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Colorado River (TX) at Winchell

Highest listed crest 62.20 ftFlood stage 26.0 ft32 crests since 1906

The Colorado River (TX) at Winchell crested at major flood stage 18 times among the 32 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1906 to 2002. The highest, 62.20 ft on September 19, 1936, was major flooding, 36.20 feet above flood stage. 1 other gauge on the Colorado River (TX) crested above flood stage within a week of it.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
62.20 ft
September 19, 1936
Flood stage
26.0 ft
Major flooding from 34.0 ft
Crests at major
18
18th of 370 gauges in Texas
Most recent flood crest
December 20, 1991
33.70 ft, moderate flooding
Location
McCulloch County
Texas

Flood stages

The thresholds the National Weather Service uses for this gauge today, and how many listed crests reached each.

Flood categories, Colorado River (TX) at Winchell
Action stage24.01May 12, 1994The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)26.00—Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage30.012Dec 20, 1991Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage34.018Apr 26, 1990Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

32 crests from 1906 to 2002. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Colorado River (TX) at Winchell, 1906 to 2002 203040506070ft Flood stage 26.0 ftMajor 34.0 ft Aug 8, 1906: 56.20 ft, major floodingOct 15, 1930: 51.80 ft, major flooding; 76,100 cubic feet per secondSep 19, 1936: 62.20 ft, major floodingJul 24, 1938: 45.70 ft, major floodingJun 19, 1940: 33.20 ft, moderate flooding; 32,000 cubic feet per secondJul 6, 1941: 33.64 ft, moderate flooding; 32,700 cubic feet per secondJul 8, 1945: 37.66 ft, major flooding; 41,100 cubic feet per secondJul 9, 1948: 39.68 ft, major flooding; 46,000 cubic feet per secondApr 20, 1949: 37.07 ft, major flooding; 39,700 cubic feet per secondSep 11, 1952: 38.92 ft, major flooding; 44,000 cubic feet per secondAug 21, 1953: 34.18 ft, major flooding; 33,600 cubic feet per secondApr 13, 1954: 33.00 ft, moderate flooding; 31,700 cubic feet per secondMay 25, 1954: 30.00 ft, moderate flooding; 27,000 cubic feet per secondMay 19, 1955: 46.37 ft, major flooding; 64,600 cubic feet per secondJun 5, 1955: 32.76 ft, moderate flooding; 31,400 cubic feet per secondJul 19, 1955: 30.35 ft, moderate flooding; 27,600 cubic feet per secondSep 23, 1955: 31.78 ft, moderate flooding; 29,800 cubic feet per secondMay 1, 1956: 44.55 ft, major flooding; 57,800 cubic feet per secondApr 27, 1957: 37.78 ft, major flooding; 40,400 cubic feet per secondMay 13, 1957: 46.00 ft, major flooding; 63,000 cubic feet per secondMay 20, 1957: 36.28 ft, major flooding; 37,400 cubic feet per secondMay 24, 1957: 33.10 ft, moderate flooding; 31,900 cubic feet per secondJun 4, 1957: 31.05 ft, moderate flooding; 28,600 cubic feet per secondOct 15, 1957: 44.56 ft, major flooding; 57,600 cubic feet per secondJun 4, 1959: 31.80 ft, moderate flooding; 29,800 cubic feet per secondOct 6, 1959: 46.10 ft, major flooding; 63,400 cubic feet per secondAug 5, 1978: 31.88 ft, moderate flooding; 29,600 cubic feet per secondSep 10, 1980: 38.04 ft, major flooding; 41,700 cubic feet per secondApr 26, 1990: 34.32 ft, major flooding; 34,200 cubic feet per secondDec 20, 1991: 33.70 ft, moderate flooding; 33,000 cubic feet per secondMay 12, 1994: 24.06 ft, action stage; 18,100 cubic feet per secondJul 3, 2002: 22.77 ft, below flood stage; 16,500 cubic feet per second Highest, 62.20 ft, Sep 19, 1936 19201940196019802000

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Colorado River (TX) at Winchell 1900s: 1 1910s: 0 1920s: 0 1930s: 3 1940s: 5 1950s: 17 17 1960s: 0 1970s: 1 1980s: 1 1990s: 2 2000s: 0 1900s1910s1920s1930s1940s1950s1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s
  1. These are the crests the local National Weather Service office lists for the gauge: the highest on record and recent crests. Lesser floods between them may be missing, so counts by decade are a floor.
  2. Categories use today's flood stages. Levees, dams and channel changes since a crest can make old and new stages not directly comparable.

