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USGS Water-Year Summary 2024
08161000 Colorado River at Columbus, TX
LOCATION - Lat 29°42'22", long 96°32'12" referenced to North American Datum of 1927, Colorado County, TX, Hydrologic Unit 12090301, near right bank at downstream side of pier of bridge on U.S. Highway 90 at eastern edge of Columbus, 340 ft downstream from Texas and New Orleans Railroad Co. bridge, 2.6 mi downstream from Cummins Creek, and at mile 135.1.
DRAINAGE AREA - 41,640 mi² of which 11,403 mi² probably is noncontributing.
REVISIONS HISTORY - WSP 1562: 1920-21(M), 1922. WDR TX-81-3: Drainage area.
SURFACE-WATER RECORDS
PERIOD OF RECORD - Jan. 1903 to Dec. 1911 (gage heights only), May 1916 to current year. Discharge records for 1902-11, published in WSP 84, 99, 132, 174, 210, 288, and 308, have been found to be unreliable and should not be used. Records collected at site 23 mi downstream Oct. 1930 to May 1939, published as "near Eagle Lake". Gage-height records collected in this vicinity since 1903 are contained in reports of the National Weather Service.
PERIOD OF RECORD, Water-Quality.--
CHEMICAL DATA: Oct. 1967 to Sept. 1981.
BIOCHEMICAL DATA: Feb. 1968 to Sept. 1981.
SEDIMENT DATA: Mar. 1957 to Sept. 1973.
GAGE - Water-stage recorder. Datum of gage is 145.52 ft above NGVD of 1929, 145.64 ft above NAVD of 1988. Prior to May 1, 1919, various nonrecording gages at sites in the immediate vicinity at datum 7.00 ft higher. May 1, 1919, to Nov. 23, 1930, water-stage recorder at site about 300 ft downstream at datum 7.00 ft higher. Sept. 17, 1930, to June 12, 1939 (Oct. 1, 1930, to May 31, 1939, used herein), water-stage recorder at site 23 mi downstream at different datum. May 17 to Nov. 14, 1939, nonrecording gage at present site and datum 10.00 ft higher; Nov. 15, 1939, to Dec. 31, 1988, water-stage recorder at present site and at datum 10.00 ft higher. Radio telemeter at station. Satellite telemeter at station.
COOPERATION - Lower Colorado River Authority provides operation and maintenance of the gage and verification of stage-discharge relation at low stages. U.S. Geological Survey maintains stage-discharge relation at medium to high stages, computes, and publishes streamflow record.
REMARKS - Since installation of gage in May 1916, at least 10% of contributing drainage area has been regulated. There are many other diversions above this station for irrigation and municipal supply. Low-flow releases from Lake Travis (1,144,100 acre-ft) 251 mi upstream, are made for the generation of electric power and to fulfill downstream water contracts. Gage height associated with historical peak discharge is referenced to current (2014 water year) datum. Some records listed in the "Period of Record" for surface water and water quality may not be available electronically.
EXTREMES OUTSIDE PERIOD OF RECORD - Maximum stage since at least 1852, 51.6 ft, present datum, in July 1869 and Dec. 6, 1913, from information by local resident. River divided each time and left city of Columbus on an island.
