Guadalupe River at Spring Branch
Texas · Tubing & floating
Measured at USGS 08167500 — Guadalupe Rv nr Spring Branch, TX · NWS forecast point SRGT2
Reading taken Jul 28, 11:00 PM UTC
Running high and pushy for a tube or an inner-tube crowd
At 652 CFS, this gauge is running 694% of normal for late July — above the 94 CFS median USGS has recorded for this date across 104 years of record (1922–2026).
Data-derived guidance from USGS and NWS published values — not official advice, and not a safety assessment.
Sponsor Guadalupe River
Put your outfitter, guide service, cabin rental or shuttle in front of everyone checking this stretch before they drive out. One exclusive sponsor per river.
Cancel anytime · Questions?
Flood stages at Spring Branch
Official National Weather Service categories for gauge SRGT2, issued by WFO EWX. Impact statements are the NWS's own wording for this location, reproduced verbatim.
-
Major flood 39.0 ft
- 39.0 ft Major flooding reaches secondary roads and low bridges near the river making them extremely dangerous to motorists. The lowest residences flood from Kendall County to Canyon Lake. Picnic and camping facilities in Guadalupe River State Park upstream are severely flooded. Roads, marinas, and many parks and facilities at Canyon Lake flood.
- 43.0 ft Major flooding reaches several lowest homes below Comfort to Canyon Lake. Numerous roads and bridges are flooded and dangerous. Lowest facilities in Guadalupe State Park are severely damaged. Parks, docks and roads around Canyon Lake are flooded and damaged.
- 45.0 ft Major flooding rises to the USGS gauge house at FM 311. Several homes are cut off above Spring Branch and two homes flood. Approaches to the Highway 281 bridge flood closing the highway. Picnic facilities at Guadalupe River State Park are flooded. Parks and facilities downstream at Canyon Lake are inundated.
-
Moderate flood 36.0 ft
- 36.0 ft Moderate lowland flooding reaches secondary roads and low bridges in the flood plain. Recreationists should evacuate the river banks because of dangerous turbulent flow. Low sections of Guadalupe River State Park have tables, trash cans, and equiment damaged. Lowest homes in Kendall County to Canyon Lake flood.
-
Minor flood 30.0 ft
- 30.0 ft Minor lowland flooding rises into the flood plain at Guadalupe River State Park damaging tables, trash cans and camping equipment. Swimming and any recreation in the river is extremely dangerous with turbulence, trees and trash in the water.
-
Action 25.0 ft
- 25.0 ft Flow extends over lowest sections of banks. Turbulent flow is very dangerous to tubers and swimmers above Guadalupe River State Park except with commercial outfitters.
- 28.0 ft Minor lowland flooding extends into lowest areas of Guadalupe River State Park. Swimming, tubing, and canoeing above Guadalupe River State Park to Canyon Lake is dangerous except with commercial outfitters.
- Right now 3.93 ft
NWS forecast: 3.90 ft by Jul 29, 12:00 AM UTC.
12 months of flow at Spring Branch
Daily values from USGS gauge 08167500. Provisional data, subject to revision.
Highest crests on record at Spring Branch
| Stage | Flow | Date |
|---|---|---|
| 53.00 ft | — | Aug 3, 1869 |
| 49.00 ft | — | Jul 1, 1900 |
| 45.25 ft | 160,000 CFS | Aug 3, 1978 |
| 45.12 ft | 116,000 CFS | Jun 22, 1997 |
| 43.75 ft | 107,000 CFS | Jul 3, 2002 |
| 42.10 ft | — | Jul 3, 1932 |
| 38.00 ft | 79,300 CFS | Dec 21, 1991 |
| 36.75 ft | — | Jul 17, 2026 |
| 35.58 ft | 76,500 CFS | Jul 18, 1987 |
| 34.50 ft | 60,234 CFS | May 24, 2015 |
Historical crests published by the National Weather Service for this gauge.
About Guadalupe River at Spring Branch
This gauge measures Guadalupe River at Spring Branch, Texas — the reading paddlers, anglers and outfitters on this stretch check before committing to a shuttle.
Guadalupe River State Park; busiest Hill Country park water access.
Raw CFS means little on its own, so every reading on this page is shown against the USGS median for the same calendar day — 94 CFS for late July, from 104 years of record.
Because the National Weather Service also operates a forecast point here, the page carries the official flood-category ladder and the NWS's own stage-by-stage impact statements.
Guadalupe River at Spring Branch — common questions
What is the current flow on Guadalupe River at Spring Branch?
As of the last reading on this page, Guadalupe River at Spring Branch was running 652 CFS at a gage height of 3.93 ft, or 694% of the USGS median for this date. The number updates automatically from USGS gauge 08167500, which reports every 15 to 60 minutes.
Is that high or low for this time of year?
The USGS median flow for late July at this gauge is 94 CFS, calculated from 104 years of record (1922–2026). Comparing today's reading against that median is the only way a raw CFS number tells you anything — 200 CFS is a drought on one river and a flood on another.
How often does this reading update?
USGS transmits from this gauge every 15 to 60 minutes. This page bakes in the most recent reading when it is rebuilt, then refreshes live from USGS when you open it. Readings are provisional and subject to revision by USGS.
What flow is good for tubing Guadalupe River?
riverlvl does not publish a recommended tubing range — that call belongs to the outfitters and the local authorities who know this stretch. What this page gives you is the objective input: today's flow, the seasonal median for the same date, and where the reading sits in the 12-month record. Local outfitters generally publish their own cutoffs, and they close when the river is up.
Does rain upstream change this reading quickly?
Yes. This is a free-flowing gauge, so it responds directly to rain in the basin upstream. Flashy rises of several feet in a few hours are normal on rivers like this after a heavy storm, which is why the reading is worth checking the morning you go.
What does gage height mean versus CFS?
Gage height is how high the water surface is above the gauge's own zero point, in feet — a local measure, not depth and not elevation. CFS is cubic feet per second, the volume of water moving past the gauge. Flood stages are set in gage height; float and paddling conditions are usually discussed in CFS.