Nueces River at Bluntzer water level

Name: Nueces River at Bluntzer 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, Nueces River, Texas, United States

Directions

Normal for mid-October

Water level

7.79ft Up 0.22 ft over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 18, 2026, 01:00 PM CDT (39 min ago)

Flow: 65.0 cfs
Water temperature: 71 °F

History

7 days 30 days 1 year Years compared

20252026

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

What this means

Water levels are unremarkable at Nueces River at Bluntzer, where the gauge shows 7.79 ft.

That puts it 0.59 ft above the median of 7.20 ft for mid-October, based on 31 years of readings. It is 10.21 ft below the flood stage of 18.00 ft. A year ago it stood at 6.73 ft (+1.06 ft).

It is on the way up, by 0.22 ft over the past 24 hours. There is still 10.21 ft of room before flood stage. The 30-day range is 7.42 ft – 10.74 ft.

Fall is often low-water season on rivers, until steadier rain returns. The sensor also reports a water temperature of 71 °F.

Compared with 31 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Median for this date: 7.20 ft0.59 ft above the median for this date
Normal for this date: 6.55 ft – 18.86 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (31 years of records)
Same day last year: 6.73 ft+1.06 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days: 7.42 ft – 10.74 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months: 5.60 ft – 17.37 ft
Highest on record: 32.22 ftSeptember 16, 2002

Paddling and fishing conditions

Most paddlers and anglers will find the river in good shape at this stage.

For reference, flood stage is 18.00 ft.

What happens at each level

41.00 ft: Flooding is massive downstream above Calallen. Most secondary and primary roads and low bridges near the river flood badly. Residential areas in the subdivisions of Sandy Hallow, Los Dos Palomas, Los Escondido, and along the Oak Lane in Rio Encinos will have at least a few feet of water. Livestock in the flood plain are cut off possibly for weeks and could drown. These conditions could last for weeks.
37.00 ft: There is massive residential flooding downstream above Calallen...with several feet of water at times. The residential flooding includes the following subdivisions: Sandy Hallow, Los Dos Palomas, Los Escondido, and along the Oak Lane in Rio Encinos. Secondary roads, primary roads and low bridges are flooded, with water a few feet deep. Livestock in the flood plain are cut off possibly for weeks and could drown. Residences upstream on right bank are also affected.
36.00 ft: There is massive residential flooding downstream above Calallen, often lasting for weeks. The residences include the homes in the following subdivisions: Sandy Hallow, Los Dos Palomas, Los Escondido, and along the Oak Lane in Rio Encinos. Most secondary roads, primary roads and low bridges are flooded, with water possibly a few feet deep. Livestock in the flood plain are cut off possibly for weeks and could drown.
35.00 ft: Major lowland flooding occurs above Bluntzer to below Calallen, and produces widespread residential flooding above Calallen possibly for weeks. This includes the homes in the following subdivisions: Sandy Hallow, Los Dos Palomas, Los Escondido, and along the Oak Lane in Rio Encinos. Most secondary roads, primary roads and low bridges are flooded, with water possibly a few feet deep. Livestock in the flood plain are cut off possibly for weeks and could drown.
31.00 ft: Major lowland flooding occurs from near Blutzer to Calallen. Widespread residential flooding likely will occur for weeks. This includes homes in the following subdivisions: Sandy Hallow, Los Dos Palomas, Los Escondido, and along Oak Lane in Rio Encinos. Many secondary roads, primary roads, and low bridges are flooded, with water possibly a few feet deep. Livestock are cut off possibly for weeks and could drown.
27.00 ft: Major lowland flooding occurs from near Blutzer to Calallen. Widespread residential flooding occurs for days or weeks. This includes homes in the following subdivisions, Sandy Hallow, Los Dos Palomas, Los Escondido, and along Oak Lane in Rio Encinos. Many secondary roads, primary roads, and low bridges are flooded, with water possibly a foot or more deep. The flow is out of the channel and into prevailing left flood plain.
24.00 ft: Major lowland flooding occurs from near Blutzer to Calallen. Widespread residential flooding occurs for days or weeks. This includes homes in the following subdivisions, Sandy Hallow, Los Dos Palomas, Los Escondido, and along Oak Lane in Rio Encinos. Many secondary roads, primary roads, and low bridges are flooded. The flow is out of the channel and into prevailing left flood plain.
22.00 ft: Flow cuts off the lowest residential areas downstream above Calallen for days or weeks. Numerous secondary roads and low bridges are under water, from below Bluntzer to below Calallen.
21.00 ft: Moderate lowland flooding occurs on the right bank. This peak flow will flood homes downstream near Calallen.
18.00 ft: Minor lowland flooding occurs. Sustained flow at this rate floods homes downstream near Calallen.
17.00 ft: Flow cuts off the lowest homes downstream above Calallen.
16.00 ft: Overbank conditions occur. Flow approaches the lowest residential areas downstream above Calallen.
7.79 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: 34 %.

