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Cow Bayou at IH 10 near Vidor water level

River gauge, Cow Bayou, Texas, United States

Directions

Right now

Normal for late October

Water level

0.94ft Up 0.17 ft over the last 24 hours

0.5 1.0 1.5

History

History
-01ftOct 16Oct 17Oct 18Oct 20Oct 21-01ftOct 16Oct 18Oct 21
-012ftSep 22Sep 29Oct 6Oct 13Oct 21-012ftSep 22Oct 6Oct 21
-05ftOct 2025Jan 2026Apr 2026Jul 2026Oct 2026-05ftOct 2025Apr 2026Oct 2026
-05ftJanMarMayJulSepNov2026-05ftJanAprJulOct2026

20252026

Water level Normal range (10–90 %)

What this means

The gauge at Cow Bayou at IH 10 near Vidor reads 0.94 ft, a normal level for late October.

The median for late October is 1.04 ft, based on 5 years of readings, so the river stage is 0.10 ft below typical. On the same day last year the reading was 1.48 ft, a difference of −0.54 ft.

The water is rising: up 0.17 ft over the past 24 hours. Over the past 30 days it has moved between −0.56 ft and 1.95 ft.

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

Compared with 5 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Median for this date
1.04 ft0.10 ft below the median for this date
Normal for this date
0.50 ft – 1.48 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (5 years of records)
Same day last year
1.48 ft−0.54 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days
−0.56 ft – 1.95 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months
−1.00 ft – 6.86 ft

What the stage means on the water

A normal level is usually prime time for floating and wade fishing, as long as the weather holds upstream.

Weather at the gauge

No rain in the last 3 days.

17 Sat 70° 51° – Wind 14 mph
18 Sun 73° 49° – Wind 8 mph
19 Mon 78° 53° – Wind 9 mph
20 Tue 82° 56° – Wind 9 mph
21 Wed 83° 55° – Wind 5 mph
22 Thu 86° 57° – Wind 4 mph
23 Fri 87° 57° – Wind 6 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:22 AM Sunset 06:40 PM Daylight 11 hr, 17 min Waxing gibbous 75%

Map

Other gauges on Cow Bayou

Gauge Level Compared with normal 24 hours Distance
Cow Bayou near MauricevilleRiver gauge, Cow Bayou 3.65 ft Below flood stage −0.01 ft 3.9 mi
Cow Bayou at FM 1442 near OrangefieldTidal gauge, Cow Bayou 0.79 ft Below flood stage +0.14 ft 2.0 mi
Cow Bayou at SH 87 near Bridge CityTidal gauge, Cow Bayou 0.86 ft Below flood stage +0.10 ft 8 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge Level Compared with normal 24 hours Distance
Cole Creek at I-10 near OrangeRiver gauge, Cole Creek 1.61 ft Below flood stage +0.74 ft 3.1 mi
Adams Bayou at FM 3247 near OrangeTidal gauge, Adams Bayou 0.83 ft Below flood stage +0.11 ft 8 mi
Adams Bayou at SH87 near OrangeTidal gauge, Adams Bayou 1.10 ft Below flood stage +0.08 ft 10 mi
Sabine River (at Navy Pier) at OrangeTidal gauge, Sabine River (at Navy Pier) 0.85 ft Below flood stage +0.25 ft 12 mi
Neches River Saltwater Barrier at BeaumontTidal gauge, Neches River Saltwater Barrier 2.86 ft Below flood stage −0.18 ft 12 mi
Rhodair Gully at US 69 near NederlandRiver gauge, Rhodair Gully 1.24 ft High ±0 12 mi
Sabine River at Intl Paper near OrangeRiver gauge, Sabine River 2.00 ft Below flood stage ±0 13 mi

Questions and answers

Is Cow Bayou at IH 10 near Vidor higher than last year?

No, it is 0.54 ft lower than on the same day last year, when the reading was 1.48 ft.

What is a normal level for Cow Bayou at IH 10 near Vidor in late October?

The median for late October is 1.04 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 0.50 ft and 1.48 ft, based on 5 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 Cow Bayou at IH 10 near Vidor today?

On Oct 21, 2026, 12:45 AM CDT, the water level was 0.94 ft. Up 0.17 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Cow Bayou at IH 10 near Vidor rising or falling?

Up 0.17 ft over the last 24 hours. Down 0.56 ft over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Cow Bayou at IH 10 near Vidor normal?

Normal for late October. Compared with 5 years of daily readings for this time of year.

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:08031005 (Agency page)
Coordinates
30.13068, -93.91634 (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 0.94 ft 2026-10-21 05:45 Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Cow Bayou at IH 10 near Vidor (usgs:08031005). Accessed October 21, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/texas/cow-bayou-at-ih-10-near-vidor

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.