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Hemel Hempstead, Two Waters Road water level

River gauge, River Bulbourne, Hertfordshire, United Kingdom

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Right now

Very low for mid-October

Water level

0.20m Down 0.02 m over the last 24 hours

0.0 0.5 1.0 Highest onrecord 1.19 m Lowest on record 0.09 m

History

History
0.20.30.4mOct 13Oct 15Oct 16Oct 18Oct 20Bottom of normal range0.20.30.4mOct 13Oct 16Oct 20Bottom of normal range
0.20.30.4mSep 20Sep 27Oct 5Oct 12Oct 20Bottom of normal range0.20.30.4mSep 20Oct 5Oct 20Bottom of normal range
0.20.40.6mOct 2025Jan 2026Apr 2026Jul 2026Oct 2026Top of normal rangeBottom of normal range0.20.40.6mOct 2025Apr 2026Oct 2026Top of normal rangeBottom of normal range
0.20.40.6mJanMarMayJulSepNov20260.20.40.6mJanAprJulOct2026

20252026

Water level Normal range (10–90 %) Top of normal rangeBottom of normal range

What this means

Low water at Hemel Hempstead, Two Waters Road: the gauge reads 0.20 m, far below normal for mid-October.

That puts it 0.08 m below the median of 0.28 m for mid-October, based on 21 years of readings. A year ago it stood at 0.33 m (−0.13 m). The lowest reading on record is 0.09 m (September 18, 2007).

It is still going down, by 0.02 m over the past 24 hours. Without real rain upstream, that is unlikely to change quickly. The 30-day range is 0.15 m – 0.29 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
0.28 m0.08 m below the median for this date
Normal for this date
0.23 m – 0.39 m8 years in 10 fall in this range (21 years of records)
Normal range
0.21 m – 0.75 m
Same day last year
0.33 m−0.13 m
Lowest and highest in 30 days
0.15 m – 0.29 m
Lowest and highest in 12 months
0.18 m – 0.52 m
Highest on record
1.19 mSeptember 22, 1992
Lowest on record
0.09 mSeptember 18, 2007

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 Bulbourne

River Bulbourne

The River Bulbourne is a small river in Dacorum, Hertfordshire, England. The word bourne derives from the Anglo-Saxon word for a stream. It is an unnavigable tributary of the River Gade, which flows into the River Colne, which in turn is a tributary of the River Thames. The Bulbourne is an example of a chalk stream, which is a watercourse that flows from chalk-fed groundwater. Chalk streams are a very rare habitat globally, with more than 85% of all the 210 chalk streams in the world found in England. The river is reduced in size, due to human activity, the main one being the building of the London to Birmingham Grand Union Canal through the narrow valley which takes most of the river's water.

Read more on Wikipedia

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

Weather at the gauge

Rain in the last 3 days: 2.3 mm. Rain that falls upstream can take hours or days to show up at a river gauge.

18 Sun 12° 7° 4.0 mm, 80% Wind 28 km/h
19 Mon 13° 9° 1.7 mm, 78% Wind 14 km/h
20 Tue 12° 11° 18 mm, 83% Wind 10 km/h
21 Wed 12° 6° 16 mm, 52% Wind 30 km/h
22 Thu 10° 4° 1.7 mm, 60% Wind 15 km/h
23 Fri 13° 7° 26 mm, 85% Wind 38 km/h
24 Sat 13° 5° 2.2 mm, 43% Wind 27 km/h

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:35 AM Sunset 06:00 PM Daylight 10 hr, 25 min First quarter 66%

Map

Other gauges on the River Bulbourne

Gauge Level Compared with normal 24 hours Distance
Hemel Hempstead, Old Fishery LaneRiver gauge, River Bulbourne 0.62 m Very low −0.01 m 1.6 km

Nearby gauges

Gauge Level Compared with normal 24 hours Distance
Gadebridge ParkRiver gauge, River Gade 0.10 m Lowest on record ±0 1.9 km
RedbournRiver gauge, River Red −0.20 m Normal −0.24 m 7.8 km
RedbournRiver gauge, River Ver 0.04 m Normal ±0 8.1 km
WatfordRiver gauge, River Colne 0.19 m Normal ±0 10 km
Colney StreetRiver gauge, River Ver 0.15 m Normal ±0 10 km
CheshamRiver gauge, River Chess 0.31 m Normal ±0 11 km
MarkyateRiver gauge, River Ver −0.04 m Very low ±0 11 km
Croxley GreenRiver gauge, River Gade 0.09 m Normal ±0 11 km

Questions and answers

How does the River Bulbourne at Hemel Hempstead, Two Waters Road compare with last year?

It is 0.13 m lower than on the same day last year, when the reading was 0.33 m.

What is a normal level for the River Bulbourne at Hemel Hempstead, Two Waters Road in mid-October?

The median for mid-October is 0.28 m. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 0.23 m and 0.39 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 0.20 m on the gauge does not mean the water is that deep.

What is the water level of Hemel Hempstead, Two Waters Road today?

On 20 Oct 2026, 06:45 BST, the water level was 0.20 m. Down 0.02 m over the last 24 hours.

Is Hemel Hempstead, Two Waters Road rising or falling?

Down 0.02 m over the last 24 hours. Down 0.02 m over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Hemel Hempstead, Two Waters Road normal?

Very low for mid-October. Compared with 21 years of daily readings for this time of year.

What is the highest water level ever recorded at Hemel Hempstead, Two Waters Road?

The highest level on record is 1.19 m on September 22, 1992. The lowest is 0.09 m on September 18, 2007.

For specialists

Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads
Operator
Environment Agency
Station code
ea:2846TH (Agency page)
Coordinates
51.74106, -0.47337 (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

ParameterLast valueTime (UTC)Quality
Water level 0.20 m 2026-10-20 05:45 Provisional

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How to cite

Environment Agency: Hemel Hempstead, Two Waters Road (ea:2846TH). Accessed October 20, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-kingdom/hertfordshire/hemel-hempstead-two-waters-road

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.