Blanco River level at Wimberley
Texas · Flood watch
Measured at USGS 08171000 — Blanco Rv at Wimberley, TX · NWS forecast point WMBT2
Reading taken · as of 18 min ago
Well below normal for the date
At 7.8 CFS, this gauge is running 19% of normal for mid-September — below the 41 CFS median USGS has recorded for this date across 100 years of record (1924–2026).
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Flood stages at Wimberley
National Weather Service categories for gauge WMBT2, WFO EWX. Impact wording is the NWS's own, verbatim.
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Major flood 26.0 ft · 67,437 CFS
- 26.0 ft Major flooding impacts several lowest homes on the Blanco River near Wimberley. Homes along Cypress Creek near Wimberley also are threatened by the Blanco River backwater and any flow down Cypress Creek. Major flooding of the lower Blanco River in northeast San Marcos floods lowest homes and inundates roads and low bridges with several feet of water near the river making them extremely dangerous. Livestock are cut off and potentially drowned.
- 29.0 ft Many lowest homes in the Blanco River flood plain near Wimberley flood. Lowest homes and businesses in the Cypress Creek flood plain flood by backwater from the Blanco River and any runoff down Cypress Creek. Lowland flooding downstream in the lower Blanco and San Marcos Rivers severely floods lowest homes, roads and bridges near San Marcos. Livestock in the Blanco River flood plain above Blanco to the San Marcos River confluence are cut off and potentially drowned.
- 31.0 ft Disastrous life threatening flooding will flood over a hundred homes and businesses in and near Wimberley in the Blanco River and Cypress Creek flood plains. Many homes flood severely downstream in the lower Blanco and San Marcos River flood plains near San Marcos. This level will reach lower rural homes in the flood plain above Blanco to below San Marcos and can trap and drown hundreds of livestock. Roads near the river are extremely dangerous.
- 35.0 ft Flood waters reach the base of the bridge on Highway 12.
- 38.0 ft The Highway 12 bridge becomes overtopped and is impassable. Disastrous life threatening flooding will flood hundreds of homes and businesses in and near Wimberley in the Blanco River and Cypress Creek flood plains. Many homes flood severely downstream in the lower Blanco and San Marcos River flood plains near San Marcos. This level will reach lower rural homes in the flood plain above Blanco to below San Marcos and can trap and drown hundreds of livestock. Roads near the river are extremely dangerous.
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Moderate flood 17.0 ft · 22,762 CFS
- 17.0 ft Water recreation in the Blanco river is dangerous from above Blanco to the San Marcos river confluence. Secondary roads and bridges in the flood plain are flooded and dangerous. Much of Dudley Johnson park at Five Mile Dam is flooded.
- 21.0 ft Water recreation is very dangerous above Blanco to the San Marcos River confluence, including John Knox Camp and Dudley Johnson Park at Five Mile Dam above San Marcos. Secondary roads and bridges in the flood plain are very dangerous to motorists. Hydraulic jumps behind low dams are dangerous to canoeists and kayakers as they may become trapped.
- 25.0 ft Flow approaches lowest homes near Wimberley. Widespread lowland flooding can cut off low areas of the flood plain drowning livestock. Homes along Cypress Creek near Wimberley are threatened. As the Blanco River backs up Cypress Creek additional runoff down Cypress Creek can easily flood homes. Roads near the lower Blanco River in northeast San Marcos flood severely. Water approaches the lowest homes in that area. Livestock are cut off and potentially drowned.
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Minor flood 13.0 ft · 12,269 CFS
- 13.0 ft Minor lowland flooding reaches secondary roads. Low bridges and crossings from the headwaters to the San Marcos River confluence near San Marcos flood and are dangerous. Property in low lying areas of the Blanco and San Marcos Rivers should be moved to higher ground. Swimming and tubing are life threatening due to turbulence. Hydraulic jumps behind low water dams can trap canoeists and kayakers between the dam and the hydraulic jump and can be life threatening.
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Action 10.0 ft · 6,247 CFS
- 10.0 ft A fast moving rise down the Blanco River can make swimming and canoeing dangerous above Blanco to below San Marcos. Especially in areas where steep banks make getting out of the river dangerous. Low dams create hydraulic jumps which can trap canoeists and kayakers between the dam and the jump.
- Right now 3.53 ft
NWS forecast: 3.50 ft by .
Flow history at Wimberley
Daily values from USGS 08171000, updated every 15 to 60 minutes; NWS forecast for WMBT2 reissued through the day. Provisional.
Highest crests on record at Wimberley
12 on record
| Stage | Flow | Date |
|---|---|---|
| 44.90 ft | 175,000 CFS | May 24, 2015 |
| 33.30 ft | 113,000 CFS | May 28, 1929 |
| 28.89 ft | — | Nov 16, 2001 |
| 28.50 ft | 116,000 CFS | Oct 17, 1998 |
| 26.75 ft | 75,800 CFS | Oct 31, 2013 |
| 26.54 ft | 71,020 CFS | Oct 30, 2015 |
| 25.71 ft | 66,700 CFS | Jul 5, 2002 |
| 20.79 ft | — | Mar 12, 2007 |
| 20.79 ft | 36,900 CFS | Mar 12, 2007 |
| 20.46 ft | 34,100 CFS | Jun 9, 1997 |
Crests published by the National Weather Service.
About Blanco River at Wimberley
The reference gauge for this reach in Texas — what local emergency managers and the National Weather Service watch when the river comes up. 2015 Memorial Day flood legacy; repeat flash floods.
Blanco River at Wimberley — common questions
3 questions
What is flood stage at Wimberley?
The National Weather Service sets minor flood stage at this gauge at 13.0 ft, moderate at 17.0 ft, and major at 26.0 ft. Action stage — the level at which agencies begin preparing — is 10.0 ft. The ladder on this page shows each threshold against the current reading, with the NWS's own impact statements at each level.
Is Blanco River at Wimberley high or low for this time of year?
The USGS median flow for mid-September here is 41 CFS, from 100 years of record (1924–2026). Today is 19% of it. The comparison is what makes the raw number mean anything: the same reading is a drought on one river and a flood on another.
How often does this reading update?
USGS transmits from gauge 08171000 every 15 to 60 minutes, and the National Weather Service reissues the flood forecast for WMBT2 a few times a day — more often when the river is rising. This page refreshes from both when you open it. The timestamp is in the gauge's local time.