E137 - How Experts Measure Water Levels Across Canada
Published: April 29, 2026
Duration: 43:21
In this episode of Backroads Bill, we sit down with Otto Bedard who is an expert technologist in hydrometry, hydraulics and innovation.
With recent flooding hitting the North Bay area, the timing couldn’t be better. Otto takes us inside the system most people never think about, the network of gauges, sensors, and data collection points that track how high rivers rise and how fast water moves.
We dive into how water levels are actually measured, what “stage” and “discharge” mean, and how this data gets shared across Canada to help inform decisions around flooding, infrastructure, and safety...
With recent flooding hitting the North Bay area, the timing couldn’t be better. Otto takes us inside the system most people never think about, the network of gauges, sensors, and data collection points that track how high rivers rise and how fast water moves.
We dive into how water levels are actually measured, what “stage” and “discharge” mean, and how this data gets shared across Canada to help inform decisions around flooding, infrastructure, and safety...