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SwedenColorado River at Columbus water level
River gauge, Colorado River, Texas, United States
Right now
Very low for mid-October
Water level
- Flow
- 383 cfs
History
20252026
The forecast expects the river to fall to 9.20 ft by Sunday, October 18 at 05:00 PM. Issued Sunday, October 18 at 08:49 AM by NOAA National Weather Service.
What this means
The Colorado River at Columbus is running far below normal at 9.26 ft.
That puts it 1.62 ft below the median of 10.88 ft for mid-October, based on 30 years of readings. It is 24.74 ft below the flood stage of 34.00 ft. A year ago it stood at 9.97 ft (−0.71 ft).
It has dropped 0.08 ft over the past 24 hours. The forecast expects the river to fall to 9.20 ft by Sunday, October 18 at 05:00 PM. Without real rain upstream, that is unlikely to change quickly. In the last month it has stayed between 9.22 ft and 10.51 ft.
Compared with 30 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels
Key numbers
- Median for this date
- 10.88 ft1.62 ft below the median for this date
- Normal for this date
- 9.26 ft – 14.89 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (30 years of records)
- Same day last year
- 9.97 ft−0.71 ft
- Lowest and highest in 30 days
- 9.22 ft – 10.51 ft
- Lowest and highest in 12 months
- 9.33 ft – 19.91 ft
- Highest on record
- 48.40 ftJuly 26, 1938
- Forecast peak
- 9.30 ftSunday, October 18 at 12:00 PM
Floating and fishing near Colorado River at Columbus
Low water exposes gravel bars that make good wading access, but some boat ramps may be left high and dry.
Flood stage here is 34.00 ft, 24.74 ft above the current reading. Beyond it, the National Weather Service also defines moderate and major flood stages.
What happens at each level
- 48.00 ft
- At levels above 48.0 feet, flow escapes into the right floodplain near Columbus with widespread flooding of crop and pasture land downstream near Eagle Lake. In past floods, U.S. Highway 90 in Columbus and FM 950 downstream of the gage were inundated and closed with many homes in the vicinity of the gage flooded.
- 47.00 ft
- At levels above 47.0 feet, routed flow may overtop levees 110 miles downstream near Bay City. Significant flows will escape the channel near Garwood into the left floodplain with large volume loss as a large over bank storage area forms. In past floods, U.S. Highway 90 in Columbus and FM 950 below the gage are inundated and closed with many homes near the gage flooded.
- 45.00 ft
- At levels above 45.0 feet, major flooding of crop and pasture land downstream near Eagle Lake occurs. In past floods, U.S. Highway 90 near Columbus was closed with many homes flooded, and FM 950 below the gage is closed.
- 43.00 ft
- At levels above 43.0 feet, major lowland flooding occurs as U.S. Highway 90 floods. In past floods, many homes in the area flooded. FM 950 downstream from the gage is flooded.
- 41.30 ft
- At levels above 41.3 feet, widespread flooding of the left floodplain occurs. In past floods, some homes near U.S. Highway 90 had up to 2 feet of water in them, and FM 950 downstream from the gage was inundated and closed.
- 39.00 ft
- At levels above 39.0 feet, moderate lowland flooding begins as water from Columbus routes to near 18.0 feet downstream near Eagle Lake and Garwood closing FM 950 with significant lowland flooding.
- 34.00 ft
- At levels above 34.0 feet, minor lowland flooding begins as the floodplain in the vicinity of the gage is inundated.
- 9.26 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: 12 %.
| Rank | Level | Date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 48.40 ft | July 26, 1938 |
| 2 | 48.17 ft | August 29, 2017 |
| 3 | 46.20 ft | July 1, 1940 |
| 4 | 45.67 ft | April 19, 2016 |
| 5 | 45.40 ft | November 24, 1940 |
| 6 | 45.30 ft | May 5, 1922 |
| 7 | 45.00 ft | June 1, 1929 |
| 8 | 43.56 ft | October 21, 1998 |
| 9 | 43.40 ft | April 22, 1926 |
| 10 | 43.07 ft | May 29, 2016 |
Weather at the gauge
No rain in the last 3 days.
Forecast: Open-Meteo
Map
Other gauges on the Colorado River
| Gauge | Level | Compared with normal | 24 hours | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Colorado River at AustinRiver gauge, Colorado River | 12.70 ft | Normal | −0.12 ft | 78 mi |
| Colorado River at BastropRiver gauge, Colorado River | 2.79 ft | Normal | −0.12 ft | 54 mi |
| Colorado River at SmithvilleRiver gauge, Colorado River | 1.51 ft | Normal | +0.07 ft | 43 mi |
| Colorado River above La GrangeRiver gauge, Colorado River | 2.51 ft | Very low | +0.16 ft | 26 mi |
| Colorado River at WhartonRiver gauge, Colorado River | 8.02 ft | Low | −0.09 ft | 38 mi |
| Colorado River near Bay CityRiver gauge, Colorado River | 2.72 ft | Low | +0.59 ft | 60 mi |
| Colorado River near WadsworthTidal gauge, Colorado River | 1.37 ft | No reference yet | +0.42 ft | 72 mi |
Nearby gauges
| Gauge | Level | Compared with normal | 24 hours | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Redgate Creek near ColumbusRiver gauge, Redgate Creek | 10.42 ft | High | +0.03 ft | 6 mi |
| W Sandy Creek at FM 2437 near SheridanRiver gauge, W Sandy Creek | 193.08 ft | Low | −0.14 ft | 19 mi |
| Little Bernard Creek at I-10 near SealyRiver gauge, Little Bernard Creek | 180.70 ft | Below flood stage | −0.03 ft | 20 mi |
| Mill Creek near BellvilleRiver gauge, Mill Creek | 2.70 ft | Normal | −0.02 ft | 23 mi |
| Navidad River near HallettsvilleRiver gauge, Navidad River | 4.48 ft | Very low | ±0 | 23 mi |
| Brazos River at San FelipeRiver gauge, Brazos River | 93.01 ft | Very low | −0.01 ft | 27 mi |
| Navidad River near SpeaksRiver gauge, Navidad River | 2.07 ft | Very low | +0.03 ft | 29 mi |
| Lavaca River at HallettsvilleRiver gauge, Lavaca River | 3.31 ft | Below flood stage | +0.16 ft | 31 mi |
Questions and answers
How does the Colorado River at Columbus compare with last year?
It is 0.71 ft lower than on the same day last year, when the reading was 9.97 ft.
What is flood stage for the Colorado River at Columbus?
The official flood stage is 34.00 ft. The level is currently 24.74 ft below it.
What is a normal level for the Colorado River at Columbus in mid-October?
The median for mid-October is 10.88 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 9.26 ft and 14.89 ft, based on 30 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 Columbus today?
On Oct 18, 2026, 05:15 PM CDT, the water level was 9.26 ft. Down 0.08 ft over the last 24 hours.
Is Colorado River at Columbus rising or falling?
Down 0.08 ft over the last 24 hours. Down 0.29 ft over the last 7 days.
Is the level of Colorado River at Columbus normal?
Very low for mid-October. Compared with 30 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:08161000(Agency page)- Coordinates
29.70635, -96.53692(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 | 9.26 ft | 2026-10-18 22:15 | Provisional |
| Flow | 383 cfs | 2026-10-18 22:15 | Provisional |
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How to cite
U.S. Geological Survey: Colorado River at Columbus (usgs:08161000). Accessed October 18, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/texas/colorado-river-at-columbus
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