Brazos River near West Columbia water level

Name: Brazos River near West Columbia water level (U.S. Geological Survey)
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
License: https://www.usgs.gov/information-policies-and-instructions/copyrights-and-credits

Tidal gauge, Brazos River, Texas, United States

Directions

Below flood stage

Water level

2.62ft Up 0.94 ft over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 19, 2026, 11:30 AM CDT (57 min ago)

Flow: 747 cfs

History

7 days

Water level Forecast Minor flood stage

The forecast expects the river to rise to 3.30 ft by Wednesday, October 21 at 04:00 AM. Issued Monday, October 19 at 07:48 AM by NOAA National Weather Service.

What this means

Water levels are unremarkable at Brazos River near West Columbia, where the gauge shows 2.62 ft.

It is 23.38 ft below the flood stage of 26.00 ft.

It is on the way up, by 0.94 ft over the past 24 hours. The forecast expects the river to rise to 3.30 ft by Wednesday, October 21 at 04:00 AM. There is still 23.38 ft of room before flood stage. The 30-day range is 0.14 ft – 3.24 ft.

Judged against the official flood stage for this gauge. How to read levels

Key numbers

Highest on record: 30.73 ftSeptember 3, 2017
Forecast peak: 3.30 ftWednesday, October 21 at 04:00 AM

What happens at each level

30.73 ft: Flood of record occurred on September 3rd, 2017, during Hurricane Harvey. Massive widespread flooding occurred. Part of West Columbia is threatened.
30.00 ft: Homes in Columbia Lakes are threatened.
29.00 ft: Major flooding continues with widespread structure flooding occurring.
28.50 ft: Lowest areas in East Columbia are threatened.
28.00 ft: Major flooding begins with subdivisions such as Mallard Lakes and Great Lakes being cut off. Low-lying areas along State Highway 35 on the left bank/north side are flooded with approximately 1.0ft of inundation. State Highway 35 is impassable.
27.50 ft: State Highway 35 has at least 0.5 foot of inundation.
27.00 ft: Moderate flooding begins as water escapes the mainstem of the Brazos River near the gauge. Low lying homes in the City of Brazoria are threatened, and widespread county road flooding occurs. Low lying areas along State Highway 35 on the left bank/north side are flooded. State Highway 35 and the lowest areas of Bar X are threatened.
26.00 ft: Minor flooding begins as water escapes the mainstem of the Brazos River approximately 5 miles downstream of the gage. County roads begin to take on water.
20.00 ft: Action stage begins as water begins to backup tributaries of the mainstem, specifically Varner Creek.
2.62 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	30.73 ft	September 3, 2017
2	30.22 ft	June 8, 2016
3	28.33 ft	May 14, 2019
4	19.96 ft	April 2, 2018

Weather at the gauge

No rain in the last 3 days.

18 Sun 74° 51° – Wind 10 mph

19 Mon 78° 57° – Wind 13 mph

20 Tue 79° 62° – Wind 15 mph

21 Wed 83° 66° – Wind 11 mph

22 Thu 84° 63° – Wind 10 mph

23 Fri 84° 62° – Wind 11 mph

24 Sat 84° 66° – Wind 15 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:27 AM Sunset 06:49 PM Daylight 11 hr, 23 min First quarter 61%

Map

Other gauges on the Brazos River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Brazos River at FM 485 near HearneRiver gauge, Brazos River	15.70 ft	Low	±0	136 mi
Brazos River at SH 21 near BryanRiver gauge, Brazos River	7.17 ft	Very low	+0.03 ft	117 mi
Brazos River at WashingtonRiver gauge, Brazos River	383 cfs	Very low	−8.0 cfs	90 mi
Brazos River near HempsteadRiver gauge, Brazos River	9.40 ft	Low	−0.02 ft	76 mi
Brazos River at San FelipeRiver gauge, Brazos River	92.98 ft	Very low	−0.01 ft	55 mi
Brazos River at RichmondRiver gauge, Brazos River	8.39 ft	Very low	−0.14 ft	32 mi
Brazos River near Sugar LandRiver gauge, Brazos River	27.74 ft	Very low	−0.07 ft	29 mi
Brazos River near RosharonRiver gauge, Brazos River	4.79 ft	Low	+0.01 ft	14 mi
Brazos River at GIWW Flood Gates near FreeportTidal gauge, Brazos River	3,020 cfs	No reference yet	+780 cfs	22 mi
Brazos River at COE Flood Gates near FreeportTidal gauge, Brazos River	−0.20 ft	No reference yet	−0.13 ft	22 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
San Bernard River near SweenyTidal gauge, San Bernard River	2.10 ft	Below flood stage	+0.48 ft	4.8 mi
Oyster Creek at CR 290 near AngletonRiver gauge, Oyster Creek	5.50 ft	Normal	−0.07 ft	8 mi
Oyster Creek at CR 34 near AngletonRiver gauge, Oyster Creek	16.13 ft	Normal	+0.02 ft	10 mi
Linnville Bayou at FM 521 near Cedar LaneRiver gauge, Linnville Bayou	2.17 ft	High	+0.57 ft	15 mi
Oyster Creek at CR 42 near RosharonRiver gauge, Oyster Creek	32.33 ft	Normal	+0.01 ft	17 mi
Caney Creek at SH 35 near Van VleckRiver gauge, Caney Creek	0.9 cfs	Normal	−0.1 cfs	17 mi
Austin Bayou at SH 35 near LiverpoolRiver gauge, Austin Bayou	8.86 ft	Low	±0	19 mi
San Bernard River near BolingRiver gauge, San Bernard River	3.63 ft	Normal	−0.24 ft	21 mi

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for the Brazos River near West Columbia?

The official flood stage is 26.00 ft. The level is currently 23.38 ft below it.

What is the water level of Brazos River near West Columbia today?

On Oct 19, 2026, 11:30 AM CDT, the water level was 2.62 ft. Up 0.94 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Brazos River near West Columbia rising or falling?

Up 0.94 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of Brazos River near West Columbia normal?

Below flood stage. Judged against the official flood stage for this gauge.

What is the highest water level ever recorded at Brazos River near West Columbia?

The highest level on record is 30.73 ft on September 3, 2017.

Is Brazos River near West Columbia expected to rise?

The forecast expects the river to rise to 3.30 ft by Wednesday, October 21 at 04:00 AM.

How often is this data updated?

The U.S. Geological Survey publishes a new reading every 15 minutes. This page refreshes within minutes of each update.

For specialists

Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads

Operator: U.S. Geological Survey
Station code: usgs:08116850 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 29.14441, -95.60606 (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	2.62 ft	2026-10-19 16:30	Provisional
Flow	747 cfs	2026-10-19 16:30	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Brazos River near West Columbia (usgs:08116850). Accessed October 19, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/texas/brazos-river-near-west-columbia

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