Farnworth water level
River gauge, River Croal, Greater Manchester, United Kingdom
Right now
Normal for mid-October
Water level
History
20252026
What this means
The gauge at Farnworth reads 0.09 m, a normal level for mid-October.
The median for mid-October is 0.11 m, based on 21 years of readings, so the river level is 0.02 m below typical. On the same day last year the reading was 0.11 m, a difference of −0.02 m.
It has barely moved over the past 24 hours. Over the past 30 days it has moved between 0.07 m and 0.45 m.
Autumn rain usually starts to lift rivers again after the summer low.
Compared with 21 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels
Key numbers
- Median for this date
- 0.11 m0.02 m below the median for this date
- Normal for this date
- 0.08 m – 0.21 m8 years in 10 fall in this range (21 years of records)
- Normal range
- 0.07 m – 1.00 m
- Same day last year
- 0.11 m−0.02 m
- Lowest and highest in 30 days
- 0.07 m – 0.45 m
- Lowest and highest in 12 months
- 0.06 m – 0.41 m
- Highest on record
- 1.83 mDecember 26, 2015
- Lowest on record
- 0.05 mMay 19, 1980
On the river at Farnworth
A level in the typical range is usually good news for both anglers and canoeists, but conditions can change quickly after rain in the hills.
Flood warnings for the area come from the Environment Agency.
Weather at the gauge
Rain in the last 3 days: 3.9 mm. Rain that falls upstream can take hours or days to show up at a river gauge.
Forecast: Open-Meteo
Map
Nearby gauges
| Gauge | Level | Compared with normal | 24 hours | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| KearsleyRiver gauge, River Irwell | 0.79 m | Normal | −0.01 m | 1.6 km |
| Pioneer MillsRiver gauge, River Irwell | 0.30 m | Very low | +0.01 m | 4.8 km |
| Blackford BridgeRiver gauge, River Roch | 0.13 m | Normal | +0.03 m | 6.4 km |
| Threadfold WayRiver gauge, Eagley Brook | 0.21 m | Very low | ±0 | 6.8 km |
| Chestnut RoadRiver gauge, Worsley Brook | 0.07 m | Low | ±0 | 7.1 km |
| Bury GroundRiver gauge, River Irwell | 0.34 m | Normal | −0.01 m | 7.2 km |
| Bessy BrookRiver gauge | 0.05 m | Low | −0.01 m | 7.4 km |
| Size Bridge, TyldesleyRiver gauge, Ellenor Brook | 0.12 m | Normal | +0.01 m | 7.5 km |
Questions and answers
Is the River Croal at Farnworth higher than last year?
No, it is 0.02 m lower than on the same day last year, when the reading was 0.11 m.
What is a normal level for the River Croal at Farnworth in mid-October?
The median for mid-October is 0.11 m. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 0.08 m and 0.21 m, based on 21 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 0.09 m on the gauge does not mean the water is that deep.
What is the water level of Farnworth today?
On 19 Oct 2026, 12:15 BST, the water level was 0.09 m. Steady over the last 24 hours.
Is Farnworth rising or falling?
Steady over the last 24 hours. Down 0.02 m over the last 7 days.
Is the level of Farnworth normal?
Normal for mid-October. Compared with 21 years of daily readings for this time of year.
What is the highest water level ever recorded at Farnworth?
The highest level on record is 1.83 m on December 26, 2015. The lowest is 0.05 m on May 19, 1980.
For specialists
Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads
- Operator
- Environment Agency
- Station code
ea:690408(Agency page)- Coordinates
53.55736, -2.38882(WGS84)- Vertical datum
- station datum
- Update interval
- every 15 minutes
- Licence
- Open Government Licence v3.0. Contains Environment Agency data licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0
Published series
| Parameter | Last value | Time (UTC) | Quality |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water level | 0.09 m | 2026-10-19 11:15 | Provisional |
Download
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How to cite
Environment Agency: Farnworth (ea:690408). Accessed October 19, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-kingdom/greater-manchester/farnworth
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