Mission River at Refugio water level

Name: Mission River at Refugio 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, Mission River, Texas, United States

Directions

Very low for mid-October

Water level

1.41ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 17, 2026, 10:00 PM CDT (49 min ago)

Flow: 0.2 cfs

History

7 days 30 days 1 year Years compared

20252026

Water level Normal range (10–90 %) Minor flood stage

What this means

At 1.41 ft, the Mission River at Refugio is far below normal for mid-October.

That puts it 0.76 ft below the median of 2.18 ft for mid-October, based on 28 years of readings. It is 21.59 ft below the flood stage of 23.00 ft. A year ago it stood at 1.85 ft (−0.44 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 1.41 ft and 2.50 ft.

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

Compared with 28 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Median for this date: 2.18 ft0.76 ft below the median for this date
Normal for this date: 1.85 ft – 4.57 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (28 years of records)
Same day last year: 1.85 ft−0.44 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days: 1.41 ft – 2.50 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months: 1.37 ft – 14.71 ft
Highest on record: 38.25 ftSeptember 12, 1971

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 23.00 ft, still 21.59 ft away.

What happens at each level

38.25 ft: This is the flood of record, which occurred on September 12 1971. Many homes in and below Refugio will be flooded.
37.00 ft: Major flooding occurs, and puts water up to six feet deep in homes in northwest Refugio. Several miles of the lowest homes below Refugio in the River Oaks Subdivision flood, and most roads and low bridges near the river are flooded and are very dangerous to cross.
35.00 ft: Major flooding occurs. Around twenty homes flood in the northwest section of Refugio, with up to four feet of water in them. The Mission River exceeds its banks below Refugio, and puts water under homes on stilts in the River Oaks Subdivision.
30.00 ft: Major lowland flooding occurs. Flow is to the slab elevation of the lowest homes in the northwest section of Refugio, and requires evacuations.
26.00 ft: Moderate lowland flooding occurs. Flooding occurs in the city park including the pavillion building.
23.00 ft: Minor lowland flooding occurs. The lowest areas of the city park and facilities, including the pavillion building are flooded. Much of park is also flooded.
20.00 ft: Bankfull conditions occur as flow reaches lowest areas of the flood plain.
1.41 ft: Right now

Impact statements from the U.S. National Weather Service.

Highest crests on record

Rank	Level	Date
1	38.25 ft	September 12, 1971
2	36.50 ft	September 21, 1967
3	34.85 ft	July 1, 1990
4	33.30 ft	July 7, 1942
5	32.30 ft	August 1, 1914
6	32.30 ft	May 17, 1938
7	31.24 ft	July 11, 2021
8	30.80 ft	October 19, 1998
9	29.95 ft	July 6, 2007
10	29.10 ft	December 23, 1992

Weather at the gauge

The forecast is not available right now.

Sunrise 07:32 AM Sunset 06:58 PM Daylight 11 hr, 26 min First quarter 46%

Map

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Copano Creek near RefugioRiver gauge, Copano Creek	2.33 ft	Low	±0	10 mi
Aransas River near SkidmoreRiver gauge, Aransas River	0.32 ft	Very low	−0.04 ft	21 mi
San Antonio River near McFaddinRiver gauge, San Antonio River	15.02 ft	Normal	+0.35 ft	22 mi
Chiltipin Creek at US 77 near SintonRiver gauge, Chiltipin Creek	23.89 ft	Very low	+0.03 ft	23 mi
San Antonio River at GoliadRiver gauge, San Antonio River	3.85 ft	Normal	±0	26 mi
Medio Creek near BeevilleRiver gauge, Medio Creek	3.90 ft	Very low	±0	26 mi
Guadalupe River near TivoliRiver gauge, Guadalupe River	2.33 ft	Very low	+0.26 ft	28 mi
Guadalupe River at SH 35 near TivoliTidal gauge, Guadalupe River	10.64 ft	Low	+0.48 ft	28 mi

Questions and answers

How does the Mission River at Refugio compare with last year?

It is 0.44 ft lower than on the same day last year, when the reading was 1.85 ft.

What is flood stage for the Mission River at Refugio?

The official flood stage is 23.00 ft. The level is currently 21.59 ft below it.

What is a normal level for the Mission River at Refugio in mid-October?

The median for mid-October is 2.18 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 1.85 ft and 4.57 ft, based on 28 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 Mission River at Refugio today?

On Oct 17, 2026, 10:00 PM CDT, the water level was 1.41 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Mission River at Refugio rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours. Down 1.06 ft over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Mission River at Refugio normal?

Very low for mid-October. Compared with 28 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:08189500 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 28.29194, -97.27918 (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	1.41 ft	2026-10-18 03:00	Provisional
Flow	0.2 cfs	2026-10-18 03:00	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Mission River at Refugio (usgs:08189500). Accessed October 18, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/texas/mission-river-at-refugio

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