Cannon Drive in Austin will be threatened. Livestock should be moved from vulnerable areas of the flood plain.
20.50 ft: Major flooding is near the USGS survey 1:10 year level. Livestock are threatened in the flood plain. Roads and bridges are severely flooded and very dangerous from the headwaters to the Colorado River. A mobile home park downstream above William Cannon Drive in Austin will be threatened.
18.00 ft: Major flooding is well into the flood plain. Roads and bridges from the headwaters to the Colorado River in Austin are severely flooded and very dangerous. The two Ranch to Market Rd 150 crossings are under 13 feet of water.
15.00 ft: Major flooding is near the USGS survey 1:5 year level. Flow is ten feet over the two Ranch to Market Rd 150 crossings and well into the flood plain, threatening livestock. Roads and low bridges are flooded and dangerous from the headwaters to the Colorado River.
13.00 ft: Major flooding cuts off livestock in the flood plain from the headwaters to above I-35. Flow is eight feet over the two Ranch to Market Rd 150 crossings. Widespread severe flooding of secondary and primary roads and bridges makes driving very hazardous.
10.00 ft: Moderate lowland flooding is five feet over the two Ranch to Market Rd 150 crossings and well into the flood plain.
8.60 ft: Moderate flooding reaches the USGS survey 1:2 year flood level. Flow is three feet over the two Ranch to Market Rd 150 crossings.
7.00 ft: Moderate lowland flooding makes secondary roads, low bridges and low water crossings very dangerous. The two Ranch to Market Rd 150 crossings may be under several feet of fast flowing water.
5.50 ft: Minor flooding makes several secondary roads dangerous, including the two Ranch to Market Rd 150 crossings over Onion Creek.
1.12 ft: Right now

Impact statements from the U.S. National Weather Service.

Highest crests on record

Rank	Level	Date
1	26.39 ft	October 30, 2015
2	26.30 ft	May 4, 2019
3	25.10 ft	October 17, 1998
4	21.56 ft	May 24, 2015
5	21.07 ft	October 31, 2013
6	20.20 ft	July 5, 2002
7	17.56 ft	June 9, 1997
8	17.00 ft	May 8, 2019
9	15.99 ft	December 20, 1991
10	14.86 ft	February 23, 1985

Weather at the gauge

Rain in the last 3 days: 0.27 in. Rain that falls upstream can take hours or days to show up at a river gauge.

19 Mon 75° 50° – Wind 7 mph

20 Tue 78° 56° – Wind 8 mph

21 Wed 83° 60° – Wind 8 mph

22 Thu 84° 63° – Wind 11 mph

23 Fri 83° 61° – Wind 14 mph

24 Sat 84° 60° – Wind 15 mph

25 Sun 77° 62° – Wind 13 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:37 AM Sunset 06:58 PM Daylight 11 hr, 21 min First quarter 59%

Map

Other gauges on Onion Creek

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Onion Creek at Twin Creeks Rd near ManchacaRiver gauge, Onion Creek	6.57 ft	Very high	+2.89 ft	12 mi
Onion Creek at US Hwy 183, AustinRiver gauge, Onion Creek	4.46 ft	Normal	+0.04 ft	20 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Blanco River at Halifax Rch near KyleRiver gauge, Blanco River	0.82 ft	Low	±0	6 mi
Bear Creek below FM 1826 near DriftwoodRiver gauge, Bear Creek	2.51 ft	Normal	±0	6 mi
Blanco River at WimberleyRiver gauge, Blanco River	3.53 ft	Low	+0.02 ft	8 mi
Jacobs Well Spg near WimberleyRiver gauge, Jacobs Well Spg	0.37 ft	Very low	±0	8 mi
Bear Creek at Spillar Ranch Rd near ManchacaRiver gauge, Bear Creek	0.0 cfs	Normal	±0	8 mi
Blanco River near KyleRiver gauge, Blanco River	2.96 ft	Very low	±0	9 mi
Slaughter Creek at FM 1826 near AustinRiver gauge, Slaughter Creek	3.27 ft	Low	±0	11 mi
Slaughter Creek at FM 2304 near AustinRiver gauge, Slaughter Creek	−0.20 ft	Very low	±0	12 mi

Questions and answers

Is Onion Creek near Driftwood higher than last year?

Yes, it is 0.40 ft higher than on the same day last year, when the reading was 0.72 ft.

What is flood stage for Onion Creek near Driftwood?

The official flood stage is 5.50 ft. The level is currently 4.38 ft below it.

What is a normal level for Onion Creek near Driftwood in mid-October?

The median for mid-October is 1.70 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 0.34 ft and 2.67 ft, based on 34 years of records.

Is gage height the same as water depth?

No. Gage height is measured from a fixed reference point chosen by the agency, so a reading of 10 ft does not mean the river is 10 ft deep.

What is the water level of Onion Creek near Driftwood today?

On Oct 19, 2026, 08:30 AM CDT, the water level was 1.12 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Onion Creek near Driftwood rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours. Down 0.18 ft over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Onion Creek near Driftwood normal?

Normal for mid-October. Compared with 34 years of daily readings for this time of year.

For specialists

Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads

Operator: U.S. Geological Survey
Station code: usgs:08158700 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 30.08299, -98.00779 (WGS84)
Vertical datum: NAVD88
Update interval: every 15 minutes
Licence: Public domain. Data: U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), provisional data subject to revision

Published series

Parameter	Last value	Time (UTC)	Quality
Water level	1.12 ft	2026-10-19 13:30	Provisional
Flow	0.0 cfs	2026-10-19 13:30	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Onion Creek near Driftwood (usgs:08158700). Accessed October 19, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/texas/onion-creek-near-driftwood

How we check values

Each reading is stored as published. We hold back values that jump faster than physically plausible and show the measurement time with every value.

Readings are provisional, can be delayed or wrong and are not a flood warning. Read the disclaimer