NWDTW 2024

In addition to USGS products such as the USGS Water Watch and the National Water Dashboard, the presenters will provide an update on other “Event Monitoring” resources such as the Flood Event Viewer, Flood Inundation Mapper, Hydrologic Imagery Visualization and Information System and the Real-time Flood Impact Map.

During large, short-term events, the USGS collects streamflow and additional data (including storm tide, wave height, high-water marks, and additional data) to aid in documenting flood events. The USGS Flood Event Viewer provides convenient, map-based access to downloadable event-based data. In 2022, the USGS Flood Event Viewer is available for the following events: During the 2022 Hurricane Season, the Flood Event Viewer is available for several notable flood events such July Kentucky Flood, September Alaska Extratropical Cyclone, and Hurricane Ian.

USGS Flood Inundation Maps, along with Internet information regarding current stage from the USGS streamgage, provide emergency management personnel and residents with information that is critical for flood-response activities, such as evacuations and road closures, as well as for post-flood recovery efforts. The Flood Inundation Mapper allows users to explore the full set of inundation maps that shows where flooding would occur given a selected stream condition. Users can also access historical flood information and potential loss estimates based on the severity of the flood. The FIM Mapper helps communities visualize potential flood scenarios, identify areas and resources that may be at risk, and enhance their local response effort during a flooding event.

Many USGS water-resource monitoring sites have webcams installed to allow remote visibility of current water and environmental conditions, identify technical issues, verify remote measurements, and gather data for visual analyses. The Hydrologic Imagery Visualization and Information System (HIVIS) provides access to still-frame images and timelapse videos from our active webcams. Many sites also pair recent still-frame images to an interactive hydrograph.

USGS Real-time Flood Impact map displays “Flood Impact Locations” where the USGS has measured the height of critical safety or infrastructure features that may be vulnerable to flood impacts. Some examples of Flood Impact Locations include stream and river embankments; roads and bridges; pedestrian paths; buildings; and more. Flood Impact Locations are surveyed and associated with a nearby USGS real-time streamgage. When the streamgage water level (gage height) exceeds the Flood Impact Location’s surveyed height, its icon will display on the map, showing that this location may be currently flooded. When the user clicks on the icon, a pop-up will display the current gage height and the Flood Impact Location height, so that the user can compare how close that location is to the current water level. Some Flood Impact Locations may be measured below the level of actual flooding to provide an early warning that flooding may be imminent. Although the mapper is not a flood warning system, it can be used to convey immediate flood risks by showing the locations where flooding may be currently or soon occurring. The USGS has over 10,000 streamgages nationwide in the continental U.S. and U.S. territories. Please note that flood impacts have not been collected at all USGS streamgages. Additional Flood Impact Locations will continue to be added. If you would like to add Flood Impact Locations at or near existing USGS streamgages in your Water Science Center, please refer to Alternative Way of Delivering USGS Streamgage Data (Ver 6).pdf or contact Julia Prokopec, Lauren Privette, or Athena Clark.

Mobile data collection has become common place in natural resources monitoring. Mobile data collection to map features (feature mapping) is the collection of data based on GPS location using tools that function across many mobile devices. This facilitates collective data efforts from many organizations and efficiently stores them in centralized datasets. This data collection method can be conducted across wide spatial and temporal scales and is easily implemented into ongoing fieldwork efforts. We have established two feature mapping mobile data collection tools for characterizing stream flow permanence and road-stream crossings. Our objective with these feature mapping efforts is to create usable and accessible peer reviewed, publicly available datasets to accompany easy to use assessment surveys.
We describe two collaboratively produced tools for efficient monitoring of headwater streams: FLOwPER and RoadxStr. FLOwPER (FLOw PERmanence) was developed by a team of scientists from the U.S. Geological Survey, U.S. Forest Service, and Bureau of Land Management. FLOwPER allows rapid collection of stream flow permanence observations that are being applied to model probabilities of perennial flows in headwater streams. RoadxStr is a survey tool that effectively characterizes road-stream crossings. This tool was collaboratively developed with inputs from a national and regional (Pacific Northwest) group of biologists, hydrologists, geomorphologists, and road engineers representing several different government agencies and non-governmental organizations. The broad range of experience and expertise incorporated into RoadxStr ensures the data collected meets management needs while being transferable across existing road-stream crossing datasets. Preliminary results from field surveys indicate that FLOwPER and RoadxStr are capable of quickly producing thousands of new observations on critical features of streams across broad extents.

