What is a reach?
“Reach” can have slightly different meanings, depending on how it is used.
A reach is a section of a stream or river along which similar hydrologic conditions exist, such as discharge, depth, area, and slope. It can also be the length of a stream or river (with varying conditions) between two streamgages, or a length of river for which the characteristics are well described by readings at a single streamgage.
In practical use, a reach is just any length of a stream or river. The term is often used by hydrologists when they’re referring to a small section of a stream or river rather than its entire length.
Related Content
Is there a way to get alerts about streamflow conditions?
Why does the USGS use the spelling "gage" instead of "gauge"?
How can I obtain river forecasts (flood forecasts)?
Why might USGS streamflow data be revised?
Where can I get real-time and historical streamflow information?
How do we benefit from USGS streamgages?
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Gary Moore spent the last three days of 2015 stacking hefty bags of sand in front of a fellow church member’s brick home. With only 1,000 feet between the house and the swelling Mississippi and Meramec Rivers, Moore and other volunteers worked quickly, in frigid temperatures, to assemble a 10-foot high, 1,000-foot-long sandbag wall to ward off floodwaters.
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Explore America's streams and rivers from your computer or mobile device.
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In this first installment of a two part series, The Arizona Water Science Center has developed new stream gaging methods that would measure flood flows remotely. However, they have to verify the accuracy of these techniques, so they designed an experiment in partnership with the USDA Southwest Watershed Research Center at the Walnut Gulch Experimental Watershed that
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The Arizona Water Science Center demonstrates new methods in Reach-Scale Monitoring to improve accuracy and measurability of high flow events. By installing pressure transducers and using LiDAR to measure topography data, hydrologists are able to simulate flows with two dimensional models which will help better calibrate stream gages. These advances have potential to aid
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Streamgages: The Silent Superhero
Whether you drink water from your tap, use electricity or canoe down your local river, chances are you benefit from USGS streamgage information. So what is a streamgage and what does it do for you? This CoreCast episode gives you the inside scoop on your silent superhero.
Transcript and captions available soon.
Gaged stream reach East Brook east of Walton, NY
Gaged stream reach East Brook east of Walton, NY