Nueces River near Three Rivers water level

Name: Nueces River near Three Rivers 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

Very low for mid-October

Water level

1.29ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 18, 2026, 06:15 PM CDT (54 min ago)

Flow: 26.4 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 Three Rivers is running far below normal at 1.29 ft.

The median for mid-October is 1.67 ft, based on 35 years of readings, so the river stage is 0.38 ft below typical. It is 23.71 ft below the flood stage of 25.00 ft. On the same day last year the reading was 1.38 ft, a difference of −0.09 ft.

It has barely moved over the past 24 hours. Without real rain upstream, that is unlikely to change quickly. In the last month it has stayed between 1.09 ft and 1.54 ft.

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

Compared with 35 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Median for this date: 1.67 ft0.38 ft below the median for this date
Normal for this date: 1.37 ft – 11.62 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (35 years of records)
Same day last year: 1.38 ft−0.09 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days: 1.09 ft – 1.54 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months: 1.09 ft – 39.21 ft
Highest on record: 49.21 ftSeptember 23, 1967

Floating and fishing near Nueces River near Three Rivers

Low water exposes gravel bars that make good wading access, but some boat ramps may be left high and dry.

Flood stage here is 25.00 ft, 23.71 ft above the current reading. Beyond it, the National Weather Service also defines moderate and major flood stages.

What happens at each level

49.21 ft: This is the flood of record, occuring on September 23, 1967 - Hurricane Beulah. At this level, flow occurred through 3 channels and in the downtown area. The downtown area was under 6 feet of water.
48.00 ft: The river is at the bottom steel of the Highway 281 bridge.
46.00 ft: Boats were used in downtown area of Three Rivers during the 1919 flood. Water is over the County Road 151 bridge south of George West.
44.44 ft: This was the same stage which occurred during the 2002 flood.
43.00 ft: A dozen homes are flooded in the Buckeye Knoll Subdivision located about 2 miles west of Swinny Switch. Several dozen homes are flooded along the rivers edge on Lucy Lane and Dam Road, located about 1 mile northwest of Swinny Switch.
42.00 ft: This stage occurred in the 1932 flood. There is up to 6 feet of water in the River Creek Acres Subdivision, flooding several homes. The lowest residences and buildings near the south edge of Three Rivers could be threatened with flooding. Several homes begin to flood along the river edge in the Buckeye Knoll Subdivision, located about 2 miles west of Swinney Switch. Water approaches the base of several dozen homes along river edge on Lucy Lane and Dam Road located about 1 mile northwest of Swinny Switch.
40.00 ft: Significant flooding reaches miles from the main channel, flooding homes in the flood plain near Three Rivers to Lake Corpus Christi. Up to 4 feet of water is in River Creek Acres Subdivision, flooding several homes. Kellner Camp along County Road 336 floods, with water several feet deep surrounding homes. Antelope Lane is flooded cutting off access to J.I. Hailey Subdivision at Jones River bend. Water approaches the base of homes along the river in Buckeye Knoll Subdivision, 2 miles west of Swinny Switch.
38.00 ft: Water approaches the base of homes in Kellner Camp along County Road 336.
37.29 ft: Widespread lowland flooding occurs. Minor roads are closed. Airport Road boat ramp near Live Oak County Airport is flooded and closed. Major flooding occurs in the River Creek Acres Subdivision, with several feet of water and several homes flooded. Residents in the J.I. Hailey Subdivision at Jones River bend have trouble getting out as water covers much of Antelope Lane.
36.00 ft: Several homes flood in the River Creek Acres Subdivision, five miles southeast of George West. Widespread flooding cuts off and potentially drowns livestock. Roads and bridges near the river flood and are impassable. There is significant additional lowland flooding above this level. Flow reaches Antelope Lane in the J.I. Hailey Subdivision at Jones River bend.
35.00 ft: Major lowland flooding occurs. Flow backs up minor creeks to the slabs of lowest homes in the River Creek Acres Subdivision, five miles southeast of George West, requiring evacuations. Livestock are cut off and could drown in low areas.
32.00 ft: The Nueces River backs up minor creeks to near the slab elevation of homes in the River Creek Acres Subdivision, five miles southeast of George West. Livestock are cut off and could drown in low areas of the flood plain.
1.29 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: 29 %.

