How do you interpret gage height and streamflow values?
Gage height (also known as stage) is the height in feet of water in a stream above an arbitrary reference point called the Datum. This value is displayed as a number 14.5, for example. Gage height refers to the elevation of the water surface at a specific location near the streamgaging station, not along the entire stream. Gage height does not refer to the depth of the stream. Measurements of gage height are continually recorded by equipment inside a gagehouse on the streambank. Streamflow (also known as discharge) is the volume of water flowing past a given point in the stream in a given period of time. Streamflow is reported as cubic feet per second (ft3/s) in USGS publications. Streamflow values are better indicators than gage height of conditions along the whole river. Routine measurements of streamflow are generally made every four to six weeks by USGS personnel; they wade into the stream to make the measurement or do so from a boat, bridge, or cableway over the stream.
