Reading Streamgages – In this lab exercise you will learn about the extensive network of streamgages
across America. According to the USGS a streamgage is: an active, continuously functioning measuring
device in the field for which a mean daily streamflow is computed or estimated and quality assured for at
least 355 days of a water year. Why is this important? Because it saves lives, you know, “turn around don’t
drown”. It also helps cities and municipalities along rivers plan and budget for flood disaster prevention and
subsequent mitigation.
Please follow all instructions carefully. If you have any problems, please ask a colleague or your professor.
Answer every question in complete sentences for full credit.
Go to www.weather.gov
Click on the secondary horizontal Menu: “RIVERS, LAKES, RAINFALL”
Make sure the Tabs above the Map are set to: “Water” and “River Observations”the top right corner of the map click the “[Switch Basemap]” button and choose “Imagery Map with
Labels”
Look at the map, drag and zoom in if you need, and determine a State that has Orange, Yellow, or Red
dots.
On the Right side Menu, Change “United States” to that State. It should auto-refresh the map to the
selected State
What State did you choose? (2 pts)
Look below the right-side Menu. Report how many gauges are above Green for that State. Write the
numbers you see before Near, Minor, Moderate, and Major Flooding. (8 pts)
Major :
Moderate :
Minor :
Near :
Identify a linear pattern of flooding streamgages. Look for a line of yellow/orange/red dots. Zoom in if you
need to. Identify one of those dots near the middle and not next a large blue blob.
Mouse over that dot in the linear pattern. A chart will load in the top right.
Left click on that gauge (colored dot) on the map. That chart should load on a page all by itself
PLEASE NOTE: If your chart’s line is only in the white area and does not cross into a Flood Stage go back
to Step 1 because that streamgage is not flooding! If you turn in a lab about a streamgage that is not in a
flood stage you will receive no credit.
Cut and Paste the chart below where it says [Paste Here]. This can be accomplished many ways:
Right click the chart on a PC or Control-Click it on a Mac and select “Copy image”, then do the same click
in this document below and choose “Paste”, or “Paste Options: Picture”.
In the web browser, press Alt-PrintScreen, then come back to this document, position the cursor below, and
press Ctrl-v.
Take a snap with yer phone, email it to yourself or use a cable to transfer it to you then drag/drop it below.
Commission an artist to do a still life interpretation of the chart and hand it to me in class.
[Paste Here] (10 pts)
Interpret the chart, describe for me what is going on. What do the axis represent, what is the blue line and
what is it doing each day (big spikes little waves, major drop etc), within each day? Be as descriptive as
possible (5+ sentences): (10 pts)
Based on your empirical knowledge of rain storms, what do you think will happen to the trend line (blue) in
the future? Do you think it will follow the prediction line in purple (if one is shown)? (3+ sentences) (10 pts)
Scroll down the webpage. Just below the Chart, under the dotted line, there are (potentially) blue links and
arrow boxes to upstream and downstream gauges (if applicable). These are snapshots of the river water
level during the same time. If there is an Upstream, click the link. If you are prompted with multiple gauges,
pick the one with the same river name, or, the first one.
How does the Upstream gauge chart compare to your gauge chart (3+ sentences)? (5 pts)
Now go back to your gauge with the Browser back button or click Downstream to return to your original
gauge. If there is a Downstream, click the linkHow does the Downstream gauge chart compare to your gauge chart (3+ sentences)? (5 pts)
Go back to your gauge. Scroll down the web page a little more, look at the Historic and Recent crests, and
any photos if they are there to get an idea of the river.
Compare the current gauge reading to the Historic Crests numbers listed. What’s the highest it’s gotten? Is
the river near or at Historic Crest levels? Do you think it will make the list, why or why not (5+ sentences)?
(10 pts)
Scroll down the web page a little more until you get to the tab: [About this Location]:
Select and cut (ctrl-c) the Lat/Long text up to and including the ‘W’ but not the comma.
Ex: Latitude: 38.474722° N, Longitude: 121.588333° W
Open another browser tab. Go to google.com. Paste the text (ctrl-v) into the Google search bar
Remove the 2 words, semi colons and spaces so it looks like this:
Ex: 30.175000° N, 104.686111° W
Click Search or just hit “Enter” key
Click the “Maps” Menu link at the top
Click the little “Satellite” or “Earth” box in the bottom left corner of the map to change view to satellite.
Zoom in and out to get an idea of the landscape around your gauge. Can you see the gauge? Take a
Screen Shot of the browser window and paste it below, resize to fit. Pressing the buttons Alt and Print
Screen at the same time will copy the browser window and you can right-click “Paste” below.
[Paste Here] (10 pts)
Do you think a major flooding event here at this gauge poses any threat to humans? Think in terms of
directly, for example home damage, or indirectly through loss of road access, play areas, destruction of
farmland. (8+ sentences) (15 pts) Make sure to answer in terms of Humanity, things that are man-made
that would be affected.
Do you think a major flooding event here at this gauge poses any threat or benefit to the natural
environment? Think in terms of habitat destruction, increase/ interruption of migration patterns, access/
inaccessibility to resources, deposition of nutrient rich soils. (8+ sentences) (15 pts) Answer in terms of
Nature, do not talk about anything related to humanity, that was the previous question. Think about the
poor little squirrels here. P.S. Farms and farm animals are NOT part of the natural environment, talk about
those in the previous question.