Lampasas River near Kempner water level

Name: Lampasas River near Kempner 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, Lampasas River, Texas, United States

Directions

Low for mid-October

Water level

1.24ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 18, 2026, 06:15 PM CDT (29 min ago)

Flow: 25.2 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 Lampasas River near Kempner: the gauge reads 1.24 ft, below normal for mid-October.

That puts it 1.37 ft below the median of 2.61 ft for mid-October, based on 34 years of readings. It is 16.76 ft below the flood stage of 18.00 ft. A year ago it stood at 1.19 ft (+0.05 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 1.19 ft – 3.42 ft.

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

Compared with 34 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Median for this date: 2.61 ft1.37 ft below the median for this date
Normal for this date: 1.12 ft – 3.69 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (34 years of records)
Same day last year: 1.19 ft+0.05 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days: 1.19 ft – 3.42 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months: 1.17 ft – 3.73 ft
Highest on record: 45.00 ftSeptember 1, 1873

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

45.00 ft: Widespread and significant major flooding is expected along the river. The Highway 190 brdige will be submerged, and dangerous flooding will impact the nearby RV park as well as multiple roads upstream and downstream of the gage.
38.00 ft: Significant major flooding is expected along the river. The RV park near the gage will sustain significant flooding, and Highway 190 will begin to flood near the bridge. Dangerous flooding will impact FM 3170 and CR 4530 downstream of the gage. Many roadways upstream of the gage will also flood.
35.00 ft: Major flooding is expected along the river. The RV park near the river will flood, and the cabins near the river will have multiple feet of water in them. Dangerous flooding is expected downstream along FM 3170 and CR 4530. The slough upstream of the gage will be flooded as well as several low water crossings nearby.
33.00 ft: Major flooding is expected. Cabins near the river at the RV park will have several feet of water in them. FM 3170 downstream of the gage will have several feet of water across it at multiple low water crossings and near the bluff overlook. The slough upstream of the gage will be flooded, as well as several low water crossings nearby.
32.00 ft: Moderate flooding is expected along the river. Cabins near the river at the RV park will be flooded. FM 3170 downstream of the gage will have several feet of water across it at multiple low water crossings and near the bluff overlook. The slough upstream of the gage will flood.
30.00 ft: Moderate flooding is expected along the river. Cabins near the river at the RV park will begin to flood. FM 3170 downstream of the gage will have several feet of water across it at multiple low water crossings and near the bluff overlook. The slough upstream of the gage will also flood.
26.00 ft: Moderate flooding along the river is expected. FM 3170 downstream of the gage will flood at a few low water crossings. CR 4530 will also flood in a few areas.
18.00 ft: Minor flooding is expected along the river.
1.24 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	45.00 ft	September 1, 1873
2	37.00 ft	May 13, 1957
3	35.00 ft	December 20, 1991
4	35.00 ft	December 20, 1991
5	34.00 ft	October 4, 1959
6	33.21 ft	July 13, 2025
7	32.98 ft	May 16, 1965
8	32.67 ft	May 5, 2024
9	30.59 ft	March 16, 1998
10	28.57 ft	June 28, 2007

Weather at the gauge

No rain in the last 3 days.

18 Sun 69° 48° – Wind 6 mph

19 Mon 74° 50° – Wind 10 mph

20 Tue 79° 57° – Wind 9 mph

21 Wed 81° 59° – Wind 7 mph

22 Thu 84° 62° – Wind 7 mph

23 Fri 83° 61° – Wind 13 mph

24 Sat 83° 60° – Wind 12 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:37 AM Sunset 06:58 PM Daylight 11 hr, 21 min First quarter 54%

Map

Other gauges on the Lampasas River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Lampasas River at US-281 near AdamsvilleRiver gauge, Lampasas River	5.02 ft	No reference yet	−0.01 ft	17 mi
Lampasas River at Ding DongRiver gauge, Lampasas River	7.22 ft	Normal	−0.01 ft	16 mi
Lampasas River near BeltonRiver gauge, Lampasas River	1.59 ft	Very low	−0.01 ft	31 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
House Creek at Old Georgetown Rd near Ft HoodRiver gauge, House Creek	4.73 ft	Normal	+0.01 ft	10 mi
S Fk Rocky Creek near BriggsRiver gauge, S Fk Rocky Creek	0.89 ft	Normal	+0.12 ft	12 mi
House Creek at W Range Rd near Ft HoodRiver gauge, House Creek	4.39 ft	Low	+4.64 ft	14 mi
Cowhouse Creek at PidcokeRiver gauge, Cowhouse Creek	1.93 ft	Low	+0.01 ft	16 mi
Henson Creek at W Range Rd near GatesvilleRiver gauge, Henson Creek	1.39 ft	Very low	±0	23 mi
N Fk San Gabriel River at Reagan Blvd near LeanderRiver gauge, N Fk San Gabriel River	2.30 ft	Normal	+0.01 ft	28 mi
Leon River at GatesvilleRiver gauge, Leon River	2.68 ft	Normal	+0.02 ft	29 mi
Stillhouse Hollow Lake near BeltonLake, Stillhouse Hollow Lake	620.98 ft	Normal	−0.05 ft	29 mi

Questions and answers

How does the Lampasas River near Kempner compare with last year?

It is 0.05 ft higher than on the same day last year, when the reading was 1.19 ft.

What is flood stage for the Lampasas River near Kempner?

The official flood stage is 18.00 ft. The level is currently 16.76 ft below it.

What is a normal level for the Lampasas River near Kempner in mid-October?

The median for mid-October is 2.61 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 1.12 ft and 3.69 ft, based on 34 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 Lampasas River near Kempner today?

On Oct 18, 2026, 06:15 PM CDT, the water level was 1.24 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Lampasas River near Kempner rising or falling?

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

Is the level of Lampasas River near Kempner normal?

Low for mid-October. Compared with 34 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:08103800 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 31.07934, -98.01669 (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	1.24 ft	2026-10-18 23:15	Provisional
Flow	25.2 cfs	2026-10-18 23:15	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Lampasas River near Kempner (usgs:08103800). Accessed October 18, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/texas/lampasas-river-near-kempner

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