WHAT'S HAPPENING NOW
—— ft above typical
Finding the top signal on the water…
Live river level, flow, historical records and forecast for West Fork Stones River at Murfreesboro in TN, United States, built from official government gauge data.
West Fork Stones River in the Stones watershed, Tennessee.
This gauge sits on the West Fork Stones River in the Stones watershed, with 177 sq mi (458 km2) upstream of the station. That drainage area is what feeds the reading here, not the whole watershed name on the page.
In this part of Tennessee, winter and spring rain floods dominate, and steep tributaries can rise fast. For people along the river, that means the water can change quickly during wet periods, while summer and early fall are more often the quieter stretch.
The long record runs for 50 years. The highest level in that record is 20.85 ft (6.36 m) in March 2021. The lowest is 1.68 ft (0.51 m) in September 2008.
The seasonal pattern is modest compared with those extremes. The typical high point is February at 3.25 ft (0.99 m), and the typical low point is October at 2.36 ft (0.72 m). The typical annual swing is 10.6 in (27 cm).
For a dock, intake, or bank access, those numbers matter more than a single reading. They show the range this river has already asked users to live with, and the spread between late winter and fall tells you when water is usually highest and when it is lowest.
The hero number on this page compares today’s reading with the median for the same calendar day across the station’s record. That is more useful than raw elevation because it puts today in context: it shows whether the river is running above or below its usual level for this date, instead of just how high the water sits above the datum.
This station is operated by the USGS. With 50 years on record, the daily median gives a steadier yardstick for cottagers, anglers, and anyone watching for rising water.
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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