Canada-British Columbia Hydrometric Program

 

Program summary

The Canada-British Columbia Hydrometric Program is the formal network of hydrometric stations co-managed by the Province of British Columbia and the Federal Government. The cost of operating the program is shared between the Provincial Government, the Federal Government, and third-parties.

The Canada-British Columbia Hydrometric Program network has over 460 stations across the province. The network is primarily dedicated to the collection of Stage (calibrated water level) and Discharge (volumetric flow) data, however additional instrumentation at select stations collects water temperature, turbidity, real time imagery and precipitation.

Water Survey of Canada

The Water Survey of Canada (WSC) is the national authority responsible for the collection, interpretation, and dissemination of standardized water resource data in Canada.

Accessing integrated data

• Historical and real-time hydrometric data is published by the Water Survey of Canada, Water Office website
• Approved final data for all stations is available from the National Water Data Archive as a downloadable database (HYDAT)
• Data can also be explored graphically using the Environment Canada Data Explorer
• Access to the HYDAT database using R can be accomplished using TidyHYDAT

Request an integrated station

The Province of BC manages all station requests. Requests are assessed for alignment with network priorities and objectives, practical suitability, available resources, and longevity. Meetings are held to discuss reconnaissance, timelines, required infrastructure and estimated cost. New stations require an agreement between the province and 3rd parties for operation and maintenance costs with a minimum initial duration of 5 years.

Email hydrometric@gov.bc.ca to request additions to the Canada-British Columbia Hydrometric Program.