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Automated Gaging Stations
| Most automated river gages in Idaho are
maintained by the U.S. Geological Survey and the Bureau of Reclamation. These gages record
the river stage every 15 minutes. Many of the gages are equipped with communication
devices that allow the NWS (and other State and Federal agencies) to access
"real-time" river data as needed. Communication with these automated gages is done in one of two ways. Many
gages have a Data Collection Platform
(DCP) that is connected to the
stream-gaging equipment. The DCP stores the data from the gage and then transmits the data
through a geostationary satellite (GOES). A few DCP platforms also have automated rain
gages; Precipitation data is relayed along with the river stage.
Other gages have a Limited Automatic Remote Collector (LARC) installed that connects the river gage to a telephone. Data from these
sites is downloaded via a modem, generally about once an hour. |
Manual Gaging Stations
| Some river gaging sites depend entirely
on humans to visually inspect the data. One way is through the use of wire weight gages
which are generally installed on bridges. These gages have a weight which can be lowered
from a measured height down to the surface of the water. The distance from the gage to the
top of the river determines the stage. The simplest way to gage a river is by using a staff gage. This is
essentially a board with increments of feet inscribed on it. Most staff gages are attached
upright to bridges, but some are laid horizontally on river banks, perpendicular to the
river. Either way, these gages require manual inspection in order to access the data.
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