Milk River Ridge Reservoir Water Level
Live river level, flow, historical records and forecast for Milk River Ridge Reservoir in AB, Canada, built from official government gauge data.
- Location AB, Canada
- Watershed pakowki lake non contributing
- Primary gauge 05AF030 (Water Survey of Canada)
About Milk River Ridge Reservoir
Milk River Ridge Reservoir sits in the Pakowki Lake - Non-contributing watershed in Alberta.
What the record shows
There are more than 49 years on record here.
The highest level in the record is 1033.84 m (3391.85 ft), reached in June 2010. The lowest is 1019.87 m (3346.03 ft), reached in October 1982. That span tells you this reservoir can sit in a wide band over the year and across wet and dry periods.
The seasonal pattern is clear. The typical high point comes in July at 1032.02 m (3385.88 ft). The typical low point comes in February at 1029.68 m (3378.2 ft). The typical annual swing is 2.34 m (7.7 ft). For anyone using a dock, pump, or shoreline access, that is the range to watch, not just the day-to-day reading.
The fastest 24-hour rise in the record is 1.18 m (3.9 ft), also in June 2010. That is the kind of move that matters when a high-water signal is the difference between a normal shore and a wet one.
The fastest 24-hour drop in the record is 48.2 cm (19 in) in April 2022. Rapid falls like that can leave shallow areas exposed and change where a boat can sit safely.
The watershed
The regional pattern here is the foothills and prairie one: late-spring peaks are common when mountain snowmelt feeds the system, while summer convective storms can bring sharp rises. For this reservoir, that means the calendar can matter as much as the weather on any one day.
The July typical high and February typical low fit that broad seasonal shape. The record also shows how quickly levels can move when conditions change. If you are checking access, irrigation, or shoreline conditions, the useful question is not only where the water stands now, but how far it usually moves through the year.
Reading the hero number
The hero number on this page is most useful when you compare today’s reading with the median for this calendar day across the station record. A raw elevation by itself does not tell you whether the reservoir is running high for this date or simply near its usual level.
With more than 49 years on record, that day-by-day comparison gives a better read on what is normal at this time of year. It is the yardstick that helps decide whether a level is ordinary, early, or late for the season.
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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Inside the freshet cycle that puts Manitoba shorelines at risk each year - and why 2026 broke the script.
The science of snow water equivalent and why it drives the season ahead.
What the numbers on the measuring stick actually tell you.
Why Central and South Texas rivers go from gravel beds to fifty-year records in an afternoon - including July 2026 on the Nueces.
One percent, every year, forever - unwrapping hydrology's most misunderstood phrase, and how it differs from our own percentiles.
How every number is computed - About the platform
