Buffalo Bayou at Houston water level

Name: Buffalo Bayou at Houston water level (U.S. Geological Survey)
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
License: https://www.usgs.gov/information-policies-and-instructions/copyrights-and-credits

Tidal gauge, Buffalo Bayou, Texas, United States

Directions

Normal for mid-October

Water level

2.95ft Up 0.86 ft over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 19, 2026, 03:15 PM CDT (1 hour ago)

Flow: 208 cfs

History

7 days 30 days 1 year Years compared

20252026

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

What this means

Water levels are unremarkable at Buffalo Bayou at Houston, where the gauge shows 2.95 ft.

That puts it 0.56 ft below the median of 3.51 ft for mid-October, based on 38 years of readings. It is 25.05 ft below the flood stage of 28.00 ft. A year ago it stood at 2.00 ft (+0.95 ft).

It is on the way up, by 0.86 ft over the past 24 hours. There is still 25.05 ft of room before flood stage. The 30-day range is 1.14 ft – 7.15 ft.

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

Key numbers

Median for this date: 3.51 ft0.56 ft below the median for this date
Normal for this date: 1.46 ft – 11.01 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (38 years of records)
Same day last year: 2.00 ft+0.95 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days: 1.14 ft – 7.15 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months: 0.60 ft – 11.67 ft
Highest on record: 41.90 ftAugust 28, 2017

What happens at each level

32.00 ft: At levels above 32.0 feet, major flooding begins as portions of Allen Parkway and Memorial Drive are under 1 to 2 feet of water and homes upstream of the gage begin flooding.
29.50 ft: At levels above 29.5 feet, moderate lowland flooding begins Memorial Drive between Sandman Streeet and Waugh Drive becomes inundated.
28.70 ft: At levels above 28.7 feet, Allen Parkway east of Montrose Boulevard and Memorial Drive east of Waugh Drive flood.
28.00 ft: At levels above 28.0 feet, minor lowland flooding begins as water spills out of main channel and floods the lowest levels of apartments near the gage.
17.00 ft: At levels above 17.0 feet, hike and bike trails within the channel become inundated.
2.95 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	41.90 ft	August 28, 2017
2	33.64 ft	May 26, 2015
3	31.70 ft	April 18, 2016
4	31.27 ft	September 19, 2019
5	31.06 ft	September 19, 2019
6	27.99 ft	April 28, 2009

Weather at the gauge

No rain in the last 3 days.

19 Mon 78° 54° – Wind 9 mph

20 Tue 81° 56° – Wind 8 mph

21 Wed 86° 70° – Wind 7 mph

22 Thu 86° 70° – Wind 7 mph

23 Fri 86° 69° – Wind 9 mph

24 Sat 84° 70° – Wind 12 mph

25 Sun 82° 67° – Wind 9 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:27 AM Sunset 06:48 PM Daylight 11 hr, 21 min First quarter 62%

Map

Other gauges on Buffalo Bayou

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Buffalo Bayou near KatyRiver gauge, Buffalo Bayou	97.17 ft	High	−0.05 ft	24 mi
Buffalo Bayou near FulshearRiver gauge, Buffalo Bayou	88.36 ft	No reference yet	−0.03 ft	22 mi
Buffalo Bayou at State Hwy 6 near AddicksRiver gauge, Buffalo Bayou	60.8 cfs	Normal	−4.1 cfs	14 mi
Buffalo Bayou near AddicksRiver gauge, Buffalo Bayou	46.34 ft	Low	±0	12 mi
Buffalo Bayou at W Belt Dr, HoustonRiver gauge, Buffalo Bayou	35.33 ft	Very low	−0.04 ft	9 mi
Buffalo Bayou at Piney PointRiver gauge, Buffalo Bayou	28.30 ft	Low	±0	7 mi
Buffalo Bayou at Turning Basin, HoustonTidal gauge, Buffalo Bayou	2.57 ft	No reference yet	+1.01 ft	7 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Whiteoak Bayou at HoustonRiver gauge, Whiteoak Bayou	7.55 ft	Very low	−0.07 ft	1.2 mi
Whiteoak Bayou at Main St, HoustonTidal gauge, Whiteoak Bayou	2.63 ft	Normal	+0.96 ft	3.0 mi
Brays Bayou at HoustonRiver gauge, Brays Bayou	16.63 ft	Low	−0.07 ft	4.4 mi
Brickhouse Gully at Costa Rica St, HoustonRiver gauge, Brickhouse Gully	47.44 ft	Very low	±0	5.9 mi
Hunting Bayou at Hoffman St, HoustonRiver gauge, Hunting Bayou	25.41 ft	Very low	+0.01 ft	7 mi
Cole Creek at Deihl Rd, HoustonRiver gauge, Cole Creek	61.74 ft	Very low	±0	8 mi
Halls Bayou at HoustonRiver gauge, Halls Bayou	39.43 ft	Very low	−0.02 ft	8 mi
Hunting Bayou at IH 610, HoustonRiver gauge, Hunting Bayou	17.42 ft	Normal	+0.01 ft	9 mi

Questions and answers

How does Buffalo Bayou at Houston compare with last year?

It is 0.95 ft higher than on the same day last year, when the reading was 2.00 ft.

What is flood stage for Buffalo Bayou at Houston?

The official flood stage is 28.00 ft. The level is currently 25.05 ft below it.

What is a normal level for Buffalo Bayou at Houston in mid-October?

The median for mid-October is 3.51 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 1.46 ft and 11.01 ft, based on 38 years of records.

What is the water level of Buffalo Bayou at Houston today?

On Oct 19, 2026, 03:15 PM CDT, the water level was 2.95 ft. Up 0.86 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Buffalo Bayou at Houston rising or falling?

Up 0.86 ft over the last 24 hours. Down 3.11 ft over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Buffalo Bayou at Houston normal?

Normal for mid-October. Compared with 38 years of daily readings for this time of year.

What is the highest water level ever recorded at Buffalo Bayou at Houston?

The highest level on record is 41.90 ft on August 28, 2017.

For specialists

Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads

Operator: U.S. Geological Survey
Station code: usgs:08074000 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 29.76023, -95.40855 (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	2.95 ft	2026-10-19 20:15	Provisional
Flow	208 cfs	2026-10-19 20:15	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Buffalo Bayou at Houston (usgs:08074000). Accessed October 19, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/texas/buffalo-bayou-at-houston

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