An optimum reduction of gauges to meet data program constraints

Budget or manpower constraints may force a reduction in data collection activities. However, information may be transferred from continued gauge sites to discontinued gauge sites provided there is ‘sufficient’ correlation between flow sequences. Information defined as the reciprocal of variance (of the parameter estimator for which the gauge has been established) is provided at ungauged sites by regression techniques. A set of gauge sites is chosen to satisfy the budget constraint and to maximize the information content. The information content based on regression is a function of the correlations between flow sequences and is subject to the errors in their estimators. Post optimal analysis gives estimates of correlation error effects on the decision process as to which gauges to continue and which to discontinue.