Colorado River at Smithville water level

Name: Colorado River at Smithville 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

1.51ft Up 0.13 ft over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 18, 2026, 01:10 PM CDT (1 hour ago)

Flow: 523 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 1.30 ft by Tuesday, October 20 at 06:00 PM. Issued Sunday, October 18 at 08:49 AM by NOAA National Weather Service.

What this means

The Colorado River at Smithville is at 1.51 ft, in the normal range for mid-October.

The median for mid-October is 1.79 ft, based on 27 years of readings, so the river stage is 0.28 ft below typical. It is 18.49 ft below the flood stage of 20.00 ft. On the same day last year the reading was 1.44 ft, a difference of +0.07 ft.

It has risen 0.13 ft over the past 24 hours. The forecast expects the river to fall to 1.30 ft by Tuesday, October 20 at 06:00 PM. There is still 18.49 ft of room before flood stage. In the last month it has stayed between 1.24 ft and 2.58 ft.

Compared with 27 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Median for this date: 1.79 ft0.28 ft below the median for this date
Normal for this date: 1.16 ft – 2.96 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (27 years of records)
Same day last year: 1.44 ft+0.07 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days: 1.24 ft – 2.58 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months: 1.15 ft – 11.95 ft
Highest on record: 47.40 ftDecember 4, 1913
Forecast peak: 1.50 ftSunday, October 18 at 09:00 AM

Floating and fishing near Colorado River at Smithville

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

Flood stage here is 20.00 ft, 18.49 ft above the current reading. Beyond it, the National Weather Service also defines moderate and major flood stages.

What happens at each level

34.00 ft: Several tens of homes flood above Smithville in Hidden Shores, Doty River Estates, and Pecan Shores Estates, some to the roofs. Homes flood also below Smithville near Kirtley. Flow reaches near the lowest businesses in Smithville.
30.00 ft: Major flooding inundates homes five miles upstream in Hidden Shores, three miles upstream in Doty River Estates, one mile upstream in Pecan Shores Estates just above Smithville and in Kirtley below Smithville.
28.00 ft: Major flooding inundates homes five miles upstream in Hidden Shores, three miles upstream in Doty River Estates, one mile upstream in Pecan Shores Estates just above Smithville and in Kirtley below Smithville.
25.00 ft: Flow threatens lowest residences five miles upstream at Hidden Shores and three miles upstream at Doty River Estates. Roads and bridges near the river flood and are dangerous to motorists.
23.00 ft: Moderate lowland flooding extends well into the flood plain inundating lowest homes and bridges below Bastrop to above Columbus.
20.00 ft: Minor lowland flooding reaches secondary roads and low water crossings near the river
14.00 ft: Overbank conditions with water covering low areas of the flood plain with no significant impact.
10.00 ft: Flow exceeds lowest sections of the banks.
1.51 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: 11 %.

Rank	Level	Date
1	47.40 ft	December 4, 1913
2	42.50 ft	June 16, 1936
3	36.02 ft	July 27, 1938
4	34.75 ft	October 18, 1998
5	31.91 ft	August 28, 2017
6	31.20 ft	September 29, 1936
7	30.09 ft	May 28, 2016
8	30.02 ft	November 1, 2015
9	29.87 ft	May 27, 2015
10	27.85 ft	November 23, 2004

Weather at the gauge

No rain in the last 3 days.

18 Sun 71° 48° – Wind 7 mph

19 Mon 73° 50° – Wind 8 mph

20 Tue 80° 56° – Wind 8 mph

21 Wed 83° 62° – Wind 8 mph

22 Thu 83° 62° – Wind 8 mph

23 Fri 85° 60° – Wind 10 mph

24 Sat 85° 61° – Wind 11 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:33 AM Sunset 06:56 PM Daylight 11 hr, 23 min First quarter 52%

Map

Other gauges on the Colorado River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Colorado River near San SabaRiver gauge, Colorado River	2.21 ft	Normal	+0.06 ft	118 mi
Colorado River at AustinRiver gauge, Colorado River	12.80 ft	Normal	−0.11 ft	35 mi
Colorado River at BastropRiver gauge, Colorado River	2.81 ft	Normal	−0.10 ft	11 mi
Colorado River above La GrangeRiver gauge, Colorado River	2.44 ft	Very low	+0.07 ft	17 mi
Colorado River at ColumbusRiver gauge, Colorado River	9.28 ft	Low	−0.03 ft	43 mi
Colorado River at WhartonRiver gauge, Colorado River	7.99 ft	Low	−0.09 ft	80 mi
Colorado River near Bay CityRiver gauge, Colorado River	2.62 ft	Low	+0.58 ft	100 mi
Colorado River near WadsworthTidal gauge, Colorado River	1.44 ft	No reference yet	+0.50 ft	111 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Peach Creek at Hwy 90 near WaelderRiver gauge, Peach Creek	3.05 ft	Normal	±0	23 mi
Middle Yegua Creek near Dime BoxRiver gauge, Middle Yegua Creek	0.35 ft	Very low	±0	27 mi
Eastern Tributary to Dry Creek near Del ValleRiver gauge, Eastern Tributary to Dry Creek	10.21 ft	Very low	±0	28 mi
Sandy Fork Creek at Hwy 97 near WaelderRiver gauge, Sandy Fork Creek	2.32 ft	Normal	−0.22 ft	28 mi
Plum Creek at LockhartRiver gauge, Plum Creek	2.00 ft	Normal	+0.03 ft	32 mi
Onion Creek at US Hwy 183, AustinRiver gauge, Onion Creek	4.47 ft	Normal	−0.01 ft	33 mi
E Yegua Creek near Dime BoxRiver gauge, E Yegua Creek	1.20 ft	Very low	−0.05 ft	34 mi
Plum Creek near LulingRiver gauge, Plum Creek	4.49 ft	Low	+0.01 ft	34 mi

Questions and answers

Is the Colorado River at Smithville higher than last year?

Yes, it is 0.07 ft higher than on the same day last year, when the reading was 1.44 ft.

What is flood stage for the Colorado River at Smithville?

The official flood stage is 20.00 ft. The level is currently 18.49 ft below it.

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

The median for mid-October is 1.79 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 1.16 ft and 2.96 ft, based on 27 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 Smithville today?

On Oct 18, 2026, 01:10 PM CDT, the water level was 1.51 ft. Up 0.13 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Colorado River at Smithville rising or falling?

Up 0.13 ft over the last 24 hours. Up 0.15 ft over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Colorado River at Smithville normal?

Normal for mid-October. Compared with 27 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:08159500 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 30.01272, -97.16193 (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	1.51 ft	2026-10-18 18:10	Provisional
Flow	523 cfs	2026-10-18 18:10	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Colorado River at Smithville (usgs:08159500). Accessed October 18, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/texas/colorado-river-at-smithville

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