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Elk River at Fernie water level

River gauge, Elk River, British Columbia, Canada

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Right now

Normal for mid-October

Water level

1.62m Steady over the last 24 hours

Flow
19.0 m³/s
1.5 1.6 1.7 1.9

History

History
1.61.8mOct 12Oct 14Oct 16Oct 17Oct 191.61.8mOct 12Oct 16Oct 19
1.61.8mSep 19Sep 27Oct 4Oct 11Oct 191.61.8mSep 19Oct 4Oct 19
1.52.02.53.0mOct 2025Jan 2026Apr 2026Jul 2026Oct 20261.52.02.53.0mOct 2025Apr 2026Oct 2026
1.52.02.53.0mJanMarMayJulSepNov20261.52.02.53.0mJanAprJulOct2026

20252026

Water level Normal range (10–90 %)

What this means

The gauge at Elk River at Fernie reads 1.62 m, a normal level for mid-October.

The median for mid-October is 1.66 m, based on 16 years of readings, so the water level is 0.03 m below typical. On the same day last year the reading was 1.54 m, a difference of +0.09 m.

It has barely moved over the past 24 hours. Over the past 30 days it has moved between 1.62 m and 1.73 m.

Fall is often low-water season on rivers, until steadier rain returns.

Compared with 16 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Median for this date
1.66 m0.03 m below the median for this date
Normal for this date
1.54 m – 1.93 m8 years in 10 fall in this range (16 years of records)
Same day last year
1.54 m+0.09 m
Lowest and highest in 30 days
1.62 m – 1.73 m
Lowest and highest in 12 months
1.48 m – 1.98 m

Conditions at Elk River at Fernie

Paddlers should check the trend as well as the level; summer storms can raise rivers quickly.

Flood advisories come from the provincial river forecast centre.

About the Elk River

Elk River (British Columbia)

The Elk River is a 220-kilometre (140 mi) long river, in the southeastern Kootenay district of the Canadian province of British Columbia. Its drainage basin is 4,450 square kilometres (1,720 sq mi) in area. Its mean discharge is approximately 60 cubic metres per second (2,100 cu ft/s), with a maximum recorded discharge of 818 cubic metres per second (28,900 cu ft/s). It is a tributary of the Kootenay River, and falls within the basin of the Columbia River.

Read more on Wikipedia

Text and image from Wikipedia and Wikimedia Commons, licensed under CC BY-SA.

Weather at the gauge

The forecast is not available right now.

Sunrise 08:08 AM Sunset 06:43 PM Daylight 10 hr, 35 min First quarter 59%

Map

Other gauges on the Elk River

Gauge Level Compared with normal 24 hours Distance
Elk River at Elko Dam ForebayRiver gauge, Elk River 8.90 m No reference yet ±0 24 km
Elk River below Elko Dam DiversionRiver gauge, Elk River 1.70 m Normal ±0 24 km

Nearby gauges

Gauge Level Compared with normal 24 hours Distance
Hosmer Creek above DiversionsRiver gauge, Hosmer Creek 2.10 m Very high ±0 12 km
Bull River near WardnerRiver gauge, Bull River 1.17 m Low ±0 21 km
Kootenay River at Fort SteeleRiver gauge, Kootenay River 0.64 m Low −0.01 m 43 km
Fording River at the MouthRiver gauge, Fording River 1.90 m High ±0 46 km
Line Creek at the MouthRiver gauge, Line Creek 0.64 m Normal ±0 46 km
Crowsnest River at FrankRiver gauge, Crowsnest River 1.34 m Normal ±0 49 km
Gold Creek near FrankRiver gauge, Gold Creek 1.12 m High ±0 50 km
Castle River at Ranger StationRiver gauge, Castle River 1.61 m Normal ±0 54 km

Questions and answers

Is the Elk River at Fernie higher than last year?

Yes, it is 0.09 m higher than on the same day last year, when the reading was 1.54 m.

What is a normal level for the Elk River at Fernie in mid-October?

The median for mid-October is 1.66 m. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 1.54 m and 1.93 m, based on 16 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 1.62 m on the gauge does not mean the water is that deep.

What is the water level of Elk River at Fernie today?

On Oct 19, 2026, 06:40 AM MDT, the water level was 1.62 m. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Elk River at Fernie rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours. Down 0.02 m over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Elk River at Fernie normal?

Normal for mid-October. Compared with 16 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:08NK002 (Agency page)
Coordinates
49.50347, -115.07013 (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

ParameterLast valueTime (UTC)Quality
Water level 1.62 m 2026-10-19 12:40 Provisional
Flow 19.0 m³/s 2026-10-19 12:40 Provisional

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How to cite

Environment and Climate Change Canada – Water Survey of Canada: Elk River at Fernie (eccc:08NK002). Accessed October 19, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/canada/british-columbia/elk-river-at-fernie

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.