Brown Howe water level
River gauge, Coniston Water, Cumbria, United Kingdom
Right now
High for mid-October
Water level
History
20252026
What this means
The Coniston Water at Brown Howe is above normal at 1.15 m.
That puts it 0.22 m above the median of 0.93 m for mid-October, based on 21 years of readings. A year ago it stood at 0.87 m (+0.28 m).
It has dropped 0.03 m over the past 24 hours. In the last month it has stayed between 1.15 m and 1.19 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
- 0.93 m0.22 m above the median for this date
- Normal for this date
- 0.70 m – 1.27 m8 years in 10 fall in this range (21 years of records)
- Normal range
- 0.43 m – 1.38 m
- Same day last year
- 0.87 m+0.28 m
- Lowest and highest in 30 days
- 1.15 m – 1.19 m
- Lowest and highest in 12 months
- 0.41 m – 2.21 m
- Highest on record
- 3.04 mNovember 20, 2009
- Lowest on record
- 0.25 mSeptember 23, 1995
Fishing and paddling
Coloured, rising water usually ends the fishing for a day or two. As it fines down, it can bring fresh fish up the river.
Flood alerts and warnings come from the Environment Agency.
Weather at the gauge
Rain in the last 3 days: 21 mm. Rain that falls upstream can take hours or days to show up at a river gauge.
Forecast: Open-Meteo
Map
Nearby gauges
| Gauge | Level | Compared with normal | 24 hours | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Low NibthwaiteRiver gauge, River Crake | 0.59 m | High | −0.03 m | 2.6 km |
| Coniston Church BridgeRiver gauge, Church Beck | 0.79 m | Normal | −0.06 m | 6.9 km |
| Eel House BridgeRiver gauge, Cunsey Beck | 0.75 m | High | −0.03 m | 8.5 km |
| Newby BridgeRiver gauge, River Leven | 1.05 m | Normal | −0.03 m | 8.7 km |
| UlphaRiver gauge, River Duddon | 0.56 m | Normal | −0.07 m | 9.1 km |
| Duddon HallRiver gauge, River Duddon | 0.46 m | Normal | −0.09 m | 9.6 km |
| Far SawreyRiver gauge, Windermere | 0.67 m | High | −0.04 m | 11 km |
| Town Beck Debris ScreenRiver gauge, Town Beck | 0.05 m | Normal | ±0 | 12 km |
Questions and answers
How does the Coniston Water at Brown Howe compare with last year?
It is 0.28 m higher than on the same day last year, when the reading was 0.87 m.
What is a normal level for the Coniston Water at Brown Howe in mid-October?
The median for mid-October is 0.93 m. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 0.70 m and 1.27 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 1.15 m on the gauge does not mean the water is that deep.
What is the water level of Brown Howe today?
On 17 Oct 2026, 08:45 BST, the water level was 1.15 m. Down 0.03 m over the last 24 hours.
Is Brown Howe rising or falling?
Down 0.03 m over the last 24 hours.
Is the level of Brown Howe 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 Brown Howe?
The highest level on record is 3.04 m on November 20, 2009. The lowest is 0.25 m on September 23, 1995.
For specialists
Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads
- Operator
- Environment Agency
- Station code
ea:737536(Agency page)- Coordinates
54.30739, -3.09131(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 | 1.15 m | 2026-10-17 07:45 | Provisional |
Download
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How to cite
Environment Agency: Brown Howe (ea:737536). Accessed October 17, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-kingdom/cumbria/brown-howe
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