Nueces River near Mathis water level

Name: Nueces River near Mathis 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

1.51ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 18, 2026, 02:00 AM CDT (1 hour ago)

Flow: 52.3 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 near Mathis is at 1.51 ft, in the normal range for mid-October.

The median for mid-October is 1.27 ft, based on 36 years of readings, so the river stage is 0.24 ft above typical. It is 23.49 ft below the flood stage of 25.00 ft. On the same day last year the reading was 0.56 ft, a difference of +0.95 ft.

It has barely moved over the past 24 hours. In the last month it has stayed between 0.98 ft and 5.03 ft.

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

Compared with 36 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Median for this date: 1.27 ft0.24 ft above the median for this date
Normal for this date: 0.56 ft – 8.10 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (36 years of records)
Same day last year: 0.56 ft+0.95 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days: 0.98 ft – 5.03 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months: −0.66 ft – 6.67 ft
Highest on record: 48.70 ftSeptember 24, 1967

Floating and fishing near Nueces River near Mathis

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

Flood stage here is 25.00 ft, 23.49 ft above the current reading. Beyond it, the National Weather Service also defines moderate and major flood stages.

What happens at each level

48.70 ft: Flood of record - Septemeber 24, 1967 - remnants of Hurricane Beulah (138,000 cfs).
43.50 ft: Massive life threatening flooding occurs, and severely damages residential areas below Bluntzer to Calallen. Major flooding of the flood plain below Lake Corpus Christi to below Bluntzer, floods roads and bridges near the river. Livestock are cut off and potentially drowned. Just below the dam, water is over the Highway 359 bridge around the right end.
29.34 ft: Major lowland flooding occurs, causing widespread evacuations downstream above Calallen. The west bank residents below Bluntzer may be cut off for several weeks.
28.00 ft: Major lowland flooding occurs, causing widespread evacuations downstream above Calallen. The west bank residents below Bluntzer may be cut off for 4 to 6 weeks.
27.00 ft: Flow moves into a secondary channel, 700 feet left of main channel, resulting in two channels. These channels merge at 43.5 feet.
26.00 ft: Moderate lowland flooding occurs. Many homes downstream between Bluntzer and Calallan become flooded, with residents possibly cut off for weeks.
25.00 ft: Minor lowland flooding occurs. Flow escapes secondary banks of the main channel. There is widespread flooding of the flood plain downstream, between Bluntzer and Calallen, cutting off many homes and residential areas for days and possibly weeks.
20.00 ft: Overbank conditions continue. Residents downstream near Bluntzer may become isolated.
17.00 ft: Many homes in flood prone areas downstream above Calallen are cut off and surrounded by water.
16.00 ft: The river reaches bankfull stage. Short peak releases will flood homes near Calallen.
13.00 ft: Sustained flow will isolate homes downstream near Calallen.
12.00 ft: Flow cuts off the lowest homes downstream above Calallen.
1.51 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: 17 %.

Rank	Level	Date
1	48.70 ft	September 24, 1967
2	41.00 ft	September 20, 1919
3	39.03 ft	September 16, 2002
4	38.38 ft	July 12, 1942
5	38.12 ft	July 17, 2002
6	37.00 ft	June 18, 1935
7	35.30 ft	July 12, 1932
8	35.10 ft	November 23, 1930
9	33.80 ft	January 24, 1968
10	33.06 ft	March 1, 1958

Weather at the gauge

The forecast is not available right now.

Sunrise 07:34 AM Sunset 07:00 PM Daylight 11 hr, 26 min First quarter 47%

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	−0.03 ft	144 mi
Nueces River at FM 1025 near Crystal CityRiver gauge, Nueces River	8.55 ft	No reference yet	−0.02 ft	130 mi
Nueces River near AshertonRiver gauge, Nueces River	2.98 ft	Normal	−0.20 ft	115 mi
Nueces River at CotullaRiver gauge, Nueces River	5.68 ft	Normal	−0.05 ft	88 mi
Nueces River near TildenRiver gauge, Nueces River	2.36 ft	Normal	−0.03 ft	46 mi
Nueces River near Three RiversRiver gauge, Nueces River	1.29 ft	Very low	±0	33 mi
Nueces River at BluntzerRiver gauge, Nueces River	7.70 ft	Normal	+0.19 ft	9 mi
Nueces River at CalallenRiver gauge, Nueces River	3.75 ft	Very low	+0.13 ft	18 mi
Nueces River near OdemRiver gauge, Nueces River	1.47 ft	Low	+0.46 ft	17 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Lake Corpus Christi near MathisLake, Lake Corpus Christi	91.46 ft	Highest on record	−0.14 ft	0.7 mi
Lagarto Creek near George WestRiver gauge, Lagarto Creek	3.84 ft	Normal	+0.01 ft	15 mi
Chiltipin Creek at US 77 near SintonRiver gauge, Chiltipin Creek	23.89 ft	Very low	+0.03 ft	20 mi
San Fernando Creek at AliceRiver gauge, San Fernando Creek	0.70 ft	Normal	−0.01 ft	21 mi
Aransas River near SkidmoreRiver gauge, Aransas River	0.33 ft	Very low	−0.03 ft	22 mi
San Diego Creek at AliceRiver gauge, San Diego Creek	7.08 ft	Below flood stage	−2.69 ft	23 mi
Petronila Creek at FM 665 near DriscollRiver gauge, Petronila Creek	2.3 cfs	Normal	−0.5 cfs	28 mi

Questions and answers

Is the Nueces River near Mathis higher than last year?

Yes, it is 0.95 ft higher than on the same day last year, when the reading was 0.56 ft.

What is flood stage for the Nueces River near Mathis?

The official flood stage is 25.00 ft. The level is currently 23.49 ft below it.

What is a normal level for the Nueces River near Mathis in mid-October?

The median for mid-October is 1.27 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 0.56 ft and 8.10 ft, based on 36 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 near Mathis today?

On Oct 18, 2026, 02:00 AM CDT, the water level was 1.51 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Nueces River near Mathis rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours. Up 0.15 ft over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Nueces River near Mathis normal?

Normal for mid-October. Compared with 36 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:08211000 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 28.03835, -97.86028 (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	1.51 ft	2026-10-18 07:00	Provisional
Flow	52.3 cfs	2026-10-18 07:00	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Nueces River near Mathis (usgs:08211000). Accessed October 18, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/texas/nueces-river-near-mathis

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