San Jacinto River near Sheldon water level

Name: San Jacinto River near Sheldon water level (U.S. Geological Survey)
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
License: https://www.usgs.gov/information-policies-and-instructions/copyrights-and-credits

Tidal gauge, San Jacinto River, Texas, United States

Directions

Normal for mid-October

Water level

2.49ft Up 0.89 ft over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 19, 2026, 04:15 PM CDT (45 min ago)

Flow: 1,290 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 rise to 2.80 ft by Tuesday, October 20 at 10:00 AM. Issued Monday, October 19 at 08:08 AM by NOAA National Weather Service.

What this means

Water levels are unremarkable at San Jacinto River near Sheldon, where the gauge shows 2.49 ft.

That puts it 0.48 ft above the median of 2.02 ft for mid-October, based on 30 years of readings. It is 7.51 ft below the flood stage of 10.00 ft. A year ago it stood at 1.79 ft (+0.70 ft).

It is on the way up, by 0.89 ft over the past 24 hours. The forecast expects the river to rise to 2.80 ft by Tuesday, October 20 at 10:00 AM. There is still 7.51 ft of room before flood stage. The 30-day range is −0.56 ft – 2.95 ft.

Compared with 30 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Median for this date: 2.02 ft0.48 ft above the median for this date
Normal for this date: 0.88 ft – 3.04 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (30 years of records)
Same day last year: 1.79 ft+0.70 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days: −0.56 ft – 2.95 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months: −1.02 ft – 4.03 ft
Highest on record: 28.72 ftAugust 29, 2017
Forecast peak: 2.80 ftTuesday, October 20 at 10:00 AM

What happens at each level

15.00 ft: Major lowland flooding begins.
13.00 ft: Moderate lowland flooding begins with widespread inundation of the flood plain.
10.00 ft: Minor lowland flooding begins.
2.49 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	28.72 ft	August 29, 2017
2	28.07 ft	October 19, 1994
3	21.10 ft	June 15, 1973
4	21.08 ft	May 19, 1989
5	20.85 ft	November 15, 1998
6	19.72 ft	May 4, 2024
7	19.37 ft	September 20, 2019
8	19.33 ft	May 30, 2016
9	19.30 ft	April 6, 1979
10	18.48 ft	May 23, 1983

Weather at the gauge

No rain in the last 3 days.

19 Mon 78° 54° – Wind 9 mph

20 Tue 81° 55° – Wind 8 mph

21 Wed 85° 62° – Wind 9 mph

22 Thu 85° 61° – Wind 9 mph

23 Fri 84° 61° – Wind 10 mph

24 Sat 84° 62° – Wind 14 mph

25 Sun 80° 59° – Wind 11 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:25 AM Sunset 06:47 PM Daylight 11 hr, 21 min First quarter 62%

Map

Other gauges on the San Jacinto River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
San Jacinto River at Lynchburg Ferry near HighlandsEstuary gauge, San Jacinto River	4.33 ft	No reference yet	+1.06 ft	8 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Lake Houston near SheldonLake, Lake Houston	42.10 ft	Normal	±0	4.0 mi
Goose Creek near McNairRiver gauge, Goose Creek	15.25 ft	Very low	+0.01 ft	7 mi
Greens Bayou at Ley Rd, HoustonTidal gauge, Greens Bayou	2.38 ft	Low	+1.00 ft	9 mi
Goose Creek at BaytownRiver gauge, Goose Creek	4.82 ft	Low	±0	9 mi
Cedar Bayou near CrosbyRiver gauge, Cedar Bayou	36.49 ft	Normal	+0.03 ft	9 mi
Garners Bayou near HumbleRiver gauge, Garners Bayou	33.61 ft	Low	+0.02 ft	9 mi
Cedar Bayou at I-10 near Mont BelvieuRiver gauge, Cedar Bayou	2.08 ft	Below flood stage	+1.01 ft	12 mi
Hunting Bayou at IH 610, HoustonRiver gauge, Hunting Bayou	17.43 ft	Normal	+0.01 ft	12 mi

Questions and answers

How does the San Jacinto River near Sheldon compare with last year?

It is 0.70 ft higher than on the same day last year, when the reading was 1.79 ft.

What is flood stage for the San Jacinto River near Sheldon?

The official flood stage is 10.00 ft. The level is currently 7.51 ft below it.

What is a normal level for the San Jacinto River near Sheldon in mid-October?

The median for mid-October is 2.02 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 0.88 ft and 3.04 ft, based on 30 years of records.

What is the water level of San Jacinto River near Sheldon today?

On Oct 19, 2026, 04:15 PM CDT, the water level was 2.49 ft. Up 0.89 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is San Jacinto River near Sheldon rising or falling?

Up 0.89 ft over the last 24 hours. Down 0.12 ft over the last 7 days.

Is the level of San Jacinto River near Sheldon normal?

Normal for mid-October. Compared with 30 years of daily readings for this time of year.

What is the highest water level ever recorded at San Jacinto River near Sheldon?

The highest level on record is 28.72 ft on August 29, 2017.

For specialists

Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads

Operator: U.S. Geological Survey
Station code: usgs:08072050 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 29.87633, -95.09382 (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	2.49 ft	2026-10-19 21:15	Provisional
Flow	1,290 cfs	2026-10-19 21:15	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: San Jacinto River near Sheldon (usgs:08072050). Accessed October 19, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/texas/san-jacinto-river-near-sheldon

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