Colorado River above La Grange water level

Name: Colorado River above La Grange 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, Colorado River, Texas, United States

Directions

Very low for mid-October

Water level

2.62ft Down 0.04 ft over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 20, 2026, 06:25 AM CDT (30 min ago)

Flow: 471 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 2.40 ft by Wednesday, October 21 at 07:00 PM. Issued Monday, October 19 at 08:04 AM by NOAA National Weather Service.

What this means

Low water at Colorado River above La Grange: the gauge reads 2.62 ft, far below normal for mid-October.

That puts it 1.17 ft below the median of 3.79 ft for mid-October, based on 24 years of readings. It is 23.38 ft below the flood stage of 26.00 ft. A year ago it stood at 5.03 ft (−2.41 ft).

It is still going down, by 0.04 ft over the past 24 hours. The forecast expects the river to fall to 2.40 ft by Wednesday, October 21 at 07:00 PM. Without real rain upstream, that is unlikely to change quickly. The 30-day range is 2.34 ft – 4.52 ft.

Compared with 24 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Median for this date: 3.79 ft1.17 ft below the median for this date
Normal for this date: 3.22 ft – 6.01 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (24 years of records)
Same day last year: 5.03 ft−2.41 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days: 2.34 ft – 4.52 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months: 2.37 ft – 15.70 ft
Highest on record: 56.70 ftJuly 9, 1869
Forecast peak: 2.60 ftTuesday, October 20 at 01:00 AM

Paddling and fishing conditions

At low levels, plan for shorter paddling trips and expect to walk your boat through a few shoals.

For reference, flood stage is 26.00 ft.

What happens at each level

45.00 ft: Major flooding with water to the roofs of lowest homes in the Frisch Auf Subdivision. Numerous mobile homes flood severely. Livestock in the flood plain above Smithville to below Columbus are vulnerable to drowning. Roads and bridges in the flood plain are severely flooded and dangerous. River is to the level of 2nd bank and threatens homes and businesses in La Grange.
43.00 ft: Disastrous flooding of the Colorado River damages several mobile homes in La Grange and five permanent homes in the Fritsch Auf subdivision are flooded up to six to seven feet. Severely flooded roads and bridges near the river make travel and evacuations dangerous.
40.00 ft: The lowest sites of a trailer park in La Grange in the northwest quadrant of Highway 71 and the Colorado river are threatened. Lowest homes in the Fritsch Auf subdivision have several feet of water in them. Severely flooded roads and bridges near the river make travel and evacuations dangerous.
37.00 ft: Major flooding of the Colorado River reaches lowest homes in the Fritsch Auf Subdivision on the south bank of the Colorado River in La Grange. Severely flooded roads and bridges near the river make travel and evacuations very dangerous.
36.00 ft: The lowest part of the road into the Fritsch Auf Subdivision just south of the Colorado River south of downtown floods. The Colorado River approaches lowest homes in the Fritsch Auf Subdivision and additional flow down Buckners Creek will flood them.
32.00 ft: Moderate lowland flooding reaches the flood plain near La Grange. Homes in the Fritsch Auf Subdivision on the south bank of the Colorado River may be threatened if heavy runoff down Buckners Creek adds to the Colorado River flow at this level.
29.00 ft: Flow covers lowest areas of the flood plain with no major damage. Lowest roads and bridges are flooded.
26.00 ft: Minor lowland flooding covers low areas of the flood plain with no significant damage. Lowest roads and bridges are flooded.
23.00 ft: Flow exceeds the low banks into lowest areas of the flood plain with no damage. Lowest roads and bridges are flooded.
19.00 ft: Flow exceeds lowest sections of the banks.
2.62 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: 11 %.

Rank	Level	Date
1	56.70 ft	July 9, 1869
2	56.40 ft	December 5, 1913
3	54.14 ft	August 28, 2017
4	50.84 ft	June 17, 1935
5	45.50 ft	October 20, 1998
6	43.32 ft	December 23, 1991
7	42.95 ft	July 27, 1938
8	42.28 ft	May 28, 2016
9	41.56 ft	November 23, 2004
10	37.22 ft	May 27, 2015

Weather at the gauge

No rain in the last 3 days.

