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Nueces River at Cotulla

Highest listed crest 32.40 ftFlood stage 15.0 ft51 crests since 1935

The Nueces River at Cotulla crested at major flood stage 16 times among the 51 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1935 to 2026. The highest, 32.40 ft on June 18, 1935, was major flooding, 17.40 feet above flood stage. 3 other gauges on the Nueces River crested above flood stage within a week of it.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
32.40 ft
June 18, 1935; 82,600 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
15.0 ft
Major flooding from 17.0 ft
Crests at major
16
24th of 370 gauges in Texas
Most recent flood crest
July 22, 2026
29.03 ft, major flooding
Location
La Salle County
Texas

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, Nueces River at Cotulla
Action stage9.016Sep 11, 2022The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)15.00—Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage15.012Sep 16, 2018Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage17.016Jul 22, 2026Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

51 crests from 1935 to 2026. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Nueces River at Cotulla, 1935 to 2026 010203040ft Flood stage 15.0 ftMajor 17.0 ft Jun 18, 1935: 32.40 ft, major flooding; 82,600 cubic feet per secondSep 25, 1967: 16.61 ft, moderate flooding; 7,050 cubic feet per secondJun 16, 1981: 23.20 ft, major flooding; 23,000 cubic feet per secondJun 23, 1981: 17.69 ft, major flooding; 9,060 cubic feet per secondOct 19, 1981: 16.85 ft, moderate flooding; 7,660 cubic feet per secondSep 25, 1983: 13.57 ft, action stage; 3,260 cubic feet per secondOct 18, 1984: 15.84 ft, moderate flooding; 6,530 cubic feet per secondJan 5, 1985: 15.20 ft, moderate flooding; 5,650 cubic feet per secondOct 27, 1985: 16.18 ft, moderate flooding; 6,790 cubic feet per secondJun 4, 1986: 16.29 ft, moderate flooding; 6,750 cubic feet per secondJun 14, 1987: 17.95 ft, major flooding; 9,780 cubic feet per secondJul 20, 1990: 18.10 ft, major flooding; 9,040 cubic feet per secondSep 23, 1991: 12.79 ft, action stage; 2,590 cubic feet per secondJul 31, 1992: 13.70 ft, action stage; 2,980 cubic feet per secondJun 17, 1993: 11.20 ft, action stage; 920 cubic feet per secondApr 4, 1995: 11.70 ft, action stage; 1,270 cubic feet per secondAug 30, 1996: 11.72 ft, action stage; 1,280 cubic feet per secondJun 29, 1997: 18.85 ft, major flooding; 10,400 cubic feet per secondJun 19, 1999: 29.70 ft, major floodingJul 4, 2002: 19.63 ft, major flooding; 13,224 cubic feet per secondJul 8, 2002: 21.38 ft, major flooding; 17,628 cubic feet per secondJul 16, 2002: 21.60 ft, major flooding; 18,228 cubic feet per secondSep 13, 2002: 11.21 ft, action stage; 1,007 cubic feet per secondApr 13, 2004: 15.65 ft, moderate floodingJul 6, 2004: 14.11 ft, action stage; 3,831 cubic feet per secondNov 24, 2004: 16.32 ft, moderate floodingJul 7, 2007: 11.80 ft, action stage; 1,412 cubic feet per secondAug 6, 2007: 16.66 ft, moderate flooding; 7,562 cubic feet per secondJun 25, 2013: 16.47 ft, moderate flooding; 6,427 cubic feet per secondOct 17, 2013: 22.81 ft, major flooding; 17,569 cubic feet per secondMar 22, 2015: 6.60 ft, below flood stage; 395 cubic feet per secondMay 24, 2015: 20.63 ft, major flooding; 14,693 cubic feet per secondOct 18, 2015: 14.60 ft, action stage; 3,571 cubic feet per secondNov 14, 2015: 8.30 ft, below flood stage; 387 cubic feet per secondMar 30, 2016: 20.96 ft, major flooding; 13,487 cubic feet per secondJun 2, 2016: 10.52 ft, action stage; 742 cubic feet per secondJun 7, 2016: 8.56 ft, below flood stage; 403 cubic feet per secondOct 4, 2016: 15.37 ft, moderate flooding; 3,833 cubic feet per secondNov 12, 2016: 7.46 ft, below flood stage; 277 cubic feet per secondDec 13, 2016: 7.03 ft, below flood stage; 229 cubic feet per secondApr 24, 2017: 9.02 ft, action stage; 504 cubic feet per secondSep 30, 2017: 20.96 ft, major flooding; 13,487 cubic feet per secondSep 16, 2018: 15.30 ft, moderate flooding; 3,994 cubic feet per secondOct 23, 2018: 20.82 ft, major flooding; 13,238 cubic feet per secondJun 2, 2020: 10.85 ft, action stage; 948 cubic feet per secondJun 4, 2021: 8.17 ft, below flood stage; 351 cubic feet per secondJun 8, 2021: 10.29 ft, action stage; 782 cubic feet per secondJul 6, 2021: 7.99 ft, below flood stage; 328 cubic feet per secondAug 11, 2021: 9.91 ft, action stage; 684 cubic feet per secondSep 11, 2022: 11.67 ft, action stage; 1,250 cubic feet per secondJul 22, 2026: 29.03 ft, major flooding; 30,007 cubic feet per second Highest, 32.40 ft, Jun 18, 1935 19401960198020002020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Nueces River at Cotulla 1930s: 1 1940s: 0 1950s: 0 1960s: 1 1970s: 0 1980s: 8 8 1990s: 3 2000s: 6 2010s: 8 2020s: 1 1930s1940s1950s1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s2020s
  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

The 50 highest of 51 listed crests.

