WHAT'S HAPPENING NOW
—— ft above typical
Finding the top signal on the water…
Live river level, flow, historical records and forecast for South Heart River near Big Prairie Settlement in AB, Canada, built from official government gauge data.
South Heart River near Big Prairie Settlement is in the South Heart watershed in Alberta.
The station record spans more than 20 years. The highest water level in that record was 26.91 m (88.3 ft) in April 2020. The lowest was 23.27 m (76.34 ft) in November 2015. That range matters for anyone keeping a dock, intake, or crossing on this river: the river has moved through a 1.47 m (4.8 ft) typical annual swing, from a May typical level of 25.11 m (82.37 ft) down to a November typical level of 23.64 m (77.55 ft).
That seasonal shape fits a foothills-and-prairie river. May is usually the high point here, and November is usually the low point.
The gauge drains 5989 km2 (2312 sq mi) upstream of the station. That is the area feeding this reading, not the full watershed on a map.
For local users, that upstream area means the stage at this site can change with snowmelt, rain, and runoff across a large basin. In a year with strong spring input, the river has room to rise well above late-season levels. In dry spells, the drop from spring to late fall is enough to matter for access, pumping, and fish habitat at the bank.
The hero number on this page is best read against the median for the same calendar day across the station record. That tells you whether today is high or low for this date, instead of just showing an elevation in metres or feet.
This station has more than 20 years of record, so the day-by-day median gives a steadier reference for what is normal here. It is the better number for day-to-day decisions because it filters out the seasonal cycle and puts today beside the river’s own history.
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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