Pedernales River near Fredericksburg water level

Name: Pedernales River near Fredericksburg 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, Pedernales River, Texas, United States

Directions

Very high for mid-October

Water level

7.61ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 20, 2026, 02:15 AM CDT (24 min ago)

Flow: 5.1 cfs

History

7 days 30 days 1 year Years compared

20252026

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

What this means

The Pedernales River near Fredericksburg is well above normal at 7.61 ft.

The median for mid-October is 4.99 ft, based on 27 years of readings, so the river stage is 2.62 ft above typical. It is 14.39 ft below the flood stage of 22.00 ft. On the same day last year the reading was 5.36 ft, a difference of +2.25 ft.

It has barely moved over the past 24 hours. In the last month it has stayed between 7.57 ft and 7.78 ft.

That stands out in fall, when many rivers are usually near their lowest.

Compared with 27 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Median for this date: 4.99 ft2.62 ft above the median for this date
Normal for this date: 4.18 ft – 5.83 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (27 years of records)
Same day last year: 5.36 ft+2.25 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days: 7.57 ft – 7.78 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months: 5.25 ft – 19.25 ft
Highest on record: 41.60 ftAugust 2, 1978

Flood levels and safety

Most flood deaths in the US happen in vehicles. Six inches of fast water can knock an adult off their feet, and a foot or two can float a car. If a road is covered, turn around.

Readings can change quickly after heavy rain upstream, so check again before heading near the water.

What happens at each level

40.00 ft: Major flooding of primary and secondary roads and bridges in the headwaters above Fredericksburg is very dangerous. The bridge floor of Highway 87 floods. Hundreds of livstock are cut off and potentially drowned Major flooding downstream in LBJ National Park damages the Junction School House, the Jordan House, fencing, signs and roads.
37.00 ft: Flow reaches the slab elevation of the lowest buildings below the gauge and the south approach to the Highway 87 bridge. Secondary and primary roads and bridges flood in the headwaters above Fredericksburg. Major flooding downstream in LBJ National Park near Stonewall damages buildings, signs, fencing and roads. Hundreds of livestock are cut off and potentially drowned.
36.00 ft: Major flooding is near the USGS 1:25 year level. Lowest buildings near Highway 87 are threatened as well as the Highway 87 bridge approaches. Major damage occurs downsteam at LBJ National Park to signs, fences, roads and the Junction School. Widepread scouring of roads and bridges occurs from the headwaters to below Stonewall.
32.00 ft: Widespread major flooding of secondary and primary roads, low bridges and crossings in the headwaters above Fredericksburg make them very dangerous. Destructive flooding at LBJ National Park downstream will be ten feet over the Park Road 49 bridge at LBJ National Park. Many park signs and fences are destroyed and park roads damaged. This flow exceeds the USGS 1:10 year flood level.
29.00 ft: Moderate lowland flooding inundates secondary roads and bridges from the headwaters above Harper to below Stonewall. Fences and signs are destroyed in LBJ National Park at Stonewall as flow is well into the flood plain and many feet over the Park Road 49 bridge.
27.00 ft: Moderate lowland flooding is near the USGS 1:5 year level. Secondary roads and bridges from the headwaters above Harper to below Stonewall are flooded and dangerous. Significant damage to fences, signs, and roads occurs downstream in LBJ National Park near Stonewall.
25.00 ft: Moderate lowland flooding covers many secondary roads and bridges from the headwaters to Stonewall making them very dangerous to motorists. Low areas of LBJ National Park and the Park Road 49 bridge are flooded.
22.00 ft: Minor lowland flooding floods secondary roads and bridges from the headwaters downstream to below LBJ National Park. The Park Road 49 bridge in LBJ National Park floods. Fencing and signs are damaged in LBJ National Park.
16.60 ft: Flow exceeds the banks and is near the USGS 1:2 year level.
15.00 ft: Flow exceeds banks into lowest areas of the flood plain.
12.00 ft: Flow exceeds lowest areas of the banks.
7.61 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: 5 %.

Rank	Level	Date
1	41.60 ft	August 2, 1978
2	38.70 ft	September 1, 1979
3	35.59 ft	July 16, 2026
4	34.40 ft	June 1, 1979
5	32.09 ft	December 20, 1991
6	31.87 ft	June 22, 1997
7	31.70 ft	August 17, 2007
8	27.40 ft	July 5, 2002
9	27.40 ft	July 5, 2002
10	25.68 ft	May 3, 1990

Weather at the gauge

The forecast is not available right now.

Sunrise 07:41 AM Sunset 07:00 PM Daylight 11 hr, 19 min First quarter 66%

Map

Other gauges on the Pedernales River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Pedernales River near Johnson CityRiver gauge, Pedernales River	10.24 ft	Normal	±0	28 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Guadalupe River at ComfortRiver gauge, Guadalupe River	3.29 ft	High	−0.01 ft	18 mi
Guadalupe River at KerrvilleRiver gauge, Guadalupe River	1.11 ft	Very low	+0.01 ft	21 mi
Guadalupe River near Center PointRiver gauge, Guadalupe River	4.22 ft	High	+0.01 ft	22 mi
Guadalupe River above Bear Creek at KerrvilleRiver gauge, Guadalupe River	2.92 ft	Normal	+0.01 ft	22 mi
Blanco River at Crabapple Rd near BlancoRiver gauge, Blanco River	1.44 ft	Below flood stage	+0.86 ft	23 mi
Guadalupe River at FM 474 near BergheimRiver gauge, Guadalupe River	82.2 cfs	High	+3.2 cfs	26 mi
Johnson Creek near IngramRiver gauge, Johnson Creek	−0.11 ft	Very low	±0	26 mi
Guadalupe River at HuntRiver gauge, Guadalupe River	7.72 ft	Low	±0	29 mi

Questions and answers

Is the Pedernales River near Fredericksburg higher than last year?

Yes, it is 2.25 ft higher than on the same day last year, when the reading was 5.36 ft.

What is flood stage for the Pedernales River near Fredericksburg?

The official flood stage is 22.00 ft. The level is currently 14.39 ft below it.

What is a normal level for the Pedernales River near Fredericksburg in mid-October?

The median for mid-October is 4.99 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 4.18 ft and 5.83 ft, based on 27 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 Pedernales River near Fredericksburg today?

On Oct 20, 2026, 02:15 AM CDT, the water level was 7.61 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Pedernales River near Fredericksburg rising or falling?

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

Is the level of Pedernales River near Fredericksburg normal?

Very high for mid-October. Compared with 27 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:08152900 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 30.22049, -98.86978 (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	7.61 ft	2026-10-20 07:15	Provisional
Flow	5.1 cfs	2026-10-20 07:15	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Pedernales River near Fredericksburg (usgs:08152900). Accessed October 20, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/texas/pedernales-river-near-fredericksburg

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