Where is the Meuse measured here?

At Waulsort, by the SPW station with code SETHY DGH/8078, which uses ultrasonic probes placed on both banks.

Can I kayak the Meuse at Waulsort?

It is not a kayaking route: the river is a large-gauge waterway with locks and traffic. For paddling, the nearby Lesse is the benchmark, and the Semois is another option.

What does a flow in m³/s mean?

It is the volume of water passing through the river’s cross-section each second. One cubic metre equals a thousand litres.

At what flow is the Meuse in flood?

Flood begins at around 500 m³/s. Above 900 m³/s, the state is classed as flooding.

Can the Meuse overflow at Waulsort or Dinant?

Yes, in major floods. The floods of 1993 and 1995 left their mark on the valley. Follow official warnings when that happens.

Meuse river flow at Waulsort: status and meaning

A great river, not a mountain stream

At Waulsort, a village in the municipality of Hastière downstream of Dinant and Anseremme, the Meuse is wide, deep and slow. It has already taken in the Chiers, the Semois (on the French side), the Houille and the Viroin. Its speed has little in common with that of the Lesse or the Semois.

The figure at the top of the page is a flow in m³/s. It places the river between summer low water and winter flood, without saying whether a kayak trip is “allowed”.

Scale of hydrological states

Flow (m³/s)	State	What it means
0 to 30	Severe low water	Dry spell: the river exposes its gravel banks, and aquatic wildlife and water quality become fragile.
30 to 80	Summer level	Moderate flow typical of the fine season, stable water surface.
80 to 250	Normal	Close to the long-term average flow; a quiet river.
250 to 500	High	High water: faster current, murky water, take care near the edges.
500 to 900	Flood	The water level can rise; follow the instructions of the hydrological services.
Over 900	Flooding	Exceptional flow: the banks risk being flooded, follow official warnings.

Seasonal benchmarks

25 to 40 m³/spossible summer low water

about 150 m³/slong-term average flow

over 300 m³/scurrent in autumn and winter

The regime is purely rain-fed: flow follows rainfall across the whole catchment, about 36,000 km² for a river of some 925 km. Hence very marked differences between summer and winter. The biggest floods exceed 500 to 900 m³/s; those of December 1993 and January 1995 hit the region from Givet to Liège.

How the measurement is made

The Waulsort station (code SETHY DGH/8078) works by ultrasound. Probes on both banks send pulses to each other diagonally. The time difference between the two directions gives the average speed of the water; multiplied by the wetted cross-section, it yields the flow. This “transit time” method suits large, slow rivers.

Data from the SPW hydrological studies service is published as open data under a CC BY 4.0 licence. The reading at the top of the page takes the latest validated value and translates it into a state, without altering the measurement.

Can you paddle here?

Here the Meuse is a large-gauge waterway (CEMT class Va), with locks and weirs run by SPW Mobilité et Infrastructures. It carries leisure boats, barges and, in season, tour boats between Dinant and Hastière. These structures regulate navigation; in flood, the operator can suspend it.

For a proper canoe trip, head upstream to the Lesse, which joins the Meuse at Anseremme, or to the Semois. Check their flow for the day first, then the official thresholds.

The valley scenery

Between Dinant and Hastière, the valley winds between limestone cliffs over a hundred metres high. The Freyr rocks, popular with climbers, face the 16th-century Freyr castle and gardens. Dinant has kept its Gothic collegiate church and its citadel. At Waulsort, a former Benedictine abbey recalls the holiday atmosphere of days gone by.