WHAT'S HAPPENING NOW
—— ft above typical
Finding the top signal on the water…
Live river level, flow, historical records and forecast for Pasayten River above Calcite Creek in BC, Canada, built from official government gauge data.
The Pasayten River in the Similkameen watershed of British Columbia is measured above Calcite Creek.
This station drains 565 km2 (218 sq mi) upstream of the gauge, so the reading reflects a fairly large mountain catchment above this point, not the whole Similkameen.
For a river like this, the seasonal pattern matters. The highest typical month is May, at 1.48 m (4.86 ft), and the lowest typical month is September, at 0.89 m (2.9 ft). That is a typical annual swing of 59.7 cm (23.5 in).
For someone with a crossing, intake, or bank access here, that means the river commonly shifts from spring high water to late-summer low water within one season. The gauge’s record range shows that the river can move well outside the usual band: the record high was 2.06 m (6.76 ft) in May 2018, and the record low was 0.81 m (2.65 ft) in March 2023.
This is a mountain river, so the seasonal shape fits a snowmelt-driven regime: levels build into spring, peak around late spring, then ease toward late summer.
The record high in May 2018 matters because it sits above the typical May level by a clear margin, which is the kind of jump that can change wading conditions, bank access, and the amount of freeboard a low bank has left. The record low in March 2023 is a reminder that the river can also run well below its usual spring level before freshet gets going.
The main practical takeaway is the size of the normal seasonal swing. A dock, pump line, or fish-holding spot has to work across that 59.7 cm (23.5 in) range, and the record extremes show why fixed assumptions about depth can be misleading here.
The hero number on this page is best read against the median for this calendar day from the station’s record, not as a raw elevation by itself. That comparison shows whether the river is running normal for the date, high for the season, or low for the season.
That is more useful than elevation alone because the same level can mean different things in different months. On this station’s page, the context comes from a record of 50 years, which gives enough history to tell whether today is close to the usual pattern or outside it.
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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