Federal Priority Streamgages (FPS) are automated stations that monitor water conditions in streams and rivers throughout the country. Originally established in 1999, these are important for meeting specific long-term needs of the Nation. The FPS Network was recently re-prioritized which resulted in size of the network increasing to nearly 12,400 locations.
Federal Priority Streamgages Network Mapper
The Federal Priority Streamgages Mapper shows the locations, priority goals, and funding details of the FPS network.
Re-Prioritization of the USGS Federal Priority Streamgage Network
For the first time since its inception in 1999, the FSP conducted a multi-year re-prioritization effort with Federal partners.
Federal Priority Streamgages are strategically located throughout the nation and are a subset of the larger USGS National Streamgaging Network, which operates in cooperation with over 1,800 Federal, State, tribal, and local agencies or organizations. The FPS network was established in 1999 and was previously called the National Streamflow Information Program (NSIP). It is supported through federal appropriations within the Groundwater and Streamflow Information Program.
Re-Prioritization Effort
In 2022, the USGS began reviewing the priorities of the FPS network with federal partners. This review resulted in five updated priorities released in the spring of 2023. A new network design based on these priorities was developed in 2024 that totals 12,396 locations. Of those locations, the USGS currently operates 7,333 streamgages that are recognized as meeting one or more of the following key federal priorities:
Water Forecasting and Operations: Provide critical data for flood warnings, drought forecasts, river navigation, federal reservoir operations, water supplies, and watershed management. This helps mitigate water hazards (like hurricanes and droughts), address supply shortages, and enables informed decision-making by federal water managers.
Boundaries, compacts, treaties, and Federal lands: Support agreements and management related to interstate, international, and tribal border waters, including compacts, court decrees, treaties, and water rights and management of federal lands.
Water budget: Monitor streamflow in major rivers and the water volume in key water bodies like Mississippi River and the Great Lakes.
Long-term hydrologic trends and extremes: Monitor long-term streamflow conditions related to significant land uses and ecoregions. This includes springs that significantly contribute to stream base flow and coastal areas affected by sea-level rise, helping identify and understand long-term water trends for better federal water management. Also includes all USGS Centennial streamgages.
Water quality: Assist in federal assessments of water quality in major rivers and estuaries, including public health risk assessments related to paired streams and ecosystem health on federal lands.
The new 2024 Federal Priority Streamgages (FPS) Mapper shows the eligible locations, priority goals, and funding details of the expanded FPS network.
FPS Historical Timeline
- 2025 – Release of the 2024 FPS Network Design, including the new version of the Federal Priority Streamgages Mapper.
- 2024 – Completion of FPS Open Season process
- 2023 – Release of the FPS Re-Prioritization Open-File Report
- 2022 – FPS Re-Prioritization effort started
- 2000 - Federal Priority Streamgages (FPS) 2000 Network Mapper
- 1999 - Original National Streamflow Information Program (NSIP) Plan
Connecting the dots between USGS water monitoring networks
The FPS network is intended to be the federally funded backbone of the overall USGS National Streamgaging Network to provide real-time water-level and streamflow (water volume) information to federal water managers to make informed decisions about the protection of life, property and the economy of the Nation. These represent the surface-water monitoring component of a larger “network of networks” that provides information with our groundwater, water-quality, and atmospheric networks called the National Water Monitoring Network that fulfills the USGS mission of monitoring and assessing the Nation’s water resources for all phases of the water cycle.
The funding for the FPS is appropriated through the Groundwater and Streamflow Information Program (GWSIP). The USGS Observing Systems Division within the Water Resources Mission Area coordinates the national congressionally mandated USGS water monitoring networks.
Authorizations
USGS activities are conducted under the authority of various pieces of authorizing federal legislation. The following is a subset of authorizations that are related to the Federal Priority Streamgage Network:
42 U.S.C. § 10367 - 10368 | Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2009 (SECURE Water Act) (Pub. L. 111-11)
Authorizes (Title IX, Subtitle F, Sec. 9507 and 9508) the implementation of the national streamflow information program (more than 4,700 federal priority streamgages), development of a systematic groundwater monitoring program for each major aquifer system (the National Groundwater Monitoring Network), completion of a national brackish groundwater assessment, and implementation of the national water availability and use assessment program.
The subsequent reauthorization of the SECURE Water Act: Public Law 118-174.
Here is a full list of Groundwater and Streamflow Information Program authorizations.
Below are other topics and programs associated with Federal Priority Streamgages.
