Nibi Metrics
Real-time water levels, forecasts, and alerts for lakes and rivers across Canada and the US. Built on official government data.
Nibi Metrics turns raw gauge readings from official hydrometric networks into something a person standing on a dock can actually use: is the water high or low for today, which way is it moving, and how unusual is this? This page explains where every number on the platform comes from and what we do to it along the way.
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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.
Porcupine Lake Water Level
Live lake level, flow, historical records and forecast for Porcupine Lake in Cochrane, ON, Canada, built from official government gauge data.
- Location Cochrane, ON, Canada
- Watershed frederick house
- Primary gauge 04MD005 (Water Survey of Canada)
About Porcupine Lake
Porcupine Lake - a natural water body in Ontario's northern landscape.
Nestled within the Frederick House watershed, Porcupine Lake offers a unique glimpse into Ontario's diverse aquatic ecosystems. This lake, located in the Cochrane region, is characterized by a substantial drainage area of about 85 square kilometres upstream of the station measuring its hydrological data.
The watershed context
Porcupine Lake plays a vital role in the local hydrology, being fed by seasonal variations driven primarily by snowmelt. This dynamic contributes to the lake’s water levels fluctuating significantly throughout the year. The spring freshet typically occurs from late April to May, when melting snow causes the water levels to rise. During the summer months, from July to September, natural drawdown occurs as evaporation rates increase and inflow diminishes. As winter approaches, Porcupine Lake experiences a decline in water levels as ice forms, further influencing the seasonal rhythm of this northern water body.
Why the data matters here
The current hydrological readings from Porcupine Lake, managed by Water Survey of Canada, provide crucial information on the lake’s water levels relative to historical trends. Today’s reading can be compared against the median for this calendar day across more than 24 years of historical data. This comparison allows cottagers, anglers, and other users to understand the lake's behavior through seasonal cycles, ensuring better planning and awareness of conditions for recreational activities and ecological management.
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
