Colorado WSC Network Integration and Science Innovation (I&I) team has developed a standalone Rapid Deployment Camera (RDC) system which allows USGS staff to install cameras quickly and with no formal camera training. Camera imagery is served via USGS HIVIS. Use cases for RDC deployment include camera installation prior to flooding events; after significant landscape processes such as wildfires, landslides, avalanches; to monitor seasonal conditions which affect gage reliability such as algae, sediment deposition, leave accumulation; and rapid response to cooperator or emergency management requests.
To compute discharge using image velocimetry, the measured surface velocity must be related to the depth-averaged velocity; this is typically done using a simple coefficient known as the alpha coefficient. The alpha coefficient is the most significant input to the computation of discharge from imagery that is often not empirically determined, but the resulting discharge value is directly proportional to the value chosen. The USGS database contains more than half a million ADCP measurements - the profiles in these measurements can be used to inform selection of alpha. Results from a compilation of profiles at a variety of sites will be presented.
"Did you unplug it and plug it back in?" - every IT Person, ever. Field visits for simple instrument resets are a costly drain on resources. While most dataloggers have control ports that can power cycle devices and instruments, these ports are often exhausted as sensor density increases. By integrating a microcontroller, we have expanded our control capacity via multi-channel relay boards. Logic within the main datalogger verifies data transmission, validity, and connectivity before communicating with an external microcontroller that manages the power supply to individual devices and instruments. More importantly, we've moved beyond simple "On/Off" control by monitoring individual instrument's current draw in real-time. These data are passed to the primary datalogger, enabling automated notifications if hardware is drawing outside of specifications. Because the entire system can be monitored and controlled remotely, it provides a comprehensive "health check". This reduces unnecessary field visits and equips staff with additional diagnostic information needed to troubleshoot before leaving the office.
The USGS has collected water data for over 135 years. The USGS Fundamental Science Practices (FSP) have been governing water data collection and publication for the past 17 years. How familiar are you with FSP as it pertains to water data? This presentation will (1) provide a broad overview of FSP, (2) show how FSP relates to water data collection and subsequent data publication, and (3) share available OSQI resources useful for when FSP questions arise.
This presentation will accomplish these objectives by examining three focus areas; (1) discussing data collection and approval obligations in SM 502.2 Fundamental Science Practices: Planning and Conducting Data Collection and Research and SM 502.8 Fundamental Science Practices: Review and Approval of Scientific Data for Release, (2) relating adherence of Water Mission Area Techniques and Methods to adherence of Fundamental Science Practices, (3) discussing mechanisms for reporting FSP questions to the Fundamental Science Practices Advisory Council (FSPAC), quality concerns to OSQI resources, and integrity concerns to the USGS Scientific Integrity Officer. Listeners will leave the presentation with a better understanding of how FSP relates to USGS Water data collection and publication and where to turn to when concerns arise.
This presentation will be given by Gary Burke, a staff scientist from the Office of Science Quality and Integrity (OSQI). Gary was a Field Office Chief for 7 years prior to joining OSQI and had collected NWIS water data for over 20 years.
