SHOKAN, N.Y. — The Ashokan Watershed Stream Management Program (AWSMP) has released a new fun and informative video on stream gages (Note: the spelling of “gage” instead of “gauge” is correct). Stream gages are advanced technology for monitoring the physical characteristics of stream water and are housed in non-descript buildings located next to streams. The 12-minute video, posted on the AWSMP YouTube page, discusses why there are over 30 stream gages in the Ashokan Reservoir Watershed, what data stream gages collect, and how these data are useful for local governments and the public. Stream gages allow nearly instant monitoring of flooding. The AWSMP’s YouTube channel hosts more than 60 educational videos about streams, floodplains, and local ecology, with many videos produced for youth.
Cornell Cooperative Extension of Ulster County produced the video for AWSMP in collaboration with a water scientist from the United States Geological Survey (USGS). The USGS operates and maintains over 12,000 stream gages in a nationwide network. Most gages are funded in partnership with federal, state, local, or Tribal agencies or organizations. The network includes local gages that closely monitor streams that supply New York City’s drinking water with financial support from the NYC Department of Environmental Protection.
“This video describes how the U.S. Geological Survey’s New York Water Science Center collects and releases stream discharge and water quality data to help stream managers and the public,” said Donald Bonville, Hydrologist with the USGS who is featured in the video.
Thirty-six stream gages currently collect data in the Ashokan Reservoir watershed. Nearly all gage data are publicly available online in near real-time. The public can view stream gage data to know a stream’s water temperature, clarity, and depth without leaving the house if gages are set up to collect the information. Anglers can check water temperature in the summer to ensure that fishing will not overly stress temperature-sensitive fish such as trout. Canoers and kayakers can check stream flow before leaving home to determine if stretches of stream can be safely paddled.
Gage data can also be used to observe long-term trends in stream conditions and make predictions about future stream behavior. For example, one local gage on the Esopus Creek at Coldbrook, NY has been in continuous operation since 1931. Historic data are used by the National Weather Service (NWS) to predict how the Esopus Creek will respond to precipitation in the future.
The NWS uses stream gage data to inform an online interactive river forecast that predicts how high Esopus Creek flows will reach in the next 48 hours. The river forecast is a useful and potentially life-saving tool for residents and governments to understand local flood risk. The up-to-date informed predictions can be used to improve flood warnings and help emergency officials to direct resources and response efforts ahead of a potential flood. Climate change is predicted to result in more frequent and intense flooding in the Catskills. Flooding is the most common natural disaster in Ulster County.
The Ashokan Watershed Stream Management Program is a collaboration between the Ulster County Soil and Water Conservation District, Cornell Cooperative Extension of Ulster County, and the NYC Department of Environmental Protection.
The stream program office in Shokan, NY can be reached at (845) 688-3047 or [email protected]. For more information on outreach programs, funding, and stream projects go to www.ashokanstreams.org.
–Cornell Cooperative Extension Ulster County
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