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Fairburn Sluices water level

River gauge, Aire Washlands, North Yorkshire, United Kingdom

Directions

Right now

Low for mid-October

Water level

0.34m Steady over the last 24 hours

0 1 3 4 Highest onrecord 3.92 m Lowest on record 0.15 m

History

History
0.40.6mOct 16Oct 16Oct 17Oct 17Oct 18Bottom of normal range0.40.6mOct 16Oct 17Oct 18Bottom of normal range
12mOct 2025Jan 2026Apr 2026Jul 2026Oct 2026Top of normal rangeBottom of normal range12mOct 2025Apr 2026Oct 2026Top of normal rangeBottom of normal range
0.51.0mJanMarMayJulSepNov20260.51.0mJanAprJulOct2026

20252026

Water level Normal range (10–90 %) Top of normal rangeBottom of normal range

What this means

Low water at Fairburn Sluices: the gauge reads 0.34 m, below normal for mid-October.

The median for mid-October is 0.41 m, based on 20 years of readings, so the river level is 0.07 m below typical. On the same day last year the reading was 0.34 m, a difference of −0.01 m.

It has barely moved over the past 24 hours. Without real rain upstream, that is unlikely to change quickly. The 30-day range is 0.34 m – 0.36 m.

Autumn rain usually starts to lift rivers again after the summer low.

Compared with 20 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Median for this date
0.41 m0.07 m below the median for this date
Normal for this date
0.31 m – 0.61 m8 years in 10 fall in this range (20 years of records)
Normal range
0.30 m – 2.05 m
Same day last year
0.34 m−0.01 m
Lowest and highest in 30 days
0.34 m – 0.36 m
Lowest and highest in 12 months
0.32 m – 1.36 m
Highest on record
3.92 mJune 25, 2007
Lowest on record
0.15 mJuly 23, 2018

For anglers and canoeists

Low rivers are hard going for paddlers, with exposed gravel and weirs that are awkward to shoot. Salmon and sea trout usually wait for the next spate to run.

Many angling and canoe clubs check gauges like this one before heading out.

Weather at the gauge

Rain in the last 3 days: 4.4 mm. Rain that falls upstream can take hours or days to show up at a river gauge.

18 Sun 12° 7° 0.5 mm, 24% Wind 18 km/h
19 Mon 14° 9° 6.7 mm, 82% Wind 21 km/h
20 Tue 12° 10° 9.7 mm, 62% Wind 12 km/h
21 Wed 12° 8° 2.0 mm, 62% Wind 23 km/h
22 Thu 12° 6° 2.4 mm, 31% Wind 18 km/h
23 Fri 8° 6° 0.9 mm, 61% Wind 25 km/h
24 Sat 11° 5° – Wind 31 km/h

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:38 AM Sunset 06:04 PM Daylight 10 hr, 26 min First quarter 49%

Map

Other gauges on the Aire Washlands

Gauge Level Compared with normal 24 hours Distance
Allerton IngsRiver gauge, Aire Washlands 0.03 m Normal ±0 5.0 km
Mickletown IngsRiver gauge, Aire Washlands 0.24 m Very low −0.11 m 5.2 km
West Holme WashlandsRiver gauge, Aire Washlands 0.46 m Normal +0.02 m 5.6 km
Oulton St AidansRiver gauge, Aire Washlands −0.04 m Lowest on record −0.01 m 8.8 km

Nearby gauges

Gauge Level Compared with normal 24 hours Distance
Ferrybridge LockRiver gauge, River Aire 0.12 m Low ±0 3.1 km
Ferrybridge FishergateRiver gauge, Wash Dike 0.02 m Low −0.01 m 3.6 km
Pontefract Wash DikeRiver gauge, Wash Dike 0.14 m Normal ±0 4.3 km
CastlefordRiver gauge, River Aire 1.12 m Very low −0.05 m 4.5 km
Knottingley Bank Dole LockRiver gauge, River Aire 0.51 m Low −0.08 m 5.3 km
MethleyRiver gauge, River Calder 1.14 m Normal −0.08 m 6.2 km
Beal Weir BridgeRiver gauge, River Aire 0.38 m Low −0.08 m 6.3 km

Questions and answers

Is the Aire Washlands at Fairburn Sluices higher than last year?

No, it is 0.01 m lower than on the same day last year, when the reading was 0.34 m.

What is a normal level for the Aire Washlands at Fairburn Sluices in mid-October?

The median for mid-October is 0.41 m. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 0.31 m and 0.61 m, based on 20 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 0.34 m on the gauge does not mean the water is that deep.

What is the water level of Fairburn Sluices today?

On 18 Oct 2026, 13:00 BST, the water level was 0.34 m. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Fairburn Sluices rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of Fairburn Sluices normal?

Low for mid-October. Compared with 20 years of daily readings for this time of year.

What is the highest water level ever recorded at Fairburn Sluices?

The highest level on record is 3.92 m on June 25, 2007. The lowest is 0.15 m on July 23, 2018.

For specialists

Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads
Operator
Environment Agency
Station code
ea:L1711 (Agency page)
Coordinates
53.73825, -1.29059 (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

ParameterLast valueTime (UTC)Quality
Water level 0.34 m 2026-10-18 12:00 Provisional

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How to cite

Environment Agency: Fairburn Sluices (ea:L1711). Accessed October 18, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-kingdom/north-yorkshire/fairburn-sluices

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.