Buffalo Bayou near Addicks water level

Name: Buffalo Bayou near Addicks 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, Buffalo Bayou, Texas, United States

Directions

Low for mid-October

Water level

46.33ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 19, 2026, 04:15 PM CDT (1 hour ago)

Flow: 125 cfs

History

7 days 30 days 1 year Years compared

20252026

Water level Normal range (10–90 %)

What this means

At 46.33 ft, Buffalo Bayou near Addicks is below normal for mid-October.

That puts it 1.06 ft below the median of 47.39 ft for mid-October, based on 29 years of readings. A year ago it stood at 46.18 ft (+0.15 ft).

The level has held steady over the past 24 hours. Without real rain upstream, that is unlikely to change quickly. Over the past 30 days it has moved between 46.01 ft and 52.61 ft.

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

Compared with 29 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Median for this date: 47.39 ft1.06 ft below the median for this date
Normal for this date: 46.20 ft – 58.26 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (29 years of records)
Same day last year: 46.18 ft+0.15 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days: 46.01 ft – 52.61 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months: 45.87 ft – 52.74 ft

What the stage means on the water

Low water means more dragging on shallow riffles and slower floats. Fish crowd into the deeper runs, and warm, low water stresses them, so play and release them quickly.

Weather at the gauge

No rain in the last 3 days.

19 Mon 79° 55° – Wind 9 mph

20 Tue 81° 56° – Wind 9 mph

21 Wed 86° 71° – Wind 7 mph

22 Thu 86° 70° – Wind 8 mph

23 Fri 86° 69° – Wind 10 mph

24 Sat 85° 70° – Wind 11 mph

25 Sun 82° 69° – Wind 8 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:27 AM Sunset 06:49 PM Daylight 11 hr, 21 min First quarter 63%

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	−0.07 ft	12 mi
Buffalo Bayou near FulshearRiver gauge, Buffalo Bayou	88.36 ft	No reference yet	−0.05 ft	10 mi
Buffalo Bayou at State Hwy 6 near AddicksRiver gauge, Buffalo Bayou	60.8 cfs	Normal	−4.1 cfs	2.3 mi
Buffalo Bayou at W Belt Dr, HoustonRiver gauge, Buffalo Bayou	35.34 ft	Very low	−0.03 ft	2.9 mi
Buffalo Bayou at Piney PointRiver gauge, Buffalo Bayou	28.30 ft	Low	±0	5.0 mi
Buffalo Bayou at HoustonTidal gauge, Buffalo Bayou	2.78 ft	Normal	+0.89 ft	12 mi
Buffalo Bayou at Turning Basin, HoustonTidal gauge, Buffalo Bayou	2.30 ft	No reference yet	+0.93 ft	19 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Langham Creek at Addicks Reservoir Outflow near AddicksRiver gauge, Langham Creek	56.05 ft	Normal	+0.02 ft	2.2 mi
Addicks Reservoir near AddicksReservoir, Addicks Reservoir	76.38 ft	Very high		2.3 mi
Clodine Ditch at Noble Rd near AddicksRiver gauge, Clodine Ditch	68.36 ft	Normal	+0.04 ft	2.4 mi
Barker Reservoir near AddicksReservoir, Barker Reservoir	70.20 ft	Normal	−0.48 ft	2.5 mi
Brays Bayou at AliefRiver gauge, Brays Bayou	52.34 ft	Normal	−0.01 ft	3.9 mi
Langham Creek near AddicksRiver gauge, Langham Creek	88.67 ft	Low	+0.04 ft	5.2 mi
Bear Creek near BarkerRiver gauge, Bear Creek	96.63 ft	Normal	−0.02 ft	7 mi

Questions and answers

How does Buffalo Bayou near Addicks compare with last year?

It is 0.15 ft higher than on the same day last year, when the reading was 46.18 ft.

What is a normal level for Buffalo Bayou near Addicks in mid-October?

The median for mid-October is 47.39 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 46.20 ft and 58.26 ft, based on 29 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 Buffalo Bayou near Addicks today?

On Oct 19, 2026, 04:15 PM CDT, the water level was 46.33 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Buffalo Bayou near Addicks rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours. Down 3.44 ft over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Buffalo Bayou near Addicks normal?

Low for mid-October. Compared with 29 years of daily readings for this time of year.

How often is this data updated?

The U.S. Geological Survey publishes a new reading every 15 minutes. This page refreshes within minutes of each update.

For specialists

Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads

Operator: U.S. Geological Survey
Station code: usgs:08073500 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 29.76190, -95.60578 (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	46.33 ft	2026-10-19 21:15	Provisional
Flow	125 cfs	2026-10-19 21:15	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Buffalo Bayou near Addicks (usgs:08073500). Accessed October 19, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/texas/buffalo-bayou-near-addicks

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