Elm Creek at Ballinger water level

Name: Elm Creek at Ballinger 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, Elm Creek, Texas, United States

Directions

Normal for mid-October

Water level

3.35ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 18, 2026, 01:15 PM CDT (41 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

Elm Creek at Ballinger is at 3.35 ft, in the normal range for mid-October.

The median for mid-October is 3.54 ft, based on 30 years of readings, so the river stage is 0.19 ft below typical. It is 3.65 ft below the flood stage of 7.00 ft. On the same day last year the reading was 3.36 ft, a difference of −0.01 ft.

It has barely moved over the past 24 hours. In the last month it has stayed between 3.34 ft and 3.35 ft.

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

Compared with 30 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Median for this date: 3.54 ft0.19 ft below the median for this date
Normal for this date: 2.85 ft – 4.00 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (30 years of records)
Same day last year: 3.36 ft−0.01 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days: 3.34 ft – 3.35 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months: 3.34 ft – 5.75 ft
Highest on record: 14.20 ftOctober 13, 1957

Floating and fishing near Elm Creek at Ballinger

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

Flood stage here is 7.00 ft, 3.65 ft above the current reading. Beyond it, the National Weather Service also defines moderate and major flood stages.

What happens at each level

14.00 ft: Major flooding will occur in the Ballinger City Park. Secondary roads and low water crossings will be flooded and impassible.
10.00 ft: Moderate flooding will occur. The city park, swimming pool and golf course will be flooded. Secondary roads and low water crossings will flood.
7.00 ft: Minor flooding will occur. The city park and swimming pool area will begin to flood.
3.35 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	14.20 ft	October 13, 1957
2	11.90 ft	May 1, 1956
3	11.80 ft	October 13, 1981
4	10.84 ft	May 14, 1946
5	10.38 ft	April 12, 1954
6	10.30 ft	September 3, 1935
7	9.17 ft	August 3, 1978
8	9.06 ft	June 23, 1997
9	8.65 ft	May 18, 1955
10	8.60 ft	June 19, 1939

Weather at the gauge

Rain in the last 3 days: 0.83 in. Rain that falls upstream can take hours or days to show up at a river gauge.

17 Sat 64° 42° – Wind 7 mph

18 Sun 66° 43° – Wind 9 mph

19 Mon 74° 45° – Wind 12 mph

20 Tue 76° 58° – Wind 11 mph

21 Wed 80° 59° – Wind 10 mph

22 Thu 82° 63° – Wind 11 mph

23 Fri 82° 61° – Wind 18 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:46 AM Sunset 07:05 PM Daylight 11 hr, 20 min First quarter 52%

Map

Other gauges on Elm Creek

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Elm Creek at FM 89 near Buffalo GapRiver gauge, Elm Creek	5.27 ft	Very high	+1.81 ft	37 mi
Elm Creek at AbileneRiver gauge, Elm Creek	0.5 cfs	Normal	−7.5 cfs	54 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Colorado River near BallingerRiver gauge, Colorado River	4.06 ft	Low	+0.01 ft	5.2 mi
Concho River at Paint RockRiver gauge, Concho River	12.46 ft	Normal	+0.01 ft	16 mi
Hords Creek Lake near ValeraLake, Hords Creek Lake	1,888.18 ft	Normal	−0.02 ft	23 mi
O. H. Ivie Reservoir near VossReservoir, O. H. Ivie Reservoir	228,500 acre‑ft	Normal	−300 acre‑ft	24 mi
Oak Creek Reservoir near BlackwellReservoir, Oak Creek Reservoir	1,973.34 ft	Very low	−0.01 ft	28 mi
Colorado River near StacyRiver gauge, Colorado River	3.94 ft	High	−0.19 ft	28 mi
Hords Creek near ColemanRiver gauge, Hords Creek	0.0 cfs	Normal	±0	31 mi
Colorado River at Robert LeeRiver gauge, Colorado River	0.88 ft	Low	−0.08 ft	33 mi

Questions and answers

Is Elm Creek at Ballinger higher than last year?

No, it is 0.01 ft lower than on the same day last year, when the reading was 3.36 ft.

What is flood stage for Elm Creek at Ballinger?

The official flood stage is 7.00 ft. The level is currently 3.65 ft below it.

What is a normal level for Elm Creek at Ballinger in mid-October?

The median for mid-October is 3.54 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 2.85 ft and 4.00 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 Elm Creek at Ballinger today?

On Oct 18, 2026, 01:15 PM CDT, the water level was 3.35 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Elm Creek at Ballinger rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours. Steady over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Elm Creek at Ballinger normal?

Normal 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:08127000 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 31.74932, -99.94786 (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	3.35 ft	2026-10-18 18:15	Provisional
Flow	0.0 cfs	2026-10-18 18:15	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Elm Creek at Ballinger (usgs:08127000). Accessed October 18, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/texas/elm-creek-at-ballinger

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