Low Water Crossings

The Texas Low Water Crossing http://www.lowwater.org project is collecting information, locations, and photos of flooding and low water crossings in Central Texas. Our goals are two fold:

• to better protect our friends and neighbors from flash flooding events through collecting, sharing, and analyzing low water crossing and flooding data, and
• to help improve public’s perception of, preparation for, and response to flash flooding.

Decided to check out the Blanco River running behind The Lodge apartments after the Memorial Day flood…

More extensive damage than the Halloween flood in 2013. Several cypress trees uprooted… I visited the river on 5/31/15, so about a week after, and the river was still going strong through River Rd. There was a sign for the weight limit for large trucks, and from what I remember the sign used to be right next to the road. I found the sign displaced about maybe 500 feet away (could have been further, I didn’t have a measuring tape). I believe The Lodge apartments right in front of this part of the Blanco River experienced a lot of damage from what news reports and students described.  

These photos were taken at the intersection of Uhland and River Rd. on Nov. 3rd, just after the “Halloween Flood.” There is still water flowing over the roads and lots of fallen debris in  the roadway. The floodwaters were so severe that the gate of the apartment complex in front of the roadway, were pushed to the ground and not standing upright.

This low later crossing is found on Laurel Ridge. If you make a right from Aquarena Springs onto Laurel Ridge (it’s not marked which is not good) you find this low water crossing. It’s on the way to Spring Lake, or the Meadows Center for Water and the Environment. There’s a sign of a narrow road with a bridge, but not one for a low water crossing. There is a gate though for the road to be closed. I just walked past the gate to take the pictures. Haha.

Low water crossing

There was at this location a water guage up to 10ft

If you are going down Hutchinson street and take the short -cut left right before chipotle.. there is a huge water divot in the ground and when get filled with water really hard to see where the whole is to drive over it. Going quickly enough could for sure pop your tire.

low crossing at Lime Kiln Rd. It has the measuring stand beside the low crossing.

This low water crossing has a gate and a sign. With very small amounts of rain, this crossing will definitely flood. The road itself only clears the river by a foot at best. With torrential rains this road would become completely impassable.

This was a spot in the road that was a low water crossing site because of water from the nearby river flooding onto it in the rain and has caused many problems with cars trying to get passed and has taken a while to dry up.

This is a low spot in a rural road that floods with heavy rains due to a small reservoir in close proximity that spills onto the road when full.

This is a low water crossing that doesn’t need much rain to flood. It is a very popular place to go and walk your dog,

With not much rain needed to trigger a flood, someone can easily find themselves in a hazardous situation by placing themselves in that low level water crossing.

This area is a small bridge that has railings but they don’t look like they can stop anything if major flooding happened. On one side the ground is extremely low which can possible hold a lot of water if the rain was constant on the other side of the road its raised a bit higher but can still be a hazard. I feel that this area can be a low water crossing if the weather got bad enough at a fast rate.

This low water crossing was directly off post road over a bridge about 15-20 feet long. The road to get to it is rather bumpy and the actual bridge going over it doesn’t seem too stable when you drive over. Especially with the rain that we have had it seemed to be flooded. This causes for major dangers and I felt as if I needed to have cautious simply driving over it.

This is a low water crossing with a sign. When heavy rains occur, it is flooded.

The road is actually called Low Water Crossing Rd. It is near Ranch Road 620 just south of Mansfield dam and connects to Long Bow Trail road. There are warning signs but no gauges.

This low water crossing is surrounded by fields. In heavy rain events it could easily become flooded. I know it to be a low water crossing because it is the lowest area for miles around.  There is also evidence that water has run across at various. This can be inferred from water discolorations on the concrete.

A bridge crosses the San Marcos River by Old Stage Coach Rd. This area looks prone to flooding with enough rain fall.

There is a small bridge going over a creek with a small pond next to it. There are signs and flood gauges but no gate to block off the bridge. This bridge provides the only access to houses on Lime Kiln and Hilliard rd.

