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Colorado River (TX) near Smithville

Highest listed crest 47.40 ftFlood stage 20.0 ft12 crests since 1913

The Colorado River (TX) near Smithville crested at major flood stage 9 times among the 12 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1913 to 2017. The highest, 47.40 ft on December 4, 1913, was major flooding, 27.40 feet above flood stage. 3 other gauges on the Colorado River (TX) crested above flood stage within a week of it.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
47.40 ft
December 4, 1913
Flood stage
20.0 ft
Major flooding from 28.0 ft
Crests at major
9
71st of 370 gauges in Texas
Most recent flood crest
August 28, 2017
31.91 ft, major flooding
Location
Bastrop County
Near Bastrop (11.7 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 Smithville
Action stage10.00—The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)20.01Jan 22, 1968Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage23.02Nov 23, 2004Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage28.09Aug 28, 2017Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

12 crests from 1913 to 2017. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Colorado River (TX) near Smithville, 1913 to 2017 20304050ft Flood stage 20.0 ftMajor 28.0 ft Dec 4, 1913: 47.40 ft, major floodingJun 16, 1936: 42.50 ft, major flooding; 305,000 cubic feet per secondSep 29, 1936: 31.20 ft, major floodingJul 27, 1938: 36.02 ft, major floodingJan 22, 1968: 21.40 ft, minor flooding; 46,300 cubic feet per secondMay 25, 1975: 26.50 ft, moderate flooding; 67,400 cubic feet per secondOct 18, 1998: 34.75 ft, major flooding; 144,000 cubic feet per secondNov 23, 2004: 27.85 ft, moderate flooding; 69,320 cubic feet per secondMay 27, 2015: 29.87 ft, major flooding; 64,968 cubic feet per secondNov 1, 2015: 30.02 ft, major flooding; 70,370 cubic feet per secondMay 28, 2016: 30.09 ft, major flooding; 68,902 cubic feet per secondAug 28, 2017: 31.91 ft, major flooding; 72,200 cubic feet per second Highest, 47.40 ft, Dec 4, 1913 19201940196019802000

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Colorado River (TX) near Smithville 1910s: 1 1920s: 0 1930s: 3 1940s: 0 1950s: 0 1960s: 1 1970s: 1 1980s: 0 1990s: 1 2000s: 1 2010s: 4 4 1910s1920s1930s1940s1950s1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s
  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 Smithville
1Dec 4, 191347.40+27.40Major—
2Jun 16, 193642.50+22.50Major305,000
3Jul 27, 193836.02+16.02Major—
4Oct 18, 199834.75+14.75Major144,000
5Aug 28, 201731.91+11.91Major72,200
6Sep 29, 193631.20+11.20Major—
7May 28, 201630.09+10.09Major68,902
8Nov 1, 201530.02+10.02Major70,370
9May 27, 201529.87+9.87Major64,968
10Nov 23, 200427.85+7.85Moderate69,320
11May 25, 197526.50+6.50Moderate67,400
12Jan 22, 196821.40+1.40Minor46,300

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.

December 4, 1913: 47.40 ft here, major flooding

  • La GrangeTX · Dec 5, 1913 · 56.40 ft · Major
  • BastropTX · Dec 4, 1913 · 53.30 ft · Major
  • AustinTX · Dec 4, 1913 · 42.60 ft · Major

July 27, 1938: 36.02 ft here, major flooding

  • San SabaTX · Jul 23, 1938 · 62.24 ft · Major · its highest
  • ColumbusTX · Jul 26, 1938 · 48.40 ft · Major · its highest
  • WinchellTX · Jul 24, 1938 · 45.70 ft · Major
  • AustinTX · Jul 25, 1938 · 45.20 ft · Major
  • La GrangeTX · Jul 27, 1938 · 42.95 ft · Major

October 18, 1998: 34.75 ft here, major flooding

  • WhartonTX · Oct 23, 1998 · 48.72 ft · Major
  • La GrangeTX · Oct 20, 1998 · 45.50 ft · Major
  • ColumbusTX · Oct 21, 1998 · 43.56 ft · Major
  • BastropTX · Oct 19, 1998 · 32.30 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
Smithville this gaugeTX20.047.40 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 Bastrop County

Flood gauges in Bastrop County
Elgin13.027.62 ft, Oct 31, 20151
Bastrop23.060.30 ft, Jul 7, 186912
Elgin22.037.83 ft, May 26, 20154

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge SMIT2, 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.