WHAT'S HAPPENING NOW
—— ft above typical
Finding the top signal on the water…
Live river level, flow, historical records and forecast for Kaskaskia River near Venedy Station in IL, United States, built from official government gauge data.
The Kaskaskia River near Venedy Station is part of the Lower Kaskaskia in Illinois.
This station drains 4,393 sq mi (11,378 km2) upstream of the gauge, so the number on the page reflects a large inland catchment rather than just the reach beside the bridge. The record here runs for more than 50 years, which is enough to show a pattern that matters for docks, banks, and pumps.
The highest level in the record is 26.06 ft (7.94 m), set in December 2015. The lowest is 0.73 ft (0.22 m), set in October 2023.
The usual seasonal shape is clear. March is the highest month at 14.49 ft (4.42 m), while October is the lowest month at 2.06 ft (0.63 m). The typical annual swing is 12.4 ft (3.79 m), so this water can move through a wide range over the course of a year.
For people who live along the river or use it for fishing, that swing is the part to keep in mind: spring water is often the one that asks the most of banks, crossings, and shore access, while late-season low water can leave little margin at the edge.
Today’s reading is most useful when set against the station’s median for this calendar day, not against the absolute height of the river. A raw elevation number can look large or small on its own and still say little about whether the river is running near normal for this date.
This station is operated by the USGS. With more than 50 years on record, the day-to-day number can be read in the context of a long local history, which is the better way to judge whether conditions are ordinary or worth a closer look.
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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