Shoal Creek at W 12th St, Austin water level

Name: Shoal Creek at W 12th St, Austin 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, Shoal Creek, Texas, United States

Directions

Normal for mid-October

Water level

1.50ft Up 0.05 ft over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 20, 2026, 12:50 AM CDT (19 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

Shoal Creek at W 12th St, Austin is at 1.50 ft, in the normal range for mid-October.

That puts it 0.32 ft above the median of 1.19 ft for mid-October, based on 28 years of readings. It is 5.50 ft below the flood stage of 7.00 ft.

It has risen 0.05 ft over the past 24 hours. There is still 5.50 ft of room before flood stage. In the last month it has stayed between 1.02 ft and 2.37 ft.

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

Compared with 28 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Median for this date: 1.19 ft0.32 ft above the median for this date
Normal for this date: 0.67 ft – 2.42 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (28 years of records)
Lowest and highest in 30 days: 1.02 ft – 2.37 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months: 0.73 ft – 3.41 ft
Highest on record: 23.11 ftMay 24, 1981

Floating and fishing near Shoal Creek at W 12th St, Austin

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

Flood stage here is 7.00 ft, 5.50 ft above the current reading. Beyond it, the National Weather Service also defines moderate and major flood stages.

What happens at each level

23.00 ft: Disastrous, life threatening flooding reaches the level of the May 24, 1981 flood. Homes in the flood plain will be destroyed from the headwaters of Shoal Creek to Lady Bird Lake. Businesses will be disastrously flooded along Lamar Boulevard below W 12th Street. Travel near shoal creek should be avoided.
21.00 ft: Disastrous flooding approaches the level of the May 24, 1981 flood. Many businesses along Lamar Boulevard below 12th St have several feet of water in them. Homes are flooded from above Anderson Street to Lady Bird Lake. There should not be auto traffic near Shoal Creek.
19.50 ft: Life threatening flooding inundates the West 12th Street bridge floor. Shoal Creek exceeds its channel above W 12th Street, producing disastrous business flooding along Lamar Boulevard. Numerous streets and bridges are extremely dangerous. Widespread residential flooding occurs from the Shoal Creek headwaters downstream to Lady Bird Lake.
18.00 ft: Major flooding severely damages many businesses below W 12th Street along Lamar Boulevard. Shoal Creek is near going over the right bank at the Lamar Boulevard bridge near W 12th St, and nearing the 12th Street bridge floor. Numerous streets and bridges along Shoal Creek are severely flooded and dangerous to motorists. Several homes are flooded from the Shoal Creek headwaters to Lady Bird Lake.
16.00 ft: Several businesses along Lamar Boulevard to below West 12th Street flood. Flow reaches the low steel of the 12th Street Bridge. Much of Pease Park above 12th Street is flooded. Lowest streets and bridges are severely flooded and dangerous to motorists.
14.00 ft: Major flooding reaches lowest businesses near W 6th Street and Lamar Boulevard. Much of the lowest areas of Pease Park are flooded. Lowest streets in the flood plain are inundated.
12.00 ft: Major lowland flooding is threatening businesses along Lamar Boulevard below West 12th Street. Much of Pease Park above 12th Street is flooded as well as low areas of the flood plain from the headwaters to Lady Bird Lake.
10.00 ft: Moderate lowland flooding reaches lowest areas of Pease Park. Flow is threatening low bridges and significantly into the flood plain.
9.00 ft: Lowest areas of Pease Park above W 12th Street flood.
7.00 ft: Minor lowland flooding begins to enter lowest areas of Pease Park just upstream of W 12th Street.
5.00 ft: Flow exceeds lowest banks.
1.50 ft: Right now

Impact statements from the U.S. National Weather Service.

Highest crests on record

Rank	Level	Date
1	23.11 ft	May 24, 1981
2	20.76 ft	May 25, 2015
3	19.22 ft	November 15, 2001
4	18.14 ft	December 20, 1991
5	16.06 ft	October 30, 2015
6	15.94 ft	August 22, 2022
7	15.60 ft	October 17, 1998
8	15.56 ft	April 6, 2019
9	14.87 ft	May 29, 2025
10	14.87 ft	May 28, 2025

Weather at the gauge

The forecast is not available right now.

Sunrise 07:37 AM Sunset 06:56 PM Daylight 11 hr, 19 min First quarter 66%

Map

Other gauges on Shoal Creek

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Shoal Creek at Silverway Dr, AustinRiver gauge, Shoal Creek	0.0 cfs	Normal	±0	5.4 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Waller Creek at Red River St, AustinRiver gauge, Waller Creek	3.40 ft	Normal	+0.01 ft	0.9 mi
Waller Creek at E 1st St, AustinRiver gauge, Waller Creek	4.48 ft	Very high	−0.04 ft	1.2 mi
Barton Spgs at AustinRiver gauge, Barton Spgs	21.66 ft	Low	+0.01 ft	1.5 mi
Barton Creek above Barton Spgs at AustinRiver gauge, Barton Creek	1.38 ft	Low	+0.01 ft	1.6 mi
W Bouldin Creek at Oltorf Rd, AustinRiver gauge, W Bouldin Creek	0.2 cfs	Normal	±0	2.4 mi
Boggy Creek at Webberville Rd, AustinRiver gauge, Boggy Creek	0.0 cfs	Low	±0	2.4 mi
Boggy Creek at Manor Rd, AustinRiver gauge, Boggy Creek	0.0 cfs	Low	±0	2.6 mi
Waller Creek at Koenig Lane, AustinRiver gauge, Waller Creek	0.0 cfs	Normal	±0	3.6 mi

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for Shoal Creek at W 12th St, Austin?

The official flood stage is 7.00 ft. The level is currently 5.50 ft below it.

What is a normal level for Shoal Creek at W 12th St, Austin in mid-October?

The median for mid-October is 1.19 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 0.67 ft and 2.42 ft, based on 28 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 Shoal Creek at W 12th St, Austin today?

On Oct 20, 2026, 12:50 AM CDT, the water level was 1.50 ft. Up 0.05 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Shoal Creek at W 12th St, Austin rising or falling?

Up 0.05 ft over the last 24 hours. Up 0.48 ft over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Shoal Creek at W 12th St, Austin normal?

Normal for mid-October. Compared with 28 years of daily readings for this time of year.

What is the highest water level ever recorded at Shoal Creek at W 12th St, Austin?

The highest level on record is 23.11 ft on May 24, 1981.

For specialists

Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads

Operator: U.S. Geological Survey
Station code: usgs:08156800 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 30.27660, -97.75031 (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	1.50 ft	2026-10-20 05:50	Provisional
Flow	0.0 cfs	2026-10-20 05:15	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Shoal Creek at W 12th St, Austin (usgs:08156800). Accessed October 20, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/texas/shoal-creek-at-w-12th-st-austin

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