Lavaca River near Edna water level

Name: Lavaca River near Edna 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, Lavaca River, Texas, United States

Directions

Very low for mid-October

Water level

4.12ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 17, 2026, 11:15 PM CDT (58 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

At 4.12 ft, the Lavaca River near Edna is far below normal for mid-October.

That puts it 1.00 ft below the median of 5.12 ft for mid-October, based on 27 years of readings. It is 16.88 ft below the flood stage of 21.00 ft. A year ago it stood at 4.30 ft (−0.18 ft).

The level has held steady over the past 24 hours. Without real rain upstream, that is unlikely to change quickly. Over the past 30 days it has moved between 4.11 ft and 5.86 ft.

Fall is often low-water season on rivers, and it usually takes a few days of steady rain to change that.

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

Key numbers

Median for this date: 5.12 ft1.00 ft below the median for this date
Normal for this date: 4.21 ft – 7.90 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (27 years of records)
Same day last year: 4.30 ft−0.18 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days: 4.11 ft – 5.86 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months: 4.08 ft – 15.84 ft
Highest on record: 35.49 ftOctober 19, 1994

What the stage means on the water

Low water means more dragging on shallow riffles and slower floats. Fish crowd into the deeper runs, and warm, low water stresses them, so play and release them quickly.

The National Weather Service puts flood stage for this gauge at 21.00 ft, still 16.88 ft away.

What happens at each level

35.00 ft: Disastrous flooding continues with the west approach to the Highway 59 bridge inundated and closed. Several homes in the Lavaca River floodplain upstream of Highway 59 into northern Jackson County are flooded. Hundreds of head of livestock may be cut off and drown in low-lying areas.
34.00 ft: Disastrous flooding continues with water to the low steel of the Highway 59 bridge. Several homes in the floodplain upstream of Highway 59 are flooded with widespread inundation of primary and secondary roads. Hundreds of head of livestock may be cut off and drown in low-lying pasture areas.
33.00 ft: Disasterous flooding occurs with the lowest homes upstream of Highway 59 flooded. There is several feet of water over secondary roads and low bridges. Flow is within inches of spilling over the approaches to the Highway 59 bridge. Hundreds of head of livestock upstream of Highway 59 to below Hallettesville may be isolated and drown.
30.00 ft: Major lowland flooding continues with the river over one half mile side near the Highway 59 bridge. Numerous roads and bridges in the floodplain are inundated and closed. Livestock are isolated well into the floodplain.
28.00 ft: Major lowland flooding begins with the river one half mile wide near the Highway 59 bridge. Primary roads and low bridges are flooded and secondary roads are closed. Livestock are isolated with widespread inundation of crop and pasture land.
25.00 ft: Moderate lowland flooding begins with the river one third of a mile wide near the Highway 59 bridge flooding secondary roads and bridges along the river. Livestock are isolated and potentially drown.
23.00 ft: Flooding along the Lavaca River reaches hundreds of yards into the lower floodplain backing up sloughs and low-lying areas. Minor roads near the river flood and livestock are isolated.
22.00 ft: Flooding along the Lavaca River reaches well into the lower floodplain backing up sloughs and low-lying areas.
21.00 ft: Minor lowland flooding begins with flow backing through preipheral channels adjacent to the river and reaches into sloughs and low-lying areas.
20.00 ft: At levels above 20.0 feet, flows exceed the lowest sections of both banks.
4.12 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: 27 %.

Rank	Level	Date
1	35.49 ft	October 19, 1994
2	33.80 ft	May 25, 1936
3	32.53 ft	August 29, 2017
4	32.51 ft	July 1, 1940
5	32.38 ft	October 19, 1998
6	30.99 ft	June 14, 1973
7	30.38 ft	April 12, 1997
8	29.72 ft	June 19, 2015
9	29.70 ft	November 26, 1940
10	28.57 ft	September 2, 1981

Weather at the gauge

The forecast is not available right now.

Sunrise 07:30 AM Sunset 06:55 PM Daylight 11 hr, 25 min First quarter 46%

Map

Other gauges on the Lavaca River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Lavaca River at HallettsvilleRiver gauge, Lavaca River	3.09 ft	Below flood stage	−0.05 ft	37 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Navidad River at Strane Pk near EdnaRiver gauge, Navidad River	4.97 ft	Low	+0.03 ft	7 mi
Lake Texana near EdnaLake, Lake Texana	41.93 ft	Normal	±0	8 mi
Garcitas Creek near InezRiver gauge, Garcitas Creek	5.56 ft	Normal	−0.07 ft	9 mi
Navidad River at MoralesRiver gauge, Navidad River	6.59 ft	Low	−0.03 ft	13 mi
W Mustang Creek near GanadoRiver gauge, W Mustang Creek	4.24 ft	Very low	+0.04 ft	15 mi
Sandy Creek near GanadoRiver gauge, Sandy Creek	5.46 ft	Low	+0.22 ft	16 mi
Placedo Creek near PlacedoRiver gauge, Placedo Creek	4.31 ft	Normal	+0.12 ft	17 mi
E Mustang Creek near LouiseRiver gauge, E Mustang Creek	2.93 ft	Low	±0	18 mi

Questions and answers

How does the Lavaca River near Edna compare with last year?

It is 0.18 ft lower than on the same day last year, when the reading was 4.30 ft.

What is flood stage for the Lavaca River near Edna?

The official flood stage is 21.00 ft. The level is currently 16.88 ft below it.

What is a normal level for the Lavaca River near Edna in mid-October?

The median for mid-October is 5.12 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 4.21 ft and 7.90 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 Lavaca River near Edna today?

On Oct 17, 2026, 11:15 PM CDT, the water level was 4.12 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Lavaca River near Edna rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of Lavaca River near Edna normal?

Very low 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:08164000 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 28.95998, -96.68637 (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	4.12 ft	2026-10-18 04:15	Provisional
Flow	0.0 cfs	2026-10-18 04:15	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Lavaca River near Edna (usgs:08164000). Accessed October 18, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/texas/lavaca-river-near-edna

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