Rank	Level	Date
1	49.21 ft	September 23, 1967
2	46.00 ft	January 1, 1919
3	44.67 ft	June 15, 1935
4	44.64 ft	July 9, 1942
5	44.44 ft	September 12, 2002
6	43.19 ft	July 17, 2002
7	40.59 ft	July 11, 2007
8	40.19 ft	July 13, 2002
9	39.51 ft	October 19, 2003
10	39.30 ft	August 1, 2026

Weather at the gauge

No rain in the last 3 days.

18 Sun 74° 48° – Wind 8 mph

19 Mon 79° 57° – Wind 9 mph

20 Tue 85° 64° – Wind 12 mph

21 Wed 80° 71° – Wind 11 mph

22 Thu 85° 67° – Wind 10 mph

23 Fri 87° 66° – Wind 14 mph

24 Sat 87° 68° – Wind 16 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:36 AM Sunset 07:00 PM Daylight 11 hr, 24 min First quarter 54%

Map

Other gauges on the Nueces River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Nueces River near BarksdaleRiver gauge, Nueces River	13.25 ft	Normal	−0.01 ft	144 mi
Nueces River at CR 414 at MontellRiver gauge, Nueces River	1.35 ft	No reference yet	±0	135 mi
Nueces River at LagunaRiver gauge, Nueces River	1.93 ft	Normal	−0.02 ft	130 mi
Nueces River below UvaldeRiver gauge, Nueces River	1.28 ft	Low	−0.02 ft	115 mi
Nueces River at FM 1025 near Crystal CityRiver gauge, Nueces River	12.53 ft	No reference yet	±0	103 mi
Nueces River near AshertonRiver gauge, Nueces River	2.91 ft	Normal	−0.12 ft	91 mi
Nueces River at CotullaRiver gauge, Nueces River	5.65 ft	Normal	−0.04 ft	65 mi
Nueces River near TildenRiver gauge, Nueces River	2.35 ft	Normal	−0.02 ft	24 mi
Nueces River near MathisRiver gauge, Nueces River	1.24 ft	Normal	−0.27 ft	33 mi
Nueces River at BluntzerRiver gauge, Nueces River	7.81 ft	Normal	+0.19 ft	42 mi
Nueces River at CalallenRiver gauge, Nueces River	4.09 ft	Very low	+0.40 ft	50 mi
Nueces River near OdemRiver gauge, Nueces River	1.21 ft	Very low	+0.15 ft	50 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Choke Canyon ReservoirReservoir	190.71 ft	Very low		2.8 mi
Choke Canyon Reservoir OWC near Three RiversRiver gauge, Choke Canyon Reservoir OWC	4.37 ft	Normal	+0.01 ft	5.6 mi
Choke Canyon Reservoir near Three RiversReservoir, Choke Canyon Reservoir	190.69 ft	Normal	−0.03 ft	5.7 mi
Atascosa River at WhitsettRiver gauge, Atascosa River	1.65 ft	Low	−0.03 ft	15 mi
Frio River at TildenRiver gauge, Frio River	1.00 ft	Very low	−0.03 ft	23 mi
San Miguel Creek near TildenRiver gauge, San Miguel Creek	0.84 ft	Very low	+0.01 ft	25 mi
Lagarto Creek near George WestRiver gauge, Lagarto Creek	3.87 ft	High	+0.02 ft	26 mi
Atascosa River near McCoyRiver gauge, Atascosa River	4.58 ft	Very low	±0	32 mi

Questions and answers

Is the Nueces River near Three Rivers higher than last year?

No, it is 0.09 ft lower than on the same day last year, when the reading was 1.38 ft.

What is flood stage for the Nueces River near Three Rivers?

The official flood stage is 25.00 ft. The level is currently 23.71 ft below it.

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

The median for mid-October is 1.67 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 1.37 ft and 11.62 ft, based on 35 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 Three Rivers today?

On Oct 18, 2026, 06:15 PM CDT, the water level was 1.29 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Nueces River near Three Rivers rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours. Up 0.16 ft over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Nueces River near Three Rivers normal?

Very low for mid-October. Compared with 35 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:08210000 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 28.42750, -98.17806 (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	1.29 ft	2026-10-18 23:15	Provisional
Flow	26.4 cfs	2026-10-18 23:15	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/9237?lang=en" width="360" height="230" style="border:0;max-width:100%" loading="lazy" title="Nueces River near Three Rivers water level"></iframe>

How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Nueces River near Three Rivers (usgs:08210000). Accessed October 19, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/texas/nueces-river-near-three-rivers

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