Salado Creek at Loop 13, San Antonio water level

Name: Salado Creek at Loop 13, San Antonio 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, Salado Creek, Texas, United States

Directions

Low for mid-October

Water level

5.20ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 19, 2026, 07:15 PM CDT (1 hour ago)

Flow: 11.1 cfs

History

7 days 30 days 1 year Years compared

20252026

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

What this means

At 5.20 ft, Salado Creek at Loop 13, San Antonio is below normal for mid-October.

That puts it 0.97 ft below the median of 6.17 ft for mid-October, based on 29 years of readings. It is 12.80 ft below the flood stage of 18.00 ft. A year ago it stood at 4.99 ft (+0.21 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 5.14 ft and 8.04 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: 6.17 ft0.97 ft below the median for this date
Normal for this date: 5.19 ft – 6.79 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (29 years of records)
Same day last year: 4.99 ft+0.21 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days: 5.14 ft – 8.04 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months: 4.74 ft – 14.26 ft
Highest on record: 34.07 ftOctober 17, 1998

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.

The National Weather Service puts flood stage for this gauge at 18.00 ft, still 12.80 ft away.

What happens at each level

22.00 ft: Major lowland flooding reaches the Loop 13 bridge floor. Secondary roads, low bridges and access roads are flooded and very dangerous to motorists.
18.00 ft: Minor lowland flooding reaches numerous access and secondary roads and low bridges.
5.20 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: 17 %.

Rank	Level	Date
1	34.07 ft	October 17, 1998
2	28.83 ft	September 27, 1973
3	27.95 ft	June 4, 1986
4	27.37 ft	November 22, 2004
5	27.04 ft	May 6, 1993
6	26.80 ft	August 15, 1960
7	25.93 ft	May 26, 2013
8	24.91 ft	June 12, 2025
9	22.19 ft	December 3, 2016
10	22.00 ft	November 1, 1977

Weather at the gauge

No rain in the last 3 days.

19 Mon 80° 54° – Wind 6 mph

20 Tue 82° 59° – Wind 9 mph

21 Wed 80° 57° – Wind 10 mph

22 Thu 87° 65° – Wind 10 mph

23 Fri 86° 60° – Wind 15 mph

24 Sat 88° 62° – Wind 16 mph

25 Sun 84° 63° 0.01 in Wind 13 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:39 AM Sunset 06:59 PM Daylight 11 hr, 21 min First quarter 64%

Map

Other gauges on Salado Creek

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Salado Creek at SaladoRiver gauge, Salado Creek	1.58 ft	Normal	−0.01 ft	122 mi
Salado Creek at Wilderness Rd, San AntonioRiver gauge, Salado Creek	0.03 ft	Low	+0.01 ft	21 mi
Salado Creek at Blanco Rd, San AntonioRiver gauge, Salado Creek	2.30 ft	No reference yet	±0	16 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
San Antonio River at Loop 410, San AntonioRiver gauge, San Antonio River	3.66 ft	Low	−0.01 ft	3.3 mi
San Antonio River at Mitchell St, San AntonioRiver gauge, San Antonio River	4.29 ft	Normal	+0.04 ft	5.5 mi
San Antonio River at San AntonioRiver gauge, San Antonio River	3.95 ft	Normal	+0.02 ft	6.1 mi
San Pedro Creek at Furnish St, San AntonioRiver gauge, San Pedro Creek	0.0 cfs	Very low	±0	7 mi
Medina River at San AntonioRiver gauge, Medina River	3.05 ft	Low	−0.03 ft	8 mi
San Antonio River near ElmendorfRiver gauge, San Antonio River	8.81 ft	Low	−0.33 ft	10 mi
Leon Creek at IH 35, San AntonioRiver gauge, Leon Creek	2.26 ft	Normal	+0.05 ft	10 mi
Olmos Creek at Dresden Dr, San AntonioRiver gauge, Olmos Creek	1.81 ft	Normal	±0	11 mi

Questions and answers

How does Salado Creek at Loop 13, San Antonio compare with last year?

It is 0.21 ft higher than on the same day last year, when the reading was 4.99 ft.

What is flood stage for Salado Creek at Loop 13, San Antonio?

The official flood stage is 18.00 ft. The level is currently 12.80 ft below it.

What is a normal level for Salado Creek at Loop 13, San Antonio in mid-October?

The median for mid-October is 6.17 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 5.19 ft and 6.79 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 Salado Creek at Loop 13, San Antonio today?

On Oct 19, 2026, 07:15 PM CDT, the water level was 5.20 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Salado Creek at Loop 13, San Antonio rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours. Steady over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Salado Creek at Loop 13, San Antonio normal?

Low for mid-October. Compared with 29 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:08178800 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 29.35718, -98.41282 (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	5.20 ft	2026-10-20 00:15	Provisional
Flow	11.1 cfs	2026-10-20 00:15	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Salado Creek at Loop 13, San Antonio (usgs:08178800). Accessed October 20, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/texas/salado-creek-at-loop-13-san-antonio

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