Plum Creek at Lockhart water level

Name: Plum Creek at Lockhart 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, Plum Creek, Texas, United States

Directions

Normal for mid-October

Water level

1.96ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 18, 2026, 07:00 AM CDT (1 hour ago)

Flow: 5.4 cfs

History

7 days 30 days 1 year Years compared

20252026

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

What this means

Plum Creek at Lockhart is at 1.96 ft, in the normal range for mid-October.

The median for mid-October is 1.86 ft, based on 28 years of readings, so the river stage is 0.11 ft above typical. It is 12.04 ft below the flood stage of 14.00 ft. On the same day last year the reading was 1.86 ft, a difference of +0.10 ft.

It has barely moved over the past 24 hours. In the last month it has stayed between 1.95 ft and 2.75 ft.

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

Compared with 28 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Median for this date: 1.86 ft0.11 ft above the median for this date
Normal for this date: 0.81 ft – 7.96 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (28 years of records)
Same day last year: 1.86 ft+0.10 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days: 1.95 ft – 2.75 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months: 1.85 ft – 9.38 ft
Highest on record: 23.09 ftOctober 18, 1998

Floating and fishing near Plum Creek at Lockhart

Normal flows mean predictable rapids and good access at most put-ins.

Flood stage here is 14.00 ft, 12.04 ft above the current reading. Beyond it, the National Weather Service also defines moderate and major flood stages.

What happens at each level

23.00 ft: Disastrous widespread flooding is over a mile wide from the headwaters to the Guadalupe River. Businessesflood in Uhland. Lowest homes in the flood plain are inundated over the length of Plum Creek. Highway 183 near Lockhart floods extensively.
22.00 ft: The flow is nearly a mile wide, flooding Highway 183 in the left flood plain. There is widespread damage to crops. Livestock are isolated and drowned in the pastureland. Primary and secondary roads and bridges are severely flooded. Oil tank batteries and pump jacks are flooded. Lower homes in the flood plain are flooded.
21.00 ft: Flow is above the level of the 20.89 feet Nov 24, 1989 flood. Extensive damage to crops, livestock, and lower homes in the flood plain. Many primary and secondary roads and bridges are flooded and closed.
19.00 ft: Major flooding causes extensive crop and pastureland flooding, isolating and potentially drowning livestock, and flooding secondary and primary roads, low bridges, and lowest homes in the flood plain.
15.00 ft: Moderate lowland flooding merges with a secondary channel in the left flood plain, becoming 1/2 mile wide.
14.00 ft: Minor lowland flooding. Flooding reaches the lowest areas of the flood plain.
12.00 ft: BANKFULL.
1.96 ft: Right now

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

Highest crests on record

Rank	Level	Date
1	23.09 ft	October 18, 1998
2	22.13 ft	October 30, 2015
3	22.00 ft	June 1, 1936
4	21.26 ft	May 6, 1993
5	20.89 ft	November 24, 1985
6	20.00 ft	January 1, 1951
7	19.58 ft	May 26, 2015
8	19.26 ft	June 13, 1981
9	17.93 ft	May 12, 2020
10	17.48 ft	December 21, 1991

Weather at the gauge

No rain in the last 3 days.

18 Sun 72° 49° – Wind 8 mph

19 Mon 76° 54° – Wind 6 mph

20 Tue 82° 57° – Wind 9 mph

21 Wed 85° 63° – Wind 9 mph

22 Thu 86° 64° – Wind 10 mph

23 Fri 86° 60° – Wind 12 mph

24 Sat 86° 62° – Wind 16 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:35 AM Sunset 06:58 PM Daylight 11 hr, 23 min First quarter 49%

Map

Other gauges on Plum Creek

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Plum Creek near LulingRiver gauge, Plum Creek	4.52 ft	Low	+0.04 ft	16 mi
Plum Creek at US183 near LulingRiver gauge, Plum Creek	307.41 ft	No reference yet	+0.03 ft	19 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
San Marcos River near MartindaleRiver gauge, San Marcos River	7.42 ft	Normal	±0	12 mi
Blanco River at San MarcosRiver gauge, Blanco River	7.29 ft	Below flood stage	−0.30 ft	14 mi
Blanco River near KyleRiver gauge, Blanco River	2.96 ft	Low	±0	14 mi
San Marcos River at San MarcosRiver gauge, San Marcos River	3.65 ft	Low	+0.02 ft	15 mi
Onion Creek at Twin Creeks Rd near ManchacaRiver gauge, Onion Creek	6.57 ft	Very high	+2.89 ft	16 mi
Blanco River at Halifax Rch near KyleRiver gauge, Blanco River	0.82 ft	Low	−0.01 ft	17 mi
Onion Creek at US Hwy 183, AustinRiver gauge, Onion Creek	4.50 ft	Normal	−0.01 ft	18 mi
San Marcos River at LulingRiver gauge, San Marcos River	3.69 ft	Very low	+0.03 ft	18 mi

Questions and answers

Is Plum Creek at Lockhart higher than last year?

Yes, it is 0.10 ft higher than on the same day last year, when the reading was 1.86 ft.

What is flood stage for Plum Creek at Lockhart?

The official flood stage is 14.00 ft. The level is currently 12.04 ft below it.

What is a normal level for Plum Creek at Lockhart in mid-October?

The median for mid-October is 1.86 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 0.81 ft and 7.96 ft, based on 28 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 Plum Creek at Lockhart today?

On Oct 18, 2026, 07:00 AM CDT, the water level was 1.96 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Plum Creek at Lockhart rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours. Down 0.12 ft over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Plum Creek at Lockhart normal?

Normal for mid-October. Compared with 28 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:08172400 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 29.92300, -97.67919 (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	1.96 ft	2026-10-18 12:00	Provisional
Flow	5.4 cfs	2026-10-18 12:00	Provisional

Download

Embed this gauge

Add a live card for this gauge to your website. It updates on its own and links back here.

<iframe src="https://nivelmap.com/embed/14222?lang=en" width="360" height="230" style="border:0;max-width:100%" loading="lazy" title="Plum Creek at Lockhart water level"></iframe>

How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Plum Creek at Lockhart (usgs:08172400). Accessed October 18, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/texas/plum-creek-at-lockhart

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