WHAT'S HAPPENING NOW
—— ft above typical
Finding the top signal on the water…
Live river level, flow, historical records and forecast for River Mole at Downside Bridge in England, United Kingdom, built from official government gauge data.
River Mole at Downside Bridge is a gauged river in England.
At this station, the River Mole is usually highest in January, with a typical level of 1.31 m (4.28 ft). The lowest typical month is September, at 1.06 m (3.46 ft). That spread is 25 cm (9.8 in) across the year, which is enough to matter for a low bank, a footbridge approach, or anything drawing water close to the channel.
For cottagers and anglers, the main pattern is straightforward: winter water stands higher, and late-summer water sits lower. In a temperate river like this one, that is the seasonal rhythm to watch for when planning access, moorings, or a day on the bank.
The highest level in the record is 3.25 m (10.67 ft) in December 2013. The lowest is 0.9 m (2.96 ft) in November 2011. Those two numbers show the reach can move a long way beyond its usual seasonal band.
With 29 years on record, this station has enough history to show what is ordinary and what is not. For anyone watching the river near a bridge, the record high is the level to keep in mind when judging how much room the channel has shown before. The record low is the other side of that story: it marks how thin the flow can get in a dry spell.
The number shown on the page is most useful when it is set against the median level for the same calendar day across the station’s record. That is better than raw elevation alone, because a river at 1.31 m (4.28 ft) in January does not mean the same thing as the same reading in September.
At this EA station, the comparison is drawn from the Environment Agency record at Downside Bridge. It gives a quick sense of whether the river is running near its usual band for the season, or outside it, without forcing you to guess from the gauge number alone.
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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