Who Uses Stream Gage Data?Janet Thigpen, CFM

Flood Mitigation Specialist

Southern Tier CentralRegional Planning & Development Board

USGS Streamgage Network

inNew York State

Vltava River - Prague CZ

Courtesy of Bo Juza, DHI

Water Withdrawals

• Assessing the availability• Permit conditions

Municipal water system

Water withdrawal site

Water source

Gauge

Recreation and Navigation• Recreational boating• Lake level management• Canal operations

Swift Water Rescue Team

Target and actual lake levels

Lock 13 on the Erie Canal

Water Quality

• Monitoring• Permitted releases

Wastewater treatment facility

Land Use

• Floodplain management• Planning• Flood mitigation• Determining flood frequency

Future Land Use Plan

FEMA Flood Insurance Rate Map

Infrastructure• Bridges• Dams• Levees

Tioga-Hammond Dam ProjectInstallation of a levee closure structure

Flood Warnings and Response• Forecasts & warnings• Inundation maps• Road closures• Evacuation decisions

Inundation map keyed to gage levels

River forecast

Stream Gage Funding• Cooperative Water Program (CWP)• Other federal agencies• National Streamflow Information Program

(NSIP)

Stream gages serve as the stethoscope on our rivers.

River gage used for dam operations, levee operations, river forecasts, and other purposes