The road is very narrow and is like a frontage road on the river. High end homes line the bank. This is an area that can flood very quickly due to the steep banks and small width of the river

This road was going downhill and as you go down River Run, you can see signs indicating that the road is subject to flooding. There is no gate, or red street sign like some other crossings. If you’re coming downhill, to the right side, you’ll see the Blanco River flowing by. The last two pictures are just pictures of construction workers. That particular day, it was raining on and off and in some parts of Blanco, TX, you had to wait to pass particular roads because they were undergoing construction.

I’m not sure if this is a clear low water crossing, but I feel it could be… maybe.

One lane bridge that floods now and then in a park in Round Rock, TX.

This low water crossing is right behind my apartment complex. Everytime San Marcos receives heavy rainfall, this place is blazing with lights and no one is allowed to go through this road once the barricades are up. There is also a gate (with a lot of graffiti now D:) to prevent drivers from passing through. There are signs indicating that this place is subject to flood. This is probably the most well known low water crossing in San Marcos, TX.

I believe this turns into a low water crossing when Canyon lake floods and the river rises. It looks as though it may have been built up a bit since I last crossed it however, so that may no longer be the case.

This low water crossing had one distinct difference from the others that I saw. I had never seen a road sign marked red, instead of green, and I thought, “Is that to indicate it’s a low water crossing?” This gravel road was also going downhill and met with a narrow bridge. I did not see a gauge, and there were no signs indicating this was a low water crossing. I thought it was extremely interesting that the road sign was red. It was raining off and on that day, that’s why most of the pictures are from inside my car. There were also people trying to get to their property, so I had to snap these pictures pretty fast. One of the included pictures is of a fence with a sign labeled, “Private property.” A majority of the low water crossings I came across had several private properties around them. I knew that was going to be an issue. I didn’t want to be met with a shotgun.

This is an older bridge in Georgetown, TX that is still usable as far as I know, but not many people use it because just northeast of it is a newer bridge. I have driven here before but never when the water was very high. I believe that it is a low water crossing.

This low water crossing had several signs indicating that this roadway was subject to flooding. This road was also going downhill, so when water is being pushed from high to low areas, all of that water is going downhill and most likely accumulating water over this road/bridge. There was a flood gauge as well on the side of the narrow bridge. On the right side of the road going downhill, you can see a road block in the grass that is most likely put up on the road during heavy rainfall to prevent people from entering this area.

This spot was clearly a low water crossing. There was a flood gauge and several signs that indicated this road crossing the river was subject to flash flooding. There is a dam before the road crosses the river and this is different from other low water crossings and can pose a greater risk.

I’ve driven across this low-water crossing before.

I’ve been hiking here and have come across this low-water crossing.

We drove down this road not too long ago, going to the Capital of Texas zoo. We passed up the zoo, and crossed a low-water crossing, before having to do a U-turn on McDonald Ln to go back to the zoo.

This road is prone to flooding. I grew up in this area and I remember the flood of 98′ and how they had to rebuild the bridge. It seems high now with the drought but there are markers that show the water is usually three feet higher.

I have driven over this low water crossing area, although dry the riverbed shows significant size.

Have not visited, but by the satellite imagery I suspect it to be prone to flooding.

On a normal day the water level was just a foot 3 feet beneath the road, in the case of heavy rainfall the water level could easily rise above the road. The flood gauge indicates that the road has been flooded before.

Flashing Lights and signs

One lane crossing with only low water signs.

This is near a friends house. No signage.

Uhland Road Behind The Zone apartments. Nearest intersection is River Road. It is a known low water crossing in town, it has a sign and water level gauge.

Usually dry but in large rain storms will run over road

This is one of the prettiest creek crossings I have ever seen.

This is a dry creek bed across from driftwood vineyard

I have driven over this crossing hundreds of times.

This was a favorite swimming hole growing up in Dripping Springs, Creek Rd dips here.