Highest crests

Highest listed crests, Colorado River (TX) at Winchell
1Sep 19, 193662.20+36.20Major—
2Aug 8, 190656.20+30.20Major—
3Oct 15, 193051.80+25.80Major76,100
4May 19, 195546.37+20.37Major64,600
5Oct 6, 195946.10+20.10Major63,400
6May 13, 195746.00+20.00Major63,000
7Jul 24, 193845.70+19.70Major—
8Oct 15, 195744.56+18.56Major57,600
9May 1, 195644.55+18.55Major57,800
10Jul 9, 194839.68+13.68Major46,000
11Sep 11, 195238.92+12.92Major44,000
12Sep 10, 198038.04+12.04Major41,700
13Apr 27, 195737.78+11.78Major40,400
14Jul 8, 194537.66+11.66Major41,100
15Apr 20, 194937.07+11.07Major39,700
16May 20, 195736.28+10.28Major37,400
17Apr 26, 199034.32+8.32Major34,200
18Aug 21, 195334.18+8.18Major33,600
19Dec 20, 199133.70+7.70Moderate33,000
20Jul 6, 194133.64+7.64Moderate32,700
21Jun 19, 194033.20+7.20Moderate32,000
22May 24, 195733.10+7.10Moderate31,900
23Apr 13, 195433.00+7.00Moderate31,700
24Jun 5, 195532.76+6.76Moderate31,400
25Aug 5, 197831.88+5.88Moderate29,600
26Jun 4, 195931.80+5.80Moderate29,800
27Sep 23, 195531.78+5.78Moderate29,800
28Jun 4, 195731.05+5.05Moderate28,600
29Jul 19, 195530.35+4.35Moderate27,600
30May 25, 195430.00+4.00Moderate27,000
31May 12, 199424.06−1.94Action18,100
32Jul 3, 200222.77−3.23Below flood stage16,500

The worst floods along the Colorado River (TX)

For this gauge's highest crests, the other gauges on the Colorado River (TX) that crested above flood stage within a week.

September 19, 1936: 62.20 ft here, major flooding

  • San SabaTX · Sep 21, 1936 · 56.70 ft · Major

October 15, 1930: 51.80 ft here, major flooding

  • San SabaTX · Oct 17, 1930 · 39.90 ft · Major

May 19, 1955: 46.37 ft here, major flooding

  • San SabaTX · May 19, 1955 · 34.05 ft · Moderate

Gauges on the Colorado River (TX)

In USGS station-number order, which runs downstream within a river basin.

Flood gauges on the Colorado River (TX)
SilverTX15.022.98 ft, Sep 9, 19803
BallingerTX18.027.78 ft, Sep 29, 20127
Winchell this gaugeTX26.062.20 ft, Sep 19, 193618
San SabaTX30.062.24 ft, Jul 23, 19388
Lake TravisTX685.0710.44 ft, Dec 25, 19917
AustinTX33.051.00 ft, Jul 7, 18697
BastropTX23.060.30 ft, Jul 7, 186912
SmithvilleTX20.047.40 ft, Dec 4, 19139
La GrangeTX26.056.70 ft, Jul 9, 186910
ColumbusTX34.048.40 ft, Jul 26, 193811
WhartonTX39.050.47 ft, Aug 31, 201711
Bay CityTX44.046.40 ft, Jun 26, 19602

Other gauges in McCulloch County

Flood gauges in McCulloch County
Brady26.029.10 ft, Jul 23, 19380
Brady18.030.53 ft, Jul 4, 20252

McCulloch County: every hazard · River floods across the country · Texas

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge WCHT2, retrieved October 30, 2026. Stages in feet on the gauge's own datum, not elevation. Crests are as the National Weather Service lists them; preliminary values may be revised.