Nueces River at Cotulla water level

Name: Nueces River at Cotulla 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

5.71ft Down 0.05 ft over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 17, 2026, 12:00 PM CDT (1 hour ago)

Flow: 61.8 cfs

History

7 days 30 days 1 year Years compared

20252026

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

What this means

The Nueces River at Cotulla is at 5.71 ft, in the normal range for mid-October.

That puts it 1.56 ft below the median of 7.27 ft for mid-October, based on 34 years of readings. It is 9.29 ft below the flood stage of 15.00 ft. A year ago it stood at 3.58 ft (+2.13 ft).

It has dropped 0.05 ft over the past 24 hours. In the last month it has stayed between 4.34 ft and 5.87 ft.

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

Compared with 34 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Median for this date: 7.27 ft1.56 ft below the median for this date
Normal for this date: 3.84 ft – 11.51 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (34 years of records)
Same day last year: 3.58 ft+2.13 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days: 4.34 ft – 5.87 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months: 3.58 ft – 28.84 ft
Highest on record: 32.40 ftJune 18, 1935

Floating and fishing near Nueces River at Cotulla

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

Flood stage here is 15.00 ft, 9.29 ft above the current reading. Beyond it, the National Weather Service also defines moderate and major flood stages.

What happens at each level

38.00 ft: The base of us Highway 81 bridge is flooded.
20.00 ft: Major and massive lowland flooding occurs. Evacuations of livestock and a few residential properties along the river required. Many roads near the river will flood, including FM 3408 from I-35, Valley Wells Road, the frontage road near mile marker 67. Flooding also occurs on Dobie Road including in and around Highway 624. FM 624 also floods south of Highway 97 toward Fowlerton.
18.00 ft: Major widespread lowland flooding occurs, and many cattle have to be evacuated. Many roads near the river begin or are near flood, including FM 3408 from I-35, Valley Wells Road, the frontage road at mile marker 67. Flooding occurs on portions of Dobie Road including in and around Highway 624, and South of Highway 97.
17.00 ft: Major lowland flooding above Cotulla to below Tilden. Irrigation equipment, oil well pump jacks and tank batteries, hunting cabins and livestock cut off in wide areas of the flood plain.
15.00 ft: Moderate lowland flooding occurs. The peripheral channels between Cotulla and Tilden cut off areas of the flood plain, and isolate or drown cattle. Irrigation pumps, oil field tanks, and hunting cabins are flooded near the river.
12.00 ft: Overbank conditions occur as the flow reaches low areas of the flood plain. The river overbanks the flow in marshy land downstream, and cuts off areas of the flood plain. Some livestock are potentially affected downstream.
9.00 ft: The river flows over its banks in the marshy land downstream, and cuts off areas of the flood plain. Some livestock are potentially affected downstream.
5.71 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: 19 %.

Rank	Level	Date
1	32.40 ft	June 18, 1935
2	29.70 ft	June 19, 1999
3	29.03 ft	July 22, 2026
4	23.20 ft	June 16, 1981
5	22.81 ft	October 17, 2013
6	21.60 ft	July 16, 2002
7	21.38 ft	July 8, 2002
8	20.96 ft	September 30, 2017
9	20.96 ft	March 30, 2016
10	20.82 ft	October 23, 2018

Weather at the gauge

No rain in the last 3 days.

17 Sat 69° 53° – Wind 14 mph

18 Sun 73° 51° – Wind 8 mph

19 Mon 81° 58° – Wind 17 mph

20 Tue 84° 70° – Wind 14 mph

21 Wed 85° 69° 0.01 in Wind 14 mph

22 Thu 87° 66° – Wind 14 mph

23 Fri 87° 64° – Wind 16 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:39 AM Sunset 07:06 PM Daylight 11 hr, 27 min First quarter 42%

Map

Other gauges on the Nueces River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Nueces River near BarksdaleRiver gauge, Nueces River	13.26 ft	Normal	−0.01 ft	102 mi
Nueces River at CR 414 at MontellRiver gauge, Nueces River	1.38 ft	No reference yet	−0.01 ft	89 mi
Nueces River at LagunaRiver gauge, Nueces River	1.95 ft	Normal	−0.01 ft	83 mi
Nueces River below UvaldeRiver gauge, Nueces River	1.31 ft	Low	−0.03 ft	62 mi
Nueces River at FM 1025 near Crystal CityRiver gauge, Nueces River	8.57 ft	No reference yet	−3.96 ft	43 mi
Nueces River near AshertonRiver gauge, Nueces River	3.08 ft	Normal	−0.21 ft	27 mi
Nueces River near TildenRiver gauge, Nueces River	2.38 ft	Normal	−0.02 ft	42 mi
Nueces River near Three RiversRiver gauge, Nueces River	1.29 ft	Very low	+0.02 ft	65 mi
Nueces River near MathisRiver gauge, Nueces River	1.49 ft	Normal	+0.14 ft	88 mi
Nueces River at BluntzerRiver gauge, Nueces River	7.56 ft	Normal	+0.11 ft	95 mi
Nueces River at CalallenRiver gauge, Nueces River	3.66 ft	Very low	−0.19 ft	105 mi
Nueces River near OdemRiver gauge, Nueces River	1.66 ft	No reference yet	−0.17 ft	105 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Frio River near DerbyRiver gauge, Frio River	−0.82 ft	Very low	±0	22 mi
San Casimiro Creek near FreerRiver gauge, San Casimiro Creek	3.86 ft	Very low	±0	36 mi

Questions and answers

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

It is 2.13 ft higher than on the same day last year, when the reading was 3.58 ft.

What is flood stage for the Nueces River at Cotulla?

The official flood stage is 15.00 ft. The level is currently 9.29 ft below it.

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

The median for mid-October is 7.27 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 3.84 ft and 11.51 ft, based on 34 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 Cotulla today?

On Oct 17, 2026, 12:00 PM CDT, the water level was 5.71 ft. Down 0.05 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Nueces River at Cotulla rising or falling?

Down 0.05 ft over the last 24 hours. Up 1.37 ft over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Nueces River at Cotulla normal?

Normal for mid-October. Compared with 34 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:08194000 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 28.42638, -99.24003 (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	5.71 ft	2026-10-17 17:00	Provisional
Flow	61.8 cfs	2026-10-17 17:00	Provisional

Download

Embed this gauge

Add a live card for this gauge to your website. It updates on its own and links back here.

<iframe src="https://nivelmap.com/embed/14773?lang=en" width="360" height="230" style="border:0;max-width:100%" loading="lazy" title="Nueces River at Cotulla water level"></iframe>

How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Nueces River at Cotulla (usgs:08194000). Accessed October 17, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/texas/nueces-river-at-cotulla

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