Cowichan River at Lake Cowichan
Water level and flow at gauge 08HA002, British Columbia. The flow is well below normal for October (32% of the median). In the last 24 hours it has been steady.
Latest reading Oct 25, 6 AM local standard time (about an hour ago) · data checked · we check every 30 minutes
Compared with a normal October
Normal for October (middle half of 91 years of monthly averages): 12.9 m³/s456 cfs – 31.6 m³/s1,118 cfs, median 22.3 m³/s788 cfs. Right now it is at 32% of the median.
January 21, 1968 · approved records 1940–2024 (HYDAT). Right now the flow is 2% of that record.
Last 30 days
Hourly readings · shaded: normal range for this month
This year compared with past years
Daily flow
Normal range: monthly averages of 90 years (lighter band: 10th–90th percentile). Past years: approved daily means from HYDAT, the Water Survey of Canada archive (the latest year published is 2025). 2026: daily means of the provisional real-time readings collected by Canada River Levels since October 22, 2026.
Weather near this gauge
Cloudy with 60 percent chance of showers. Wind east 20 km/h except gusting to 50 near the Strait of Georgia this morning. High 11. UV index 1 or low.
Cloudy with 60 percent chance of showers. Wind northeast 20 km/h becoming northwest 20 after midnight. Low 6.
Clearing early in the morning. Wind northwest 20 km/h becoming light late in the afternoon. High 14. UV index 1 or low.
Cloudy periods. Low 7 except plus 2 inland.
Forecast for Duncan (26 km away) from Environment and Climate Change Canada, issued . Full official forecast ↗ · we check for new forecasts every 2 hours.
Nearby gauges
| Cowichan LakeLake Cowichan · 1 km | 0.49 m1.60 ft | Very low |
| Harris CreekLake Cowichan · 17 km | 1.41 m4.63 ft | Very low |
| Cottonwood Creek Headwaters08HA072 · 19 km | 0.70 m2.31 ft | Very low |
| Jump CreekThe Mouth · 24 km | 0.83 m2.72 ft | Below normal |
| Bings CreekThe Mouth · 24 km | 1.42 m4.65 ft | Normal |
| Cowichan RiverDuncan · 25 km | 0.34 m1.12 ft | Below normal |
About this gauge
Station: 08HA002 · Cowichan River at Lake Cowichan
Location: 48.8259, -124.0531 · British Columbia
Same river: Duncan
Water levels are measured from a local reference point at each gauge, not from sea level, so they cannot be compared between gauges.
Official sources
For flood warnings, advisories and approved data, always use these official services:
Questions
What is the water level of the Cowichan River at Lake Cowichan today?
The latest reading (Oct 25, 6 AM, local standard time) is 0.31 m (1.00 ft) with a flow of 7.09 m³/s (250 cfs).
Is the Cowichan River at Lake Cowichan high right now?
The flow is well below normal for October (32% of the median).
Is the Cowichan River rising or falling?
In the last 24 hours it has been steady.
What is the highest flow ever recorded on the Cowichan River at Lake Cowichan?
331 m³/s (11,689 cfs) on January 21, 1968, the highest instantaneous flow in the approved records of the Water Survey of Canada (1940–2024). Events after 2024 are not yet in the approved archive.
Where does this data come from?
Gauge 08HA002 of the Water Survey of Canada (Environment and Climate Change Canada). Real-time data are provisional and may be revised. We check for new readings every 30 minutes. Canada River Levels is not an official source.