COMMUNITY-BUILT FLOW GAUGES

ERA is committed to responsible river recreation and community-driven science. Understanding how water moves through our watershed – how much, how fast, and when – is essential for recreation, safety, and stewardship.

Supporting Responsible River Recreation

Safe and responsible river recreation begins with understanding what the water is doing. Fernie remains the only location on the Elk River with formal flow data, leaving much of the lower river unmonitored and creating a need for greater local awareness. Community-led gauges help fill this gap by providing valuable information that supports both safe recreation and a deeper understanding of river conditions.

DISCLAIMER: All river gauge information provided on the ERA website is intended for data and informational purposes only. Individuals choosing to engage in recreational activities on or around the Elk River do so at their own risk. Always exercise proper caution, check multiple sources of information, and consider current weather and safety conditions before entering the water.

WIGWAM RIVER GAUGE

In August of 2025, ERA partnered with Seán McTernan to install a level gauge on the Wigwam River. Please note that this data is to be used only for the purposes of informing recreational use decisions. It is not flow volume/discharge data.

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LOWER ELK RIVER GAUGE

What’s happening on the Lower Elk? Is it running high, low, or just right? Thanks to the hard work and dedication of Gwyn Ashcroft (Shaggy Design), this gauge provides live, real-time flow information for the lower Elk River.

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Temperature Data From Key Monitoring Locations

ELK=Elk River, WIL=Wilson Creek, ALX=Alexander Creek, LIZ=Lizard Creek, COL=Coal Creek, BOI=Boivin Creek

Shiny App Iframe

How Cold is the River?

Know before you float. The Elk River Alliance uses the Columbia Basin Waterhub for storing our temperature data. In the example graphs to the left you can see daily and seasonal fluctuation in water temperature recorded at various sites in the Elk Valley. You can click the button below to go to to the Elk River Alliance Waterhub profile where you can download or explore data in more detail.

EXPLORE AND DOWNLOAD DATA

From Community for Community

Monitoring the Elk River has deep roots in the local community, reflecting a long-standing culture of stewardship, recreation, and observation. Until recently, paddlers and rafting companies in the Elk Valley relied on hand-written notes and word of mouth to track river levels. Raft guides have long jotted down the flow in old logbooks. Now, through community innovation and collaboration, two river gauges have been installed on the Wigwam and Lower Elk to provide real-time data to everyone.

These gauges were initiated and driven entirely by members of the community. Seán McTernan, founder of Elk Fest, led the installation of the Wigwam Gauge to provide live flow and water level data for recreational users and events. Gwyn Ashcroft, Shaggy Design, with support from the Amateur Rafting Society of Excellence and ERA, installed the Lower Elk River Gauge, capturing system-wide flow information for the lower Elk River

Help Keep Real-Time River Data Flowing

Funded entirely by individual donations. If you rely on these gauges to plan your days on the water, or simply value having real-time information that keeps our community safe, please consider supporting their continued operation.

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