Bear Creek near Petrolia Water Level
Live river level, flow, historical records and forecast for Bear Creek near Petrolia in ON, Canada, built from official government gauge data.
- Location ON, Canada
- Watershed sydenham
- Primary gauge 02GG006 (Water Survey of Canada)
About Bear Creek near Petrolia
The watershed
Bear Creek near Petrolia is in the Sydenham watershed in Ontario.
This station drains 244 km2 (94.2 sq mi) upstream of the gauge. Over the 59 years on record, the creek has shown a wide spread between its extremes: a record high of 7.44 m (24.41 ft) in August 2023 and a record low of 3.69 m (12.09 ft) in September 2002.
For local use, the seasonal range matters as much as the records. The typical high month is March at 4.31 m (14.14 ft), and the typical low month is September at 3.93 m (12.91 ft). The typical annual swing is 37.7 cm (14.8 in), which is the part to keep in mind for docks, low intakes, and shallow crossings.
What the numbers say
The seasonal shape here is steady and narrow compared with the record spread. March is the usual high point, and September is the usual low point, so the creek tends to give up some level through the warm season before turning again toward the next high season.
The biggest value on file, 7.44 m (24.41 ft) in August 2023, sits well above the usual seasonal range. The lowest value, 3.69 m (12.09 ft) in September 2002, sits below the typical September level of 3.93 m (12.91 ft). That gap is the difference between ordinary year-to-year movement and the kind of level change that matters for access, pumping, and bank exposure.
Reading the hero number
The hero number on this page is the current reading set against the median for this calendar day across the station record. That is more useful than raw elevation because it puts today’s level in context: whether the creek is running above, near, or below what is normal for this date at Bear Creek near Petrolia.
With 59 years on record, that comparison gives a better read on what neighbours can expect right now than a standalone water level.
How this page is built
Readings come from official government gauges and are rolled into daily records: the daily mean, high and low for every day on record. Each calendar day gets its own baseline from the full history, so the level you see is compared against what this specific date usually looks like rather than an annual average.
How Nibi Metrics works · Water stories
Nibi Metrics - live water levels, flow, and forecasts for lakes and rivers across Canada, the US and the UK
Real-time water levels, forecasts, and alerts for lakes and rivers across Canada, the US and the UK. Built on official government data.
Nibi Metrics tracks more than 13,000 gauged lakes and rivers across Canada, the United States and the United Kingdom, reading directly from official federal monitoring networks: the Water Survey of Canada, the United States Geological Survey, Quebec's provincial hydrometric network, and the Environment Agency for England. Every number on the platform is measured, not modelled - taken from a government gauge on the water itself and compared against that location's own historical record for this exact date.
What you can see for any monitored lake or river
The level right now, in feet or metres, updated as the source agency publishes new readings - for many stations that is every five to fifteen minutes. How today compares to typical: every location carries its own typical-for-this-date band built from its historical record, so a reading is never just a number - it is above, below, or near what this water usually does on this calendar day. Which way it is moving: a measured RISING, FALLING, or STEADY verdict computed from the gauge's own recent readings, with the rate of change - the difference between a flood ending and one beginning. What comes next: level forecasts up to 72 hours ahead, driven by the gauge's recent behaviour, upstream water, and quantitative precipitation forecasts, alongside live radar, lightning, and weather for the surrounding region.
Alerts that watch the water for you
Set a threshold on any location - a level, a distance above typical, or a rate of climb - and Nibi emails or notifies you the moment the gauge crosses it. Cottagers use it for spring freshet, anglers for river conditions, marinas and municipalities for operations. The scanning runs around the clock against the same measured data shown on every page.
Where Nibi comes from
Nibi means water in Anishinaabemowin. The platform began at a family cottage on Lake Muskoka, Ontario, where the spring melt floods the shoreline most years and the only forecast was standing on the dock, looking, and guessing. It grew into an independent, member-funded platform run by Muskoka Research Inc. - no investors, no data resale, and a privacy policy shorter than most cookie banners. The core data is free for everyone, forever; paid plans add automation like multi-location alerts, deep history, and reports.
Coverage
Nibi spans the continent: every Canadian province and territory with active federal gauges - from Vancouver Island rivers to the Muskoka lakes, prairie reservoirs, and Quebec's hydrometric network - and the United States from Maine to the Texas Hill Country, the Ohio Valley, and the Pacific Northwest. Coverage grows where the water news is: when a basin floods, its gauges join the platform with their full historical records attached. Many stations report every five to fifteen minutes; most report at least hourly; every page states exactly when its gauge last spoke.
Free forever, funded by members
The core promise is simple: the water data is free, for everyone, forever. Live levels, maps, radar, and recent history never sit behind a paywall. Paid plans fund the platform by adding automation - multi-location alerts, decades of history, longer forecasts, and PDF reports - so the people who need more carry the cost for everyone who just needs to check the lake before driving up. There are no investors and no advertising deals shaping what the data says.
Water Stories
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How every number is computed - About the platform
