Kootenay River at Fort Steele water level
River gauge, Kootenay River, British Columbia, Canada
Right now
Low for mid-October
Water level
- Flow
- 60.3 m³/s
History
20252026
What this means
Low water at Kootenay River at Fort Steele: the gauge reads 0.65 m, below normal for mid-October.
That puts it 0.25 m below the median of 0.90 m for mid-October, based on 16 years of readings. A year ago it stood at 0.51 m (+0.13 m).
The level has held steady over the past 24 hours. Without real rain upstream, that is unlikely to change quickly. The 30-day range is 0.64 m – 0.97 m.
Fall is often low-water season on rivers, and it usually takes a few days of steady rain to change that.
Compared with 16 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels
Key numbers
- Median for this date
- 0.90 m0.25 m below the median for this date
- Normal for this date
- 0.60 m – 1.29 m8 years in 10 fall in this range (16 years of records)
- Same day last year
- 0.51 m+0.13 m
- Lowest and highest in 30 days
- 0.64 m – 0.97 m
- Lowest and highest in 12 months
- 0.34 m – 1.06 m
Freshet, ice and paddling
Open-water season is the time for canoe trips and fishing, though rapids change character with every few centimetres of water.
Flood advisories come from the provincial river forecast centre.
About the Kootenay River
The Kootenay River or Kootenai River is a major river of the Northwest Plateau in southeastern British Columbia, Canada, and northern Montana and Idaho in the United States. It is one of the uppermost major tributaries of the Columbia River, the largest North American river that empties into the Pacific Ocean. The Kootenay River runs 781 kilometres (485 mi) from its headwaters in the Kootenay Ranges of the Canadian Rockies, flowing from British Columbia's East Kootenay region into northwestern Montana, then west into the northernmost Idaho Panhandle and returning to British Columbia in the West Kootenay region, where it joins the Columbia at Castlegar.
Text and image from Wikipedia and Wikimedia Commons, licensed under CC BY-SA.
Weather at the gauge
The forecast is not available right now.
Map
Other gauges on the Kootenay River
| Gauge | Level | Compared with normal | 24 hours | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kootenay River at Kootenay CrossingRiver gauge, Kootenay River | 0.25 m | Low | −0.01 m | 145 km |
Nearby gauges
| Gauge | Level | Compared with normal | 24 hours | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mather Creek below Houle CreekRiver gauge, Mather Creek | 2.19 m | Normal | ±0 | 22 km |
| Bull River near WardnerRiver gauge, Bull River | 1.17 m | Low | ±0 | 23 km |
| Moyie River above Noke CreekRiver gauge, Moyie River | 1.78 m | Normal | ±0 | 35 km |
| Elk River at FernieRiver gauge, Elk River | 1.63 m | Normal | ±0 | 43 km |
| Hosmer Creek above DiversionsRiver gauge, Hosmer Creek | 2.10 m | Very high | ±0 | 49 km |
| Elk River below Elko Dam DiversionRiver gauge, Elk River | 1.70 m | Normal | ±0 | 53 km |
| St. Mary River below Morris CreekRiver gauge, St. Mary River | 1.38 m | Low | −0.01 m | 59 km |
| Fording River at the MouthRiver gauge, Fording River | 1.90 m | High | ±0 | 64 km |
Questions and answers
How does the Kootenay River at Fort Steele compare with last year?
It is 0.13 m higher than on the same day last year, when the reading was 0.51 m.
What is a normal level for the Kootenay River at Fort Steele in mid-October?
The median for mid-October is 0.90 m. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 0.60 m and 1.29 m, based on 16 years of records.
Is the river level the same as the depth of the water?
No. The reading is measured from a fixed zero mark at the gauge, so 0.65 m on the gauge does not mean the water is that deep.
What is the water level of Kootenay River at Fort Steele today?
On Oct 19, 2026, 12:40 AM MDT, the water level was 0.65 m. Steady over the last 24 hours.
Is Kootenay River at Fort Steele rising or falling?
Steady over the last 24 hours. Down 0.11 m over the last 7 days.
Is the level of Kootenay River at Fort Steele normal?
Low for mid-October. Compared with 16 years of daily readings for this time of year.
How often is this data updated?
Environment and Climate Change Canada – Water Survey of Canada publishes a new reading every hour. This page refreshes within minutes of each update.
For specialists
Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads
- Operator
- Environment and Climate Change Canada – Water Survey of Canada
- Station code
eccc:08NG065(Agency page)- Coordinates
49.61203, -115.63534(WGS84)- Vertical datum
- station datum (assumed datum)
- Update interval
- every hour
- Licence
- Open Government Licence – Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada
Published series
| Parameter | Last value | Time (UTC) | Quality |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water level | 0.65 m | 2026-10-19 06:40 | Provisional |
| Flow | 60.3 m³/s | 2026-10-19 06:40 | Provisional |
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How to cite
Environment and Climate Change Canada – Water Survey of Canada: Kootenay River at Fort Steele (eccc:08NG065). Accessed October 19, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/canada/british-columbia/kootenay-river-at-fort-steele
How we check values
Each reading is stored as published. We hold back values that jump faster than physically plausible and show the measurement time with every value.
Readings are provisional, can be delayed or wrong and are not a flood warning. Read the disclaimer