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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One percent, every year, forever - unwrapping hydrology's most misunderstood phrase, and how it differs from our own percentiles.
Red Deer River at Red Deer Water Level
Live river level, flow, historical records and forecast for Red Deer River at Red Deer in Canada, AB, Canada, built from official government gauge data.
- Location Canada, AB, Canada
- Watershed upper red deer blindman
- Primary gauge 05CC002 (Water Survey of Canada)
About Red Deer River at Red Deer
Red Deer River - a vital waterway in Alberta's heart.
The Red Deer River flows gracefully through Alberta, serving as a crucial resource for the communities that line its banks. Known for its importance in local ecology and recreation, this river not only supports a variety of wildlife but also offers opportunities for fishing, kayaking, and enjoying nature. The gauge measuring the river's conditions is stationed in Red Deer, allowing for consistent monitoring of its hydrological patterns.
The watershed context
The Red Deer River is located within the Upper Red Deer - Blindman watershed, which drains an impressive area of approximately 11,600 square kilometers above the station. This significant catchment area encompasses a rich diversity of landscapes, including rolling hills and fertile plains. Nearby, Gull Lake and Sylvan Lake serve as notable peers in the region, highlighting the interconnectedness of these water bodies within the landscape.
Typical of Alberta's foothill and prairie hydrology, the river experiences varying water levels driven largely by mountain snowmelt in late spring. This annual cycle is punctuated by the potential for sharp rises due to summer storms, which can deliver intense bursts of rain, increasing flow significantly. Such seasonal dynamics create a vibrant and ever-changing aquatic environment.
Why the data matters here
Today's reading for the Red Deer River at Red Deer provides essential insight into its current conditions, which are compared against the historical median for this calendar day over the past 49 years. This comparison, sourced from Water Survey of Canada, is invaluable as it contextualizes the river's present elevation—illustrating how it relates to typical seasonal norms. Understanding these fluctuations is critical for local stakeholders, including cottagers, anglers, and farmers, who rely on stable water conditions for their activities and livelihoods.
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
