WHAT'S HAPPENING NOW
—— ft above typical
Finding the top signal on the water…
Live river level, flow, historical records and forecast for Lateral 405 below S405A near DR Phillips in FL, United States, built from official government gauge data.
Lateral 405 below S405A near DR Phillips is a gauged river in the Kissimmee watershed, Florida.
This station has more than 40 years of record, enough to show a clear seasonal pattern and a wide range between extremes. The record high is 92.22 ft (28.11 m), set in September 2017. The record low is 87.04 ft (26.53 m), set in May 2012.
The usual high point comes in September at 89.69 ft (27.34 m), while the usual low point comes in May at 89.08 ft (27.15 m). The typical annual swing is 7.4 in (18.7 cm). For a dock, pump intake, or low crossing, that is the range to expect as the year turns. September sits at the top of the cycle; May sits at the bottom.
This reach sits in a system that tends to peak in the June-through-September wet season, when convective storms and tropical systems bring the year’s highest water. Winter and spring are the dry-season low-flow months. In flat country, high water can linger for days, so a rise does not always leave quickly.
For people on this water, that means the level can stay elevated after a storm, and the lower months can leave little margin at the edge of access points. The record here fits that pattern: the high arrives in September, and the low arrives in May.
The hero number on this page should be read against the median for this calendar day, not just as a raw elevation. That comparison tells you whether the river is running above or below its usual level for today at this station.
At this USGS site, that is the better quick check because the same foot value can mean different things in different parts of the year. With more than 40 years on record, the daily median gives useful context for cottagers, anglers, and anyone watching for rise or drop on the lateral.
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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