Barton Creek at Loop 360, Austin water level

Name: Barton Creek at Loop 360, Austin 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, Barton Creek, Texas, United States

Directions

Very low for mid-October

Water level

1.68ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 17, 2026, 09:45 PM CDT (14 min ago)

Flow: 0.0 cfs

History

7 days 30 days 1 year

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

What this means

Low water at Barton Creek at Loop 360, Austin: the gauge reads 1.68 ft, far below normal for mid-October.

That puts it 0.07 ft below the median of 1.74 ft for mid-October, based on 26 years of readings. It is 6.32 ft below the flood stage of 8.00 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 1.68 ft – 1.70 ft.

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

Compared with 26 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Median for this date: 1.74 ft0.07 ft below the median for this date
Normal for this date: 1.69 ft – 4.06 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (26 years of records)
Lowest and highest in 30 days: 1.68 ft – 1.70 ft
Highest on record: 26.00 ftMay 25, 1929

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 8.00 ft.

What happens at each level

26.00 ft: Flow is near the USGS 1:100 year flood level (26 feet - 44,400 cfs). Disastrous flooding reaches several homes in the lower flood plain. Streets, roads and bridges are very dangerous to motorists. Barton Springs Pool is severely damaged.
25.00 ft: Flow reaches the usgs 1:50 year flood level (34,200 cfs). Major flooding severely damages Barton Springs Pool downstream. Roads, streets and bridges are extremely dangerous to motorists. Lowest residences are threatened.
23.00 ft: Major, very dangerous flooding occurs. Many streets and bridges above Loop 360 to the Colorado River are very dangerous. Nearing the USGS 1:50 foot flood level. Barton Springs Pool is severely damaged. Lowest residences are threatened.
22.00 ft: The Barton Creek flood plain is very dangerous. Travel should be prohibited on streets and bridges that cross the flood plain. Barton Springs Pool will be severely impacted with major damage. Well in excess of a 1:25 year flood. Lowest residences are threatened.
20.00 ft: Flow is in excess of the USGS 1:25 year flood level. Severe flooding damage to Barton Springs Pool downstream. Major flooding makes low lying streets and bridges very dangerous.
18.00 ft: Major flooding of the lower flood plain occurs including Barton Springs Pool. Flow reaches the usgs 1:25 year flood level (25,400 cfs). Low roads, streets and bridges are severely flooded and dangerous.
16.00 ft: Major flooding causes severe damage to Barton Springs Pool downstream. Roads, streets and bridges are severely flooding and dangerous in the Barton Creek flood plain.
14.00 ft: Major flooding covers lower areas of Barton Springs Pool downstream. Jogging and biking trails in the lower flood plain are flooded. Flow is near the USGS 1:10 year flood level of 14.2 feet.
12.00 ft: Major flooding puts flow overbanks in Barton Springs Pool downstream. Roads and low bridges are very dangerous above Loop 360 to the Colorado River.
11.00 ft: Minor lowland flooding reaches lowest secondary roads and low bridges. Significant rise downstream in Barton Springs Pool.
8.00 ft: Flow exceeds lowest sections of the banks.
6.00 ft: Flood waters begin to flood Barton Springs pool.
1.68 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: 14 %.

Rank	Level	Date
1	26.00 ft	May 25, 1929
2	19.38 ft	October 30, 2015
3	19.10 ft	May 4, 2019
4	17.87 ft	July 3, 2002
5	17.16 ft	November 17, 2004
6	15.50 ft	November 16, 2001
7	15.03 ft	May 25, 1981
8	14.99 ft	December 21, 1991
9	14.56 ft	October 13, 2013
10	13.20 ft	May 26, 2015

Weather at the gauge

No rain in the last 3 days.

17 Sat 69° 49° – Wind 11 mph

18 Sun 73° 52° – Wind 6 mph

19 Mon 78° 51° – Wind 11 mph

20 Tue 82° 64° – Wind 9 mph

21 Wed 84° 66° – Wind 6 mph

22 Thu 86° 67° – Wind 9 mph

23 Fri 85° 66° – Wind 11 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:36 AM Sunset 06:58 PM Daylight 11 hr, 22 min First quarter 45%

Map

Other gauges on Barton Creek

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Barton Creek at SH 71 near Oak HillRiver gauge, Barton Creek	1.93 ft	Very low	−0.04 ft	8 mi
Barton Creek at Lost Creek Blvd near AustinRiver gauge, Barton Creek	1.51 ft	Low	±0	3.3 mi
Barton Creek above Barton Spgs at AustinRiver gauge, Barton Creek	1.37 ft	Low	−0.01 ft	2.2 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Williamson Creek at Manchaca Rd, AustinRiver gauge, Williamson Creek	1.89 ft	Very low	−0.01 ft	1.7 mi
W Bouldin Creek at Oltorf Rd, AustinRiver gauge, W Bouldin Creek	0.2 cfs	Normal	−0.1 cfs	2.0 mi
Barton Spgs at AustinRiver gauge, Barton Spgs	21.69 ft	Low	−0.05 ft	2.3 mi
Williamson Creek at Brush Cntry Blvd, Oak HillRiver gauge, Williamson Creek	0.0 cfs	Normal	±0	2.7 mi
Shoal Creek at W 12th St, AustinRiver gauge, Shoal Creek	1.66 ft	Normal	+0.05 ft	3.8 mi
Waller Creek at E 1st St, AustinRiver gauge, Waller Creek	4.53 ft	Very high	±0	3.9 mi
Waller Creek at Red River St, AustinRiver gauge, Waller Creek	3.38 ft	Normal	−0.03 ft	4.4 mi
Boggy Creek at Webberville Rd, AustinRiver gauge, Boggy Creek	0.1 cfs	Normal	−0.2 cfs	5.5 mi

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for Barton Creek at Loop 360, Austin?

The official flood stage is 8.00 ft. The level is currently 6.32 ft below it.

What is a normal level for Barton Creek at Loop 360, Austin in mid-October?

The median for mid-October is 1.74 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 1.69 ft and 4.06 ft, based on 26 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 Barton Creek at Loop 360, Austin today?

On Oct 17, 2026, 09:45 PM CDT, the water level was 1.68 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Barton Creek at Loop 360, Austin rising or falling?

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

Is the level of Barton Creek at Loop 360, Austin normal?

Very low for mid-October. Compared with 26 years of daily readings for this time of year.

What is the highest water level ever recorded at Barton Creek at Loop 360, Austin?

The highest level on record is 26.00 ft on May 25, 1929.

For specialists

Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads

Operator: U.S. Geological Survey
Station code: usgs:08155300 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 30.24465, -97.80223 (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	1.68 ft	2026-10-18 02:45	Provisional
Flow	0.0 cfs	2026-10-18 02:45	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Barton Creek at Loop 360, Austin (usgs:08155300). Accessed October 18, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/texas/barton-creek-at-loop-360-austin

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