How to read the water
The short course in Austin hydrology — everything we had to learn to build this site.
Stage vs. flow: the two numbers every gauge reports
One is a height, one is a volume. Use the right one to read the river.
Why the Greenbelt dries up (and comes back)
Barton Creek loses water as it flows through the Edwards Aquifer recharge zone.
How Lake Travis floods work
The only flood-control lake in the chain, a 100-foot historic range, and what "100% full" actually means.
The 48-hour bacteria rule
The same rain that fills the swimming holes flushes E. coli into them. Here’s the countdown we compute.
How to save water in Austin (and why it matters here)
Watering rules apply year-round, the lawn is the biggest lever, and the aquifer runs on its own clock.