Churchill River at Happy Valley water level
River gauge, Churchill River, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada
Right now
Low for mid-October
Surface elevation
History
What this means
The Churchill River at Happy Valley is running below normal at 0.22 m.
The median for mid-October is 0.40 m, based on 5 years of readings, so the water level is 0.19 m below typical.
It has risen 0.10 m over the past 24 hours. In the last month it has stayed between −0.12 m and 0.55 m.
Fall is often low-water season on rivers, and it usually takes a few days of steady rain to change that.
Compared with 5 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels
Key numbers
- Median for this date
- 0.40 m0.19 m below the median for this date
- Normal for this date
- 0.07 m – 0.85 m8 years in 10 fall in this range (5 years of records)
- Lowest and highest in 30 days
- −0.12 m – 0.55 m
- Lowest and highest in 12 months
- −0.03 m – 0.37 m
On the river
Outside the spring freshet, most rivers settle into a gentler pattern, broken by storms.
Flood advisories come from the provincial river forecast centre.
About the Churchill River
The Churchill River, formerly known by other names, is a river in Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. It flows east from the Smallwood Reservoir into the Atlantic Ocean via Lake Melville. The river is 856 km (532 mi) long and drains an area of 79,800 km2 (30,800 sq mi), making it the longest river in Atlantic Canada.
Text and image from Wikipedia and Wikimedia Commons, licensed under CC BY-SA.
Weather at the gauge
Rain in the last 3 days: 6.2 mm. Rain that falls upstream can take hours or days to show up at a river gauge.
Forecast: Open-Meteo
Map
Other gauges on the Churchill River
| Gauge | Level | Compared with normal | 24 hours | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Churchill River below Traverspine RiverRiver gauge, Churchill River | 0.22 m | Low | +0.11 m | 2.2 km |
| Churchill River at End of Mud Lake RoadRiver gauge, Churchill River | −0.18 m | Very low | −0.05 m | 8.2 km |
| Churchill River above Upper Muskrat FallsRiver gauge, Churchill River | 38.92 m | Normal | −0.09 m | 33 km |
| Churchill River above Grizzle RapidsRiver gauge, Churchill River | 39.03 m | High | −0.03 m | 85 km |
Nearby gauges
| Gauge | Level | Compared with normal | 24 hours | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mud Lake Outlet Tributary at Mud LakeRiver gauge, Mud Lake Outlet Tributary | −0.19 m | Very low | +0.04 m | 8.4 km |
| Churchill River English PointRiver gauge | −0.20 m | Very low | +0.22 m | 9.2 km |
| Churchill River Outlet at Rabbit IslandRiver gauge, Churchill River Outlet | −0.27 m | Low | +0.22 m | 15 km |
| Churchill River 6.15 Kms below Lower Muskrat FallsRiver gauge, Churchill River 6.15 Kms | 2.05 m | Very low | +0.09 m | 26 km |
Questions and answers
What is a normal level for the Churchill River at Happy Valley in mid-October?
The median for mid-October is 0.40 m. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 0.07 m and 0.85 m, based on 5 years of records.
Is Churchill River at Happy Valley really 0.22 m deep?
No. 0.22 m is the height of the water surface above sea level (or the agency's vertical datum), not the depth of the water.
What is the water level of Churchill River at Happy Valley today?
On Oct 20, 2026, 10:00 AM ADT, the surface elevation was 0.22 m. Up 0.10 m over the last 24 hours.
Is Churchill River at Happy Valley rising or falling?
Up 0.10 m over the last 24 hours. Down 0.02 m over the last 7 days.
Is the level of Churchill River at Happy Valley normal?
Low for mid-October. Compared with 5 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.
Where does this data come from?
The values come directly from Environment and Climate Change Canada – Water Survey of Canada, the official operator of this gauge, and are published under the Open Government Licence – Canada. We do not estimate or model live values.
For specialists
Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads
- Operator
- Environment and Climate Change Canada – Water Survey of Canada
- Station code
eccc:03OE016(Agency page)- Coordinates
53.29542, -60.29258(WGS84)- Vertical datum
- GEODETIC SURVEY OF CANADA 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Surface elevation | 0.22 m | 2026-10-20 13:00 | Provisional |
Download
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How to cite
Environment and Climate Change Canada – Water Survey of Canada: Churchill River at Happy Valley (eccc:03OE016). Accessed October 20, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/canada/newfoundland-and-labrador/churchill-river-at-happy-valley
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