Big Cypress Bayou near Jefferson water level

Name: Big Cypress Bayou near Jefferson 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 Cypress Bayou, Texas, United States

Directions

Very low for mid-October

Water level

3.48ft Down 0.04 ft over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 20, 2026, 09:30 AM CDT (14 min ago)

Flow: 20.1 cfs

History

7 days 30 days 1 year Years compared

20252026

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

The forecast expects the river to fall to 3.50 ft by Tuesday, October 20 at 07:00 AM. Issued Monday, October 19 at 09:22 AM by NOAA National Weather Service.

What this means

Big Cypress Bayou near Jefferson is running far below normal at 3.48 ft.

That puts it 1.57 ft below the median of 5.06 ft for mid-October, based on 38 years of readings. It is 16.52 ft below the flood stage of 20.00 ft. A year ago it stood at 4.21 ft (−0.73 ft).

It has dropped 0.04 ft over the past 24 hours. The forecast expects the river to fall to 3.50 ft by Tuesday, October 20 at 07:00 AM. Without real rain upstream, that is unlikely to change quickly. In the last month it has stayed between 3.40 ft and 3.63 ft.

Compared with 38 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Median for this date: 5.06 ft1.57 ft below the median for this date
Normal for this date: 4.04 ft – 8.79 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (38 years of records)
Same day last year: 4.21 ft−0.73 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days: 3.40 ft – 3.63 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months: 3.11 ft – 10.04 ft
Highest on record: 19.98 ftMarch 12, 2001
Forecast peak: 3.50 ftTuesday, October 20 at 07:00 AM

Floating and fishing near Big Cypress Bayou near Jefferson

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

Flood stage here is 20.00 ft, 16.52 ft above the current reading. Beyond it, the National Weather Service also defines moderate and major flood stages.

What happens at each level

20.00 ft: Expect minor lowland flooding of trails and secondary roadways next to the bayou.
3.48 ft: Right now

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

Highest crests on record

Chance of at least minor flooding in October to December: < 5 %.

Rank	Level	Date
1	19.98 ft	March 12, 2001
2	19.97 ft	December 29, 1991
3	19.71 ft	January 26, 1995

Weather at the gauge

No rain in the last 3 days.

19 Mon 77° 43° – Wind 6 mph

20 Tue 79° 48° – Wind 6 mph

21 Wed 84° 50° – Wind 5 mph

22 Thu 85° 56° – Wind 4 mph

23 Fri 85° 58° – Wind 6 mph

24 Sat 85° 58° – Wind 7 mph

25 Sun 79° 57° – Wind 7 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:26 AM Sunset 06:40 PM Daylight 11 hr, 14 min First quarter 69%

Map

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Lake O' the Pines near JeffersonLake, Lake O' the Pines	227.18 ft	Very low	−0.02 ft	0.4 mi
Black Cypress Bayou at JeffersonRiver gauge, Black Cypress Bayou	3.54 ft	Low	−0.02 ft	8 mi
Little Cypress Bayou near JeffersonRiver gauge, Little Cypress Bayou	1.84 ft	Very low	−0.01 ft	9 mi
Big Cypress Creek above SH 43 near KarnackRiver gauge, Big Cypress Creek	3.37 ft	Low	−0.02 ft	15 mi
Little Cypress Creek near Ore CityRiver gauge, Little Cypress Creek	1.69 ft	Low	−0.01 ft	16 mi
Sabine River above LongviewRiver gauge, Sabine River	4.53 ft	Low	−0.02 ft	26 mi
Sabine River below LongviewRiver gauge, Sabine River	2.87 ft	Normal	+0.01 ft	26 mi
Lake Cherokee near TatumLake, Lake Cherokee	277.13 ft	Very low	−0.02 ft	28 mi

Questions and answers

How does Big Cypress Bayou near Jefferson compare with last year?

It is 0.73 ft lower than on the same day last year, when the reading was 4.21 ft.

What is flood stage for Big Cypress Bayou near Jefferson?

The official flood stage is 20.00 ft. The level is currently 16.52 ft below it.

What is a normal level for Big Cypress Bayou near Jefferson in mid-October?

The median for mid-October is 5.06 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 4.04 ft and 8.79 ft, based on 38 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 Cypress Bayou near Jefferson today?

On Oct 20, 2026, 09:30 AM CDT, the water level was 3.48 ft. Down 0.04 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Big Cypress Bayou near Jefferson rising or falling?

Down 0.04 ft over the last 24 hours. Up 0.06 ft over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Big Cypress Bayou near Jefferson normal?

Very low for mid-October. Compared with 38 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:07346000 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 32.74958, -94.49881 (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	3.48 ft	2026-10-20 14:30	Provisional
Flow	20.1 cfs	2026-10-20 14:30	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Big Cypress Bayou near Jefferson (usgs:07346000). Accessed October 20, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/texas/big-cypress-bayou-near-jefferson

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