Streamgaging Task ForceFinal Report

Advisory Committee on Water Information

Herndon, VirginiaApril 3, 2002

Advisory Committee on Water Information

Streamgaging Task Force

Charge: Determine the streamflow information needs of the Nation, identify the optimal streamgaging network to meet the needs, and prepare recommendations for funding responsibilities.

Streamgaging Task Force Members

Interstate Council on Water PolicyU. S. Geological SurveyAmerican Association of State GeologistsAmerican Society of Civil EngineersAmerican Water Resources AssociationAssociation of State Floodplain ManagersAssociation of Western State EngineersGround Water Protection Council

Streamgaging Task Force Members

Tennessee Valley Authority Western States Water CouncilBureau of ReclamationNational Weather ServiceNatural Resources Conservation ServiceU. S. Environmental Protection AgencyU. S. Army Corps of Engineers

Streamgaging Task ForcePlan

1. Identify goals of a national network 2. Compile information on all available streamgaging

stations3. Evaluate achievement of National goals using the

USGS network model4. Identify additional stations needed to achieve each goal 5. Estimate cost of new or upgraded stations6. Propose a long-term funding strategy7. Submit recommendations to the ACWI

Streamgaging Task ForceConcurrent Activities

1. USGS developed their own plan for a National Streamflow Information Program (NSIP).

2. The Interstate Council on Water Policy was commissioned to conduct a series of four workshops on NSIP and considerations for a national streamgaging network.

Streamgaging Task ForceNational Network Goals

1. NWS and NRCS forecast points2. Key river basins3. River basin compacts and decrees and major river

crossings of state, tribal, and international boundaries4. Representative streams and rivers for flow estimation

and long-term trends5. National water-quality monitoring network streams6. NFIP communities7. Rivers with impaired water quality

Streamgaging Task ForceNational Network Goals

8. Rivers with NPDES permits exceeding 10 MGD9. Rivers with significant canoeing, kayaking and

rafting10. Rivers draining Federal lands11. Major rivers with diversions12. Inflow and outflow of major reservoirs13. Rivers supporting migratory fish populations14. Rivers used for commercial navigation

Network ModelNetwork Model• Conterminous U.S.• 60,000 streams (total 1M kilometers)• 329 river basins and 2,200 watersheds• NWS and NRCS sites• 21,600 NFIP communities• 303(d) file of impaired reaches• 60,000 NPDES permits• Reservoir inventory• Whitewater inventory• Water use by county and HUC• 20,000 streamflow stations

– 7,000 USGS active– 1,800 other agency stations– 440 new NSIP stations

Goal 7: Provide river discharge data for all watersheds that have impaired water quality

Metric: • Operate a station on each RF1 river reach

with impaired water• Add additional stations to the same river

only when the drainage area increases by 20 percent

Stream Reaches with Impaired Water Quality

Active Site - 1616Inactive Site - 1221Other Agency Site - 207Proposed NSIP Site - 76

Total 9123 Gages Required, of which 3120 Existing

Gages

New Site - 6003

Summary of Requirements

NWS and NRCS forecasting 3,373Major river basins 384 Compacts and borders 538 Flow estimation and trends 849 Water-quality monitoring 209NFIP communities 7,297Impaired water quality 9,123NPDES permits 2,116River safety 4,350Federal lands 89Surface-water diversions 27Reservoirs 1,526Migratory fish habitat 296Commercial navigation 208

Total individual requirements 30,631Actual number of stations required 18,330

Number of Goals Met By Proposed Network Stations (30,631 requirements; 18,330 stations)

1 Goal – 12,210 Sites

2 Goals – 4,170 Sites3-4 Goals – 1,800 Sites

5-9 Goals – 149 Sites

Streamgaging Task ForceNetwork Recommendations

Recommendation 1. -- USGS should adopt the following goals for NSIP:

A. Support NWS and NRCS flow forecastingB. Monitor streamflow of hydrologic cataloguing units

(8-digit HUCs)C. Support Compacts, Supreme Court decrees, and

international border crossingsD. Monitor long-term trends in streamflow with an

expanded Hydrologic Benchmark Network

Streamgaging Task ForceNetwork Recommendations

Recommendation 2. – Use the COOP program and the watershed approach for meeting other streamflow information needs

• Establish new stations in HUC 10 watersheds based on local, state, and national needs

• 25 percent coverage of each HUC 8 watershed

Streamgaging Task ForceNetwork Recommendations

Recommendation 3. -- Stations providing flood data about communities participating in the National Flood Insurance Program should have a high priority within the USGS COOP program.