Highest listed crests, Nueces River at Cotulla
1Jun 18, 193532.40+17.40Major82,600
2Jun 19, 199929.70+14.70Major—
3Jul 22, 202629.03+14.03Major30,007
4Jun 16, 198123.20+8.20Major23,000
5Oct 17, 201322.81+7.81Major17,569
6Jul 16, 200221.60+6.60Major18,228
7Jul 8, 200221.38+6.38Major17,628
8Mar 30, 201620.96+5.96Major13,487
9Sep 30, 201720.96+5.96Major13,487
10Oct 23, 201820.82+5.82Major13,238
11May 24, 201520.63+5.63Major14,693
12Jul 4, 200219.63+4.63Major13,224
13Jun 29, 199718.85+3.85Major10,400
14Jul 20, 199018.10+3.10Major9,040
15Jun 14, 198717.95+2.95Major9,780
16Jun 23, 198117.69+2.69Major9,060
17Oct 19, 198116.85+1.85Moderate7,660
18Aug 6, 200716.66+1.66Moderate7,562
19Sep 25, 196716.61+1.61Moderate7,050
20Jun 25, 201316.47+1.47Moderate6,427
21Nov 24, 200416.32+1.32Moderate—
22Jun 4, 198616.29+1.29Moderate6,750
23Oct 27, 198516.18+1.18Moderate6,790
24Oct 18, 198415.84+0.84Moderate6,530
25Apr 13, 200415.65+0.65Moderate—
26Oct 4, 201615.37+0.37Moderate3,833
27Sep 16, 201815.30+0.30Moderate3,994
28Jan 5, 198515.20+0.20Moderate5,650
29Oct 18, 201514.60−0.40Action3,571
30Jul 6, 200414.11−0.89Action3,831
31Jul 31, 199213.70−1.30Action2,980
32Sep 25, 198313.57−1.43Action3,260
33Sep 23, 199112.79−2.21Action2,590
34Jul 7, 200711.80−3.20Action1,412
35Aug 30, 199611.72−3.28Action1,280
36Apr 4, 199511.70−3.30Action1,270
37Sep 11, 202211.67−3.33Action1,250
38Sep 13, 200211.21−3.79Action1,007
39Jun 17, 199311.20−3.80Action920
40Jun 2, 202010.85−4.15Action948
41Jun 2, 201610.52−4.48Action742
42Jun 8, 202110.29−4.71Action782
43Aug 11, 20219.91−5.09Action684
44Apr 24, 20179.02−5.98Action504
45Jun 7, 20168.56−6.44Below flood stage403
46Nov 14, 20158.30−6.70Below flood stage387
47Jun 4, 20218.17−6.83Below flood stage351
48Jul 6, 20217.99−7.01Below flood stage328
49Nov 12, 20167.46−7.54Below flood stage277
50Dec 13, 20167.03−7.97Below flood stage229

The worst floods along the Nueces River

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

June 18, 1935: 32.40 ft here, major flooding

  • Three RiversTX · Jun 15, 1935 · 44.67 ft · Major
  • MathisTX · Jun 18, 1935 · 37.00 ft · Major
  • AshertonTX · Jun 17, 1935 · 33.00 ft · Major

July 22, 2026: 29.03 ft here, major flooding

  • AshertonTX · Jul 19, 2026 · 31.56 ft · Major
  • UvaldeTX · Jul 17, 2026 · 28.01 ft · Major · its highest
  • TildenTX · Jul 28, 2026 · 23.12 ft · Major
  • LagunaTX · Jul 16, 2026 · 21.88 ft · Major

June 16, 1981: 23.20 ft here, major flooding

Gauges on the Nueces River

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

Flood gauges on the Nueces River
LagunaTX10.029.95 ft, Sep 24, 19558
UvaldeTX11.028.01 ft, Jul 17, 20267
AshertonTX20.033.00 ft, Jun 30, 191314
Cotulla this gaugeTX15.032.40 ft, Jun 18, 193516
TildenTX14.026.57 ft, Sep 24, 196721
Three RiversTX25.049.21 ft, Sep 23, 196720
MathisTX25.048.70 ft, Sep 24, 196721
BluntzerTX18.032.22 ft, Sep 16, 200215
CalallenTX7.016.00 ft, Sep 24, 196711

La Salle County: every hazard · River floods across the country · Texas

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge COTT2, 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.