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Rio Grande at Falcon Lake — water level right now

Starr County, Texas · NWS gauge FALT2
Loading the latest reading…
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current stage (ft)
 
301.2
minor flood stage
 
309.31
record crest
set 2010-07-17
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flood status
official NWS category
Official NOAA forecast → Full US flood map →

Flood stages at this gauge

Where the water stands right now against the four official thresholds:

action · 299
minor · 301.2
moderate · 306.7
major · 314.2
Flood stageLevel (ft)What it means
Major flood stage314.2extensive inundation and significant evacuations — a serious event
Moderate flood stage306.7some buildings and roads inundated; evacuations possible
Minor flood stage301.2low-lying roads and fields near the river start to flood
Action stage299water is approaching flood level — time to pay attention

Highest floods on record here

#Crest (ft)Datevs. minor flood stage
1309.312010-07-17+8.11 above
2308.11958-10-19+6.9 above
3304.662010-09-29+3.46 above
4304.432010-09-07+3.23 above
5303.732008-12-10+2.53 above
6301.22010-08-20+0 above
7292.941954-07-188.26 below
8279.271954-06-3021.93 below
9276.931990-02-1024.27 below
10252.111954-06-1649.09 below
11249.821996-08-0251.38 below
12249.81998-05-0151.4 below

Historic crests recorded at this gauge by the National Weather Service — the 12 highest on file.

Where this gauge is

The marker is this gauge; nearby gauges load live and are clickable.

Nearby river gauges

Rio Grande at Rio Grande City 26 mi away · loading… Rio Grande at Anzalduas Reservior 59 mi away · loading… Rio Grande at Laredo 68 mi away · loading… Los Olmos Creek near Falfurrias 80 mi away · loading… Rio Grande at Columbia Bridge 86 mi away · loading… Rio Grande near San Benito 96 mi away · loading…

Gauge details

NWS gauge IDFALT2
CountyStarr
StateTexas
NWS forecast officeBrownsville
River forecast centerWest Gulf River Forecast Center
Coordinates26.56, -99.167
Time zoneCST6CDT
Turn Around, Don't Drown. Six inches of moving water can knock you off your feet and twelve inches can float a car. Never drive around barricades or into water of unknown depth — most flood deaths happen in vehicles.

Questions about Rio Grande at Falcon Lake

Is Rio Grande at Falcon Lake flooding right now?

The live reading at the top of this page answers that: the gauge is compared against its official NWS flood stages every 15 minutes. Minor flooding at this gauge begins at 301.2 ft. Blue means normal, yellow is action stage, orange minor, red moderate and dark red major flooding.

What is flood stage for Rio Grande at Falcon Lake?

major flood stage 314.2 ft, moderate flood stage 306.7 ft, minor flood stage 301.2 ft, action stage 299 ft. These are official National Weather Service thresholds set specifically for this gauge, not generic values.

What is the record flood at Rio Grande at Falcon Lake?

The highest crest on file at this gauge is 309.31 ft, reached on 2010-07-17 — that is 8.11 ft above minor flood stage. The full list of the highest crests is in the table on this page.

Where does this data come from?

From the NOAA National Water Prediction Service, the official U.S. river gauge network — a U.S. government work in the public domain. Live stage is refreshed every 15 minutes; flood thresholds and historic crests are refreshed monthly. For life-safety decisions follow NWS Brownsville and local emergency management.