River Level Indexes for Texas

Check the current stream flow for your next river trip. Click on the letter of the river name. Click on the gauge to link to the current reading (USGS). Or click on an underlined river name for a description from "An Analysis of Texas Waterways (TPWD)" (use BACK to return). Or click on an underlined flow level for a river to see trip reports for that section at that flow rate.    Please note that some of the reports cover only a portion of the river segment.  (Send trip reports to canoeTX@world.std.com for inclusion)  (* denotes segments requiring advanced whitewater skills--see  http://www-phil.tamu.edu/~sdaniel/gauges.html for whitewater segments and flow levels)

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Texas River Flows for 5 Levels of Paddling (See notes below the Table)
Compiled in 1972 - Levels in cfs - Click on the gauge to link to the current reading.
River  Put-In Take-Out Gauge
Angelina Hwy 21 US 59 Alto (Hwy 21) 200 500 1,000 2,000 5,000
Angelina Rayburn Dam Steinhagen Reservoir Horger 500 1,000 2,000 5,000 10,000
Barton Creek Loop 360  Zilker Park
Big Cypress Bayou  Lake O' Pines  Caddo L.  Ferrell's Br.  200  1,000  2,000  3,000  5,000 
Blanco Blanco St P.  Wimberley Wimberley 125  250  450  700  1,000 
Blanco Wimberley San Marcos Kyle  125  250  450  700  1,000 
Bosque Iredell Lake Waco Clifton  125  250  450  700  1,000 
Brazos Clear Fork  Possum King.  South Bend  200  500  700  1,500  3,000 
Brazos Possum King  Lake Granbury Palo Pinto  200  500  1,200  3,000  5,000 
Brazos DeCordova D.  Whitney D.  Glen Rose  200  500  1,200  3,000  5,000 
Brazos Whitney D  Waco Whitney  200  500  1,200  3,000  5,000 
Brazos Waco US 90  Highbank 200  500  1,200  3,000  5,000
Brazos, Clear Fork US 180  Mainstream  Ft Griffin  150  300  500  700  1,000 
Colorado  San Saba R.  Bend US 190  100  250  750  2,000  5,000 
Colorado  Bend Buchanon US 190  100  250  750  2,000  5,000 
Colorado  Austin  Bastrop  US 183  200  500  1,000  3,000  5,000 
Colorado  Bastrop  Smithville  US 183  200  500  1,000  3,000  5,000 
Colorado  Smithville  LaGrange  US 183  200  500  1,000  3,000  5,000 
Colorado  LaGrange  Columbus  US 183  200  500  1,000  3,000  5,000 
Concho Cr San Angelo Colorado R.  San Angelo 100  250  400  700  1,000 
Denton Cr Grapaevine D.  Elm Fk, Trinity  Grapevine  60  125  250  350  500 
Devil's  Hwy 163  Amistad Reservoir IBWC Wier 250  400 600  900  1,200 
Frio Garner St P  Concan Concan 125  250  400  700  1,000 
Guadalupe Comfort  Bergheim  Comfort  125  250  400  700  1,000 
Guadalupe Bergheim  Edge Falls Rd  Spring Branch  125  250  450  750  1,200 
Guadalupe Edge Falls Rd  Canyon Lake  Spring Branch  125  250  450  750  1,200 
Guadalupe Canyon D  New Braunfels Sattler 150  250  450  750  1,200 
Guadalupe Gonzales Victoria  Cuero 200  800  1,000  2,000  3,000 
Lampasas Rumley Youngsport Youngsport 100  200  400  700  1,000 
Lampasas Stillhouse Holl D  Leon R  Belton 100  200  300  700  1,000 
Lavaca Navidad Comm Old Vanderbilt P.  Edna 200  400  700  1,000  1,500 
Leon  Gatesville Mother Neff State Park Gatesville 200  400  700  1,000  1,500 
Leon  Belton D  Lampasas R  Belton 200  400  700  1,000  1,500 
Little  Lampasas-Leon R  Brazos R  Little River  200  400  1,000  2,000  3,000 
Llano Junction  Lake LBJ Mason  250  500  1,000  2,000  3,000 
Llano, South Fork  Telegraph Junction Junction  100  250  400  700  1,200 
Medina Medina Lake Medina Bandera 125  250  350  700  1,000 
Navasota US 190  Brazos R  Bryan  200  500  1,000  2,000  3,000 
Navidad Morales Old Vanderbilt P.  Morales 200  400  700  1,000  1,500 
Neches Hwy 21  Steinhagen Reservoir Alto (Hwy 21)  500  1,000  1,500  2,000  5,000 
Neches Dam B  Beaumont Town Bluff  500  1,000  2,000  5,000  10,000 
Nueces Barksdale Hwy 55  Laguna 125  250  450  700  1,500 
Onion Cr IH 35  Colorado R  US 183 
Paluxy Bluff Dale  Brazos R  Glen Rose  100  200  400  700  1,000 
Pecos US 190  Pandale Gervin 125  300  500  900  1,500 
Pecos Pandale Amistad Res IBWC Wier 125  300  500  900  1,500 
Pedernales Hw 1320 *  Johnson City * Johnson City  125  800*  3,000*  5,000*  10,000* 
Pedernales   Johnson City  Pedernales Falls State Park Johnson City  125  250  400  700  1,000 
Pedernales Ped Falls St P  Johnson City  Johnson City  125  250  400  700  1,000
Pine Island Bayou  FM 770  Neches R  Sour Lake  100  200  500  1,000  1,500 
Red  Denison D  US 59  Denison D COE 500  1,000  1,500  3,000  5,000 
Rio Grande - Colorado Canyon Redford Lajitas Presidio IBWC 200  300  500  1,000  1,200 
Rio Grande - Santa Elena Canyon Lajitas Castolon Presidio IBWC 200  300  500  1,000  1,200 
Rio Grande - Mariscal Canyon Talley Solis Johnson Ranch IBWC 200  300  500  1,000  1,500 
Rio Grande - San Vicente Canyon Solis Rio Grande Village  Johnson RanchIBWC 200  300  500  1,000  3,000 
Rio Grande - Boquillas Canyon Boquillas Black Gap / Heath Canyon Boquillas IBWC 200  300  500  1,000  3,000 
Rio Grande - Lower Canyons  La Linda / Heath Canyon Langtry Foster Ranch IBWC 200  300  500  1,000  1,200 
Sabine Hwy 42  Toledo Bend Reservoir Tatum 500  1,000  1,500  2,000  5,000 
Sabine Toledo Bend Res Orange  Burkville 500  1,000  2,000  5,000  10,000 
San Antonio  Floresville Hobson Falls City  250  450  600  1,000  1,500 
San Bernard  FM 422  Churchhill Boling 200  500  1,000  1,500  2,000 
San Gabriel Georgetown  Little R.  Georgetown  100  250  500  700  1,000 
San Jacinto, West Fork Conroe Dam  Lake Houston  Conroe 200  500  1,000  1,500  2,000 
San Marcos San Marcos Luling San Marcos 100  150  300  700  1,200 
San Marcos Luling Gonzales Luling 100  150  300  1,000  1,500 
San Saba Menard Colorado R.  Menard 150  250  450  700  1,200 
Trinity  Hwy 7  Lake Livingston Crockett 200  500  1,000  1,500  5,000 
Trinity  Livingston D.  IH-10  Goodrich  500  1,000  2,000  5,000  10,000 
Trinity, Clear Fork Benbrook D  Loop 820  Benbrook 70  140  280  500  1,200 
Trinity, Elm Fork Garza-Little D  California Crossing Lewisville 100  400  700  1,000  2,000 
Village Creek Village MIlls  Neches R.  Kountze 200  400  700  1,000  2,000 

