Why does the USGS collect streamflow data?
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) stream-gaging program provides streamflow data for a variety of purposes that range from current needs, such as flood forecasting, to future or long-term needs, such as detection of changes in streamflow due to human activities or global warming. The development of data on the flow of the Nation’s rivers mirrors the development of the country. From the establishment of the first stream-gaging station operated by the USGS in 1889, this program has grown to include 7,292 stations in operation as of 1994. Data from the active stations, as well as from discontinued stations, are stored in a computer data base that currently holds mean daily-discharge data for about 18,500 locations and more than 400,000 station-years of record. The stream-discharge data base is an ever-growing resource for water-resources planning and design, hydrologic research, and operation of water-resources projects. The USGS stream-gaging program provides hydrologic information neede
