Efficiency isn't just a goal-- it's a necessity when managing a large network of gages. Manual checks and generic station-health emails are so last century. We've integrated custom programming into our internet-connected dataloggers to improve our standard monitoring workflow. By utilizing an open-source web server and HTTP PUSH/POST methods, we send push notifications to "subscribed" users. Notifications are completely customizable and end-users only "subscribe" to gages that they run or are interested in. They receive instant notifications if there are instrument-specific issues, total system failures or peaks in parameters that should be targeted. With custom messaging, we also build in troubleshooting tech-tips. No more generic "Low Battery" message; users get specific messaging containing diagnostic tips and the likely culprit for the issue or failure. Our gages don't just record data; they advocate for their own maintenance and targeted sample scheduling.
Continuous meteorological (MET) monitoring is conducted across the USGS to meet cooperator needs, support hydrologic research, and provide operational support for other data collection activities. We will provide an early-stage development overview of USGS MET monitoring guidelines to facilitate standardized data collection for air temperature, relative humidity, barometric pressure, wind, and solar radiation observations. The current state of continuous MET monitoring across the USGS will be discussed along with progress toward creating monitoring guidelines that can be consistently applied across the agency.
