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Nueces River near Three Rivers

Highest listed crest 49.21 ftFlood stage 25.0 ft59 crests since 1919

The Nueces River near Three Rivers crested at major flood stage 20 times among the 59 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1919 to 2026. The highest, 49.21 ft on September 23, 1967, was major flooding, 24.21 feet above flood stage. 4 other gauges on the Nueces River crested above flood stage within a week of it, 3 at their own highest listed crest.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
49.21 ft
September 23, 1967; 141,000 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
25.0 ft
Major flooding from 35.0 ft
Crests at major
20
14th of 370 gauges in Texas
Most recent flood crest
August 1, 2026
39.30 ft, major flooding
Location
Live Oak 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 near Three Rivers
Action stage20.06May 20, 2021The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)25.06Sep 25, 2018Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage27.013Jun 7, 2021Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage35.020Aug 1, 2026Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

59 crests from 1919 to 2026. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Nueces River near Three Rivers, 1919 to 2026 01020304050ft Flood stage 25.0 ftMajor 35.0 ft Jan 1, 1919: 46.00 ft, major floodingJun 15, 1935: 44.67 ft, major flooding; 66,700 cubic feet per secondJul 9, 1942: 44.64 ft, major flooding; 55,000 cubic feet per secondApr 27, 1966: 26.54 ft, minor flooding; 6,100 cubic feet per secondSep 23, 1967: 49.21 ft, major flooding; 141,000 cubic feet per secondMay 4, 1981: 26.25 ft, minor flooding; 6,960 cubic feet per secondMay 11, 1981: 27.52 ft, moderate flooding; 7,470 cubic feet per secondJun 13, 1981: 25.77 ft, minor flooding; 6,770 cubic feet per secondJun 24, 1981: 38.14 ft, major flooding; 18,100 cubic feet per secondMay 26, 1982: 29.84 ft, moderate flooding; 9,410 cubic feet per secondSep 21, 1983: 36.98 ft, major flooding; 18,300 cubic feet per secondOct 10, 1983: 11.56 ft, below flood stage; 1,660 cubic feet per secondMay 28, 1985: 21.66 ft, action stage; 4,560 cubic feet per secondOct 22, 1985: 24.47 ft, action stage; 5,770 cubic feet per secondJun 22, 1987: 37.30 ft, major flooding; 18,900 cubic feet per secondJul 20, 1990: 36.15 ft, major flooding; 12,600 cubic feet per secondFeb 8, 1991: 16.26 ft, below flood stage; 2,610 cubic feet per secondFeb 7, 1992: 32.49 ft, moderate flooding; 9,120 cubic feet per secondJun 30, 1993: 30.29 ft, moderate flooding; 9,120 cubic feet per secondMay 17, 1994: 21.11 ft, action stage; 4,400 cubic feet per secondSep 27, 1995: 9.04 ft, below flood stage; 1,160 cubic feet per secondSep 1, 1996: 18.49 ft, below flood stage; 3,500 cubic feet per secondJun 23, 1997: 30.11 ft, moderate flooding; 6,450 cubic feet per secondJul 4, 2002: 36.86 ft, major flooding; 18,138 cubic feet per secondJul 13, 2002: 40.19 ft, major flooding; 28,672 cubic feet per secondJul 17, 2002: 43.19 ft, major flooding; 55,072 cubic feet per secondSep 12, 2002: 44.44 ft, major flooding; 66,072 cubic feet per secondOct 19, 2003: 39.51 ft, major floodingApr 29, 2004: 28.80 ft, moderate floodingJul 5, 2004: 32.21 ft, moderate flooding; 11,601 cubic feet per secondMar 17, 2007: 32.87 ft, moderate flooding; 12,349 cubic feet per secondJul 11, 2007: 40.59 ft, major flooding; 32,192 cubic feet per secondJul 29, 2007: 37.76 ft, major flooding; 20,369 cubic feet per secondJan 19, 2010: 20.43 ft, action stage; 3,752 cubic feet per secondApr 17, 2010: 26.28 ft, minor flooding; 6,331 cubic feet per secondMay 26, 2013: 28.73 ft, moderate flooding; 7,397 cubic feet per secondJul 6, 2013: 13.80 ft, below flood stage; 1,627 cubic feet per secondOct 21, 2013: 38.95 ft, major flooding; 16,916 cubic feet per secondMar 24, 2015: 22.03 ft, action stage; 3,640 cubic feet per secondMay 19, 2015: 37.94 ft, major flooding; 15,020 cubic feet per secondJun 3, 2015: 32.64 ft, moderate flooding; 9,201 cubic feet per secondAug 24, 2016: 30.42 ft, moderate flooding; 7,500 cubic feet per secondSep 28, 2016: 17.92 ft, below flood stage; 2,598 cubic feet per secondOct 19, 2016: 12.38 ft, below flood stage; 1,569 cubic feet per secondDec 8, 2016: 9.76 ft, below flood stage; 1,123 cubic feet per secondMar 12, 2017: 16.34 ft, below flood stage; 2,290 cubic feet per secondOct 8, 2017: 34.14 ft, moderate flooding; 10,500 cubic feet per secondSep 19, 2018: 25.04 ft, minor flooding; 4,638 cubic feet per secondSep 25, 2018: 26.32 ft, minor flooding; 5,122 cubic feet per secondOct 31, 2018: 35.21 ft, major flooding; 9,984 cubic feet per secondMar 22, 2020: 14.53 ft, below flood stage; 1,820 cubic feet per secondMay 4, 2021: 12.51 ft, below flood stage; 1,851 cubic feet per secondMay 20, 2021: 20.29 ft, action stage; 3,379 cubic feet per secondJun 7, 2021: 30.92 ft, moderate flooding; 7,115 cubic feet per secondJul 12, 2021: 15.23 ft, below flood stage; 2,372 cubic feet per secondAug 8, 2021: 7.87 ft, below flood stage; 1,025 cubic feet per secondAug 16, 2021: 5.79 ft, below flood stage; 701 cubic feet per secondAug 23, 2022: 37.08 ft, major flooding; 12,643 cubic feet per secondAug 1, 2026: 39.30 ft, major flooding; 12,003 cubic feet per second Highest, 49.21 ft, Sep 23, 1967 192019401960198020002020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Nueces River near Three Rivers 1910s: 1 1920s: 0 1930s: 1 1940s: 1 1950s: 0 1960s: 2 1970s: 0 1980s: 7 1990s: 4 2000s: 10 10 2010s: 10 2020s: 3 1910s1920s1930s1940s1950s1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s2020s
  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 59 listed crests.