This is the entrance to a large ranch off Creek Rd.

This small bridge used to always have water running over but with the drought the creek barely goes through the culverts.

There is a small bridge that cross the creek for two ranches on the north side of the creek. This is a private road.

This crossing typically always has some water flowing over it. The property in between the two roads along the creek is owned by friends.

This road runs along the same ranch that is bordered by Gatlin Creek Rd. I have seen this creek come all the way to the front door of my friends house south of the creek.

This road borders a friends ranch. Have seen it flood multiple times.

Little Arkansas Rd, crosses the Blanco River multiple times in a residential area.

Is on private property, but connects the two sections of the ranch.

This section of the road also acts as a small dam for a swimming area for the property owners. I have friends that lived across the street from here.

This particular bridge is roughly 6 feet off the top of the water on 3/29/2013. Due to the current drought the water has receded about 3 feet. In normal conditions this makes the bridge only 3 feet high which is easily accessible by the river in high rainfall conditions.

This particular bridge is roughly 8 feet off the top of the water on 3/29/2013. Due to the current drought the water has receded about 3 feet. In normal conditions this makes the bridge only 5 feet high which is easily accessible by the river in high rainfall conditions.

I have driven over this bridge, it appears that high water would cover this section of road.

This bridge crosses the San Marcos River, I have been told by two eye-witnesses that the bridge is inundated during high floods.

This is a low water crossing with water level gauges and a small culvert. If heavy rain occurs, the road would become flooded by a small creek. There are no warning signs or lights and in the event of a flood, barricades are placed in the road to prevent vehicles from passing. This could be dangerous because it is the only road used to access many homes in the area.

A news article from San Marcos Mecrury.com says this in 2012- first responders rescued two drivers — one with three children in the car — from flooded low-water crossings early this morning as heavy rains swamped area roadways.

At about 5:30 a.m., the Hays County Sheriff’s Office and the South Hays Fire Department responded to a 911 call from a man whose vehicle had stalled in a low-water crossing on County Road 266 (the Old Bastrop Highway) near Texas 123 in San Marcos.

Link below

http://smmercury.com/2012/01/25/drivers-plucked-from-flooded-low-water-crossings/

This location does have a flood gauge.  On the north side of the road is a home residence and on the south side of the road is a gun range.  Relatively flat terrain is present in the immediate area.

This crossing is adjacent to a tall ridge which would allow for water to rush into the area rather quickly.  A flood gauge is present and there is a rocky creek bed on either side of the road.

At this location the road dips down into the creek bed.  A flood gauge is present.  The crossing is surrounded by farm land on all sides which would allow for the creek bed to fill quickly.

This is an isolated country road west of Bulverde and SE of Boerne.  The crossing sits on the border of Camp Bullis.  A flood gauge is present.

A low water crossing over the same creek bed  as Obst Rd. and Bulverde Rd.  A flood gauge is present.

At this location is a flood gauge, but no gate.  It is located to the SW of a large Horse and cattle ranch.

This location is a back country road with a flood gauge, but no gate.  This is also a school bus route.  A creek runs over the road when there is water.  It is located just south of Bulverde proper and east of Hwy 281 on the south side of the Bulverde Airpark.

The road comes down a large hill which ends in the Creek. The crossing itself is yet another dip in the road. There used to be considerable flooding until a damn was built upstream but under extreme cases there is still flooding. there is water marker for the depth. and there was the beginning of low water gates but that project was apparently put on hold.

low water crossing across small shallow water

This crossing is danger when there is heavy rainfall because it’s a very low water crossing.

This location is actually located just north of Timberwood Park proper.  When facing the north, a group of soccer fields are on the left and farm land is on the right.  A creek actually runs over the road.  If you look at this location on Google Earth, you can see water on the road.  No doubt, with heavy rain this location would flood.

