Colorado River at Colorado City water level

Name: Colorado River at Colorado City 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, Colorado River, Texas, United States

Directions

Normal for mid-October

Water level

3.19ft Down 0.45 ft over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 19, 2026, 05:15 PM CDT (50 min ago)

Flow: 0.0 cfs

History

7 days 30 days 1 year Years compared

20252026

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

What this means

The Colorado River at Colorado City is at 3.19 ft, in the normal range for mid-October.

The median for mid-October is 2.91 ft, based on 29 years of readings, so the river stage is 0.28 ft above typical. It is 11.81 ft below the flood stage of 15.00 ft. On the same day last year the reading was 3.40 ft, a difference of −0.21 ft.

It has dropped 0.45 ft over the past 24 hours. In the last month it has stayed between 2.46 ft and 3.98 ft.

Fall is often low-water season on rivers, until steadier rain returns.

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

Key numbers

Median for this date: 2.91 ft0.28 ft above the median for this date
Normal for this date: 2.53 ft – 3.96 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (29 years of records)
Same day last year: 3.40 ft−0.21 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days: 2.46 ft – 3.98 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months: 2.46 ft – 5.99 ft
Highest on record: 35.90 ftJune 20, 1939

Floating and fishing near Colorado River at Colorado City

Normal flows mean predictable rapids and good access at most put-ins.

Flood stage here is 15.00 ft, 11.81 ft above the current reading. Beyond it, the National Weather Service also defines moderate and major flood stages.

What happens at each level

37.00 ft: Severe flooding continues in Colorado City. The instruments in the river gage inundate and futher stage readings may not be possible.
34.50 ft: Severe flooding begins in Colorado City. The floor of the gage shelter begins to flood and further stage readings may be lost if the waters continue to rise.
30.00 ft: Some buildings along the river may inundate.
28.00 ft: Water overflows portions of Business I-20 on the west side of town. Prolonged flow over the roadway may cause some erosion of the roadbed. Motorists should not attempt to cross flooded sections of Business I-20.
27.00 ft: Water begins to overflow portions of Business I-20 on the west side of town.
24.50 ft: Water may begin to threaten some structures in the vicinity of Rogers Road and 10th Street. A few places may need to be evacuated.
20.00 ft: Moderate flooding begins. Ranchers need to move livestock away from the floodplain. Trees and brush along the riverbanks in Colorado City will be inundated. A few farm buildings may be threatened by rising waters.
14.00 ft: Minor flooding of farm and ranch land begins. No buildings or other structures are threatened.
12.00 ft: The river overflows its banks. This will result in some minor flooding of ranch land and fence posts. Ranchers should move livestock out of the flood plain to higher ground. No structures are threatened at this stage.
3.19 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	35.90 ft	June 20, 1939
2	28.57 ft	March 24, 2000
3	27.81 ft	September 29, 1980
4	24.89 ft	August 14, 1972
5	22.37 ft	July 6, 1948
6	22.03 ft	May 13, 1947
7	21.61 ft	June 19, 1982
8	21.32 ft	September 5, 2024
9	21.29 ft	August 26, 1971
10	20.09 ft	September 22, 2014

Weather at the gauge

The forecast is not available right now.

Sunrise 07:51 AM Sunset 07:07 PM Daylight 11 hr, 17 min First quarter 63%

Map

Other gauges on the Colorado River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Colorado River near GailRiver gauge, Colorado River	0.69 ft	Normal	−0.35 ft	29 mi
Colorado River at Hwy 350 near IraRiver gauge, Colorado River	7.43 ft	Very high	±0	14 mi
Colorado River above SilverRiver gauge, Colorado River	2.41 ft	Very high	−0.26 ft	24 mi
Colorado River at Robert LeeRiver gauge, Colorado River	0.83 ft	Low	±0	42 mi
Colorado River near BallingerRiver gauge, Colorado River	4.06 ft	Low	±0	68 mi
Colorado River near StacyRiver gauge, Colorado River	3.80 ft	Normal	−0.11 ft	99 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Lake Colorado City near Colorado CityLake, Lake Colorado City	2,058.73 ft	Low	−0.01 ft	4.1 mi
Champion Creek Reservoir near Colorado CityReservoir, Champion Creek Reservoir	2,063.85 ft	Low	−0.01 ft	8 mi
Deep Creek near DunnRiver gauge, Deep Creek	2.52 ft	Low	−0.27 ft	13 mi
Beals Creek near WestbrookRiver gauge, Beals Creek	1.47 ft	Normal	−0.08 ft	16 mi
Lake J. B. Thomas near VincentLake, Lake J. B. Thomas	2,226.43 ft	Low	+0.01 ft	21 mi
Moss Creek Lake near CoahomaLake, Moss Creek Lake	2,330.68 ft	Normal	−0.39 ft	27 mi
N Concho River above Sterling CityRiver gauge, N Concho River	3.15 ft	Very low	−0.01 ft	37 mi

Questions and answers

Is the Colorado River at Colorado City higher than last year?

No, it is 0.21 ft lower than on the same day last year, when the reading was 3.40 ft.

What is flood stage for the Colorado River at Colorado City?

The official flood stage is 15.00 ft. The level is currently 11.81 ft below it.

What is a normal level for the Colorado River at Colorado City in mid-October?

The median for mid-October is 2.91 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 2.53 ft and 3.96 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 Colorado River at Colorado City today?

On Oct 19, 2026, 05:15 PM CDT, the water level was 3.19 ft. Down 0.45 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Colorado River at Colorado City rising or falling?

Down 0.45 ft over the last 24 hours. Up 0.21 ft over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Colorado River at Colorado City normal?

Normal 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:08121000 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 32.39262, -100.87872 (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	3.19 ft	2026-10-19 22:15	Provisional
Flow	0.0 cfs	2026-10-19 22:15	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Colorado River at Colorado City (usgs:08121000). Accessed October 19, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/texas/colorado-river-at-colorado-city

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