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Buffalo Bayou at Houston water level

Tidal gauge, Buffalo Bayou, Texas, United States

Directions

Low for mid-October

Water level

1.75ft Down 0.11 ft over the last 24 hours

Flow
146 cfs
0 25 Highest onrecord 41.90 ft Minor floodstage 28.00 ft

History

510ftOct 13Oct 14Oct 16Oct 17Oct 19510ftOct 13Oct 16Oct 19
510ftSep 20Sep 27Oct 4Oct 11Oct 19510ftSep 20Oct 4Oct 19
-0510ftOct 2025Jan 2026Apr 2026Jul 2026Oct 2026-0510ftOct 2025Apr 2026Oct 2026
-0510ftJanMarMayJulSepNov2026-0510ftJanAprJulOct2026

20252026

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

What this means

Low water at Buffalo Bayou at Houston: the gauge reads 1.75 ft, below normal for mid-October.

That puts it 1.76 ft below the median of 3.51 ft for mid-October, based on 38 years of readings. It is 26.25 ft below the flood stage of 28.00 ft. A year ago it stood at 2.00 ft (−0.25 ft).

It is still going down, by 0.11 ft over the past 24 hours. The 30-day range is 1.14 ft – 7.15 ft.

Compared with 38 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Median for this date
3.51 ft1.76 ft below the median for this date
Normal for this date
1.46 ft – 11.01 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (38 years of records)
Same day last year
2.00 ft−0.25 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days
1.14 ft – 7.15 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months
0.60 ft – 11.67 ft
Highest on record
41.90 ftAugust 28, 2017

What happens at each level

32.00 ft
At levels above 32.0 feet, major flooding begins as portions of Allen Parkway and Memorial Drive are under 1 to 2 feet of water and homes upstream of the gage begin flooding.
29.50 ft
At levels above 29.5 feet, moderate lowland flooding begins Memorial Drive between Sandman Streeet and Waugh Drive becomes inundated.
28.70 ft
At levels above 28.7 feet, Allen Parkway east of Montrose Boulevard and Memorial Drive east of Waugh Drive flood.
28.00 ft
At levels above 28.0 feet, minor lowland flooding begins as water spills out of main channel and floods the lowest levels of apartments near the gage.
17.00 ft
At levels above 17.0 feet, hike and bike trails within the channel become inundated.
1.75 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 %.

RankLevelDate
141.90 ftAugust 28, 2017
233.64 ftMay 26, 2015
331.70 ftApril 18, 2016
431.27 ftSeptember 19, 2019
531.06 ftSeptember 19, 2019
627.99 ftApril 28, 2009

Weather at the gauge

The forecast is not available right now.

Sunrise 07:27 AM Sunset 06:48 PM Daylight 11 hr, 21 min First quarter 56%

Map

Other gauges on Buffalo Bayou

Gauge Level Compared with normal 24 hours Distance
Buffalo Bayou near KatyRiver gauge, Buffalo Bayou 97.25 ft High −0.04 ft 24 mi
Buffalo Bayou near FulshearRiver gauge, Buffalo Bayou 88.47 ft No reference yet −0.03 ft 22 mi
Buffalo Bayou at State Hwy 6 near AddicksRiver gauge, Buffalo Bayou 76.3 cfs Normal +14.1 cfs 14 mi
Buffalo Bayou near AddicksRiver gauge, Buffalo Bayou 46.46 ft Low +0.06 ft 12 mi
Buffalo Bayou at W Belt Dr, HoustonRiver gauge, Buffalo Bayou 35.45 ft Low +0.04 ft 9 mi
Buffalo Bayou at Piney PointRiver gauge, Buffalo Bayou 28.40 ft Low +0.01 ft 7 mi
Buffalo Bayou at Turning Basin, HoustonTidal gauge, Buffalo Bayou 1.71 ft No reference yet +0.03 ft 7 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge Level Compared with normal 24 hours Distance
Whiteoak Bayou at HoustonRiver gauge, Whiteoak Bayou 7.68 ft Low ±0 1.2 mi
Whiteoak Bayou at Main St, HoustonTidal gauge, Whiteoak Bayou 1.66 ft Low +0.02 ft 3.0 mi
Brays Bayou at HoustonRiver gauge, Brays Bayou 16.76 ft Normal +0.03 ft 4.4 mi
Brickhouse Gully at Costa Rica St, HoustonRiver gauge, Brickhouse Gully 47.44 ft Very low ±0 5.9 mi
Hunting Bayou at Hoffman St, HoustonRiver gauge, Hunting Bayou 25.43 ft Very low ±0 7 mi
Cole Creek at Deihl Rd, HoustonRiver gauge, Cole Creek 61.71 ft Very low ±0 8 mi
Halls Bayou at HoustonRiver gauge, Halls Bayou 39.46 ft Low +0.02 ft 8 mi
Hunting Bayou at IH 610, HoustonRiver gauge, Hunting Bayou 17.42 ft Normal −0.01 ft 9 mi

Questions and answers

How does Buffalo Bayou at Houston compare with last year?

It is 0.25 ft lower than on the same day last year, when the reading was 2.00 ft.

What is flood stage for Buffalo Bayou at Houston?

The official flood stage is 28.00 ft. The level is currently 26.25 ft below it.

What is a normal level for Buffalo Bayou at Houston in mid-October?

The median for mid-October is 3.51 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 1.46 ft and 11.01 ft, based on 38 years of records.

What is the water level of Buffalo Bayou at Houston today?

On Oct 19, 2026, 01:15 AM CDT, the water level was 1.75 ft. Down 0.11 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Buffalo Bayou at Houston rising or falling?

Down 0.11 ft over the last 24 hours. Down 4.31 ft over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Buffalo Bayou at Houston normal?

Low for mid-October. Compared with 38 years of daily readings for this time of year.

What is the highest water level ever recorded at Buffalo Bayou at Houston?

The highest level on record is 41.90 ft on August 28, 2017.

For specialists

Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads
Operator
U.S. Geological Survey
Station code
usgs:08074000 (Agency page)
Coordinates
29.76023, -95.40855 (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

ParameterLast valueTime (UTC)Quality
Water level 1.75 ft 2026-10-19 06:15 Provisional
Flow 146 cfs 2026-10-19 06:15 Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Buffalo Bayou at Houston (usgs:08074000). Accessed October 19, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/texas/buffalo-bayou-at-houston

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