Open AccessUSGS Study reveals a decline in long‐record streamgages
Author(s) -
Lanfear Kenneth J.,
Hirsch Robert M.
Publication year - 1999
Publication title -
eos, transactions american geophysical union
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.316
H-Index - 86
eISSN - 2324-9250
pISSN - 0096-3941
DOI - 10.1029/99eo00406
Subject(s) - population , period (music) , geography , environmental science , physical geography , demography , physics , sociology , acoustics
Every year more than 100 USGS streamgaging stations with record lengths (more than 30 years) are being discontinued due to lack of funding. This trend, described in a recent USGS report to Congress, is troublesome in light of the many issues hydrologists and engineers must address in the coming years. Although there is considerable year‐to‐year variability the underlying dynamic characteristics of the population of USGS streamgages have changed from 30 years ago. During the peak 1959–1968 growth period, the number of active 30‐year record stations increased by about 90 stations per year. A combination of increased station mortality and increased reactivation rates since 1968 means that stations are coming into and out of active collection phases much more quickly than before 1968.