United States Geological Survey GAGE @ W 12th St bridge

The possible significance of point of measurement.

The USGS measures the height and speed of water flow along Shoal Creek at a bridge that is substantially larger than five (5) bridges South of it.

All of the height and width measurements pertaining to bridges on this website relate to the North faces of each bridge, i.e., where water flow first reaches along its Southward path.

What is important to note is that every bridge is shorter in height on its South side (face) due to a combination of sediment deposits; more sediment piled up in, under and just past a bridge comes to reduce the effective height of a bridge on its South or downcurrent side.

On its North side and highest point, the W 12th bridge measures 20 ft off the creek bed.

However, the highest point on the South side of the W 12th St bridge only measures 17 ft tall.

What could be crucial to note is that the USGS gage is positioned in line with a section of the South side of the W 12th St bridge that is only 15 ft off the creek bed.

What is meant by this is that the height of water measured at W 12th St does not necessarily correlate to the same height that could be expected to be, or is, measured at other bridges.

My calculations and attempts (below) to show them can in no way be considered accurate. Only sophisticated modeling using highly calibrated equipment and verified measurements can be relied upon to determine what measurements at W 12th St imply for smaller bridges downstream from it.

Estimated baseline reference point for 15 ft of water

The pink line indicated by the arrow marks a height of 15 ft of the creek bed in line with the USGS gage.

The pink line indicated by the arrow marks the creek bed where the USGS gage sensor is positioned.

The actual gage sensor is placed very close to the bridge column, or near the far right of the pink line.

The tip of the arrow marks the top of the W 12th St bridge pathway on the bridge's North side. It is 9 ft off the pathway, which is indicated by a pink line under the arrow.

This photo was included to help provide added perspective as photos can struggle to convey proportion in real-time.

When the W 12th St bridge is observed in person, either from its North or South side, it is strikingly larger

Data Disclaimer

The data compiled on this website was not compiled by an individual accredited in STEM. As such, the retrieval and interpretation of the data may be incorrect in part, or whole.

Data Criteria

Data in this section includes every recorded water height of 10 ft and higher between the years 2015 and 2025.

There are twenty-two (22) in total.

Data Takeaway

High water events in the range of about 12 ft and higher take place along Shoal Creek with relative frequency.

Nearly twelve (12) high-water events were recorded between 2015 and 2025 with water heights of 12 ft or higher.