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Kootenay River at Fort Steele water level

River gauge, Kootenay River, British Columbia, Canada

Directions

Right now

Low for mid-October

Water level

0.65m Steady over the last 24 hours

Flow
60.3 m³/s
0.8 1.0 1.3

History

History
0.81.01.3mOct 12Oct 14Oct 15Oct 17Oct 190.81.01.3mOct 12Oct 15Oct 19
0.81.01.3mSep 19Sep 26Oct 4Oct 11Oct 190.81.01.3mSep 19Oct 4Oct 19
-024mOct 2025Jan 2026Apr 2026Jul 2026Oct 2026-024mOct 2025Apr 2026Oct 2026
-024mJanMarMayJulSepNov2026-024mJanAprJulOct2026

20252026

Water level Normal range (10–90 %)

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

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.

Read more on Wikipedia

Text and image from Wikipedia and Wikimedia Commons, licensed under CC BY-SA.

Weather at the gauge

The forecast is not available right now.

Sunrise 08:11 AM Sunset 06:45 PM Daylight 10 hr, 35 min First quarter 57%

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

ParameterLast valueTime (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.