Brazos River near Highbank water level

Name: Brazos River near Highbank 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, Brazos River, Texas, United States

Directions

Very low for mid-October

Water level

1.73ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 19, 2026, 01:00 PM CDT (36 min ago)

Flow: 134 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 Brazos River near Highbank: the gauge reads 1.73 ft, far below normal for mid-October.

The median for mid-October is 2.87 ft, based on 36 years of readings, so the river stage is 1.14 ft below typical. It is 33.27 ft below the flood stage of 35.00 ft. On the same day last year the reading was 2.35 ft, a difference of −0.62 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 1.57 ft – 3.19 ft.

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

Compared with 36 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Median for this date: 2.87 ft1.14 ft below the median for this date
Normal for this date: 1.84 ft – 6.06 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (36 years of records)
Same day last year: 2.35 ft−0.62 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days: 1.57 ft – 3.19 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months: 1.39 ft – 16.96 ft
Highest on record: 42.00 ftDecember 1, 1913

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 35.00 ft.

What happens at each level

40.00 ft: Major flooding can be expected along the river. Agriculture and livestock near the river will be impacted.
38.00 ft: Moderate flooding can be expected along the river. Agriculture and livestock near the river will be impacted.
35.00 ft: Minor flooding can be expected along the river reach. Agriculture and livestock near the river will be impacted.
1.73 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: < 5 %.

Rank	Level	Date
1	42.00 ft	December 1, 1913
2	40.00 ft	January 1, 1936
3	30.78 ft	December 22, 1991
4	24.90 ft	May 3, 2024
5	24.71 ft	June 1, 2024
6	24.34 ft	October 31, 2015
7	23.93 ft	January 4, 2019
8	23.90 ft	February 4, 1986
9	23.47 ft	May 4, 1990
10	23.28 ft	March 21, 2012

Weather at the gauge

No rain in the last 3 days.

18 Sun 75° 46° – Wind 6 mph

19 Mon 76° 48° – Wind 9 mph

20 Tue 82° 54° – Wind 9 mph

21 Wed 85° 59° – Wind 9 mph

22 Thu 86° 62° – Wind 11 mph

23 Fri 85° 61° – Wind 12 mph

24 Sat 84° 59° – Wind 12 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:33 AM Sunset 06:52 PM Daylight 11 hr, 19 min First quarter 61%

Map

Other gauges on the Brazos River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Brazos River near Palo PintoRiver gauge, Brazos River	1.01 ft	Very low	−0.04 ft	148 mi
Brazos River near Glen RoseRiver gauge, Brazos River	3.99 ft	Very low	±0	93 mi
Brazos River near AquillaRiver gauge, Brazos River	7.25 ft	Normal	+0.01 ft	55 mi
Brazos River at WacoRiver gauge, Brazos River	1.09 ft	Very low	−0.01 ft	31 mi
Brazos River at FM 485 near HearneRiver gauge, Brazos River	15.71 ft	Low	±0	20 mi
Brazos River at SH 21 near BryanRiver gauge, Brazos River	7.14 ft	Very low	−0.04 ft	39 mi
Brazos River at WashingtonRiver gauge, Brazos River	369 cfs	Very low	−22.0 cfs	67 mi
Brazos River near HempsteadRiver gauge, Brazos River	9.38 ft	Very low	−0.03 ft	79 mi
Brazos River at San FelipeRiver gauge, Brazos River	92.96 ft	Very low	−0.04 ft	101 mi
Brazos River at RichmondRiver gauge, Brazos River	8.42 ft	Very low	−0.08 ft	125 mi
Brazos River near Sugar LandRiver gauge, Brazos River	27.77 ft	Very low	−0.08 ft	128 mi
Brazos River near RosharonRiver gauge, Brazos River	4.85 ft	Low	+0.09 ft	144 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Little Brazos River at SH 6 near ReaganRiver gauge, Little Brazos River	314.21 ft	Very low	−0.02 ft	5.3 mi
Big Elm Creek at SH 77 near CameronRiver gauge, Big Elm Creek	5.78 ft	Normal	−0.05 ft	18 mi
N Elm Creek at Rosebud Rd near MeeksRiver gauge, N Elm Creek	1.29 ft	Low	−2.47 ft	19 mi
Little Brazos River at FM 485 near HearneRiver gauge, Little Brazos River	5.93 ft	Low	−7.82 ft	21 mi
Little River near CameronRiver gauge, Little River	0.83 ft	Low	+0.01 ft	22 mi
Little River near RockdaleRiver gauge, Little River	4.09 ft	Low	+0.03 ft	28 mi
Navasota River near EasterlyRiver gauge, Navasota River	2.73 ft	Very low	±0	31 mi
Lake Limestone near MarquezLake, Lake Limestone	360.07 ft	Normal	−0.01 ft	33 mi

Questions and answers

Is the Brazos River near Highbank higher than last year?

No, it is 0.62 ft lower than on the same day last year, when the reading was 2.35 ft.

What is flood stage for the Brazos River near Highbank?

The official flood stage is 35.00 ft. The level is currently 33.27 ft below it.

What is a normal level for the Brazos River near Highbank in mid-October?

The median for mid-October is 2.87 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 1.84 ft and 6.06 ft, based on 36 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 Brazos River near Highbank today?

On Oct 19, 2026, 01:00 PM CDT, the water level was 1.73 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Brazos River near Highbank rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours. Up 0.07 ft over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Brazos River near Highbank normal?

Very low for mid-October. Compared with 36 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:08098290 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 31.13407, -96.82498 (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	1.73 ft	2026-10-19 18:00	Provisional
Flow	134 cfs	2026-10-19 18:00	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Brazos River near Highbank (usgs:08098290). Accessed October 19, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/texas/brazos-river-near-highbank

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