The levels reported represent the following levels :

Background

Back in the early 1970's The RRAT (now the TRRA) and the TPWD joined forces to produce a list of floatable Texas streams. They also compiled a list of water levels necessary to float various river segments. The levels included minimal amount of water to float, better level, best level for recreational use, high water, very high water. These 5 indexes are a measure of how deep the water is and have nothing to do with the difficulty of the stream. Most Texas streams are class I-II on the International Scale of Whitewater Difficulty. The hazards present on a river vary with flow and these levels are only general guidelines. You must still decide for yourself whether it is safe you to make a given trip on a given day. Scout and portage as needed.  Suggested levels are for the general section of   river and do not suggest that you run small dams (or hazards such as the Blanco Narrows) at these or any water levels.

 These levels are still in use today and are reported by the US Weather Bureau on Wednesdays in some areas and in several local newspapers in the state print them on Thursdays.

Future Plans

Things have changed a lot since the early 1970's. The rivers have changed somewhat -- dams are built -- floods move sandbars and rocks and erode the banks. Equipment has changed. Paddling style has changed. We have changed. Many paddlers do much harder water today. We need to update these levels. Some of the gauges have changed. We paddle different river segments today. Some segments probably need to be shortened.

 In reality, most avid whitewater paddlers today interpret the flow levels for themselves (and have their own favorite levels) and these flow numbers are probably still a reasonable guideline for most people.

We do need to add some river segments and, perhaps, include some rivers in nearby states. And trip reports keyed to the levels would be a nice addition. Send trip reports to canoeTX@world.std.com and we'll add them.

 It is easy to get river flow data from USGS gauges today, data is uploaded to satellites and can be downloaded to Web Pages. But there are funding problems and many guages are scheduled to shutdown.

See the DDRC Web Page for a good list of of gauge and weather sites.


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