Big Cow Creek near Newton water level

Name: Big Cow Creek near Newton 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, Big Cow Creek, Texas, United States

Directions

Low for mid-October

Water level

5.60ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 20, 2026, 04:30 PM CDT (35 min ago)

Flow: 20.4 cfs

History

7 days 30 days 1 year Years compared

20252026

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

What this means

Big Cow Creek near Newton is running below normal at 5.60 ft.

The median for mid-October is 6.47 ft, based on 28 years of readings, so the river stage is 0.87 ft below typical. It is 9.40 ft below the flood stage of 15.00 ft. On the same day last year the reading was 6.31 ft, a difference of −0.71 ft.

It has barely moved over the past 24 hours. Without real rain upstream, that is unlikely to change quickly. In the last month it has stayed between 5.59 ft and 6.00 ft.

Fall is often low-water season on rivers, and it usually takes a few days of steady rain to change that.

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

Key numbers

Median for this date: 6.47 ft0.87 ft below the median for this date
Normal for this date: 5.45 ft – 7.74 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (28 years of records)
Same day last year: 6.31 ft−0.71 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days: 5.59 ft – 6.00 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months: 5.60 ft – 14.95 ft
Highest on record: 21.09 ftOctober 17, 2006

Floating and fishing near Big Cow Creek near Newton

Low water exposes gravel bars that make good wading access, but some boat ramps may be left high and dry.

Flood stage here is 15.00 ft, 9.40 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: SH 87 in flooded for about one half mile near the creek with depths approaching four feet in depth.
22.50 ft: State Highway 87 is flooded about 3 feet in depth and US highway 190 has about 2 feet of water on the road.
21.00 ft: HWY 190 or West Court street begins to flood.
20.00 ft: State HWY 87 begins to flood.
18.50 ft: County Road 4012 has about 6 feet of water over the road.
17.00 ft: FM 363 downstream of the gage will be covered with water and closed. County Road 4012 has about 4 feet of water over it.
16.50 ft: Water is about 3 feet over County Road 4012
16.00 ft: FM 363 downstream of the gage will become covered with water and may be closed. Water is also about 2 feet over County Road 4012.
15.50 ft: Water begins to get over County Road 4012.
5.60 ft: Right now

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

Highest crests on record

Rank	Level	Date
1	21.09 ft	October 17, 2006
2	21.08 ft	August 30, 2017
3	20.90 ft	March 10, 2016
4	19.45 ft	April 29, 1953
5	19.37 ft	May 17, 2021
6	19.12 ft	February 12, 1984
7	18.75 ft	March 29, 2018
8	18.67 ft	April 10, 2024
9	18.13 ft	January 28, 1994
10	18.11 ft	February 10, 1966

Weather at the gauge

No rain in the last 3 days.

20 Tue 81° 49° – Wind 7 mph

21 Wed 83° 53° – Wind 8 mph

22 Thu 87° 56° – Wind 4 mph

23 Fri 88° 57° – Wind 4 mph

24 Sat 84° 57° – Wind 7 mph

25 Sun 82° 52° – Wind 6 mph

26 Mon 85° 58° – Wind 5 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:22 AM Sunset 06:39 PM Daylight 11 hr, 18 min Waxing gibbous 72%

Map

Other gauges on Big Cow Creek

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Big Cow Creek at FM 1416 near CallRiver gauge, Big Cow Creek	40.81 ft	Below flood stage	±0	15 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Sabine River near Bon WierRiver gauge, Sabine River	11.69 ft	Very low	+0.01 ft	12 mi
Neches River near Town BluffRiver gauge, Neches River	48.08 ft	Very low	+0.76 ft	22 mi
Sabine River near BurkevilleRiver gauge, Sabine River	10.92 ft	Very low	±0	23 mi
B. A. Steinhagen Lake at Town BluffLake, B. A. Steinhagen Lake	82.58 ft	Normal	+0.13 ft	23 mi
Sam Rayburn Reservoir near JasperReservoir, Sam Rayburn Reservoir	153.30 ft	Very low	−0.05 ft	25 mi
Bayou Anacoco near RosepineRiver gauge, Bayou Anacoco	3.11 ft	Normal	−0.05 ft	27 mi
Sabine River at Toledo Bd Reservoir near BurkevilleRiver gauge, Sabine River	213 cfs	Normal	+166 cfs	28 mi
Toledo Bd Reservoir near BurkevilleReservoir, Toledo Bd Reservoir	167.94 ft	High	−0.01 ft	29 mi

Questions and answers

Is Big Cow Creek near Newton higher than last year?

No, it is 0.71 ft lower than on the same day last year, when the reading was 6.31 ft.

What is flood stage for Big Cow Creek near Newton?

The official flood stage is 15.00 ft. The level is currently 9.40 ft below it.

What is a normal level for Big Cow Creek near Newton in mid-October?

The median for mid-October is 6.47 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 5.45 ft and 7.74 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 Big Cow Creek near Newton today?

On Oct 20, 2026, 04:30 PM CDT, the water level was 5.60 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Big Cow Creek near Newton rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours. Steady over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Big Cow Creek near Newton normal?

Low 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:08029500 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 30.81889, -93.78556 (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	5.60 ft	2026-10-20 21:30	Provisional
Flow	20.4 cfs	2026-10-20 21:30	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Big Cow Creek near Newton (usgs:08029500). Accessed October 20, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/texas/big-cow-creek-near-newton

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