Published on 21 November 2025

Hydrological Data Service for watercourses and lakes

Historical data from hydrometric stations on Swiss watercourses and lakes can be ordered from the Hydrological Data Service.

Records, some of which go back to the 19th century, are available both on paper and in digital format. Data can be obtained on water levels, discharge, sediment transport, temperatures and various physical and chemical water properties.

Hydrological Data Service: Products available (with examples)

Station directories

The station directories provide information on the status, measuring period, and measurement parameters of individual stations.

• Directory of federal hydrometric gauging stations with digital data, as of 01.01.2023

  XLSX126.11 kB26 September 2023

• Directory of federal hydrometric gauging stations without digital data

  XLSX42.34 kB6 July 2023

• Explanation of the 'Directory of federal hydrometric gauging stations with digital data, as of 01.01.2023'

  The directory covers all federal hydrometric gauging stations on surface waters for which digital data is available on water level, discharge or other parameters (e.g. water temperature, water chemical composition or turbidity). The column 'Operating status' indicates whether a station is currently in operation or discontinued. The column 'Waterbody type' can be used to filter for stations on lakes or rivers.

  The data on surface area, mean altitude and glacial area refers in each case to the topographic catchment area. These figures were calculated using the geodataset 'Topographic catchment areas of Swiss waterbodies'. The figures for discontinued stations have been taken from past yearbooks, where available. They are therefore based on different sources.

  In some cases, stations have been relocated over time. The station information always refers to the most recent location. In the case of major relocations, the old station has usually been discontinued and a new station put into operation under a new number. Where the difference between the catchment areas of the old and new stations allows, the data of the previous station has been placed in front of the time series of the new station (for discharge gauging stations, only the time series of the discharge). In such cases, both stations are listed in the station directory.

  Composite stations (total stations) are a special case. Here, the discharge is measured at two (or more) individual stations: a main station and one or more secondary stations at a different location (e.g. power plant channel, secondary channel of a larger river). These stations are listed individually in the station directories.

  The information on data availability refers to the period for which digital data is available at least as a temporal resolution of daily mean values. The federal hydrometric gauging stations for which only paper records are available can be found in the Directory of federal hydrometric gauging stations without digital data.

Data quality levels ('release status')

A distinction is made between:

• Raw data: Raw data for the last 40 days is available online.
• Verified data: Current measurement data is usually available in verified digital form after approx. one month. These data can also be accessed online in table form (pdf) after this time.
• Validated data: Validated data for the reporting year is generally available in the following year.

Raw data is measurement data that has not been checked. The raw data is checked over the course of the following days and corrected if necessary. After this process, the measurement data is called ‘freigegeben, geprüfte Daten’ – released, verified data. A new check is carried out a year later and the stage-discharge relations are verified by means of further measurements in the field. After this second check, corrections may again be necessary. The data is then marked as ‘freigegeben, validierte Daten’ – released validated data.

Release status (RS) for water level and discharge of surface waters

Hydrological data - FAQ

Cost

In general data are provided free of charge.Special orders, which involve significant research and processing, are billed on the basis of actual costs. Billing is based on the FOEN's fees ordinance (Gebührenverordnung BAFU) and the federal administration's general fees ordinance (Allgemeinen Gebührenverordnung). 

• Terms and conditions for the supply and use of hydrological data FOEN 2020

  PDF115.47 kB14 July 2020

Ordering data

We assist you in resolving your questions related to hydrological quantities. We advise you in the choice of stations and types of measurement, providing you the relevant data.

Please use the following form to place your order or send the necessary information to:

Data service Hydrology
Tel: [phone]

• [e-mail]

Delivery time

Please note that the processing of your request may take several days.

Ordering the data

Note: You will receive a confirmation after the form has been sent successfully. If this is not the case, please contact [e-mail] directly with your order.

I agree that my personal data may be processed in order to respond to my request. You can find more information in our privacy policy.

Available products (with examples)

The following products are available: Records, some of which go back to the 19th century, are available both on paper and in digital format. Data can be obtained on water levels, discharge, sediment transport, temperatures, as well as various physical and chemical water properties.

Digital data

Parameters

• discharge
• water level
• water temperature
• suspended loadel
• ectrical conductivity
• oxygen content and saturation
• pH values
• turbidity

Time frame

Annual mean, annual highs and lows, monthly mean, monthly highs and lows, daily mean, daily highs and lows

Continuous monitoring data (available from 1974): reference points, 5 min. mean, 10 min. mean, hourly mean

The data can also be ordered on the basis of a monthly subscription.

• Example Discharge Aare-Bern 2017 hourly mean

  CSV86.85 kB22 May 2020

Tables

Parameters

• discharge
• water level
• water temperature
• suspended load
• NAWA FRACHT (NADUF)

Examples

• Temporary tables with daily means, extreme values, and monthly means

  PDF105.85 kB3 February 2015

• definitive tables with daily means, extreme values, monthly means, duration curves (only from 1992) and values for the entire measurement period

  PDF130.78 kB3 February 2015

NAWA FRACHT, frequency and duration tables

Runoff tables from 1992 on the Internet:

• Hydrological data and forecasts

Limnigraphic charts

• Limnigraphic charts: parameters: water level
• Water level-discharge reference tables
• Water measurement results
  
  

Other special data on request with billing based on cost.

Further information

• Law

  • Fedlex: Gebührenverordnung BAFU (GebV-BAFU)

  • Allgemeine Gebührenverordnung (AllgGebV)