Rideau River below Merrickville water level

Name: Rideau River below Merrickville 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, Rideau River, Ontario, Canada

Directions

Very high for mid-October

Water level

4.63m Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 18, 2026, 09:30 AM EDT (1 hour ago)

Flow: 21.3 m³/s

History

7 days 30 days 1 year Years compared

20252026

Water level Normal range (10–90 %)

What this means

The Rideau River below Merrickville is well above normal at 4.63 m.

The median for mid-October is 4.45 m, based on 6 years of readings, so the water level is 0.18 m above typical. On the same day last year the reading was 4.41 m, a difference of +0.22 m.

It has barely moved over the past 24 hours. In the last month it has stayed between 4.43 m and 4.70 m.

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

Compared with 6 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Median for this date: 4.45 m0.18 m above the median for this date
Normal for this date: 4.41 m – 4.54 m8 years in 10 fall in this range (6 years of records)
Same day last year: 4.41 m+0.22 m
Lowest and highest in 30 days: 4.43 m – 4.70 m
Lowest and highest in 12 months: 4.41 m – 4.65 m

Flood levels and safety

A high reading on its own does not mean property is at risk. The warnings issued by the provincial river forecast centre take local defences and the forecast into account.

Readings can change quickly after heavy rain upstream, so check again before heading near the water.

About the Rideau River

The Rideau River is a river in Eastern Ontario, Canada. The river flows north from Upper Rideau Lake and empties into the Ottawa River at the Rideau Falls in Ottawa, Ontario. Its length is 146 kilometres (91 mi).

Weather at the gauge

The forecast is not available right now.

Sunrise 07:23 AM Sunset 06:15 PM Daylight 10 hr, 52 min First quarter 50%

Map

Other gauges on the Rideau River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Rideau River below ManotickRiver gauge, Rideau River	4.40 m	Very high	−0.01 m	34 km
Rideau River at OttawaRiver gauge, Rideau River	3.39 m	Very high	+0.03 m	49 km
Rideau River above Rideau FallsRiver gauge, Rideau River	5.00 m	Very high	+0.03 m	55 km

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Kemptville Creek near KemptvilleRiver gauge, Kemptville Creek	6.15 m	Very high	−0.01 m	13 km
North Branch South Nation River near HeckstonRiver gauge, North Branch South Nation River	1.24 m	Very high	−0.18 m	24 km
South Nation River at SpencervilleRiver gauge, South Nation River	11.15 m	Very high	±0	25 km
Jock River near RichmondRiver gauge, Jock River	6.59 m	Very high	−0.01 m	33 km
Tay River in PerthRiver gauge, Tay River	7.28 m	Low	−0.01 m	35 km
Mississippi River at AppletonRiver gauge, Mississippi River	1.73 m	Normal	+0.03 m	35 km
South Branch South Nation River near Winchester SpringsRiver gauge, South Branch South Nation River	7.80 m	Very high	−0.32 m	36 km
Mississippi River at Fergusons FallsRiver gauge, Mississippi River	3.08 m	High	+0.02 m	38 km

Questions and answers

Is the Rideau River below Merrickville higher than last year?

Yes, it is 0.22 m higher than on the same day last year, when the reading was 4.41 m.

What is a normal level for the Rideau River below Merrickville in mid-October?

The median for mid-October is 4.45 m. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 4.41 m and 4.54 m, based on 6 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 4.63 m on the gauge does not mean the water is that deep.

What is the water level of Rideau River below Merrickville today?

On Oct 18, 2026, 09:30 AM EDT, the water level was 4.63 m. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Rideau River below Merrickville rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours. Up 0.16 m over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Rideau River below Merrickville normal?

Very high for mid-October. Compared with 6 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:02LA011 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 44.94995, -75.81912 (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	4.63 m	2026-10-18 13:30	Provisional
Flow	21.3 m³/s	2026-10-18 13:30	Provisional

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How to cite

Environment and Climate Change Canada – Water Survey of Canada: Rideau River below Merrickville (eccc:02LA011). Accessed October 18, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/canada/ontario/rideau-river-below-merrickville

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