GAGES 3: Environmental Setting of USGS Stream Gage Locations in the Conterminous U.S.

The US Geological Survey has collected daily streamflow data at more than 20,000 locations within the conterminous United States (CONUS). Although these data are publicly available, there is little to no information about the environmental setting under which the data were collected. Specifically, users of the data have no readily available means to determine whether the observed streamflow was primarily a function of natural hydrologic process or was in some way influenced by water management activities such as dams and diversions, or land cover such as urbanization or intensive agriculture. Previous publications on this topic were limited to gages with lengthy flow records or that were active at the time of publication. This product provides environmental context for all stream and river monitoring locations within CONUS through 2024. This information identifies which sites and which periods of record are likely to approximate natural hydrologic processes, and which sites are influenced by various land use or water-management structures.