San Miguel Creek near Tilden water level

Name: San Miguel Creek near Tilden 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, San Miguel Creek, Texas, United States

Directions

Very low for mid-October

Water level

0.84ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 20, 2026, 08:15 AM CDT (46 min ago)

Flow: 0.0 cfs

History

7 days 30 days 1 year Years compared

20252026

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

What this means

Low water at San Miguel Creek near Tilden: the gauge reads 0.84 ft, far below normal for mid-October.

That puts it 0.76 ft below the median of 1.60 ft for mid-October, based on 36 years of readings. It is 20.16 ft below the flood stage of 21.00 ft. A year ago it stood at 1.50 ft (−0.66 ft).

The level has held steady over the past 24 hours. Without real rain upstream, that is unlikely to change quickly. The 30-day range is 0.83 ft – 1.03 ft.

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

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

Key numbers

Median for this date: 1.60 ft0.76 ft below the median for this date
Normal for this date: 1.17 ft – 3.04 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (36 years of records)
Same day last year: 1.50 ft−0.66 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days: 0.83 ft – 1.03 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months: 0.83 ft – 12.95 ft
Highest on record: 31.48 ftSeptember 10, 2002

Paddling and fishing conditions

At low levels, plan for shorter paddling trips and expect to walk your boat through a few shoals.

For reference, flood stage is 21.00 ft.

What happens at each level

32.00 ft: Flow is to the low steel of the highway 16 bridge, with the flow three quarters of a mile wide. Major lowland flooding occurs, and damages crops and pastureland. Livestock are cut off above hindes to choke canyon reservoir.
26.00 ft: Major lowland flooding occurs, with the flow one third of a mile wide. This damages crops and cuts off cattle in pastures above Hindes to Choke Canyon Reservoir. Numerous secondary and primary roads and low bridges flood and are dangerous to drive through.
23.00 ft: Moderate lowland flooding occurs over crops and pasturland. Secondary roads and low bridges are flooded.
21.00 ft: Minor lowland flooding occurs. The flow is one hundred twenty five yards wide at Highway 16, and produces flooding of crops and pastureland. Secondary roads and low bridges are flooded.
20.00 ft: Overbank conditions occur. Secondary roads and low lying bridges are flooded, and livestock may become isolated.
18.00 ft: Overbank conditions occur. Flow begins to approach the secondary roads and bridges.
15.00 ft: Flow is above bankfull but there are no damages.
12.00 ft: Bankfull stage.
0.84 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	31.48 ft	September 10, 2002
2	27.57 ft	July 2, 2002
3	27.31 ft	May 16, 1980
4	26.83 ft	July 17, 1990
5	25.33 ft	July 4, 2002
6	24.29 ft	July 6, 2002
7	23.32 ft	November 20, 1992
8	22.96 ft	October 9, 1982
9	22.62 ft	August 12, 1980
10	21.81 ft	July 26, 2007

Weather at the gauge

The forecast is not available right now.

Sunrise 07:39 AM Sunset 07:01 PM Daylight 11 hr, 22 min First quarter 69%

Map

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Frio River at TildenRiver gauge, Frio River	0.99 ft	Very low	±0	8 mi
Atascosa River at WhitsettRiver gauge, Atascosa River	1.65 ft	Normal	±0	16 mi
Nueces River near TildenRiver gauge, Nueces River	4.22 ft	Normal	+0.37 ft	19 mi
Choke Canyon Reservoir near Three RiversReservoir, Choke Canyon Reservoir	190.64 ft	Normal	−0.03 ft	20 mi
Choke Canyon Reservoir OWC near Three RiversRiver gauge, Choke Canyon Reservoir OWC	4.22 ft	Normal	−0.14 ft	20 mi
Atascosa River near McCoyRiver gauge, Atascosa River	4.57 ft	Low	±0	23 mi
Choke Canyon ReservoirReservoir	190.69 ft	Very low		24 mi
Nueces River near Three RiversRiver gauge, Nueces River	1.35 ft	Very low	+0.06 ft	25 mi

Questions and answers

How does San Miguel Creek near Tilden compare with last year?

It is 0.66 ft lower than on the same day last year, when the reading was 1.50 ft.

What is flood stage for San Miguel Creek near Tilden?

The official flood stage is 21.00 ft. The level is currently 20.16 ft below it.

What is a normal level for San Miguel Creek near Tilden in mid-October?

The median for mid-October is 1.60 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 1.17 ft and 3.04 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 San Miguel Creek near Tilden today?

On Oct 20, 2026, 08:15 AM CDT, the water level was 0.84 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is San Miguel Creek near Tilden rising or falling?

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

Is the level of San Miguel Creek near Tilden normal?

Very low 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:08206700 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 28.58749, -98.54585 (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	0.84 ft	2026-10-20 13:15	Provisional
Flow	0.0 cfs	2026-10-20 13:15	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: San Miguel Creek near Tilden (usgs:08206700). Accessed October 20, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/texas/san-miguel-creek-near-tilden

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