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Rio Lapa near Rabo Del Buey water level

River gauge, Rio Lapa, Puerto Rico, United States

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Right now

Normal for late October

Water level

5.29ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Flow
0.3 cfs
5 10 15 20 Highest onrecord 18.65 ft Minor floodstage 12.00 ft

History

History
56ftOct 16Oct 17Oct 18Oct 20Oct 2156ftOct 16Oct 18Oct 21
56ftSep 22Sep 29Oct 6Oct 14Oct 2156ftSep 22Oct 6Oct 21
4567ftOct 2025Jan 2026Apr 2026Jul 2026Oct 20264567ftOct 2025Apr 2026Oct 2026
4567ftJanMarMayJulSepNov20264567ftJanAprJulOct2026

20252026

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

What this means

The gauge at Rio Lapa near Rabo Del Buey reads 5.29 ft, a normal level for late October.

That puts it 0.10 ft above the median of 5.19 ft for late October, based on 25 years of readings. It is 6.71 ft below the flood stage of 12.00 ft. A year ago it stood at 5.59 ft (−0.30 ft).

The level has held steady over the past 24 hours. Over the past 30 days it has moved between 5.25 ft and 5.43 ft.

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

Compared with 25 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Median for this date
5.19 ft0.10 ft above the median for this date
Normal for this date
4.39 ft – 6.04 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (25 years of records)
Same day last year
5.59 ft−0.30 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days
5.25 ft – 5.43 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months
5.18 ft – 5.85 ft
Highest on record
18.65 ftSeptember 10, 1996

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 12.00 ft, still 6.71 ft away.

Highest crests on record

RankLevelDate
118.65 ftSeptember 10, 1996
217.82 ftJanuary 5, 1992
315.37 ftSeptember 20, 2017
414.30 ftSeptember 21, 1998
514.05 ftSeptember 19, 2022
612.67 ftSeptember 14, 2011
711.92 ftNovember 12, 2003
810.85 ftSeptember 7, 1995
910.23 ftOctober 20, 1990
1010.17 ftAugust 23, 2000

Weather at the gauge

Rain in the last 3 days: 0.29 in. Rain that falls upstream can take hours or days to show up at a river gauge.

21 Wed 87° 72° 0.14 in, 86% Wind 9 mph
22 Thu 86° 74° 0.20 in, 61% Wind 8 mph
23 Fri 88° 72° 0.02 in, 53% Wind 10 mph
24 Sat 86° 74° 0.14 in, 74% Wind 11 mph
25 Sun 86° 75° 0.08 in, 75% Wind 10 mph
26 Mon 86° 75° 0.12 in, 69% Wind 11 mph
27 Tue 85° 73° 0.19 in, 58% Wind 10 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 06:21 AM Sunset 06:00 PM Daylight 11 hr, 39 min Waxing gibbous 76%

Map

Nearby gauges

Gauge Level Compared with normal 24 hours Distance
Rio Majada at La PlenaRiver gauge, Rio Majada 3.28 ft Normal −0.03 ft 2.4 mi
Canal De Patillas at Intake 113 SalinasCanal gauge, Canal De Patillas 1.34 ft High ±0 5.6 mi
Canal De Patillas at Intake 123, SalinasCanal gauge, Canal De Patillas 1.51 ft High ±0 6.0 mi
Rio De La Plata at Proyecto La PlataRiver gauge, Rio De La Plata 10.02 ft Normal ±0 7 mi
Canal De Patillas above El Legado IntakeRiver gauge, Canal De Patillas 1.31 ft Normal ±0 7 mi
Rio Coamo at Highway 14 at CoamoRiver gauge, Rio Coamo 4.71 ft Normal −0.17 ft 8 mi
Canal De Juana Diaz at Bo. Penuelas near SalinasCanal gauge, Canal De Juana Diaz 1.48 ft Low +0.17 ft 8 mi
Rio Usabon at Highway 162 near BarranquitasRiver gauge, Rio Usabon 2.96 ft Low −0.01 ft 8 mi

Questions and answers

How does the Rio Lapa near Rabo Del Buey compare with last year?

It is 0.30 ft lower than on the same day last year, when the reading was 5.59 ft.

What is flood stage for the Rio Lapa near Rabo Del Buey?

The official flood stage is 12.00 ft. The level is currently 6.71 ft below it.

What is a normal level for the Rio Lapa near Rabo Del Buey in late October?

The median for late October is 5.19 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 4.39 ft and 6.04 ft, based on 25 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 Rio Lapa near Rabo Del Buey today?

On Oct 21, 2026, 05:45 AM AST, the water level was 5.29 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Rio Lapa near Rabo Del Buey rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours. Down 0.07 ft over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Rio Lapa near Rabo Del Buey normal?

Normal for late October. Compared with 25 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:50100200 (Agency page)
Coordinates
18.05972, -66.24111 (WGS84)
Vertical datum
PRVD02
Update interval
every 15 minutes
Licence
Public domain. Data: U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), provisional data subject to revision

Published series

ParameterLast valueTime (UTC)Quality
Water level 5.29 ft 2026-10-21 09:45 Provisional
Flow 0.3 cfs 2026-10-21 09:45 Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Rio Lapa near Rabo Del Buey (usgs:50100200). Accessed October 21, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/puerto-rico/rio-lapa-near-rabo-del-buey

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.