Rank	Level	Date
1	32.22 ft	September 16, 2002
2	31.78 ft	July 17, 2002
3	30.80 ft	July 14, 2007
4	30.06 ft	May 22, 2015
5	29.73 ft	August 1, 2007
6	29.47 ft	July 8, 2002
7	29.41 ft	October 23, 2003
8	28.63 ft	May 15, 2004
9	28.59 ft	November 2, 2018
10	28.05 ft	June 4, 2015

Weather at the gauge

Rain in the last 3 days: 0.33 in. Rain that falls upstream can take hours or days to show up at a river gauge.

18 Sun 75° 49° – Wind 9 mph

19 Mon 78° 60° – Wind 10 mph

20 Tue 86° 67° – Wind 17 mph

21 Wed 82° 73° 0.04 in Wind 13 mph

22 Thu 85° 68° – Wind 13 mph

23 Fri 84° 68° – Wind 15 mph

24 Sat 82° 72° – Wind 15 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:34 AM Sunset 07:00 PM Daylight 11 hr, 26 min First quarter 52%

Map

Other gauges on the Nueces River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Nueces River below UvaldeRiver gauge, Nueces River	1.29 ft	Low	−0.02 ft	153 mi
Nueces River at FM 1025 near Crystal CityRiver gauge, Nueces River	8.55 ft	No reference yet	−0.02 ft	138 mi
Nueces River near AshertonRiver gauge, Nueces River	2.93 ft	Normal	−0.15 ft	122 mi
Nueces River at CotullaRiver gauge, Nueces River	5.66 ft	Normal	−0.05 ft	95 mi
Nueces River near TildenRiver gauge, Nueces River	2.36 ft	Normal	−0.02 ft	54 mi
Nueces River near Three RiversRiver gauge, Nueces River	1.29 ft	Very low	±0	42 mi
Nueces River near MathisRiver gauge, Nueces River	1.30 ft	Normal	−0.21 ft	9 mi
Nueces River at CalallenRiver gauge, Nueces River	3.99 ft	Very low	+0.33 ft	10 mi
Nueces River near OdemRiver gauge, Nueces River	1.72 ft	Normal	+0.14 ft	9 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Lake Corpus Christi near MathisLake, Lake Corpus Christi	91.44 ft	Highest on record	−0.06 ft	9 mi
Chiltipin Creek at US 77 near SintonRiver gauge, Chiltipin Creek	23.91 ft	Low	+0.04 ft	17 mi
Petronila Creek at FM 665 near DriscollRiver gauge, Petronila Creek	1.9 cfs	Normal	−0.6 cfs	19 mi
San Fernando Creek at AliceRiver gauge, San Fernando Creek	0.70 ft	Normal	−0.01 ft	19 mi
Lagarto Creek near George WestRiver gauge, Lagarto Creek	3.87 ft	High	±0	21 mi
San Diego Creek at AliceRiver gauge, San Diego Creek	7.08 ft	Below flood stage	−2.70 ft	22 mi
Oso Creek at Corpus ChristiRiver gauge, Oso Creek	5.78 ft	Normal	±0	23 mi

Questions and answers

How does the Nueces River at Bluntzer compare with last year?

It is 1.06 ft higher than on the same day last year, when the reading was 6.73 ft.

What is flood stage for the Nueces River at Bluntzer?

The official flood stage is 18.00 ft. The level is currently 10.21 ft below it.

What is a normal level for the Nueces River at Bluntzer in mid-October?

The median for mid-October is 7.20 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 6.55 ft and 18.86 ft, based on 31 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 Nueces River at Bluntzer today?

On Oct 18, 2026, 01:00 PM CDT, the water level was 7.79 ft. Up 0.22 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Nueces River at Bluntzer rising or falling?

Up 0.22 ft over the last 24 hours. Down 0.36 ft over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Nueces River at Bluntzer normal?

Normal for mid-October. Compared with 31 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:08211200 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 27.93780, -97.77583 (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	7.79 ft	2026-10-18 18:00	Provisional
Flow	65.0 cfs	2026-10-18 18:00	Provisional
Water temperature	71 °F	2026-10-18 18:00	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Nueces River at Bluntzer (usgs:08211200). Accessed October 18, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/texas/nueces-river-at-bluntzer

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