The Colorado WSC is exploring new methods to calculate real time discharge under the ice which hopefully leads to safer and more accurate data collection. We are also looking at discrete discharge measurement techniques that require only a few holes to be drilled in the ice. Techniques include tracer measurements (i.e. salt dilution), and the PC method which only requires a stage-area rating and few holes drilled around the y-axis to record a maximum instream velocity with a current meter or ADCP, and in this case an upward looking ADVM and streamside edge computing.

Continuous stage and temperature data were collected via commercially available, unvented and vented submersible pressure transducers (PTs) as ‘tiered’ gages co-located with United States Geological Survey reference gages in relatively small, low-order streams across the United States. Tiered gage data were compared with reference gage records to assess sensor performance variability across different installation methods, reaches, watersheds, and streamflow conditions. Sensor error was evaluated via differences between reference and tiered stage values through time and across variations in atmospheric pressure, barometer proximity, and water temperature. Finally, stage measurements from tiered and reference gages were used to estimate discharge and comparative accuracies evaluated. When installed and visited regularly with tape downs and levels, tiered gages can be pretty accurate! How accurate you ask? Well, please stop on by to see our presentation.

This is an overview of the USGS Storm-Tide Monitoring Program. The topics discussed will be the history of the program, data collection and dissemination of the data. There will also be a discussion on new sensors and technologies.

This session will provide an overview of various indirect measurement methods (slope-area, culvert flow, contracted openings) and guidance on identification of high-water marks, field survey procedures, and computing and analyzing indirect measurements of peak flow.

The shape and slope of a stage-discharge rating as well as the hinge and merge points of associated shifts are related to the geometry of the stream channel. This presentation will discuss that relationship using modeling results from several scenarios (differing channel shapes and changes related to scour and fill).

Andrew Gorman from OKI and Christopher Smith from SAWSC were funded by the WMO to visit with Belize's Hydrology department to asses their program and deliver necessary training.

The USGS has over 100 years of peaks at stream gages. Now we can see how peaks compare on a map! Amy will demo the script and graphics, with various options for dates, qualifiers, and drainage area.

This presentation covers a web application to quickly and easily create/access accurate maps of station vertical control points. The purpose of creating these maps is to expedite locating these points during levels and prevent issues caused by mixing up points. These maps can be easily accessed using QR codes that can be printed onto stickers placed on the inside of a gage house or added to the station paperwork.

An overview of the 2024 USGS National Flood Plan, which serves to document the National level perspective of the organizational framework, decision processes, resources, and responsibilities of riverine flood response.

Annual peak streamflow data from USGS streamgages are a critical dataset engineers and hydrologists use for flood frequency analyses that inform bridge designs, floodplain maps, and other projects in and along rivers. Updated Federal guidelines for flood-frequency analysis (Bulletin 17C) were released in 2019, which allow for better use of information published by the USGS, such as censored (greater than or less than) data, and data sources outside of streamgage records, such as historic peaks. In this workshop, attendees will learn how annual peak-flow data are used, what peak flow qualification codes mean and when to use them, what flood information should be included in station descriptions and manuscripts in SIMS, the proper application of “highest since” notes to annual peaks, proper treatment of peak flows at crest-stage gages, and lots of other flood-related facts. An example streamgage will be analyzed with the PeakFQ software to demonstrate application of USGS data to a real-world flood-frequency problem.

In response to the damage incurred due to recent extreme rainfall events, as well as the likely increasing frequency of such events due to global climate change, cities across the Nation are developing plans to prepare for future flash flood events. In 2021, the USGS, as part of the Next Generation Water Observing System, began installing a stormwater monitoring network in the cities of Madison, WI and Harwood Heights, IL. Part of this effort includes a vast network of LoRa-enabled sensors used to measure water levels in storm drains, pipes, and channels in areas that have a history of frequent flooding. While this effort was originally designed to facilitate calibration and validation of hydrologic models, it has since been revised to explore the potential to use this network as an early urban flood detection and warning system to city officials.