The area of Elizabeth Avenue that crosses a branch off of the Comal River alongside Landa Park near Schlitterbahn Waterpark has been a problem for as long as the bridge has been there. It is located at the employee parking lot for Schlitterbahn Waterpark employees. I worked as a lifeguard for Schlitterbahn last summer, so I was able to see firsthand how bad the flooding was that occured during heavy down-pours (especially when the floodwaters began to reach the tires of our vehicles and we were notified during our shifts to come relocate them to another parking lot.)

GOOOOOO TEAM BLANCOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This scenic route is certainly breath taking to travel on but, is particularly dangerous during a heavy storm. FM Road 1855 has a small bridge connecting the road over what appears to be a creek. The bridge doesn’t appear to be more than 10 ft tall and what’s worse is the narrow road and lack of any warning sign about possible low water crossing.

This back road crosses Blanco so low water crossing… this area seems to love these scenarios.

Just as name implies.  This road crosses Blanco, low water crossing…. these country roads are all winding around this Blanco river in Wimberley.

At this location,  the main hike and bike path actually goes down into the creek and across.  Obviously,  a low water crossing.

At this location is a wooden foot bridge that goes over a first order stream flowing into Barton Creek.  This bridge becomes flooded not only from the small stream, but also from Barton Creek.  I was witness to this,  summer of 2010 after the rain from tropical storm Hermine.

This low water crossing is located in Gruene Texas and is fed and by Canyon Lake, the flow is controlled by the dam.  This does make this a much safer water crossing than some of the others I have seen on here, but still, a valid water crossing.

This low water crossing is located on Old San Antonio Road about a mile south of FM Road 1626 in South Austin. This is a windy two lane road that experiences some high levels of traffic due to people avoiding the interstate.

This crossing is heavily used by pedestrians, commuters, and joggers.  It is a strong concrete bridge set only a few feet above the dry creek bed.  It is adjacent to many, commercial, retail and residential addresses as well as being in the heart of Duncan Park.

Shoal Creek is notorious for flooding every time it rains in Austin.  The shoal creek trail is used for both recreation and commuters.  At this location the side walk has actually been destroyed by raging water and users of the path actually have to go into the creek bed  to make their  way around the debris.  There are high rise condos on either side of the creek built upon steep concrete walls.

This is a low water crossing at San Gabriel River in Georgetown, Texas. Before you cross the bridge there is a sign that indicates to be careful before you cross the bridge. Also, there can only be one car crossing at a time, otherwise there will be a higher risk for a problem to happen if heavy rains occur.

This is a low water crossing located on Post Road right before it turns into Hays County Road 136, near Five Mile Dam.  It is marked with a sign to measure the depth of the water.  The road curves down perpendicularly to the river.  In cases of extreme weather, the bridge could be very dangerous.

This crossing is at Rebecca Creek Road. From HWY 281 take Rebecca Creek Road east 5.3 miles to reach the crossing of the Guadalupe River. This is in Spring Branch, Texas west of Canyon Lake.

Typically a dry river bed, this area floods during storm season being that its in a valley.  Avoid this road during any intense rain events because water will seek the lowest paths.  There is a ruler beside the middle of the road that goes up to 5 feet, so the water events can get pretty high.

  This is a low river crossing that is almost always covered by water.  It has algea build up and is pretty slippery for tires with worn treads, this is a good place for you and your car to end up in the river…. if that’s your purpose.

This low water crossing is located between Hwy 21 and FM2001 in west Caldwell County.  It has been the scene of past flood fatalities.  I’ll look for details…

This location is by Don’s Fish Camp near Martindale.

This crossing is located on Mallard Rd about 1/2 mile west of Mystic Parkway in the Mystic Shores subdivision on the south side of HWY 306. There is a water height meter post and a gate to prevent entry during high water events.

This is at Tanglewood Trail and Boat Ramp 11. It’s a wash that runs into the Guadalupe River, west of Canyon Lake. There is a water meter post but no gates or other warning signs.