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Colorado River (TX) near Bay City

Highest listed crest 46.40 ftFlood stage 44.0 ft28 crests since 1957

The Colorado River (TX) near Bay City crested at major flood stage 2 times among the 28 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1957 to 2021. The highest, 46.40 ft on June 26, 1960, was major flooding, 2.40 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
46.40 ft
June 26, 1960; 84,100 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
44.0 ft
Major flooding from 46.0 ft
Crests at major
2
218th of 370 gauges in Texas
Most recent flood crest
September 2, 2017
46.16 ft, major flooding
Location
Matagorda County
Near Bay City (3.2 mi)

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) near Bay City
Action stage23.023Jun 7, 2021The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)44.01Sep 15, 1961Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage45.00—Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage46.02Sep 2, 2017Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

28 crests from 1957 to 2021. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Colorado River (TX) near Bay City, 1957 to 2021 1020304050ft Flood stage 44.0 ftMajor 46.0 ft May 1, 1957: 41.83 ft, action stage; 53,000 cubic feet per secondOct 17, 1957: 42.77 ft, action stage; 59,200 cubic feet per secondJun 26, 1960: 46.40 ft, major flooding; 84,100 cubic feet per secondSep 15, 1961: 44.09 ft, minor flooding; 66,400 cubic feet per secondDec 6, 1965: 25.64 ft, action stage; 15,200 cubic feet per secondApr 24, 1977: 34.20 ft, action stage; 50,300 cubic feet per secondNov 3, 1981: 32.48 ft, action stage; 46,400 cubic feet per secondJun 17, 1987: 34.32 ft, action stage; 50,500 cubic feet per secondMay 16, 1989: 14.60 ft, below flood stage; 7,740 cubic feet per secondFeb 22, 1990: 13.74 ft, below flood stage; 6,720 cubic feet per secondApr 16, 1991: 24.04 ft, action stage; 23,200 cubic feet per secondDec 27, 1991: 38.90 ft, action stage; 69,600 cubic feet per secondJun 22, 1993: 30.28 ft, action stage; 38,500 cubic feet per secondOct 20, 1994: 38.67 ft, action stage; 71,100 cubic feet per secondMar 19, 1997: 29.29 ft, action stage; 37,900 cubic feet per secondOct 24, 1998: 40.95 ft, action stage; 81,800 cubic feet per secondNov 8, 2002: 32.56 ft, action stage; 48,300 cubic feet per secondNov 27, 2004: 41.73 ft, action stage; 73,800 cubic feet per secondJul 5, 2007: 31.81 ft, action stage; 40,800 cubic feet per secondApr 19, 2009: 27.68 ft, action stage; 32,700 cubic feet per secondNov 4, 2013: 26.49 ft, action stage; 29,800 cubic feet per secondMay 31, 2015: 36.92 ft, action stage; 49,800 cubic feet per secondApr 22, 2016: 40.45 ft, action stage; 63,700 cubic feet per secondJun 1, 2016: 39.81 ft, action stage; 60,000 cubic feet per secondSep 2, 2017: 46.16 ft, major flooding; 89,000 cubic feet per secondMar 31, 2018: 23.40 ft, action stage; 21,900 cubic feet per secondJun 5, 2019: 28.30 ft, action stage; 31,600 cubic feet per secondJun 7, 2021: 26.89 ft, action stage; 30,400 cubic feet per second Highest, 46.40 ft, Jun 26, 1960 1960197019801990200020102020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Colorado River (TX) near Bay City 1950s: 0 1960s: 2 2 1970s: 0 1980s: 0 1990s: 0 2000s: 0 2010s: 1 2020s: 0 1950s1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s2020s
  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) near Bay City
1Jun 26, 196046.40+2.40Major84,100
2Sep 2, 201746.16+2.16Major89,000
3Sep 15, 196144.09+0.09Minor66,400
4Oct 17, 195742.77−1.23Action59,200
5May 1, 195741.83−2.17Action53,000
6Nov 27, 200441.73−2.27Action73,800
7Oct 24, 199840.95−3.05Action81,800
8Apr 22, 201640.45−3.55Action63,700
9Jun 1, 201639.81−4.19Action60,000
10Dec 27, 199138.90−5.10Action69,600
11Oct 20, 199438.67−5.33Action71,100
12May 31, 201536.92−7.08Action49,800
13Jun 17, 198734.32−9.68Action50,500
14Apr 24, 197734.20−9.80Action50,300
15Nov 8, 200232.56−11.44Action48,300
16Nov 3, 198132.48−11.52Action46,400
17Jul 5, 200731.81−12.19Action40,800
18Jun 22, 199330.28−13.72Action38,500
19Mar 19, 199729.29−14.71Action37,900
20Jun 5, 201928.30−15.70Action31,600
21Apr 19, 200927.68−16.32Action32,700
22Jun 7, 202126.89−17.11Action30,400
23Nov 4, 201326.49−17.51Action29,800
24Dec 6, 196525.64−18.36Action15,200
25Apr 16, 199124.04−19.96Action23,200
26Mar 31, 201823.40−20.60Action21,900
27May 16, 198914.60−29.40Below flood stage7,740
28Feb 22, 199013.74−30.26Below flood stage6,720

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.

June 26, 1960: 46.40 ft here, major flooding

  • WhartonTX · Jun 27, 1960 · 40.50 ft · Minor

September 2, 2017: 46.16 ft here, major flooding

  • La GrangeTX · Aug 28, 2017 · 54.14 ft · Major
  • WhartonTX · Aug 31, 2017 · 50.47 ft · Major · its highest
  • ColumbusTX · Aug 29, 2017 · 48.17 ft · Major
  • SmithvilleTX · Aug 28, 2017 · 31.91 ft · Major
  • BastropTX · Aug 28, 2017 · 26.31 ft · Moderate

September 15, 1961: 44.09 ft here, minor flooding

  • WhartonTX · Sep 15, 1961 · 43.90 ft · Major

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
WinchellTX26.062.20 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 City this gaugeTX44.046.40 ft, Jun 26, 19602

Other gauges in Matagorda County

Flood gauges in Matagorda County
Tide Station (HGX) at Sargent4.04.58 ft, Sep 14, 20210
Midfield24.037.00 ft, Jun 1, 196023

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge BACT2, 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.