National Water Monitoring Network
USGS National Streamgaging Network
Centennial Streamgages
The Water Cycle
USGS Flood Information
USGS Flood Inundation Mapping Science
Groundwater and Streamflow Information Program
Storm-Tide Monitoring
Federal Priority Streamgages (FPS) are automated stations that monitor water conditions in streams and rivers throughout the country. Originally established in 1999, these are important for meeting specific long-term needs of the Nation. The FPS Network was recently re-prioritized which resulted in size of the network increasing to nearly 12,400 locations.
Federal Priority Streamgages Network Mapper
The Federal Priority Streamgages Mapper shows the locations, priority goals, and funding details of the FPS network.
Re-Prioritization of the USGS Federal Priority Streamgage Network
For the first time since its inception in 1999, the FSP conducted a multi-year re-prioritization effort with Federal partners.
Federal Priority Streamgages are strategically located throughout the nation and are a subset of the larger USGS National Streamgaging Network, which operates in cooperation with over 1,800 Federal, State, tribal, and local agencies or organizations. The FPS network was established in 1999 and was previously called the National Streamflow Information Program (NSIP). It is supported through federal appropriations within the Groundwater and Streamflow Information Program.
Re-Prioritization Effort
In 2022, the USGS began reviewing the priorities of the FPS network with federal partners. This review resulted in five updated priorities released in the spring of 2023. A new network design based on these priorities was developed in 2024 that totals 12,396 locations. Of those locations, the USGS currently operates 7,333 streamgages that are recognized as meeting one or more of the following key federal priorities:
Water Forecasting and Operations: Provide critical data for flood warnings, drought forecasts, river navigation, federal reservoir operations, water supplies, and watershed management. This helps mitigate water hazards (like hurricanes and droughts), address supply shortages, and enables informed decision-making by federal water managers.
Boundaries, compacts, treaties, and Federal lands: Support agreements and management related to interstate, international, and tribal border waters, including compacts, court decrees, treaties, and water rights and management of federal lands.
Water budget: Monitor streamflow in major rivers and the water volume in key water bodies like Mississippi River and the Great Lakes.
Long-term hydrologic trends and extremes: Monitor long-term streamflow conditions related to significant land uses and ecoregions. This includes springs that significantly contribute to stream base flow and coastal areas affected by sea-level rise, helping identify and understand long-term water trends for better federal water management. Also includes all USGS Centennial streamgages.
Water quality: Assist in federal assessments of water quality in major rivers and estuaries, including public health risk assessments related to paired streams and ecosystem health on federal lands.
The new 2024 Federal Priority Streamgages (FPS) Mapper shows the eligible locations, priority goals, and funding details of the expanded FPS network.
FPS Historical Timeline
- 2025 – Release of the 2024 FPS Network Design, including the new version of the Federal Priority Streamgages Mapper.
- 2024 – Completion of FPS Open Season process
- 2023 – Release of the FPS Re-Prioritization Open-File Report
- 2022 – FPS Re-Prioritization effort started
- 2000 - Federal Priority Streamgages (FPS) 2000 Network Mapper
- 1999 - Original National Streamflow Information Program (NSIP) Plan
Connecting the dots between USGS water monitoring networks
The FPS network is intended to be the federally funded backbone of the overall USGS National Streamgaging Network to provide real-time water-level and streamflow (water volume) information to federal water managers to make informed decisions about the protection of life, property and the economy of the Nation. These represent the surface-water monitoring component of a larger “network of networks” that provides information with our groundwater, water-quality, and atmospheric networks called the National Water Monitoring Network that fulfills the USGS mission of monitoring and assessing the Nation’s water resources for all phases of the water cycle.
The funding for the FPS is appropriated through the Groundwater and Streamflow Information Program (GWSIP). The USGS Observing Systems Division within the Water Resources Mission Area coordinates the national congressionally mandated USGS water monitoring networks.
Authorizations
USGS activities are conducted under the authority of various pieces of authorizing federal legislation. The following is a subset of authorizations that are related to the Federal Priority Streamgage Network:
42 U.S.C. § 10367 - 10368 | Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2009 (SECURE Water Act) (Pub. L. 111-11)
Authorizes (Title IX, Subtitle F, Sec. 9507 and 9508) the implementation of the national streamflow information program (more than 4,700 federal priority streamgages), development of a systematic groundwater monitoring program for each major aquifer system (the National Groundwater Monitoring Network), completion of a national brackish groundwater assessment, and implementation of the national water availability and use assessment program.
The subsequent reauthorization of the SECURE Water Act: Public Law 118-174.
Here is a full list of Groundwater and Streamflow Information Program authorizations.
Below are other topics and programs associated with Federal Priority Streamgages.