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) |
A - B - C - D - E - F - G - H - I - J - K - L - M - N - O - P - Q - R - S - T - U - V - W - X - Y - Z |
River | Put-In | Take-Out | Gauge | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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 :
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.
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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