Prince George rivers and water levels
The Nechako joins the Fraser at downtown Prince George. Both rivers rise with snowmelt each spring, peak between May and July, and drop through fall and winter.
What these numbers tell you
Water level and flow measure different things. Compare readings from the same station and use official advisories for current warnings.
Terms explained
- m
- Metres, used here for water level at a station.
- m³/s
- Cubic metres per second, the volume of water passing the station.
Fraser River at South Fort George
4.3 m
Not reporting since Oct 7, 2:30 p.m.
08KE018, last reading
Fraser River at Shelley
954 m³/s
+82 m³/s in 24 h · above normal for the date
Level 3.29 m · 08KB001, read Oct 16, 3:05 a.m.
Nechako River at Isle Pierre
130 m³/s
±0 m³/s in 24 h · normal for the date
Level 1.42 m · 08JC002, read Oct 16, 2:40 a.m.
Salmon River near Prince George
9.7 m³/s
±0 m³/s in 24 h
Level 1.13 m · 08KC001, read Oct 16, 3:00 a.m.
Source: Water Survey of Canada real-time hydrometric data (provisional); typical range from approved daily means, updated . Report a data problem
Last 30 days against the historical range
Source: Water Survey of Canada real-time data; historical range from HYDAT daily means, updated . Report a data problem
The whole year
Every day of the year against the full record for the station selected above. The outer band is the lowest to highest on record for that date, the inner band the middle half of years.
Source: Environment and Climate Change Canada, Water Survey of Canada, HYDAT daily means (hydrometric-daily-mean), as of approved data to Nov 6, 2025. Report a data problem
Recorded water level, Fraser in town
Loading recorded readings…
Source: Water Survey of Canada real-time data, recorded by PG Pulse. Report a data problem
Recorded flows
Fraser at ShelleyNechako at Isle PierreSalmon River
Loading recorded readings…
Source: Water Survey of Canada real-time data, recorded by PG Pulse. Report a data problem
Spring peaks, last 10 years
| Year | Fraser at South Fort George | Fraser at Shelley | Nechako at Isle Pierre |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 6.81 mJun 29 | 1,880 m³/sJun 29 | 432 m³/sJul 26 |
| 2023 | 8.74 mMay 8 | 3,520 m³/sMay 8 | 433 m³/sJul 23 |
| 2022 | 9.11 mJul 1 | 3,410 m³/sJul 1 | 862 m³/sJul 16 |
| 2021 | 9.44 mJun 5 | 3,930 m³/sJun 5 | 712 m³/sJun 11 |
| 2020 | 9.47 mJul 5 | 4,140 m³/sJul 4 | 628 m³/sJul 31 |
| 2019 | 7.86 mJun 2 | 2,620 m³/sJun 2 | 450 m³/sJul 24 |
| 2018 | 9.11 mMay 18 | 3,410 m³/sMay 18 | 789 m³/sMay 12 |
| 2017 | 8.82 mJun 11 | 3,330 m³/sJun 11 | 645 m³/sJun 20 |
| 2016 | 7.41 mJul 5 | 2,260 m³/sJul 5 | 542 m³/sJul 21 |
| 2015 | – | 2,770 m³/sMay 31 | 1,050 m³/sJun 6 |
| Record | 10.35 mJun 15, 1972 | 4,980 m³/sJun 14, 1972 | 1,170 m³/sJun 30, 2007 |
Source: Environment and Climate Change Canada, Water Survey of Canada, HYDAT daily means (hydrometric-daily-mean), as of approved data to Nov 6, 2025. Report a data problem
Floods and freshet
Most years the Fraser peaks during the spring freshet, when mountain snowpack melts, usually between late May and early July. The biggest flow on record at Shelley, 4,980 m³/s, came on Jun 14, 1972; the in-town gauge at South Fort George reached 10.35 m the next day.
The Nechako is regulated by releases from the Nechako Reservoir upstream, so its flow depends partly on water management as well as snowmelt. In winter, ice jams near the confluence can raise water levels quickly even when flows are low.
For official advisories, check the BC River Forecast Centre warnings map (high streamflow advisories, flood watches and warnings) and the City of Prince George for local notices.
Drinking water
Boil water notices and other drinking water advisories are issued by Northern Health: see its list of active advisories.
Water produced in 2024
10.7million m³
About 29 million litres a day
Boil water advisories
0
in 2024
Bacteriological samples
120a month
74 required by Northern Health
Water main breaks
5
143 service connections repaired
Where the water comes from
- Prince George's drinking water is groundwater drawn from wells along the Nechako and Fraser rivers. The gravel layer between the rivers and the well intakes acts as natural filtration; the City has no additional filtration plant.
- Water is chlorinated to Northern Health guidelines, with a minimum free chlorine residual of 0.2 ppm maintained throughout the distribution system.
- The City met the Drinking Water Protection Regulation bacteriological standards in 2024 and did not need to issue any boil water advisories.
- Distribution samples go to the BC Centre for Disease Control to confirm the absence of E. coli and total coliforms. Raw (untreated) well water is tested twice a year and the results are posted on the City's website.
Share of supply by well, 2024
- PW605 Groundwater (Nechako River)49.0%
- PW601 Groundwater (Nechako River)26.4%
- PW660 Groundwater (Nechako River)18.2%
- PW621/624 Groundwater (Fraser River)6.1%
- PW652 Groundwater (southwest system)0.3%
Water produced by month, 2024
Thousand cubic metres. Summer lawn and garden watering drives the July peak.
Read the 2024 Annual Water System Report, or see raw water test results for each well on the City’s water page.
Source: City of Prince George, 2024 Annual Water System Report (released July 15, 2025), as of 2024. Report a data problem
Gauges on the map
Tap a marker for details. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors.
Source: Water Survey of Canada, updated . Report a data problem
Sources
- Water Survey of Canada, real-time hydrometric data
- HYDAT historical daily means
- BC River Forecast Centre
- City of Prince George, 2024 Annual Water System Report
- City of Prince George water utility
How these figures are gathered
Live figures are fetched from these providers and cached briefly on our server. Provisional real-time data can be revised by the source. When a source is down we say so rather than guess.
- Water Survey of Canada, real-time hydrometric data
- Stations 08KE018, 08KB001, 08JC002, 08KC001, via the ECCC GeoMet API
- HYDAT historical daily means
- Approved daily data used for the historical ranges and peaks
- BC River Forecast Centre
- Snowpack, streamflow advisories, flood watches and warnings
- City of Prince George water utility
- Raw water reports for each well
