Temple water level
River gauge, River Lark, Suffolk, United Kingdom
Right now
Very low for mid-October
Water level
History
20252026
What this means
Low water at Temple: the gauge reads 0.20 m, far below normal for mid-October.
That puts it 0.07 m below the median of 0.27 m for mid-October, based on 21 years of readings. A year ago it stood at 0.20 m as well. The lowest reading on record is 0.06 m (August 20, 2009).
The level has held steady over the past 24 hours. Without real rain upstream, that is unlikely to change quickly. The 30-day range is 0.19 m – 0.20 m.
Autumn rain usually starts to lift rivers again after the summer low.
Compared with 21 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels
Key numbers
- Median for this date
- 0.27 m0.07 m below the median for this date
- Normal for this date
- 0.20 m – 0.34 m8 years in 10 fall in this range (21 years of records)
- Normal range
- 0.15 m – 0.62 m
- Same day last year
- 0.20 m0.00 m
- Lowest and highest in 30 days
- 0.19 m – 0.20 m
- Lowest and highest in 12 months
- 0.16 m – 0.61 m
- Highest on record
- 1.46 mJanuary 30, 1988
- Lowest on record
- 0.06 mAugust 20, 2009
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.
About the River Lark
The River Lark crosses the border between Suffolk and Cambridgeshire in England. It is a chalk river and a tributary of the River Great Ouse, and was extended when that river was re-routed as part of drainage improvements. It is thought to have been used for navigation since Roman times, and improvements to its navigability were made in 1638 and in the early 18th century, when locks and staunches were built. Special powers to improve the river from Mildenhall to Bury St Edmunds were granted by statute. The upper terminus was on the northern edge of Bury St Edmunds, but a new dock was opened near the railway station after the Eastern Union Railway opened its line in 1846.
Text and image from Wikipedia and Wikimedia Commons, licensed under CC BY-SA.
Weather at the gauge
Rain in the last 3 days: 2.4 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 River Lark
| Gauge | Level | Compared with normal | 24 hours | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Barton Mills SluiceRiver gauge, River Lark | 0.09 m | Very low | ±0 | 3.3 km |
| Fornham St MartinRiver gauge, River Lark | 0.03 m | Low | −0.01 m | 11 km |
| IslehamRiver gauge, River Lark | 2.12 m | Normal | ±0 | 11 km |
| SicklesmereRiver gauge, River Lark | 0.22 m | Low | ±0 | 17 km |
| CloptonRiver gauge, River Lark | 0.27 m | Normal | ±0 | 49 km |
Nearby gauges
| Gauge | Level | Compared with normal | 24 hours | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beck BridgeRiver gauge, River Kennett | −0.11 m | Lowest on record | ±0 | 9.5 km |
| OusdenRiver gauge, River Kennett | 0.23 m | Low | ±0 | 14 km |
| Little OuseRiver gauge, River Little Ouse | 1.60 m | Low | +0.01 m | 14 km |
| Thetford Coffee Mill SluiceRiver gauge, River Thet | 0.55 m | Low | +0.02 m | 15 km |
| Abbey HeathRiver gauge, River Little Ouse | 0.08 m | Very low | −0.02 m | 15 km |
| FordhamRiver gauge, River Snail | 0.09 m | Very low | −0.01 m | 16 km |
| MelfordRiver gauge, River Thet | 0.09 m | Low | −0.01 m | 16 km |
Questions and answers
How does the River Lark at Temple compare with last year?
It is about the same as on this day last year, when the reading was 0.20 m.
What is a normal level for the River Lark at Temple in mid-October?
The median for mid-October is 0.27 m. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 0.20 m and 0.34 m, based on 21 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 0.20 m on the gauge does not mean the water is that deep.
What is the water level of Temple today?
On 17 Oct 2026, 10:30 BST, the water level was 0.20 m. Steady over the last 24 hours.
Is Temple rising or falling?
Steady over the last 24 hours.
Is the level of Temple normal?
Very low for mid-October. Compared with 21 years of daily readings for this time of year.
What is the highest water level ever recorded at Temple?
The highest level on record is 1.46 m on January 30, 1988. The lowest is 0.06 m on August 20, 2009.
For specialists
Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads
- Operator
- Environment Agency
- Station code
ea:E22358(Agency page)- Coordinates
52.32642, 0.57842(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
| Parameter | Last value | Time (UTC) | Quality |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water level | 0.20 m | 2026-10-17 09:30 | Provisional |
Download
Embed this gauge
Add a live card for this gauge to your website. It updates on its own and links back here.
How to cite
Environment Agency: Temple (ea:E22358). Accessed October 17, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-kingdom/suffolk/temple
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