18 Sun 71° 47° – Wind 8 mph

19 Mon 73° 51° – Wind 9 mph

20 Tue 82° 57° – Wind 8 mph

21 Wed 84° 63° – Wind 7 mph

22 Thu 84° 62° – Wind 8 mph

23 Fri 85° 60° – Wind 10 mph

24 Sat 85° 61° – Wind 11 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:33 AM Sunset 06:53 PM Daylight 11 hr, 19 min First quarter 68%

Map

Other gauges on the Colorado River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Colorado River near San SabaRiver gauge, Colorado River	2.45 ft	Normal	+0.22 ft	134 mi
Colorado River at AustinRiver gauge, Colorado River	13.66 ft	Normal	−0.03 ft	52 mi
Colorado River at BastropRiver gauge, Colorado River	2.72 ft	Normal	−0.06 ft	28 mi
Colorado River at SmithvilleRiver gauge, Colorado River	1.40 ft	Low	−0.07 ft	17 mi
Colorado River at ColumbusRiver gauge, Colorado River	9.29 ft	Low	+0.07 ft	26 mi
Colorado River at WhartonRiver gauge, Colorado River	7.91 ft	Low	−0.13 ft	64 mi
Colorado River near Bay CityRiver gauge, Colorado River	3.44 ft	Normal	+0.06 ft	84 mi
Colorado River near WadsworthTidal gauge, Colorado River	2.26 ft	No reference yet	−0.01 ft	96 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Redgate Creek near ColumbusRiver gauge, Redgate Creek	10.43 ft	High	+0.01 ft	24 mi
Peach Creek at Hwy 90 near WaelderRiver gauge, Peach Creek	6.58 ft	Very high	+3.54 ft	25 mi
Middle Yegua Creek near Dime BoxRiver gauge, Middle Yegua Creek	0.35 ft	Very low	+0.01 ft	29 mi
Navidad River near HallettsvilleRiver gauge, Navidad River	4.44 ft	Very low	−0.02 ft	31 mi
Sandy Fork Creek at Hwy 97 near WaelderRiver gauge, Sandy Fork Creek	2.22 ft	Low	+0.01 ft	32 mi
Lavaca River at HallettsvilleRiver gauge, Lavaca River	3.21 ft	Below flood stage	+0.08 ft	33 mi
E Yegua Creek near Dime BoxRiver gauge, E Yegua Creek	1.25 ft	Very low	−0.02 ft	35 mi

Questions and answers

How does the Colorado River above La Grange compare with last year?

It is 2.41 ft lower than on the same day last year, when the reading was 5.03 ft.

What is flood stage for the Colorado River above La Grange?

The official flood stage is 26.00 ft. The level is currently 23.38 ft below it.

What is a normal level for the Colorado River above La Grange in mid-October?

The median for mid-October is 3.79 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 3.22 ft and 6.01 ft, based on 24 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 Colorado River above La Grange today?

On Oct 20, 2026, 06:25 AM CDT, the water level was 2.62 ft. Down 0.04 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Colorado River above La Grange rising or falling?

Down 0.04 ft over the last 24 hours. Up 0.05 ft over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Colorado River above La Grange normal?

Very low for mid-October. Compared with 24 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:08160400 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 29.91245, -96.90387 (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	2.62 ft	2026-10-20 11:25	Provisional
Flow	471 cfs	2026-10-20 11:25	Provisional

Download

Embed this gauge

Add a live card for this gauge to your website. It updates on its own and links back here.

<iframe src="https://nivelmap.com/embed/13394?lang=en" width="360" height="230" style="border:0;max-width:100%" loading="lazy" title="Colorado River above La Grange water level"></iframe>

How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Colorado River above La Grange (usgs:08160400). Accessed October 20, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/texas/colorado-river-above-la-grange

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