Peak and Low Flows

The USGS has the principal responsibility within the federal government to provide the hydrologic information and understanding needed by others to achieve the best use and management of the nation’s water resources. Basic data are the key to solving many water-quantity or -quality problems. Ohio, Kentucky, and Indiana operate a large hydrologic network across the three states, collecting surface...

Indiana and Kentucky scientists have produced new low-flow statistics for Indiana streams, specifically for 7-day, 10-year low flow (7Q10); 30-day, 10-year low flow (30Q10); 1-day, 10-year low flow (1Q10); and harmonic mean streamflow. The low-flow statistics are critical for the state of Indiana to administer the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit program, watershed...

Our mission is provide the best quality stage and discharge information to our customers. The stage data along with discrete measurements are used to develop stage-discharge relationships thus inferring discharge.

Historically, streams with drainage areas less than 100 square miles have not been adequately represented in regional peak flow analysis. To help fill this data gap, crest-stage gages were installed in 2001 at 18 sites throughout Ohio in order to augment the peak flow record for small streams (less than 100 square miles). After enough peak flow data have been collected at these sites, an updated...