• USGS and Federal Emergency Management Agency work with communities to establish a crest-stage gage network

Proposed NSIP Streamgaging Network

GOAL ACTIVE OTHER AGENCY

INACTIVE NEW TOTAL

NWS AND NRCS

2,070 262 726 434 3,492

HUC 8 1,097 167 379 926 2,569

Compacts 241 8 3 4 256

HydrologicBenchmark

120 5 0 6 131

Sum of Requirements

3,528 442 1,108 1,370 6,448

Stations needed

2,778 304 830 1,285 5,197

NWS and NRCS Forecast Sites

NWS NRCS GagesActiveInactiveOther AgencyProposed NSIP

234 153 36

2

2004 583 235 305

Total 519 NRCS GagesTotal 3127 NWS Gages

New Site 94

3373 Total Gages Required, 273 Gages Both NWS and NRCS

NWS Forecast Sites in Alaska

41- Active NSIP27- Inactive NSIP30 – New NSIP

98 Total Stations

Hydrologic Cataloguing Units

1056 - Active 167 - Other Agency 340 - Inactive 38 - Proposed NSIP Station

786 out of 2,120 HUC8 areas without a streamgaging station that qualifies

1601 Stations shown, 816 New not shownTotal 2417 Stations required to fully meet goal

Hydrologic Cataloguing Units in Alaska

81 HUC8s w/ Gage

57 HUC8s wo/ Gage

7 – Active non-NSIP22- Inactive non-NSIP57 – New non-NSIP (not shown)

20- Active NSIP17- Inactive NSIP15 – New NSIP

52 Total NSIP Stations

138 Total Stations

Total 138 HUC8’s

Compact and International Border Stations

Active - 241Other - 8

Streamgages

Inactive - 3New - 4

Total - 256

Physiographic Sections and Existing Benchmark Stations

Benchmark stationsTotal Active - 2690Total Other Agency - 304Total Inactive - 774Total New – 449, (817 not shown)

Total 75 Sections, Total 59 Benchmark stations.38 Sections w/ Benchmarks, 37 Sections w/ active stations

(Total 96 Streamgages in lower 48 Required)

Proposed Hydrologic Benchmark Stations

10- Active

5- Inactive 5 - New

Proposed NSIP Network for Hawaii

Proposed NSIP Network for Puerto Rico

13- Active NSIP

1- Inactive NSIP

3 – New NSIP

23- Active NSIP Stations

(St. Thomas, St. Johns St. Croix)

17 Total NSIP Stations

Streamgaging Task ForceFunding and Related Strategies

Recommendation 4. – The USGS should implement the network components of NSIP in five years

Recommendation 5. -- USGS and its’ cooperators should continue to seek increases in COOP.

• Restore historic 50:50 funding

Streamgaging Task ForceFunding and Related Strategies

Recommendation 6. -- Network components of NSIP should be implemented by using funding increases to support new or reactivated stations and infrastructure costs.

Recommendation 7. -- Each USGS District, in collaboration with its’ cooperators, should develop a streamgaging strategy, including a priority system for adding new stations.

Streamgaging Task ForceFunding and Related Strategies

Recommendation 8. – USGS should use NSIP infrastructure funds to verify and upgrade, if necessary, the quality and distribution of data from stations operated by other agencies.

Recommendation 9. -- USGS should continue cooperation with other Federal agencies.

Recommendation 10. – A similar network evaluation should be conducted in another 10 years.