Nibi Metrics
Real-time water levels, forecasts, and alerts for lakes and rivers across Canada and the US. Built on official government data.
Nibi Metrics turns raw gauge readings from official hydrometric networks into something a person standing on a dock can actually use: is the water high or low for today, which way is it moving, and how unusual is this? This page explains where every number on the platform comes from and what we do to it along the way.
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Big Quill Lake Water Level
Live lake level, flow, historical records and forecast for Big Quill Lake in Canada, SK, Canada, built from official government gauge data.
- Location Canada, SK, Canada
- Watershed quill lakes non contributing
- Primary gauge 05MA010 (Water Survey of Canada)
About Big Quill Lake
Big Quill Lake - A broad, shallow water body nestled in Saskatchewan's prairie landscape.
Big Quill Lake is an expansive feature in the heart of Saskatchewan, part of the Quill Lakes - Non-contributing watershed. Covering approximately 8,780 square kilometers in its upstream catchment, this lake interacts with various nearby streams and lakes, including Birch Creek, Ironspring Creek, and Little Quill Lake. Its significant size and shallow nature give it unique hydrological characteristics, especially influenced by the local prairie climate.
The watershed context
As a key part of the Quill Lakes - Non-contributing watershed, Big Quill Lake plays a role in regional hydrology. The lake often experiences notable seasonal shifts, particularly driven by snowmelt in the spring. This results in a sharply defined peak in water levels, followed by a gradual decline during the summer months. In the Prairies, low inflow coupled with evaporation significantly affects water levels, leading to extended periods of recession from spring through the summer.
The lake is surrounded by a network of rivers and creeks, including Ranch Creek and Quill Creek, which contribute to its hydrological behavior. However, it lacks a parent river, marking its hydrological independence while still participating in local water dynamics.
Why the data matters here
Monitoring the water levels at Big Quill Lake is essential for understanding local hydrology, particularly given its extensive drainage area. The gauge located near Kandahar measures water elevation, providing valuable insights into current conditions. Today, the lake's reading, when compared to the median for this calendar day over its 49 years of historical records, offers a crucial perspective on its current state. By focusing on this comparison rather than raw elevation alone, as measured by Water Survey of Canada, we can better understand the lake's changes and trends within its seasonal context.
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
