San Antonio River near Falls City water level

Name: San Antonio River near Falls City 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, San Antonio River, Texas, United States

Directions

Very low for mid-October

Water level

0.86ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 20, 2026, 05:15 PM CDT (38 min ago)

Flow: 174 cfs

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 San Antonio River near Falls City: the gauge reads 0.86 ft, far below normal for mid-October.

The median for mid-October is 1.32 ft, based on 38 years of readings, so the river stage is 0.46 ft below typical. It is 11.14 ft below the flood stage of 12.00 ft. On the same day last year the reading was 0.89 ft, a difference of −0.03 ft.

It has barely moved over the past 24 hours. Without real rain upstream, that is unlikely to change quickly. The 30-day range is 0.71 ft – 4.01 ft.

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

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

Key numbers

Median for this date: 1.32 ft0.46 ft below the median for this date
Normal for this date: 0.87 ft – 2.47 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (38 years of records)
Same day last year: 0.89 ft−0.03 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days: 0.71 ft – 4.01 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months: 0.58 ft – 5.28 ft
Highest on record: 38.43 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 12.00 ft.

What happens at each level

37.00 ft: Twenty to thirty homes in Falls City are flooded. Major flooding severely damages oil field tank batteries and pump jacks, irrigation pumps, crops and pastureland. Hundreds of livestock can be isolated and drowned. Roads and bridges are severely flooded and dangerous to motorists.
35.00 ft: Ten to fifteen homes in Falls City are flooded. Major flooding severely damages oil field tank batteries and pump jacks, irrigation pumps, crops and pastureland. Hundreds of livestock can be isolated and drowned. Roads and bridges are severely flooded and dangerous to motorists.
32.00 ft: Major flooding severely damages oil field tank batteries and pump jacks, irrigation pumps, crops and pastureland. Hundreds of livestock can be isolated and drowned. Roads and bridges are severely flooded and dangerous to motorists. Six homes in Falls City are flooded up to four feet.
28.00 ft: Major floodng severely damages oil field pump jacks and tank batteries, irrigation pumps, crops and pastureland and can isolate and drown hundreds of livestock in the flood plain. Lowest homes in the flood plain in Falls City are threatened.
24.00 ft: There is major lowland flooding of crop and pasture land below San Antonio to the Guadalupe River confluence. Livestock in flood prone areas are cut off and potentially drowned. Irrigation pumps and equipment flood severely. Nearly all of Goliad State Park downstream is under water. The levee system downstream near the confluence of the San Antonio and Guadalupe Rivers is threatened.
20.00 ft: Major flooding damages crop and pastureland, irrigation pumps, oil field pump jacks and any equipment in the flood plain. Livestock in flood prone areas are cut off and potentially drowned. Secondary roads and low bridges are flooded near the river and very dangerous.
16.00 ft: Flooding significantly damages irrigation pumps, oil field pump jacks and tank batteries and equipment. Livestock in flood prone areas are cut off and potentially drowned. There is significant damage to crop lands in season.
12.00 ft: Minor lowland flooding above Falls City to above Goliad floods irrigation pumps, equipment, crops and pastureland. Livestock can be cut off in low areas of the flood plain.
10.00 ft: Overbank conditions extend into low areas of the flood plain with no significant damage.
0.86 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: 9 %.

Rank	Level	Date
1	38.43 ft	July 6, 2002
2	33.80 ft	September 29, 1946
3	33.60 ft	October 20, 1998
4	30.13 ft	July 4, 2002
5	28.40 ft	October 28, 1913
6	27.26 ft	September 29, 1973
7	26.59 ft	July 22, 2007
8	25.26 ft	September 22, 1967
9	24.00 ft	June 7, 1987
10	22.87 ft	January 21, 1968

Weather at the gauge

No rain in the last 3 days.

19 Mon 82° 53° – Wind 8 mph

20 Tue 83° 58° – Wind 10 mph

21 Wed 85° 55° – Wind 10 mph

22 Thu 87° 67° – Wind 11 mph

23 Fri 86° 64° – Wind 15 mph

24 Sat 86° 65° – Wind 20 mph

25 Sun 85° 66° – Wind 15 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:37 AM Sunset 06:58 PM Daylight 11 hr, 21 min Waxing gibbous 72%

Map

Other gauges on the San Antonio River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
San Antonio River at San AntonioRiver gauge, San Antonio River	3.72 ft	Very low	−0.23 ft	41 mi
San Antonio River at Mitchell St, San AntonioRiver gauge, San Antonio River	4.24 ft	Normal	−0.05 ft	40 mi
San Antonio River at Loop 410, San AntonioRiver gauge, San Antonio River	3.66 ft	Low	±0	35 mi
San Antonio River near Braunig Lake near ElmendorfRiver gauge, San Antonio River	11.14 ft	No reference yet	+0.01 ft	28 mi
San Antonio River near ElmendorfRiver gauge, San Antonio River	9.95 ft	Normal	+1.22 ft	26 mi
San Antonio River near FloresvilleRiver gauge, San Antonio River	3.39 ft	Very low	−0.25 ft	13 mi
San Antonio River at SH 72 near RungeRiver gauge, San Antonio River	10.18 ft	Normal	+0.01 ft	21 mi
San Antonio River at GoliadRiver gauge, San Antonio River	3.40 ft	Low	−0.11 ft	46 mi
San Antonio River near McFaddinRiver gauge, San Antonio River	15.14 ft	Normal	−0.08 ft	68 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Cibolo Creek near Falls CityRiver gauge, Cibolo Creek	0.75 ft	Low	+0.01 ft	9 mi
Escondido Creek at KenedyRiver gauge, Escondido Creek	2.69 ft	Low	±0	15 mi
Atascosa River near McCoyRiver gauge, Atascosa River	4.58 ft	Low	±0	18 mi
Ecleto Creek near RungeRiver gauge, Ecleto Creek	7.21 ft	Very high	−0.04 ft	18 mi
Cibolo Creek at Sutherland SpringsRiver gauge, Cibolo Creek	6.44 ft	Low	+0.03 ft	23 mi
Atascosa River at WhitsettRiver gauge, Atascosa River	1.67 ft	Normal	+0.03 ft	26 mi
Medina River at San AntonioRiver gauge, Medina River	2.96 ft	Very low	+0.02 ft	34 mi

Questions and answers

Is the San Antonio River near Falls City higher than last year?

No, it is 0.03 ft lower than on the same day last year, when the reading was 0.89 ft.

What is flood stage for the San Antonio River near Falls City?

The official flood stage is 12.00 ft. The level is currently 11.14 ft below it.

What is a normal level for the San Antonio River near Falls City in mid-October?

The median for mid-October is 1.32 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 0.87 ft and 2.47 ft, based on 38 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 San Antonio River near Falls City today?

On Oct 20, 2026, 05:15 PM CDT, the water level was 0.86 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is San Antonio River near Falls City rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours. Down 0.04 ft over the last 7 days.

Is the level of San Antonio River near Falls City normal?

Very low for mid-October. Compared with 38 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:08183500 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 28.95164, -98.06420 (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	0.86 ft	2026-10-20 22:15	Provisional
Flow	174 cfs	2026-10-20 22:15	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: San Antonio River near Falls City (usgs:08183500). Accessed October 20, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/texas/san-antonio-river-near-falls-city

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