Rivers in Texas

Brazos River near West Columbia

Brazoria County, TexasNWS WCBT2USGS 08116850Dickinson office

Below flood stage
1.92ftStage

Observed Tue, Sep 29, 5:30 AM CDT

Flood stage
26.00 ft
Forecast crest
2.80 ftFri, Oct 2, 10:00 PM CDT
Record crest
30.73 ft2017

Open the live map with the river flood outlook

Flood stages and impacts

CategoryStage
Major flood28.00 ft
Moderate flood27.00 ft
Minor flood26.00 ft
Action20.00 ft
  1. 30.73 ftFlood of record occurred on September 3rd, 2017, during Hurricane Harvey. Massive widespread flooding occurred. Part of West Columbia is threatened.
  2. 30.00 ftHomes in Columbia Lakes are threatened.
  3. 29.00 ftMajor flooding continues with widespread structure flooding occurring.
  4. 28.50 ftLowest areas in East Columbia are threatened.
  5. 28.00 ftMajor flooding begins with subdivisions such as Mallard Lakes and Great Lakes being cut off. Low-lying areas along State Highway 35 on the left bank/north side are flooded with approximately 1.0ft of inundation. State Highway 35 is impassable.
  6. 27.50 ftState Highway 35 has at least 0.5 foot of inundation.
  7. 27.00 ftModerate flooding begins as water escapes the mainstem of the Brazos River near the gauge. Low lying homes in the City of Brazoria are threatened, and widespread county road flooding occurs. Low lying areas along State Highway 35 on the left bank/north side are flooded. State Highway 35 and the lowest areas of Bar X are threatened.
  8. 26.00 ftMinor flooding begins as water escapes the mainstem of the Brazos River approximately 5 miles downstream of the gage. County roads begin to take on water.
  9. 20.00 ftAction stage begins as water begins to backup tributaries of the mainstem, specifically Varner Creek.

Flood outlook

Chance of flooding, October to December

CategoryChance
Minor floodingUnder 5%
Moderate floodingUnder 5%
Major floodingUnder 5%

The three-month chances are the River Forecast Centers’ long-range flood outlook, issued September 28, 2026.

Crest history

4 crests on NOAA’s list since 2016.

#DateStage
1September 3, 201730.73 ft
2June 8, 201630.22 ft
3May 14, 201928.33 ft
4April 2, 201819.96 ft

Most recent crests

  • May 14, 2019: 28.33 ft
  • April 2, 2018: 19.96 ft
  • September 3, 2017: 30.73 ft
  • June 8, 2016: 30.22 ft

Nearby

Upstream, downstream and the gauges around this one.

What this means

Forecasts by the West Gulf River Forecast Center. Forecasts are issued routinely year-round. River forecasts for this location take into account past precipitation and the precipitation amounts expected approximately 24 hours into the future from the forecast issuance time.

Sources

Stage, flood stages, impacts and crest history from NOAA’s National Water Prediction Service. Streamflow and the daily record from the U.S. Geological Survey.