Brazos River near Hempstead water level

Name: Brazos River near Hempstead 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

Low for mid-October

Water level

9.43ft Down 0.04 ft over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 18, 2026, 08:15 AM CDT (1 hour ago)

Flow: 472 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 fall to 9.30 ft by Tuesday, October 20 at 10:00 PM. Issued Sunday, October 18 at 07:45 AM by NOAA National Weather Service.

What this means

At 9.43 ft, the Brazos River near Hempstead is below normal for mid-October.

That puts it 2.33 ft below the median of 11.76 ft for mid-October, based on 28 years of readings. It is 40.57 ft below the flood stage of 50.00 ft. A year ago it stood at 10.46 ft (−1.03 ft).

The level is falling, down 0.04 ft over the past 24 hours. The forecast expects the river to fall to 9.30 ft by Tuesday, October 20 at 10:00 PM. Without real rain upstream, that is unlikely to change quickly. Over the past 30 days it has moved between 9.43 ft and 11.65 ft.

Compared with 28 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Median for this date: 11.76 ft2.33 ft below the median for this date
Normal for this date: 9.36 ft – 20.30 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (28 years of records)
Same day last year: 10.46 ft−1.03 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days: 9.43 ft – 11.65 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months: 9.36 ft – 34.59 ft
Highest on record: 66.10 ftDecember 8, 1913
Forecast peak: 9.40 ftSunday, October 18 at 10:00 AM

What the stage means on the water

Low water means more dragging on shallow riffles and slower floats. Fish crowd into the deeper runs, and warm, low water stresses them, so play and release them quickly.

The National Weather Service puts flood stage for this gauge at 50.00 ft, still 40.57 ft away.

What happens at each level

55.00 ft: Major lowland flooding begins.
53.00 ft: Moderate lowland flooding begins with widespread inundation of the floodplain.
50.00 ft: Minor lowland flooding begins.
9.43 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	66.10 ft	December 8, 1913
2	63.60 ft	July 4, 1899
3	54.89 ft	May 27, 2016
4	54.21 ft	May 2, 1957
5	54.04 ft	November 30, 1940
6	52.00 ft	May 7, 1944
7	51.24 ft	August 28, 2017
8	51.23 ft	May 22, 1965
9	49.97 ft	May 31, 2015
10	49.31 ft	April 26, 1945

Weather at the gauge

Rain in the last 3 days: 0.06 in. Rain that falls upstream can take hours or days to show up at a river gauge.

18 Sun 72° 47° – Wind 7 mph

19 Mon 77° 49° – Wind 7 mph

20 Tue 81° 57° – Wind 9 mph

21 Wed 84° 62° – Wind 7 mph

22 Thu 84° 60° – Wind 7 mph

23 Fri 85° 60° – Wind 8 mph

24 Sat 86° 61° – Wind 10 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:29 AM Sunset 06:52 PM Daylight 11 hr, 23 min First quarter 50%

Map

Other gauges on the Brazos River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Brazos River at WacoRiver gauge, Brazos River	1.15 ft	Very low	+0.07 ft	110 mi
Brazos River near HighbankRiver gauge, Brazos River	1.80 ft	Very low	+0.18 ft	79 mi
Brazos River at FM 485 near HearneRiver gauge, Brazos River	15.72 ft	Low	+0.14 ft	59 mi
Brazos River at SH 21 near BryanRiver gauge, Brazos River	7.18 ft	Very low	−0.03 ft	40 mi
Brazos River at WashingtonRiver gauge, Brazos River	388 cfs	Low	+5.0 cfs	16 mi
Brazos River at San FelipeRiver gauge, Brazos River	93.03 ft	Very low	±0	23 mi
Brazos River at RichmondRiver gauge, Brazos River	8.52 ft	Very low	−0.05 ft	46 mi
Brazos River near Sugar LandRiver gauge, Brazos River	27.86 ft	Very low	−0.04 ft	50 mi
Brazos River near RosharonRiver gauge, Brazos River	4.89 ft	Low	−0.01 ft	65 mi
Brazos River near West ColumbiaTidal gauge, Brazos River	2.07 ft	Below flood stage	+0.02 ft	76 mi
Brazos River at GIWW Flood Gates near FreeportTidal gauge, Brazos River	1,320 cfs	No reference yet	−4,230.0 cfs	98 mi
Brazos River at COE Flood Gates near FreeportTidal gauge, Brazos River	−0.09 ft	No reference yet	−2.05 ft	98 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Mill Creek near BellvilleRiver gauge, Mill Creek	2.72 ft	Normal	−0.03 ft	17 mi
Grassy Creek at SH 105 near NavasotaRiver gauge, Grassy Creek	218.40 ft	Below flood stage	−0.01 ft	19 mi
Navasota River at SH 6 near NavasotaRiver gauge, Navasota River	151.23 ft	Below flood stage	+0.01 ft	21 mi
Yegua Creek near SomervilleRiver gauge, Yegua Creek	1.82 ft	Normal	−0.01 ft	23 mi
Somerville Lake near SomervilleLake, Somerville Lake	236.50 ft	Normal	−0.02 ft	24 mi
Cypress Creek at Sharp Rd near HockleyRiver gauge, Cypress Creek	154.01 ft	High	+0.03 ft	25 mi
Little Bernard Creek at I-10 near SealyRiver gauge, Little Bernard Creek	180.70 ft	Below flood stage	−0.02 ft	25 mi
Cypress Creek at Katy-Hockley Rd near HockleyRiver gauge, Cypress Creek	145.64 ft	High	−0.16 ft	26 mi

Questions and answers

How does the Brazos River near Hempstead compare with last year?

It is 1.03 ft lower than on the same day last year, when the reading was 10.46 ft.

What is flood stage for the Brazos River near Hempstead?

The official flood stage is 50.00 ft. The level is currently 40.57 ft below it.

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

The median for mid-October is 11.76 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 9.36 ft and 20.30 ft, based on 28 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 Hempstead today?

On Oct 18, 2026, 08:15 AM CDT, the water level was 9.43 ft. Down 0.04 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Brazos River near Hempstead rising or falling?

Down 0.04 ft over the last 24 hours. Down 0.82 ft over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Brazos River near Hempstead normal?

Low for mid-October. Compared with 28 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:08111500 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 30.12911, -96.18774 (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	9.43 ft	2026-10-18 13:15	Provisional
Flow	472 cfs	2026-10-18 13:15	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Brazos River near Hempstead (usgs:08111500). Accessed October 18, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/texas/brazos-river-near-hempstead

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