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⏱ Last reading 4h ago
0.47

Welches Dam

Counter Drain
Old Bedford including the Middle Level catchment • Welches Dam • Cambridgeshire • ID: E62201 • Level
(4h ago) • 4 readings/hr • 116 views

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Last Level
0.468 mAOD
⚠ 4h ago · may be out of date
24h Max
0.492 mAOD
24h Min
0.452 mAOD
Typical Range
0.70 - 1.16
mAOD
Highest Recorded
1.80 mAOD
10 Jul 2014
Since Mar 1993
🚽 Sewage overflows nearby

Recent Water Levels

🌍 floodradar.co.uk
1 day

Recent Readings

Steady over 5h
23 Aug 20:30 ▼ -0.2 cm 0.468 mAOD
23 Aug 20:15 ▬ steady 0.470 mAOD
23 Aug 20:00 ▲ +0.4 cm 0.470 mAOD
23 Aug 19:45 ▼ -0.1 cm 0.466 mAOD
23 Aug 19:30 ▲ +0.3 cm 0.467 mAOD
23 Aug 19:15 ▲ +0.1 cm 0.464 mAOD
23 Aug 19:00 ▲ +0.4 cm 0.463 mAOD
23 Aug 18:45 ▲ +0.4 cm 0.459 mAOD
23 Aug 18:30 ▲ +0.2 cm 0.455 mAOD
23 Aug 18:15 ▲ +0.1 cm 0.453 mAOD
23 Aug 18:00 ▬ steady 0.452 mAOD
23 Aug 17:45 ▼ -0.2 cm 0.452 mAOD
23 Aug 17:30 ▼ -0.1 cm 0.454 mAOD
23 Aug 17:15 ▼ -0.2 cm 0.455 mAOD
23 Aug 17:00 ▼ -0.1 cm 0.457 mAOD
23 Aug 16:45 ▼ -0.1 cm 0.458 mAOD
23 Aug 16:30 ▼ -0.1 cm 0.459 mAOD
23 Aug 16:15 ▼ -0.4 cm 0.460 mAOD
23 Aug 16:00 ▼ -0.4 cm 0.464 mAOD
23 Aug 15:45 0.468 mAOD

Rainfall & Weather

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Flood history near this gauge

Official Environment Agency warnings issued since 2012 for the 3 flood areas linked to this gauge (nearest 3.7 km away).

0flood warnings 101flood alerts

Most recent flood alert: 28 Feb 2026Hundred Foot Washes in Cambridgeshire and Norfolk

Year by year
YearWarningsAlerts
2026 0 10
2025 0 8
2024 0 27
2023 0 14
2022 0 4
2021 0 4
2020 0 6
2019 0 5
2018 0 4
2017 0 1
2016 0 2
2015 0 1
2014 0 3
2013 0 5
2012 0 7

Warnings apply to a whole flood area, not necessarily this exact spot. Years before 2006 aren't covered by the EA's historic record. See also the Welches Dam flood history.

Nearby Stations

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Station Details

  • Monitoring Station: Welches Dam
  • Watercourse: Counter Drain
  • Nearest Town: Welches Dam
  • County: Cambridgeshire
  • Coordinates: 52°27'6"N 0°9'50"E (52.451684, 0.163973)
  • Open in: Google Maps · Apple Maps (opens your maps app)
  • Date Opened: 1 Jul 1995
  • Status: Active
  • Station Type: River level station
  • Station Reference: E62201
  • EA Gauge ID: E62201-level-stage-i-15_min-mAOD
  • Parameter: Level
  • Unit: mAOD
  • Typical rise rate: 2 cm/hr (p95 sustained over 90 days)
  • Typical data delay: ~22 min (measured reading→publication lag)
  • Tidal: No
  • Lock / structure: No
  • Catchment Area: Old Bedford including the Middle Level
  • Typical Range: 0.699 – 1.156 mAOD
  • EA Cross-check: 0.47 mAOD (EA at 23 Aug 20:30)

Geographic coordinates may reflect the access point for the gauge, and not the precise location in the watercourse that it is taking readings from.

Frequently asked questions

Is the Counter Drain at Welches Dam flooding today?

The current level is 0.47m, which is below the typical range. Flooding is very unlikely at this level.

Is the river level rising or falling at Welches Dam?

Based on the most recent readings, the level is currently steady. The chart above shows the last 7 days of measurements, updated roughly every 15 minutes.

Why is the level slowly falling?

When little or no rain has fallen for a while, a river level gradually drops as the water stored in the ground and soil drains away with nothing to replace it. This is called baseflow recession and is normal in dry spells. Only about 5.7mm of rain has fallen nearby in the last 7 days, so the flow is being sustained mainly by groundwater. A gentle decline like this is expected and is not a sign of a problem — downstream gauges often recede a little faster than headwaters further upstream, and levels recover once rain returns.

What is a normal level for the Counter Drain at Welches Dam?

The typical range at this station is 0.70m to 1.16m, based on Environment Agency historical data. Levels above 1.16m are higher than usually seen and may indicate a flood risk.

How often is this river level data updated?

Readings are taken by the Environment Agency gauge roughly every 15 minutes and FloodRadar refreshes its data continuously, so the level shown is normally less than an hour old.

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📮 Flood risk by postcode near this gauge

Postcodes within 5 km with properties in the Environment Agency’s rivers-and-sea flood-risk bands:

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