Lavaca River river
Total streamflow across the Lavaca River was last observed at 104 cfs, and is expected to yield approximately 207 acre-ft of water today; about 92% of normal. Average streamflow for this time of year is 113 cfs, with recent peaks last observed on 2023-05-15 when daily discharge volume was observed at 19,562 cfs.
Maximum discharge along the river is currently at the Lavaca Rv Nr Edna reporting a streamflow rate of 82.5 cfs. This is also the highest stage along the Lavaca River, with a gauge stage of 5.68 ft at this location. This river is monitored from 2 different streamgauging stations along the Lavaca River, the highest being situated at an altitude of 203 ft, the Lavaca Rv At Hallettsville.
River streamflow levels
Daily aggregate streamflow across every monitored gauge along the Lavaca River. Use the range buttons to zoom in on a specific period.
Total streamflow
Sum of all monitored streamgauges · daily
Every streamgauge along the Lavaca River
All 2 USGS gauges Snoflo tracks for this river, with current flow, stage, recent change, percent of normal, and the gauge's all-time min / max. Click any header to sort. Cells are heatmapped relative to the column min/max -- darker blue = higher.
| Streamgauge▾ | Streamflow (cfs)▾ | Gauge stage (ft)▾ | 24h Δ (%)▾ | % Normal▾ | Min (cfs)▾ | Max (cfs)▾ | Elevation (ft)▾ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Lavaca Rv At Hallettsville
TX
USGS 08163500
|
22 | 3.75 | 264.7 | 552% | 0 | 6,470 | 203 |
|
Lavaca Rv Nr Edna
TX
USGS 08164000
|
83 | 5.68 | 85.8 | 322% | 0 | 65,900 | 33 |
Maximum streamflow discharge by year
The single highest aggregate discharge recorded each year. Spotting the multi-year trend reveals droughts vs. wet cycles long before the headline daily flow does.
Annual peak discharge
From the river's full record · one point per water year
Streamflow elevation profile
Each bubble is one gauge along the river, plotted by current streamflow (x-axis) vs elevation (y-axis), sized by gauge stage. Reading top-to-bottom traces the river from headwaters down to its mouth -- you can see flow accumulate as elevation drops.
Elevation vs streamflow
One point per monitored gauge · bubble size = gauge stage
Lavaca River
The Lavaca River is a 111-mile-long river that flows through south-central Texas. The river was first discovered by Spanish explorers in the 1600s, and it was named after the La Vaca ("the cow") Indian tribe who lived in the area. The Lavaca River is fed by several tributaries, including the Navidad River, and it eventually empties into the Gulf of Mexico.
There are several reservoirs and dams along the Lavaca River, including the Lake Texana Dam and the Lake Sweetwater Dam. These dams provide water for irrigation and drinking purposes, as well as recreational activities such as fishing and boating. The Lavaca River also supports a variety of wildlife, including bass, catfish, and alligator gar. The river and its surrounding areas are used for agriculture, including cattle ranching and crop production. Overall, the Lavaca River is an important natural resource for the state of Texas.
Recreation along the Lavaca River
Fishing access and paddle runs Snoflo tracks within the watershed.
Track the Lavaca River in the Snoflo app
Set per-gauge push alerts (e.g. "alert me when flow at the Russian R Nr Healdsburg crosses 5,000 cfs"), and Snoflo's iOS app pushes the moment USGS reports the crossing.
About the Lavaca River
Where does the data for the Lavaca River come from?
Streamflow and gauge stage data are sourced from the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) National Water Information System. The aggregate flow shown at the top of the page is computed by Snoflo as the sum of all monitored gauges along the river.
How is "percent of normal" calculated?
Today's aggregate streamflow is compared to the historical average aggregate streamflow on this calendar day across the river's full record. 100% means right on average; values above 100% indicate above-normal flow (wet year); values below indicate below-normal (dry year or drought).
Why are some gauges showing very different flows?
Gauges along a river measure flow at different points: headwater gauges read what's coming off the snowpack or mountain runoff; downstream gauges integrate everything upstream, including tributary inputs. Wide spreads usually mean a tributary is contributing significantly between gauges.
What's the elevation profile chart showing?
Each bubble is one gauge along the river, plotted by streamflow (x-axis) and elevation (y-axis), sized by gauge stage. Reading top-down traces the river from headwaters to mouth -- you can see flow build as elevation drops.
Can I get alerts when a specific gauge crosses a threshold?
Yes -- alerts are managed in the Snoflo iOS app on a per-gauge basis. Open any individual streamgauge from the table above and favorite it to set a discharge threshold.