Littleton Road River water level

Name: Littleton Road River water level (Environment Agency)
Creator: Environment Agency
License: https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/

River gauge, River Irwell, Greater Manchester, United Kingdom

Directions

Below the normal range

Water level

0.81m Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured 20 Oct 2026, 07:45 BST (41 min ago)

History

7 days

Water level Top of normal rangeBottom of normal range

What this means

Low water at Littleton Road River: the gauge reads 0.81 m, below normal.

The usual range here runs from 1.10 m to 4.60 m.

It has barely moved over the past 24 hours. Without real rain upstream, that is unlikely to change quickly. The 30-day range is 0.80 m – 0.99 m.

Autumn rain usually starts to lift rivers again after the summer low.

Compared with the normal range the agency publishes for this gauge. How to read levels

Key numbers

Normal range: 1.10 m – 4.60 m
Highest on record: 4.98 mDecember 26, 2015
Lowest on record: 0.14 mNovember 4, 2022

For anglers and canoeists

Low rivers are hard going for paddlers, with exposed gravel and weirs that are awkward to shoot. Salmon and sea trout usually wait for the next spate to run.

Many angling and canoe clubs check gauges like this one before heading out.

About the River Irwell

The River Irwell is a tributary of the River Mersey in north-west England. It rises at Irwell Springs on Deerplay Moor, approximately 1+1⁄2 miles north of Bacup and flows southwards for 39 mi (63 km) to meet the Mersey near Irlam Locks. The Irwell marks the boundary between Manchester and Salford, and its lower reaches have been canalised and now form part of the Manchester Ship Canal.

Weather at the gauge

Rain in the last 3 days: 0.5 mm. Rain that falls upstream can take hours or days to show up at a river gauge.

20 Tue 12° 11° 9.9 mm, 100% Wind 10 km/h

21 Wed 11° 8° 22 mm, 96% Wind 27 km/h

22 Thu 10° 6° 1.0 mm, 56% Wind 20 km/h

23 Fri 13° 8° 5.2 mm, 88% Wind 29 km/h

24 Sat 11° 8° 4.1 mm, 91% Wind 23 km/h

25 Sun 15° 10° 5.1 mm, 85% Wind 25 km/h

26 Mon 16° 8° 25 mm, 73% Wind 24 km/h

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:46 AM Sunset 06:04 PM Daylight 10 hr, 18 min First quarter 66%

Map

Other gauges on the River Irwell

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Manchester RacecourseRiver gauge, River Irwell	0.90 m	Normal	+0.01 m	1.6 km
Adelphi WeirRiver gauge, River Irwell	0.24 m	Normal	±0	3.1 km
Pioneer MillsRiver gauge, River Irwell	0.29 m	Very low	+0.02 m	6.1 km
KearsleyRiver gauge, River Irwell	0.78 m	Normal	−0.01 m	6.8 km
Bury GroundRiver gauge, River Irwell	0.33 m	Normal	±0	10.0 km
Ramsbottom WeirRiver gauge, River Irwell	0.33 m	Normal	±0	16 km
StubbinsRiver gauge, River Irwell	0.13 m	Normal	±0	17 km
Irwell ValeRiver gauge, River Irwell	0.34 m	Normal	−0.01 m	19 km
Holt Mill BridgeRiver gauge, River Irwell	0.19 m	Normal	±0	21 km
Throstle MillRiver gauge, River Irwell	0.50 m	Normal	+0.01 m	22 km

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Collyhurst WeirRiver gauge, River Irk	0.13 m	Low	+0.01 m	4.3 km
London RoadRiver gauge, River Medlock	0.10 m	Normal	+0.02 m	5.6 km
Chestnut RoadRiver gauge, Worsley Brook	0.07 m	Very low	±0	5.9 km
Gurney StreetRiver gauge, River Medlock	0.22 m	Normal	−0.03 m	6.0 km
Blackford BridgeRiver gauge, River Roch	0.11 m	Low	+0.01 m	6.3 km
FarnworthRiver gauge, River Croal	0.09 m	Low	±0	8.5 km

Questions and answers

What is the typical range for the River Irwell at Littleton Road River?

The Environment Agency gives a typical range of 1.10 m to 4.60 m for this gauge.

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 0.81 m on the gauge does not mean the water is that deep.

What is the water level of Littleton Road River today?

On 20 Oct 2026, 07:45 BST, the water level was 0.81 m. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Littleton Road River rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of Littleton Road River normal?

Below the normal range. Compared with the normal range the agency publishes for this gauge.

What is the highest water level ever recorded at Littleton Road River?

The highest level on record is 4.98 m on December 26, 2015. The lowest is 0.14 m on November 4, 2022.

How often is this data updated?

The Environment Agency publishes a new reading every 15 minutes. This page refreshes within minutes of each update.

For specialists

Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads

Operator: Environment Agency
Station code: ea:690552 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 53.50936, -2.28960 (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	0.81 m	2026-10-20 06:45	Provisional

Download

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How to cite

Environment Agency: Littleton Road River (ea:690552). Accessed October 20, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-kingdom/greater-manchester/littleton-road-river

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