River stage
Columbus, Colorado River
- River level
- 9.38 ft
- Status
- Below flood stage
- 7-day change
- -1.12 ft
- Recent high
- 20.07 ft
- Recent low
- 9.42 ft
Last reported 2026-10-13 | NWS CBST2
- 30-day change
- -0.74 ft
- Average
- 10.75 ft
- Readings
- 122
- Data span
- 122 days
- Record crest
- 48.40 ft
In brief
The Colorado River at Columbus, TX read 9.38 ft on Oct 13, 2026, 20.62 ft below action stage. That is 0.74 ft lower than 30 days earlier.
Source: National Weather Service gauge CBST2
River level timeline
Stage threshold profile
Highest crests on record
| Rank | Crest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 48.40 ft | 1938-07-26 |
| 2 | 48.17 ft | 2017-08-29 |
| 3 | 46.20 ft | 1940-07-01 |
| 4 | 45.67 ft | 2016-04-19 |
| 5 | 45.40 ft | 1940-11-24 |
| 6 | 45.30 ft | 1922-05-05 |
| 7 | 45.00 ft | 1929-06-01 |
| 8 | 43.56 ft | 1998-10-21 |
Flood crests recorded at this gauge by the National Weather Service.
What happens at each level
- 34.00 ft
At levels above 34.0 feet, minor lowland flooding begins as the floodplain in the vicinity of the gage is inundated.
- 39.00 ft
At levels above 39.0 feet, moderate lowland flooding begins as water from Columbus routes to near 18.0 feet downstream near Eagle Lake and Garwood closing FM 950 with significant lowland flooding.
- 41.30 ft
At levels above 41.3 feet, widespread flooding of the left floodplain occurs. In past floods, some homes near U.S. Highway 90 had up to 2 feet of water in them, and FM 950 downstream from the gage was inundated and closed.
- 43.00 ft
At levels above 43.0 feet, major lowland flooding occurs as U.S. Highway 90 floods. In past floods, many homes in the area flooded. FM 950 downstream from the gage is flooded.
- 45.00 ft
At levels above 45.0 feet, major flooding of crop and pasture land downstream near Eagle Lake occurs. In past floods, U.S. Highway 90 near Columbus was closed with many homes flooded, and FM 950 below the gage is closed.
- 47.00 ft
At levels above 47.0 feet, routed flow may overtop levees 110 miles downstream near Bay City. Significant flows will escape the channel near Garwood into the left floodplain with large volume loss as a large over bank storage area forms. In past floods, U.S. Highway 90 in Columbus and FM 950 below the gage are inundated and closed with many homes near the gage flooded.
- 48.00 ft
At levels above 48.0 feet, flow escapes into the right floodplain near Columbus with widespread flooding of crop and pasture land downstream near Eagle Lake. In past floods, U.S. Highway 90 in Columbus and FM 950 downstream of the gage were inundated and closed with many homes in the vicinity of the gage flooded.
Written by the local National Weather Service forecast office for this exact gauge.
Frequently asked questions
Is the Colorado River flooding at Columbus?
No. The Colorado River at Columbus is at 9.38 ft, 20.62 ft below action stage.
What is the flood stage at Columbus?
The National Weather Service sets action stage 30 ft, minor flooding 34 ft, moderate flooding 39 ft and major flooding 43 ft.
What is the highest the Colorado River has been at Columbus?
The highest crest on record is 48.4 ft, on 1938-07-26.
Is the Colorado River high or low right now at Columbus?
At 9.38 ft it is higher than 0% of readings over the last 122 days.
Stage and flood information from the NOAA National Weather Service (gauge CBST2); daily history from the U.S. Geological Survey (site 08161000). Last reading 2026-10-13. For flood safety decisions always follow official National Weather Service warnings.