Navidad River near Speaks water level

Name: Navidad River near Speaks 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, Navidad River, Texas, United States

Directions

Very low for mid-October

Water level

2.06ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 18, 2026, 07:00 PM CDT (57 min ago)

History

7 days 30 days 1 year Years compared

20252026

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

What this means

At 2.06 ft, the Navidad River near Speaks is far below normal for mid-October.

That puts it 1.17 ft below the median of 3.23 ft for mid-October, based on 20 years of readings. It is 21.94 ft below the flood stage of 24.00 ft. A year ago it stood at 2.08 ft (−0.02 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 1.80 ft and 2.63 ft.

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

Compared with 20 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Median for this date: 3.23 ft1.17 ft below the median for this date
Normal for this date: 2.33 ft – 4.47 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (20 years of records)
Same day last year: 2.08 ft−0.02 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days: 1.80 ft – 2.63 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months: 1.80 ft – 18.94 ft
Highest on record: 32.79 ftAugust 29, 2017

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 24.00 ft, still 21.94 ft away.

What happens at each level

33.00 ft: Disastrous flooding occurs with the lowest homes upstream near Vienna and in the lower part of Lavaca and northern parts of Jackson counties are flooded. Flows are over one mile wide in much of the floodplain and numerous roads and bridges are impassable. Hundreds of head of livestock are cut off and can drown.
29.00 ft: Major lowland flooding continues with the river close to one mile wide near Speaks and FM 530 cutting off large areas of the floodplain. Several roads and bridges near the river are inundated and impassable. Homes in low-lying areas of the floodplain upstream near Vienna and in the lowwer part of Lavaca County are threatened. Hundreds of head of livestock are threatened.
28.00 ft: Major lowland flooding begins with the river several hundred yards wide in the vicinity of the gauge. Approaches to the FM 530 bridge are flooded and impassable. Much of the floodplain is cut off endangering livestock.
27.00 ft: Moderate lowland flooding begins with the approaches to the FM 530 bridge inundated and the gage cut off. Large areas of the floodplain are cut off potentially isolated and drowning cattle.
24.00 ft: Minor lowland flooding begins with the river one hundred yards wide in the vicinity of the gage. The approaches to the FM 530 bridge are flooded.
21.00 ft: Flows exceed the lowest sections of both banks.
2.06 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: 10 %.

Rank	Level	Date
1	32.79 ft	August 29, 2017
2	30.24 ft	October 18, 1998
3	28.20 ft	April 19, 2009
4	27.89 ft	May 14, 1982
5	27.75 ft	June 17, 2015
6	27.73 ft	April 20, 2016
7	26.32 ft	October 14, 1997
8	25.62 ft	June 8, 1997
9	25.29 ft	November 26, 1985
10	25.03 ft	October 5, 2009

Weather at the gauge

No rain in the last 3 days.

18 Sun 73° 48° – Wind 7 mph

19 Mon 78° 53° – Wind 9 mph

20 Tue 85° 58° – Wind 12 mph

21 Wed 88° 67° – Wind 9 mph

22 Thu 87° 64° – Wind 8 mph

23 Fri 88° 61° – Wind 13 mph

24 Sat 88° 63° – Wind 15 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:31 AM Sunset 06:54 PM Daylight 11 hr, 22 min First quarter 54%

Map

Other gauges on the Navidad River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Navidad River near HallettsvilleRiver gauge, Navidad River	4.54 ft	Very low	+0.03 ft	12 mi
Navidad River at MoralesRiver gauge, Navidad River	6.59 ft	Low	±0	13 mi
Navidad River at Strane Pk near EdnaRiver gauge, Navidad River	4.95 ft	Low	−0.03 ft	18 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
W Sandy Creek at FM 2437 near SheridanRiver gauge, W Sandy Creek	193.18 ft	Low	+0.17 ft	9 mi
Sandy Creek near GanadoRiver gauge, Sandy Creek	5.49 ft	Low	+0.06 ft	15 mi
Clarks Creek at US 77 near Sweet HomeRiver gauge, Clarks Creek	149.13 ft	Low	−1.04 ft	16 mi
Lavaca River at HallettsvilleRiver gauge, Lavaca River	3.19 ft	Below flood stage	−0.03 ft	16 mi
W Mustang Creek near GanadoRiver gauge, W Mustang Creek	4.23 ft	Very low	+0.01 ft	23 mi
E Mustang Creek near LouiseRiver gauge, E Mustang Creek	2.96 ft	Low	+0.03 ft	25 mi
Lavaca River near EdnaRiver gauge, Lavaca River	4.13 ft	Very low	+0.02 ft	25 mi

Questions and answers

How does the Navidad River near Speaks compare with last year?

It is 0.02 ft lower than on the same day last year, when the reading was 2.08 ft.

What is flood stage for the Navidad River near Speaks?

The official flood stage is 24.00 ft. The level is currently 21.94 ft below it.

What is a normal level for the Navidad River near Speaks in mid-October?

The median for mid-October is 3.23 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 2.33 ft and 4.47 ft, based on 20 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 Navidad River near Speaks today?

On Oct 18, 2026, 07:00 PM CDT, the water level was 2.06 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Navidad River near Speaks rising or falling?

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

Is the level of Navidad River near Speaks normal?

Very low for mid-October. Compared with 20 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:08164350 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 29.32191, -96.70914 (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	2.06 ft	2026-10-19 00:00	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Navidad River near Speaks (usgs:08164350). Accessed October 19, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/texas/navidad-river-near-speaks

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