Highest listed crests, Nueces River near Three Rivers
1Sep 23, 196749.21+24.21Major141,000
2Jan 1, 191946.00+21.00Major—
3Jun 15, 193544.67+19.67Major66,700
4Jul 9, 194244.64+19.64Major55,000
5Sep 12, 200244.44+19.44Major66,072
6Jul 17, 200243.19+18.19Major55,072
7Jul 11, 200740.59+15.59Major32,192
8Jul 13, 200240.19+15.19Major28,672
9Oct 19, 200339.51+14.51Major—
10Aug 1, 202639.30+14.30Major12,003
11Oct 21, 201338.95+13.95Major16,916
12Jun 24, 198138.14+13.14Major18,100
13May 19, 201537.94+12.94Major15,020
14Jul 29, 200737.76+12.76Major20,369
15Jun 22, 198737.30+12.30Major18,900
16Aug 23, 202237.08+12.08Major12,643
17Sep 21, 198336.98+11.98Major18,300
18Jul 4, 200236.86+11.86Major18,138
19Jul 20, 199036.15+11.15Major12,600
20Oct 31, 201835.21+10.21Major9,984
21Oct 8, 201734.14+9.14Moderate10,500
22Mar 17, 200732.87+7.87Moderate12,349
23Jun 3, 201532.64+7.64Moderate9,201
24Feb 7, 199232.49+7.49Moderate9,120
25Jul 5, 200432.21+7.21Moderate11,601
26Jun 7, 202130.92+5.92Moderate7,115
27Aug 24, 201630.42+5.42Moderate7,500
28Jun 30, 199330.29+5.29Moderate9,120
29Jun 23, 199730.11+5.11Moderate6,450
30May 26, 198229.84+4.84Moderate9,410
31Apr 29, 200428.80+3.80Moderate—
32May 26, 201328.73+3.73Moderate7,397
33May 11, 198127.52+2.52Moderate7,470
34Apr 27, 196626.54+1.54Minor6,100
35Sep 25, 201826.32+1.32Minor5,122
36Apr 17, 201026.28+1.28Minor6,331
37May 4, 198126.25+1.25Minor6,960
38Jun 13, 198125.77+0.77Minor6,770
39Sep 19, 201825.04+0.04Minor4,638
40Oct 22, 198524.47−0.53Action5,770
41Mar 24, 201522.03−2.97Action3,640
42May 28, 198521.66−3.34Action4,560
43May 17, 199421.11−3.89Action4,400
44Jan 19, 201020.43−4.57Action3,752
45May 20, 202120.29−4.71Action3,379
46Sep 1, 199618.49−6.51Below flood stage3,500
47Sep 28, 201617.92−7.08Below flood stage2,598
48Mar 12, 201716.34−8.66Below flood stage2,290
49Feb 8, 199116.26−8.74Below flood stage2,610
50Jul 12, 202115.23−9.77Below flood stage2,372

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.

September 23, 1967: 49.21 ft here, major flooding

  • MathisTX · Sep 24, 1967 · 48.70 ft · Major · its highest
  • TildenTX · Sep 24, 1967 · 26.57 ft · Major · its highest
  • CalallenTX · Sep 24, 1967 · 16.00 ft · Major · its highest
  • CotullaTX · Sep 25, 1967 · 16.61 ft · Moderate

June 15, 1935: 44.67 ft here, major flooding

  • MathisTX · Jun 18, 1935 · 37.00 ft · Major
  • AshertonTX · Jun 17, 1935 · 33.00 ft · Major
  • CotullaTX · Jun 18, 1935 · 32.40 ft · Major · its highest

July 9, 1942: 44.64 ft here, major flooding

  • MathisTX · Jul 12, 1942 · 38.38 ft · Major

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
CotullaTX15.032.40 ft, Jun 18, 193516
TildenTX14.026.57 ft, Sep 24, 196721
Three Rivers this gaugeTX25.049.21 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

Other gauges in Live Oak County

Flood gauges in Live Oak County
Whitsett20.041.40 ft, Sep 23, 196718

Live Oak County: every hazard · River floods across the country · Texas

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge THET2, 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.