River level notes

We are often asked why our levels differ from other readings or markers, and there can be many reasons for this:

1. Units - We use feet and inches as wanted by most anglers. Most other websites use metres.
2. Timing - We state the time of each last reading. It may be different from other reports.
3. River profile - If the flow rate is the same, a wide section of river will give a lower height reading than a narrower part.
4. Rivers move - Most rivers, especially gravel based ones, are constantly on the move, and from time to time this can affect readings taken.
5. Base level - For consistency across all stations we use 'Normal Summer Lows' as our base. Most other sites or markers use an arbitrary base which usually depends on how each gauge or marker has been installed into the river bed. Hence they don't relate well to each other, like ours do.

What are 'Normal summer lows'? We use Q95 values mostly given to us by the providers of our river data, or ascertained ourselves after a lengthy dry spell. These are the value that the river is above for 95% of the time in the summer. They are not absolute lows, so in exceptionally dry periods, you will still see the odd negative reading.