In the summer of 2023, multiple storm fronts passed through both Madison and Harwood Heights, creating flash flood events throughout the city. This presentation will highlight the performance of the flood detection and warning network for those events and highlight the advantages and disadvantages of using the internet-of-things compared to more traditional means of data collection and dissemination.

The California Water Science Center’s Estuarine Hydrodynamics team has been utilizing autonomous, un-crewed surface vessels (USVs) to conduct ADCP and bathymetric surveys throughout the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta (the Delta). These vessels have become an invaluable tool. They reduce human-error by performing consistent, repeatable transects that have constant boat speeds, straight paths, and consistent starting and ending locations.
Using USVs certainly comes with some considerations. Users should consider transect locations (large, small, open, covered), navigational hazards (pilings, buoys, docks, debris, shipping lanes), sea and weather conditions (wind chop), potential for compass interference, and power.
After these considerations, the use of USVs has improved data collection and increased efficiency allowing for multiple cross-sections simultaneously without extra personnel.

The salt dilution method is a global, time-tested approach for measuring streamflow. It is achieved by adding a known mass of sodium chloride (NaCl) to a stream, allowing it to mix through a reach, and measuring NaCl dilution via changes in specific conductance. A vast majority of USGS streamflow measurements rely on velocity-area methods, which depend on quasi-laminar flow where accuracy of measurements across the channel can be degraded in turbulent conditions. The salt dilution method is ideal for measuring turbulent streams, but the method is seldomly used by the USGS. With support from the SAWSC Science Advancement & Program Development Challenge, the salt dilution method was tested in diverse streams throughout North Carolina and Georgia. The method proved effective at many of the streams with turbulent characteristics such as bends, steep gradients or other features that encourage lateral mixing. Additionally, recent advancements in field instrumentation for measuring salt dilution via changes in specific conductance have reduced the mass of NaCl required in the stream and allow for real-time streamflow and uncertainty calculations. The project concluded that USGS programs could consider it as a reliable option at difficult-to-measure, turbulent streams. This presentation will introduce the salt dilution method to those unfamiliar with it. The audience will (1) learn to recognize site conditions favorable as well as those unfavorable for the salt dilution method, (2) learn salt dilution calculation theory, and (3) learn the basic salt dilution measurement field processes developed and assessed during the SAWSC Science Advancement & Program Development Challenge.

The NYWSC Observing Systems Division Troy office is testing the use of on-hand conductivity probes to measure stream discharge utilizing salt dilution methodology. Salt dilution is a well-researched technique in academic fields but thus far has not been widely used within the USGS. Currently, USGS offices in the Southeast Region are testing the use of specialized systems that have demonstrated accuracy but may pose a financial barrier to their wider adoption. By utilizing conductivity probes that may be readily available to hydrographers these financial barriers can be circumnavigated while maintaining accuracy. Demonstrating that on-hand equipment can be used to make reliable salt dilution measurements adds an accessible tool for hydrographers to collect the highest quality data at sites and conditions where traditional methods fall short.

This discussion will introduce a brief walk-through of the FEMA MA process, along with planning and execution of HWM collection and engagement within incident command centers.

OKI would like to share our hydrotech bootcamp experience with the data workshop in order to share our successes, learn from our mistakes, and start a discussion with other trainers on their center's bootcamp techniques.

Unlike more established discharge methodology, salt dilution discharge measurements using on hand conductivity probes do not currently have a quantitative calculation of uncertainty. This leaves technicians and reviewers to assess the uncertainty qualitatively. Looking at aspects such as probe selection, calibration factor, pulse shape, and start/end time bias these easy tools can aid in the assessment of a salt dilution measurement. From there, proper uploading to Aquarius and archiving allow for future reviews to have pertinent information and feel confident in the use of the measurements going forward.