Nivelmap
EN

Swill Bridge water level

River gauge, Doniford Stream, Somerset, United Kingdom

Directions

Right now

Very low for mid-October

Water level

0.16m Steady over the last 24 hours

0 1 2 Highest onrecord 2.20 m Lowest on record 0.03 m

History

History
0.20.30.4mOct 16Oct 16Oct 17Oct 17Oct 18Bottom of normal range0.20.30.4mOct 16Oct 17Oct 18Bottom of normal range
0.30.50.8mOct 2025Jan 2026Apr 2026Jul 2026Oct 2026Top of normal rangeBottom of normal range0.30.50.8mOct 2025Apr 2026Oct 2026Top of normal rangeBottom of normal range
0.30.50.8mJanMarMayJulSepNov20260.30.50.8mJanAprJulOct2026

20252026

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

What this means

Low water at Swill Bridge: the gauge reads 0.16 m, far below normal for mid-October.

That puts it 0.07 m below the median of 0.22 m for mid-October, based on 21 years of readings. A year ago it stood at 0.18 m (−0.02 m). The lowest reading on record is 0.03 m (August 30, 1983).

The level has held steady over the past 24 hours. Without real rain upstream, that is unlikely to change quickly.

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
0.22 m0.07 m below the median for this date
Normal for this date
0.17 m – 0.40 m8 years in 10 fall in this range (21 years of records)
Normal range
0.17 m – 0.80 m
Same day last year
0.18 m−0.02 m
Lowest and highest in 30 days
0.16 m – 0.16 m
Lowest and highest in 12 months
0.16 m – 0.89 m
Highest on record
2.20 mDecember 7, 2000
Lowest on record
0.03 mAugust 30, 1983

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.

Weather at the gauge

Rain in the last 3 days: 1.6 mm. Rain that falls upstream can take hours or days to show up at a river gauge.

18 Sun 13° 9° – Wind 28 km/h
19 Mon 14° 9° 4.8 mm, 100% Wind 27 km/h
20 Tue 13° 8° 1.0 mm, 54% Wind 20 km/h
21 Wed 14° 11° 1.3 mm, 70% Wind 59 km/h
22 Thu 15° 11° 5.2 mm, 84% Wind 40 km/h
23 Fri 12° 11° 15 mm, 80% Wind 54 km/h
24 Sat 12° 8° 2.9 mm, 73% Wind 46 km/h

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:42 AM Sunset 06:16 PM Daylight 10 hr, 34 min First quarter 51%

Map

Other gauges on the Doniford Stream

Gauge Level Compared with normal 24 hours Distance
Sampford BrettRiver gauge, Doniford Stream −0.03 m Lowest on record ±0 2.5 km
Stogumber Escott LaneRiver gauge, Doniford Stream 0.10 m Normal ±0 4.6 km

Nearby gauges

Gauge Level Compared with normal 24 hours Distance
WillitonRiver gauge, Monksilver Stream −0.01 m Lowest on record ±0 2.3 km
Beggearn HuishRiver gauge, Washford River 0.14 m Very low ±0 5.9 km
LuxboroughRiver gauge, Washford River 0.07 m Normal ±0 12 km
MilvertonRiver gauge, Hillfarrance Brook 0.09 m Very low ±0 16 km
Upton TributaryRiver gauge, River Haddeo 0.04 m Very low ±0 17 km
UptonRiver gauge, River Haddeo 0.06 m Very low ±0 17 km
CanningtonRiver gauge, Cannington Brook 0.30 m Normal ±0 17 km
WimbleballRiver gauge, River Haddeo 0.21 m High −0.01 m 18 km

Questions and answers

How does the Doniford Stream at Swill Bridge compare with last year?

It is 0.02 m lower than on the same day last year, when the reading was 0.18 m.

What is a normal level for the Doniford Stream at Swill Bridge in mid-October?

The median for mid-October is 0.22 m. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 0.17 m and 0.40 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 0.16 m on the gauge does not mean the water is that deep.

What is the water level of Swill Bridge today?

On 18 Oct 2026, 16:45 BST, the water level was 0.16 m. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Swill Bridge rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of Swill Bridge 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 Swill Bridge?

The highest level on record is 2.20 m on December 7, 2000. The lowest is 0.03 m on August 30, 1983.

For specialists

Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads
Operator
Environment Agency
Station code
ea:51106 (Agency page)
Coordinates
51.17771, -3.30541 (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 0.16 m 2026-10-18 15:45 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: Swill Bridge (ea:51106). Accessed October 18, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-kingdom/somerset/swill-bridge

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.