Medina River near Somerset water level

Name: Medina River near Somerset 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, Medina River, Texas, United States

Directions

Low for mid-October

Water level

4.05ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 16, 2026, 04:45 PM CDT (23 min ago)

Flow: 8.1 cfs
Water temperature: 75 °F

History

7 days 30 days 1 year Years compared

20252026

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

What this means

Low water at Medina River near Somerset: the gauge reads 4.05 ft, below normal for mid-October.

It is 13.95 ft below the flood stage of 18.00 ft. That puts it 0.86 ft below the median of 4.91 ft for mid-October, based on 23 years of readings. A year ago it stood at 4.01 ft (+0.04 ft).

The level has held steady over the past 24 hours. Without real rain upstream, that is unlikely to change quickly. The 30-day range is 4.05 ft – 5.49 ft.

Early fall is often low-water season on rivers, until steadier rain returns. The sensor also reports a water temperature of 75 °F.

Compared with 23 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Median for this date: 4.91 ft0.86 ft below the median for this date
Normal for this date: 4.03 ft – 6.77 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (23 years of records)
Same day last year: 4.01 ft+0.04 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days: 4.05 ft – 5.49 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months: 4.01 ft – 8.99 ft
Highest on record: 42.19 ftJuly 6, 2002

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 18.00 ft.

What happens at each level

35.00 ft: Highway 16 floods.
29.39 ft: Flood of Record (07/17/1973).
28.20 ft: Food of 05/30/1987 - Many homes flooded from above Von Ormy downstream to below Peaesall Road - Flow 26,000 CFS.
24.00 ft: Major flooding reaches the Highway 16 bridge floor. Water reaches homes and businesses near Von Ormy upstream (16,000 CFS).
23.40 ft: June 23, 1997 03:15 AM (14,800 CFS) - No structural damage reported below Medina Lake to the San Antonio River confluence.
22.70 ft: October 18, 1998 15:15 PM (13,500 CFS) - No reported structural flooding below Medina Lake to the San Antonio River confluence. Gauge is between Medio Creek and Leon Creek inflows.
21.00 ft: Rating flattens considerably - Flow into flood plain.
18.00 ft: Minor flooding threatens buildings in campground at confluence of Medina River and Medio Creek.
15.00 ft: Water reaches slab of Knights of Columbus business office at Medina River and Pearsall Road upstream near Von Ormy.
12.00 ft: Banckfull.
4.05 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: 8 %.

Rank	Level	Date
1	42.19 ft	July 6, 2002
2	22.08 ft	October 24, 2002
3	18.19 ft	September 23, 2018
4	17.10 ft	May 2, 2021
5	15.29 ft	October 14, 2021

Weather at the gauge

The forecast is not available right now.

Sunrise 07:37 AM Sunset 07:04 PM Daylight 11h 27m First quarter 34 %

Map

Other gauges on the Medina River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Medina River at Patterson Rd at MedinaRiver gauge, Medina River	4.20 ft	Normal	−0.04 ft	54 mi
Medina River at BanderaRiver gauge, Medina River	3.59 ft	Normal	−0.03 ft	43 mi
Medina River above English Crsg near Pipe CreekRiver gauge, Medina River	4.91 ft	No reference yet		38 mi
Medina River at La CosteRiver gauge, Medina River	9.05 ft	Below flood stage		15 mi
Medina River near MacdonaRiver gauge, Medina River	-0.08 ft	Low	−0.07 ft	8 mi
Medina River at San AntonioRiver gauge, Medina River	2.92 ft	Very low	−0.09 ft	5.5 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Leon Creek at IH 35, San AntonioRiver gauge, Leon Creek	2.22 ft	Normal	+0.04 ft	4.7 mi
San Antonio River at Loop 410, San AntonioRiver gauge, San Antonio River	3.69 ft	Low	0.00 ft	9 mi
San Antonio River at Mitchell St, San AntonioRiver gauge, San Antonio River	4.31 ft	Normal	−0.05 ft	10 mi
San Pedro Creek at Furnish St, San AntonioRiver gauge, San Pedro Creek	0.0 cfs	Very low		11 mi
San Antonio River at San AntonioRiver gauge, San Antonio River	3.97 ft	Normal	−0.04 ft	11 mi
Salado Creek at Loop 13, San AntonioRiver gauge, Salado Creek	5.18 ft	Low	+0.02 ft	12 mi
San Antonio River near ElmendorfRiver gauge, San Antonio River	9.13 ft	Normal	−0.79 ft	14 mi

Questions and answers

How does the Medina River near Somerset compare with last year?

It is 0.04 ft higher than on the same day last year, when the reading was 4.01 ft.

What is flood stage for the Medina River near Somerset?

The official flood stage is 18.00 ft. The river is currently 13.95 ft below it.

What is the record level at Medina River near Somerset?

The highest reading on record is 42.19 ft (July 6, 2002).

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 Medina River near Somerset today?

On Oct 16, 2026, 04:45 PM CDT, the water level was 4.05 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Medina River near Somerset rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours. Down 0.08 ft over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Medina River near Somerset normal?

Low for mid-October. Compared with 23 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:08180800 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 29.26218, -98.58141 (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 `stage`	4.05 ft	2026-10-16 21:45	Provisional
Flow `discharge`	8.1 cfs	2026-10-16 21:45	Provisional
Water temperature `temperature`	75 °F	2026-10-16 21:45	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/14573?lang=en" width="360" height="230" style="border:0;max-width:100%" loading="lazy" title="Medina River near Somerset water level"></iframe>

How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Medina River near Somerset (usgs:08180800). Accessed October 16, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/texas/medina-river-near-somerset

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