Why do some real-time streamgaging stations stop transmitting data for extended periods of time?
The USGS usually corrects any equipment or station problems at our streamgages within a few days of their occurrence. Occasionally, replacement parts or equipment might not be readily available, or a station might be inaccessible due to weather conditions.
Most USGS streamgaging stations are operated in cooperation with other agencies. At some stations, the stage transmitting equipment is owned and maintained by other agencies to support their particular public missions. Those agencies might be limited in personnel, parts, or funds to maintain the equipment.
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Why does the USGS use the spelling "gage" instead of "gauge"?
The spelling of “gage” is part of our very rich USGS history. We have used that spelling for over a hundred years. In 1888, USGS Director John Wesley Powell met a very forward-thinking graduate student named Frederick Haynes Newell. Powell was so impressed that he made Newell the first full-time appointee to the new Irrigation Survey, which was created to investigate the potential for dams and...
What does the term "stream stage" mean?
Stream stage (aka gage height) is an important concept when analyzing how much water is moving in a stream at any given moment. "Stage" is the water level above some arbitrary point in the river and is commonly measured in feet. For example, on a normal day when no rain has fallen for a while, a river might have a stage of 2 feet. If a big storm hits, the river stage could rise to 15 or 20 feet...
Does "stage" tell you how much water is flowing in a stream?
Not directly. You cannot say that because a stream rises (doubles) from a 10-foot stage to a 20-foot stage that the amount of flowing water also doubles. Think of a cereal bowl with a rounded bottom. Pour one inch of milk in it. It doesn't take much milk to make it up to the one inch level because the bowl is at its narrowest near the bottom. Now, pour in milk until it is two inches deep -- it...
Related
Why does the USGS use the spelling "gage" instead of "gauge"?
The spelling of “gage” is part of our very rich USGS history. We have used that spelling for over a hundred years. In 1888, USGS Director John Wesley Powell met a very forward-thinking graduate student named Frederick Haynes Newell. Powell was so impressed that he made Newell the first full-time appointee to the new Irrigation Survey, which was created to investigate the potential for dams and...
What does the term "stream stage" mean?
Stream stage (aka gage height) is an important concept when analyzing how much water is moving in a stream at any given moment. "Stage" is the water level above some arbitrary point in the river and is commonly measured in feet. For example, on a normal day when no rain has fallen for a while, a river might have a stage of 2 feet. If a big storm hits, the river stage could rise to 15 or 20 feet...
Does "stage" tell you how much water is flowing in a stream?
Not directly. You cannot say that because a stream rises (doubles) from a 10-foot stage to a 20-foot stage that the amount of flowing water also doubles. Think of a cereal bowl with a rounded bottom. Pour one inch of milk in it. It doesn't take much milk to make it up to the one inch level because the bowl is at its narrowest near the bottom. Now, pour in milk until it is two inches deep -- it...
Updated Date: March 18, 2022