Every number on this site comes from a public gauge — 178of them across the Colorado River basin. Each page explains what that gauge can and can't tell you.
0 cfs
Dry19 min ago
The gauge everyone quotes. It sits just downstream of the Greenbelt swimming holes, so it is the best single number for "does the Greenbelt have water." 15 - 50 cfs here is ideal: the falls run, the pools stay fresh, and the current is safe. Below 10 cfs only the deep holes hold water; above 120 cfs the current gets swift enough to be dangerous.
4.1 cfs
Low flow24 min ago
The upstream end of the story. Rain in the Dripping Springs headwaters shows up here first, hours before it reaches the swimming holes. If this gauge spikes while Loop 360 is still low, water is on the way — and if it spikes hard, stay out of the creek: flash floods move downstream fast.
5.5 cfs
Low flow24 min ago
Between SH 71 and Loop 360, just above the Hill of Life. Barton Creek loses water into the Edwards Aquifer as it flows downstream, so this gauge often reads higher than Loop 360 — comparing the two shows how much the aquifer is drinking.
0.5 cfs
Dry19 min ago
The last gauge on the creek before it reaches Barton Springs Pool. When the upstream gauges are dry, this one usually is too — any flow left tends to have soaked into the aquifer by here. A high reading is a sign the whole creek is running.
25 cfs
39 min ago
The spring itself — the outflow of the Edwards Aquifer at Barton Springs Pool. Unlike the creek, it flows year-round (typically 50 - 90 cfs). Its discharge tracks how full the aquifer is, and this station also measures water temperature: the pool holds a near-constant 68 - 72°F all year.
458.2 ft
1h ago
The eyes on the Edwards Aquifer. This monitor well south of downtown reads the water table directly: when the line falls, the aquifer is draining faster than rain refills it. Its 10-day average is one of the two numbers that set the conservation district’s drought stage, along with Barton Springs flow. Drought triggers start when the level drops below 478.4 ft above sea level; the deepest sits at 453.4 ft.
6,269 cfs
14 min ago
The river below Longhorn Dam. Flow here is mostly whatever LCRA releases through the dams upstream, so it tells you about operations rather than rain: high sustained flow usually means flood releases from Lake Travis. During flood operations LCRA throttles releases to keep this gauge below 30,000 cfs / 33 ft.
428.5 ft
14 min ago
The only public gauge on Lady Bird Lake. The lake is city-owned and held at a constant level (~428.6 ft above sea level), so this line should be nearly flat — a dip or spike means Longhorn Dam is passing floodwater through.