Barton Creek at SH 71 near Oak Hill water level

Name: Barton Creek at SH 71 near Oak Hill 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

Low for mid-October

Water level

1.97ft Up 0.06 ft over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 20, 2026, 08:15 AM CDT (36 min ago)

Flow: 0.7 cfs

History

7 days 30 days 1 year Years compared

20252026

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

What this means

Barton Creek at SH 71 near Oak Hill is running below normal at 1.97 ft.

That puts it 0.71 ft below the median of 2.68 ft for mid-October, based on 29 years of readings. It is 10.03 ft below the flood stage of 12.00 ft. A year ago it stood at 1.94 ft (+0.03 ft).

It has risen 0.06 ft over the past 24 hours. In the last month it has stayed between 1.88 ft and 2.04 ft.

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

Compared with 29 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Median for this date: 2.68 ft0.71 ft below the median for this date
Normal for this date: 1.92 ft – 3.42 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (29 years of records)
Same day last year: 1.94 ft+0.03 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days: 1.88 ft – 2.04 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months: 1.81 ft – 4.70 ft
Highest on record: 24.83 ftOctober 30, 2015

Floating and fishing near Barton Creek at SH 71 near Oak Hill

Low water exposes gravel bars that make good wading access, but some boat ramps may be left high and dry.

Flood stage here is 12.00 ft, 10.03 ft above the current reading. Beyond it, the National Weather Service also defines moderate and major flood stages.

What happens at each level

24.00 ft: Major lowland flooding damages any facilities in the flood plain below Highway 71 to Lady Bird Lake. Primary and secondary roads in the Barton Creek flood plain are extremely dangerous to motorists. Barton Springs Pool suffers significant damage.
20.00 ft: Widespread major lowland flooding below Highway 71 inundates many secondary roads, bridges, and streets. Barton Springs Pool downstream sustains significant damage.
18.00 ft: Major lowland flooding. Flow is one-hundred yards wide at Highway 71 at Barton Creek. Secondary roads and bridges downstream in low areas are flooded and dangerous. Barton Springs Pool floods severely downstream.
15.00 ft: Moderate lowland flooding. Flow is seventy-five yards wide at Highway 71. Lowest secondary roads and bridges flood. Barton Springs Pool downstream floods.
12.00 ft: Minor lowland flooding covers lowest areas of the flood plain. No significant impact at this level.
1.97 ft: Right now

Impact statements from the U.S. National Weather Service.

Highest crests on record

Rank	Level	Date
1	24.83 ft	October 30, 2015
2	24.34 ft	May 4, 2019
3	23.76 ft	July 2, 2002
4	18.10 ft	December 20, 1991
5	17.83 ft	May 24, 2015
6	17.56 ft	May 8, 2019
7	17.44 ft	May 25, 2015
8	16.57 ft	June 10, 1997
9	14.90 ft	March 4, 1992
10	13.74 ft	June 9, 1997

Weather at the gauge

No rain in the last 3 days.

18 Sun 72° 45° – Wind 7 mph

19 Mon 74° 51° – Wind 6 mph

20 Tue 81° 57° – Wind 8 mph

21 Wed 84° 62° – Wind 7 mph

22 Thu 86° 64° – Wind 9 mph

23 Fri 85° 62° – Wind 12 mph

24 Sat 84° 62° – Wind 13 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:38 AM Sunset 06:57 PM Daylight 11 hr, 19 min First quarter 69%

Map

Other gauges on Barton Creek

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Barton Creek at Lost Creek Blvd near AustinRiver gauge, Barton Creek	1.52 ft	Low	+0.01 ft	5.1 mi
Barton Creek at Loop 360, AustinRiver gauge, Barton Creek	1.68 ft	Very low	±0	8 mi
Barton Creek above Barton Spgs at AustinRiver gauge, Barton Creek	1.38 ft	Low	+0.01 ft	9 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Slaughter Creek at FM 1826 near AustinRiver gauge, Slaughter Creek	3.27 ft	Low	±0	6.2 mi
Lake Travis near AustinLake, Lake Travis	678.19 ft	Below flood stage	+0.02 ft	7 mi
Williamson Creek at Brush Cntry Blvd, Oak HillRiver gauge, Williamson Creek	0.0 cfs	Normal	±0	7 mi
Bear Creek at Spillar Ranch Rd near ManchacaRiver gauge, Bear Creek	0.0 cfs	Normal	±0	9 mi
Williamson Creek at Manchaca Rd, AustinRiver gauge, Williamson Creek	1.89 ft	Very low	±0	9 mi
Barton Spgs at AustinRiver gauge, Barton Spgs	21.65 ft	Low	±0	9 mi
Bear Creek below FM 1826 near DriftwoodRiver gauge, Bear Creek	2.51 ft	Normal	±0	10 mi

Questions and answers

How does Barton Creek at SH 71 near Oak Hill compare with last year?

It is 0.03 ft higher than on the same day last year, when the reading was 1.94 ft.

What is flood stage for Barton Creek at SH 71 near Oak Hill?

The official flood stage is 12.00 ft. The level is currently 10.03 ft below it.

What is a normal level for Barton Creek at SH 71 near Oak Hill in mid-October?

The median for mid-October is 2.68 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 1.92 ft and 3.42 ft, based on 29 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 SH 71 near Oak Hill today?

On Oct 20, 2026, 08:15 AM CDT, the water level was 1.97 ft. Up 0.06 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Barton Creek at SH 71 near Oak Hill rising or falling?

Up 0.06 ft over the last 24 hours. Steady over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Barton Creek at SH 71 near Oak Hill normal?

Low for mid-October. Compared with 29 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:08155200 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 30.29632, -97.92556 (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	1.97 ft	2026-10-20 13:15	Provisional
Flow	0.7 cfs	2026-10-20 13:15	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Barton Creek at SH 71 near Oak Hill (usgs:08155200). Accessed October 20, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/texas/barton-creek-at-sh-71-near-oak-hill

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