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Canonbie water level

River gauge, River Esk, Scotland, United Kingdom

Directions

Low for mid-October

Water level

0.51m Down 0.08 m over the last 24 hours

0 1 3 4 Highest onrecord 4.36 m Lowest on record 0.36 m

History

0.51.01.52.0mOct 11Oct 13Oct 14Oct 16Oct 18Top of normal rangeBottom of normal range0.51.01.52.0mOct 11Oct 14Oct 18Top of normal rangeBottom of normal range
12mSep 18Sep 25Oct 3Oct 10Oct 18Top of normal rangeBottom of normal range12mSep 18Oct 3Oct 18Top of normal rangeBottom of normal range
-012mOct 2025Jan 2026Apr 2026Jul 2026Oct 2026Top of normal rangeBottom of normal range-012mOct 2025Apr 2026Oct 2026Top of normal rangeBottom of normal range
-012mJanMarMayJulSepNov2026-012mJanAprJulOct2026

20252026

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

What this means

Low water at Canonbie: the gauge reads 0.51 m, below normal for mid-October.

That puts it 0.23 m below the median of 0.74 m for mid-October, based on 16 years of readings.

It is still going down, by 0.08 m over the past 24 hours. Without real rain upstream, that is unlikely to change quickly. The 30-day range is 0.34 m – 1.86 m.

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

Compared with 16 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Median for this date
0.74 m0.23 m below the median for this date
Normal for this date
0.39 m – 1.36 m8 years in 10 fall in this range (16 years of records)
Normal range
0.44 m – 2.00 m
Lowest and highest in 30 days
0.34 m – 1.86 m
Lowest and highest in 12 months
0.12 m – 2.37 m
Highest on record
4.36 mOctober 28, 2021
Lowest on record
0.36 mMay 5, 2011

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 Esk

River Esk (Solway Firth)

The River Esk, also known as the Border Esk, is a river that rises in the Scottish region of Dumfries and Galloway before crossing the border to the English county of Cumbria and flowing into the Solway Firth.

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: 8.7 mm. Rain that falls upstream can take hours or days to show up at a river gauge.

17 Sat 11° 0° – Wind 12 km/h
18 Sun 12° 0° – Wind 10 km/h
19 Mon 13° 3° – Wind 18 km/h
20 Tue 13° 7° 1.3 mm, 54% Wind 17 km/h
21 Wed 10° 5° 1.7 mm, 63% Wind 16 km/h
22 Thu 10° -2° 4.5 mm, 59% Wind 13 km/h
23 Fri 7° 5° 15 mm, 83% Wind 17 km/h

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:47 AM Sunset 06:08 PM Daylight 10 hr, 21 min First quarter 48%

Map

Other gauges on the River Esk

Gauge Level Compared with normal 24 hours Distance
Cropple HowRiver gauge, River Esk 0.53 m Normal −0.04 m 82 km
CastletonRiver gauge, River Esk 0.07 m Low ±0 145 km

Nearby gauges

Gauge Level Compared with normal 24 hours Distance
Lochinvar storage basin, LongtownRiver gauge, Lochinvar Beck 0.12 m Normal ±0 6.5 km
LinstockRiver gauge, River Eden 0.42 m Normal −0.03 m 17 km
SheepmountRiver gauge, River Eden 0.83 m Normal −0.08 m 18 km
Sands Centre, CarlisleRiver gauge, River Eden 0.52 m Low +0.08 m 19 km
Little Caldew MaltingsRiver gauge, Little Caldew 0.38 m Normal ±0 19 km
Durranhill Pumping StationRiver gauge, Durranhill Beck 0.79 m Lowest on record ±0 19 km
GreenholmeRiver gauge, River Irthing 0.33 m Normal −0.05 m 19 km
Brampton Moat SideRiver gauge, Brampton Beck 0.04 m Lowest on record ±0 19 km

Questions and answers

What is a normal level for the River Esk at Canonbie in mid-October?

The median for mid-October is 0.74 m. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 0.39 m and 1.36 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 0.51 m on the gauge does not mean the water is that deep.

What is the water level of Canonbie today?

On 18 Oct 2026, 09:15 BST, the water level was 0.51 m. Down 0.08 m over the last 24 hours.

Is Canonbie rising or falling?

Down 0.08 m over the last 24 hours. Down 0.02 m over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Canonbie normal?

Low for mid-October. Compared with 16 years of daily readings for this time of year.

What is the highest water level ever recorded at Canonbie?

The highest level on record is 4.36 m on October 28, 2021. The lowest is 0.36 m on May 5, 2011.

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:780001 (Agency page)
Coordinates
55.06685, -2.94636 (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 0.51 m 2026-10-18 08:15 Provisional

Download

Embed this gauge

Add a live card for this gauge to your website. It updates on its own and links back here.

How to cite

Environment Agency: Canonbie (ea:780001). Accessed October 18, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-kingdom/scotland/canonbie

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