River Thames at Abingdon Lock Water Level

Live river level, flow, historical records and forecast for River Thames at Abingdon Lock in England, United Kingdom, built from official government gauge data.

About River Thames at Abingdon Lock

River Thames at Abingdon Lock is a gauged river in England.

The watershed

This station sits on the Thames in England, and the record here runs for more than 28 years. For anyone using the river day to day, that length of record matters because it gives a fair view of how the level usually behaves through the seasons.

The typical high point comes in October, when the level is 0.09 m (0.3 ft). The typical low point comes in March, when the level is 0.05 m (0.17 ft). That is a small seasonal swing of 3.8 cm (1.5 in), so the river’s usual range at this gauge is narrow rather than dramatic.

The record high was 0.56 m (1.83 ft) in January 2014. The record low was -0.14 m (-0.45 ft) in February 2001. Those two values show that the gauge can move well outside its typical band, even if most months stay close together. For cottagers, that means dock height and access can change more than the seasonal average suggests. For anglers, it means the familiar level is only part of the picture; rare peaks and lows still matter.

What the numbers say

The seasonal pattern here does not follow the simple spring-peak pattern that is common in temperate rivers. October is the highest typical month, and March is the lowest typical month. I would treat that as the normal shape for this reach and plan around it, rather than expect a spring crest every year.

The record low in February 2001 and the record high in January 2014 show that the Thames at this gauge has a wide enough range to affect shoreline access, shallow-water fishing spots, and the reach of any fixed intake or mooring. The station does not publish a fastest 24-hour rise in the facts provided, so there is no warning-time number to use here.

Reading the hero number

The hero number on this page is best read as today’s level against the median for this calendar day across the station record. That comparison is more useful than raw elevation because it tells you whether the river is running typical for the date, not just where it sits on the staff gauge.

This station is published by the Environment Agency, and it has more than 28 years of record behind that comparison.

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.

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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.

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