Birkwood water level

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

River gauge, River Calder, West Yorkshire, United Kingdom

Directions

High for mid-October

Water level

0.98m Up 0.31 m over the last 24 hours

Measured 19 Oct 2026, 16:15 BST (30 min ago)

History

7 days 30 days 1 year Years compared

20252026

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

What this means

High water at Birkwood: the latest reading is 0.98 m, above normal for mid-October.

That puts it 0.24 m above the median of 0.75 m for mid-October, based on 21 years of readings. A year ago it stood at 1.36 m (−0.38 m).

It is on the way up, by 0.31 m over the past 24 hours. If the rise continues, low-lying paths and riverside parking can go under water. The 30-day range is 0.61 m – 1.12 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: 0.75 m0.24 m above the median for this date
Normal for this date: 0.54 m – 1.20 m8 years in 10 fall in this range (21 years of records)
Normal range: 0.52 m – 1.65 m
Same day last year: 1.36 m−0.38 m
Lowest and highest in 30 days: 0.61 m – 1.12 m
Lowest and highest in 12 months: 0.63 m – 2.61 m
Highest on record: 5.22 mOctober 21, 2023
Lowest on record: 0.37 mOctober 10, 2018

For anglers and canoeists

A river in spate is no place for beginners. Weirs form strong towbacks, and trees in the water become strainers.

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

About the River Calder

The River Calder is a river in West Yorkshire, in Northern England.

Weather at the gauge

Rain in the last 3 days: 3.5 mm. Rain that falls upstream can take hours or days to show up at a river gauge.

18 Sun 13° 7° 0.1 mm, 47% Wind 18 km/h

19 Mon 14° 9° 8.7 mm, 98% Wind 21 km/h

20 Tue 12° 11° 19 mm, 77% Wind 15 km/h

21 Wed 13° 7° 3.5 mm, 67% Wind 25 km/h

22 Thu 11° 5° – Wind 14 km/h

23 Fri 9° 6° 26 mm, 75% Wind 37 km/h

24 Sat 11° 6° 1.6 mm, 48% Wind 21 km/h

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:41 AM Sunset 06:02 PM Daylight 10 hr, 22 min First quarter 60%

Map

Other gauges on the River Calder

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
WakefieldRiver gauge, River Calder	0.10 m	Normal	+0.08 m	4.1 km
MethleyRiver gauge, River Calder	1.35 m	Normal	+0.19 m	5.6 km
HorburyRiver gauge, River Calder	0.57 m	Normal	+0.18 m	8.8 km
DewsburyRiver gauge, River Calder	0.75 m	Normal	+0.23 m	11 km
Ledgard BridgeRiver gauge, River Calder	0.24 m	Normal	+0.13 m	16 km
Heaton LodgeRiver gauge, River Calder	0.27 m	Normal	+0.05 m	18 km
BrighouseRiver gauge, River Calder	−1.12 m	Lowest on record	±0	22 km
EllandRiver gauge, River Calder	0.50 m	Normal	+0.04 m	23 km
Copley BridgeRiver gauge, River Calder	0.41 m	Normal	+0.04 m	27 km
Sowerby BridgeRiver gauge, River Calder	0.06 m	Normal	±0	29 km
BrearleyRiver gauge, River Calder	0.26 m	Normal	+0.07 m	33 km
MytholmroydRiver gauge, River Calder	1.48 m	Normal	+0.04 m	34 km

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
LofthouseRiver gauge, Oulton Beck	0.54 m	Normal	+0.07 m	4.0 km
WrenthorpeRiver gauge, Balne Beck	0.51 m	High	+0.12 m	4.1 km
Farrer LaneRiver gauge, Oulton Beck	0.16 m	High	+0.09 m	4.3 km
Wakefield Brooks BankRiver gauge, Balne Beck	−0.03 m	Very low	±0	4.4 km
Wakefield WestgateRiver gauge, Ings Beck	0.48 m	High	+0.13 m	4.4 km
Wakefield ColinswayRiver gauge, Ings Beck	0.31 m	Normal	+0.09 m	4.4 km
Wakefield OakenshawRiver gauge, Oakenshaw Beck	0.03 m	Normal	±0	4.6 km
Wakefield Henry Street BridgeRiver gauge, Alverthorpe Beck	0.04 m	Normal	+0.09 m	4.7 km

Questions and answers

How does the River Calder at Birkwood compare with last year?

It is 0.38 m lower than on the same day last year, when the reading was 1.36 m.

What is a normal level for the River Calder at Birkwood in mid-October?

The median for mid-October is 0.75 m. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 0.54 m and 1.20 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 0.98 m on the gauge does not mean the water is that deep.

What is the water level of Birkwood today?

On 19 Oct 2026, 16:15 BST, the water level was 0.98 m. Up 0.31 m over the last 24 hours.

Is Birkwood rising or falling?

Up 0.31 m over the last 24 hours. Up 0.30 m over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Birkwood normal?

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

What is the highest water level ever recorded at Birkwood?

The highest level on record is 5.22 m on October 21, 2023. The lowest is 0.37 m on October 10, 2018.

For specialists

Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads

Operator: Environment Agency
Station code: ea:L1303 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 53.70997, -1.46409 (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	0.98 m	2026-10-19 15:15	Provisional

Download

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<iframe src="https://nivelmap.com/embed/3316?lang=en" width="360" height="230" style="border:0;max-width:100%" loading="lazy" title="Birkwood water level"></iframe>

How to cite

Environment Agency: Birkwood (ea:L1303). Accessed October 19, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-kingdom/west-yorkshire/birkwood

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