A crest-stage gage provides a one-time measure of a flood peak height.
![A crest stage gage in Texas.](https://d9-wret.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/assets/palladium/production/s3fs-public/styles/full_width/public/thumbnails/image/wss-sw-crest-stage-gage_0.jpg?itok=_ZcQ6z2j)
Detailed Description
A Crest Stage Gage
Here is a low-tech device made of solely of a metal pipe, a wooden pole, and crushed cork that is invaluable to providing a one-time measurement of the maximum height (stage) that a stream hits during a high-water event.
Visit our Water Science School page about crest-stage gages to find out the details of how these "silent watchmen" work to record peak stream stages.
Sources/Usage
Public Domain.