Similkameen River near Hedley Water Level
Live river level, flow, historical records and forecast for Similkameen River near Hedley in BC, Canada, built from official government gauge data.
- Location BC, Canada
- Watershed similkameen
- Primary gauge 08NL038 (Water Survey of Canada)
About Similkameen River near Hedley
The watershed
The Similkameen River near Hedley sits in the Similkameen watershed in British Columbia.
This station tracks the river upstream from Hedley over a catchment of 5,568 km2 (2,150 sq mi). For people watching the water here, that upstream area is what matters: it controls the volume arriving at the gauge, and it sets the range that docks, intakes, and crossings have to live with.
What the numbers say
The long record here is 60 years, and the river has shown a wide spread in that time. The record high is 5.46 m (17.91 ft), set in November 2021. The record low is 0.58 m (1.91 ft), set in September 2023.
The usual seasonal pattern is clear. May is the highest month on average, at 2.74 m (8.98 ft). September is the lowest month on average, at 0.73 m (2.38 ft). That makes a typical annual swing of 2.01 m (6.6 ft), which is a large change for shoreline access, pump placement, and any fixed equipment near the water.
The regional rhythm fits a mountain river: freshet tends to build with snowpack and often peaks from May through July. Where summer lows arrive, they are the period to watch for shallow margins and reduced margin for use.
Reading the hero number
The hero number on this page compares today’s reading with the median for this calendar day across the station record. That is more useful than raw elevation alone, because the same water level can mean very different things in May than in September.
At this station, Water Survey of Canada is the operating agency to keep in mind. With more than 60 years of record, the day-by-day median gives a practical reference for whether the river is running above, below, or near its usual level for this date.
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
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.
Water Stories
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Inside the freshet cycle that puts Manitoba shorelines at risk each year - and why 2026 broke the script.
The science of snow water equivalent and why it drives the season ahead.
What the numbers on the measuring stick actually tell you.
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.
How every number is computed - About the platform
