WHAT'S HAPPENING NOW
—— ft above typical
Finding the top signal on the water…
Live river level, flow, historical records and forecast for Bulstake Stream at New Botley in England, United Kingdom, built from official government gauge data.
Bulstake Stream at New Botley is a gauged river in England.
The station’s typical high-water month is January, at 1.6 m (5.25 ft). That is the level to keep in mind for winter banks, low crossings, and anything left close to the edge. By September, the typical level eases to 0.9 m (2.94 ft), so late summer is the time when shallow margins and exposed edges are more likely to matter for small craft and intakes.
The typical annual swing is 70.4 cm (27.7 in). For anyone watching a dock, pump, or bank-side access point, that is a meaningful change over the year even when the stream is not in record territory.
The highest level in the station record is 3.06 m (10.02 ft), set in July 2007. The lowest is 0.75 m (2.45 ft), set in July 2026. Those two marks show the range this reach has actually seen at the gauge, which is more useful than guessing from a single reading.
With 24 years on record, the station has enough history to put today’s level in context. A reading that sits well above the typical January level is not unusual in winter, but it still deserves attention if you are planning access, mooring, or pumping.
The hero number on this page is the current gauge reading. What makes it useful is the comparison with the median for the same calendar day across this station’s record, not the raw elevation by itself. That comparison shows whether the stream is running higher or lower than expected for today, using the station’s own history at Bulstake Stream at New Botley.
This gauge is operated by the Environment Agency, and its more than 24 years of record give that daily comparison some weight when you are deciding whether the stream is running within the usual range for the date.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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