Selecting and Conducting Evaluations of Hydrologic Instruments

The USGS Hydrologic Instrumentation Facility (HIF) provides unbiased evaluation testing of developed and commercially available hydrologic instrumentation. The HIF conducts instrument evaluations to identify instrumentation and equipment that meet the requirements of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) to collect hydrologic data. The general requirements for USGS instruments and equipment are that the instruments be:

• cost effective, best value for a given performance;
• accurate, measures the parameter with the accuracy needed, and 
• handles a wide range of environmental conditions in which the USGS collects data.

The order of the general requirements is not an indication of priority. All of the general requirements are of equal importance.

This document provides guidance for selecting and conducting evaluations of hydrologic instruments and equipment.