From Gage to Page: A Look Into How USGS Helps You Know the Flow
Establishing a Streamgage
Measuring Streamflow
Creating the Rating Curve
Making the Data Real-time
Knowing the streamflow of a river is important for many. For example, irrigators need to know how the water can be allocated to fields, boaters need to know if the river is safe to float, and municipalities need to know how much supply will be at their intakes.
The USGS, often with cooperative funding from its partners, provides streamflow information to the public through the web. Many steps are required to allow you to access real-time flow data from a streamgage that can be hundreds of miles away at just the click of a button.
The steps involved in getting the data to your fingertips, generally include:
- Establishing a streamgage
- Measuring the streamflow (discharge)
- Creating a stage-discharge relation
- Transmitting data via satellites to computer systems and onto the web
Related Content
Below are other science projects associated with this project.
Hydro-terms visualized
A picture can be worth a thousand words, so we’ll let the pictures help us do the talking:
Streamgaging Basics
Related Content
- Science
Below are other science projects associated with this project.
Hydro-terms visualized
A picture can be worth a thousand words, so we’ll let the pictures help us do the talking:
Streamgaging Basics
A streamgage is a structure installed beside a stream or river that contains equipment that measures and records the water level (called gage height or stage) of the stream. Streamflow (also called discharge) is computed from measured water levels using a site-specific relation (called a stage-discharge rating curve) developed from onsite water level and streamflow measurements made by USGS...