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SwedenWhiteoak Bayou at Houston water level
River gauge, Whiteoak Bayou, Texas, United States
Right now
Low for mid-October
Water level
- Flow
- 40.2 cfs
History
20252026
What this means
Whiteoak Bayou at Houston is running below normal at 7.67 ft.
The median for mid-October is 7.98 ft, based on 26 years of readings, so the river stage is 0.31 ft below typical. It is 24.33 ft below the flood stage of 32.00 ft. On the same day last year the reading was 7.76 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 7.55 ft and 12.10 ft.
Fall is often low-water season on rivers, and it usually takes a few days of steady rain to change that.
Compared with 26 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels
Key numbers
- Median for this date
- 7.98 ft0.31 ft below the median for this date
- Normal for this date
- 7.57 ft – 18.77 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (26 years of records)
- Same day last year
- 7.76 ft−0.09 ft
- Lowest and highest in 30 days
- 7.55 ft – 12.10 ft
- Lowest and highest in 12 months
- 7.61 ft – 16.35 ft
- Highest on record
- 45.60 ftAugust 28, 2017
Floating and fishing near Whiteoak Bayou at Houston
Low water exposes gravel bars that make good wading access, but some boat ramps may be left high and dry.
Flood stage here is 32.00 ft, 24.33 ft above the current reading. Beyond it, the National Weather Service also defines moderate and major flood stages.
What happens at each level
- 40.29 ft
- At levels above 40.3 feet, major lowland flooding continues as the Heights Boulevard bridge is inundated.
- 38.50 ft
- At levels above 38.5 feet, major lowland flooding continues as the I-45 main lanes north of I-10 are inundated.
- 36.00 ft
- At levels above 36.0 feet, major lowland flooding begins as apartments along White Oak Drive begin flooding. The I-45 southbound ramp to I-10 West is under 2.5 feet of water and the I-10 eastbound feeder road west of Studemont is inundated. The I-45 main lanes north of I-10 are close to being flooded.
- 33.50 ft
- At levels above 33.5 feet, moderate lowland flooding begins as the southbound ramp to I-10 West floods.
- 29.00 ft
- At levels above 29.0 feet, minor lowland flooding begins as water escapes the main channel and floods White Oak Drive between Taylor Street and I-10.
- 7.67 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 | 45.60 ft | August 28, 2017 |
| 2 | 40.22 ft | May 26, 2015 |
| 3 | 38.76 ft | April 18, 2016 |
| 4 | 38.02 ft | September 19, 2019 |
| 5 | 34.34 ft | August 8, 2017 |
| 6 | 33.90 ft | October 25, 2015 |
| 7 | 32.29 ft | April 28, 2009 |
Weather at the gauge
The forecast is not available right now.
Map
Other gauges on Whiteoak Bayou
| Gauge | Level | Compared with normal | 24 hours | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Whiteoak Bayou at Alabonson Rd, HoustonRiver gauge, Whiteoak Bayou | 59.97 ft | Very high | +0.01 ft | 8 mi |
| Whiteoak Bayou at Main St, HoustonTidal gauge, Whiteoak Bayou | 2.01 ft | Low | +0.06 ft | 2.4 mi |
Nearby gauges
| Gauge | Level | Compared with normal | 24 hours | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Buffalo Bayou at HoustonTidal gauge, Buffalo Bayou | 2.08 ft | Low | +0.02 ft | 1.2 mi |
| Brays Bayou at HoustonRiver gauge, Brays Bayou | 16.74 ft | Normal | +0.04 ft | 5.5 mi |
| Hunting Bayou at Hoffman St, HoustonRiver gauge, Hunting Bayou | 25.43 ft | Very low | ±0 | 5.5 mi |
| Brickhouse Gully at Costa Rica St, HoustonRiver gauge, Brickhouse Gully | 47.44 ft | Very low | ±0 | 5.7 mi |
| Halls Bayou at HoustonRiver gauge, Halls Bayou | 39.46 ft | Low | +0.03 ft | 7 mi |
| Cole Creek at Deihl Rd, HoustonRiver gauge, Cole Creek | 61.71 ft | Very low | ±0 | 8 mi |
| Buffalo Bayou at Piney PointRiver gauge, Buffalo Bayou | 28.41 ft | Low | +0.05 ft | 8 mi |
| Hunting Bayou at IH 610, HoustonRiver gauge, Hunting Bayou | 17.43 ft | Normal | ±0 | 8 mi |
Questions and answers
Is Whiteoak Bayou at Houston higher than last year?
No, it is 0.09 ft lower than on the same day last year, when the reading was 7.76 ft.
What is flood stage for Whiteoak Bayou at Houston?
The official flood stage is 32.00 ft. The level is currently 24.33 ft below it.
What is a normal level for Whiteoak Bayou at Houston in mid-October?
The median for mid-October is 7.98 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 7.57 ft and 18.77 ft, based on 26 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 Whiteoak Bayou at Houston today?
On Oct 19, 2026, 02:45 AM CDT, the water level was 7.67 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.
Is Whiteoak Bayou at Houston rising or falling?
Steady over the last 24 hours. Down 0.04 ft over the last 7 days.
Is the level of Whiteoak Bayou at Houston normal?
Low for mid-October. Compared with 26 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:08074500(Agency page)- Coordinates
29.77523, -95.39716(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 | 7.67 ft | 2026-10-19 07:45 | Provisional |
| Flow | 40.2 cfs | 2026-10-19 07:45 | Provisional |
Download
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How to cite
U.S. Geological Survey: Whiteoak Bayou at Houston (usgs:08074500). Accessed October 19, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/texas/whiteoak-bayou-at-houston
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