Little Bow River below Travers Dam water level

Name: Little Bow River below Travers Dam water level (Environment and Climate Change Canada – Water Survey of Canada)
Creator: Environment and Climate Change Canada – Water Survey of Canada
License: https://open.canada.ca/en/open-government-licence-canada

River gauge, Little Bow River, Alberta, Canada

Directions

High for mid-October

Water level

8.01m Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 17, 2026, 03:15 PM MDT (1 hour ago)

Flow: 2.16 m³/s

History

7 days 30 days 1 year Years compared

20252026

Water level Normal range (10–90 %)

What this means

High water at Little Bow River below Travers Dam: the latest reading is 8.01 m, above normal for mid-October.

That puts it 0.06 m above the median of 7.95 m for mid-October, based on 15 years of readings. A year ago it stood at 7.91 m (+0.09 m).

The level has held steady over the past 24 hours. The 30-day range is 7.99 m – 8.01 m.

That stands out in fall, when many rivers are usually near their lowest.

Compared with 15 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Median for this date: 7.95 m0.06 m above the median for this date
Normal for this date: 7.91 m – 8.04 m8 years in 10 fall in this range (15 years of records)
Same day last year: 7.91 m+0.09 m
Lowest and highest in 30 days: 7.99 m – 8.01 m
Lowest and highest in 12 months: 7.90 m – 8.00 m

Freshet, ice and paddling

Open-water season is the time for canoe trips and fishing, though rapids change character with every few centimetres of water.

Flood advisories come from the provincial river forecast centre.

About the Little Bow River

The Little Bow River is a tributary of the Oldman River in southern Alberta, Canada. It is about 190 kilometres (120 mi) long. From its headwaters near High River, it flows south, then turns east and flows into Travers Reservoir. Afterwards, it flows southeast into the Oldman River near Picture Butte. The Little Bow is related to the Bow River as they both ultimately feed the South Saskatchewan River.

Weather at the gauge

No rain in the last 3 days.

17 Sat 23° 10° – Wind 57 km/h

18 Sun 12° 3° – Wind 19 km/h

19 Mon 13° 0° – Wind 12 km/h

20 Tue 11° 5° – Wind 13 km/h

21 Wed 22° 4° – Wind 33 km/h

22 Thu 20° 10° – Wind 30 km/h

23 Fri 9° 3° – Wind 22 km/h

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:57 AM Sunset 06:37 PM Daylight 10 hr, 40 min First quarter 44%

Map

Other gauges on the Little Bow River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Little Bow River at CarmangayRiver gauge, Little Bow River	0.28 m	Normal	±0	29 km
Little Bow River near the MouthRiver gauge, Little Bow River	0.52 m	High	−0.02 m	34 km

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Lomond Lateral near HeadgateRiver gauge, Lomond Lateral	0.00 m	Very low	−0.06 m	6.5 km
Snake Creek near VulcanRiver gauge, Snake Creek	0.50 m	Normal	−0.01 m	36 km
Piyami Drain near Picture ButteRiver gauge, Piyami Drain	0.55 m	Normal	−0.03 m	38 km
New West Coulee near the MouthRiver gauge, New West Coulee	0.25 m	Normal	−0.04 m	44 km
Bow River Development Drain D near VauxhallRiver gauge, Bow River Development Drain D	0.62 m	Normal	−0.01 m	48 km
Expanse Coulee near the MouthRiver gauge, Expanse Coulee	0.72 m	Normal	−0.02 m	50 km
Bountiful Coulee Inflow near CranfordRiver gauge, Bountiful Coulee Inflow	1.90 m	Very high	±0	52 km
Oldman River near LethbridgeRiver gauge, Oldman River	0.43 m	Normal	+0.03 m	52 km

Questions and answers

How does the Little Bow River below Travers Dam compare with last year?

It is 0.09 m higher than on the same day last year, when the reading was 7.91 m.

What is a normal level for the Little Bow River below Travers Dam in mid-October?

The median for mid-October is 7.95 m. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 7.91 m and 8.04 m, based on 15 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 8.01 m on the gauge does not mean the water is that deep.

What is the water level of Little Bow River below Travers Dam today?

On Oct 17, 2026, 03:15 PM MDT, the water level was 8.01 m. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Little Bow River below Travers Dam rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours. Steady over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Little Bow River below Travers Dam normal?

High for mid-October. Compared with 15 years of daily readings for this time of year.

How often is this data updated?

Environment and Climate Change Canada – Water Survey of Canada publishes a new reading every hour. This page refreshes within minutes of each update.

For specialists

Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads

Operator: Environment and Climate Change Canada – Water Survey of Canada
Station code: eccc:05AC012 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 50.17120, -112.72277 (WGS84)
Vertical datum: station datum (assumed datum)
Update interval: every hour
Licence: Open Government Licence – Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada

Published series

Parameter	Last value	Time (UTC)	Quality
Water level	8.01 m	2026-10-17 21:15	Provisional
Flow	2.16 m³/s	2026-10-17 21:15	Provisional

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How to cite

Environment and Climate Change Canada – Water Survey of Canada: Little Bow River below Travers Dam (eccc:05AC012). Accessed October 17, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/canada/alberta/little-bow-river-below-travers-dam

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