This data release contains supporting materials for a study testing the applicability of an image-derived water-level method at three U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) streamgage sites around Lake Redstone in Wisconsin (site numbers 05404140, 05404150, and 05404147) during Water Year 2020 (Johnson, et al., 2025). Two types of reference objects were tested in this study: white polyvinyl chloride pipes (PVC), and a concrete wall. The PVC pipes were installed an tested at all three sites and the concrete wall was only tested at one site (co-located with one of the white PVC pipes), for a total of four trials. The top-level contents of the data release include: the hourly time-lapse images collected from each of the three sites (images.zip), the model archive of the R code (model_archive.zip) used to derive water-level data from the time-lapse images, a description of the model archive files and how to use them (Model_Archive_README.txt), the results (results.zip) from running the image-derived water-level method for each trial run, and the collated results for each trial (analysis.zip) each of which also include an image suitability judgement determined for every collected image.

This section of the data release supports an archive of the models used in the associated publication. The U.S. Geological Survey and the University of Wisconsin – Green Bay collected hydrologic and water-quality data to assess the effectiveness of agricultural conservation management practice (CMP) implementation at Mainstem Plum Creek and West Plum Creek in northeastern Wisconsin. Monitoring data from 2010–2020 at Mainstem Plum and 2013–2020 at West Plum were used to detect changes in hydrologic and water-quality responses during runoff events. Runoff events were defined by hydrographers and used to compute event loads and event flow-weighted mean concentrations of total phosphorus and total suspended solids – all of which are included in the associated data release. Additionally, changes in these parameters were assessed between two time periods (“initial” and “post-CMP implementation”) using the models included in this model archive. Because event discharges, loads, and concentrations are influenced by factors such as weather and the conditions preceding events, random-forest and regression models were developed to control for these factors and to elucidate water-quality changes more directly associated with CMP implementation. Residuals from random-forest models were used to detect changes between the two time periods via Wilcoxon signed-rank tests, and multiple linear regression models were used to determine percent change in responses via time-period dummy variable coefficients. Results indicate statistically insignificant changes in most responses during runoff events.

This section of the data release supports an archive of the models used in the associated publication. The U.S. Geological Survey and the University of Wisconsin – Green Bay collected hydrologic and water-quality data to assess the effectiveness of agricultural conservation management practice (CMP) implementation at Mainstem Plum Creek and West Plum Creek in northeastern Wisconsin. Monitoring data from 2010–2020 at Mainstem Plum and 2013–2020 at West Plum were used to detect changes in hydrologic and water-quality responses during runoff events. Runoff events were defined by hydrographers and used to compute event loads and event flow-weighted mean concentrations of total phosphorus and total suspended solids – all of which are included in the associated data release. Additionally, changes in these parameters were assessed between two time periods (“initial” and “post-CMP implementation”) using the models included in this model archive. Because event discharges, loads, and concentrations are influenced by factors such as weather and the conditions preceding events, random-forest and regression models were developed to control for these factors and to elucidate water-quality changes more directly associated with CMP implementation. Residuals from random-forest models were used to detect changes between the two time periods via Wilcoxon signed-rank tests, and multiple linear regression models were used to determine percent change in responses via time-period dummy variable coefficients. Results indicate statistically insignificant changes in most responses during runoff events.

This data release consists of 5390 streamflow gages within the conterminous United States that will serve as version 1.0 of streamflow benchmark locations for hydrologic model evaluation and benchmarking.

This data release consists of 5390 streamflow gages within the conterminous United States that will serve as version 1.0 of streamflow benchmark locations for hydrologic model evaluation and benchmarking.

This dataset includes streamflow measurements collected at six sites in Pinnacles National Park during 2018. Data collection occurred at times when the streamflow did not include runoff from precipitation. The wading method was used to measure streamflow (Nolan, K.M. and Shields, R.R., 2000, Measurement of stream discharge by wading, U.S. Geological Survey Water-Resources Investigations Report 2000-4036, 106 p.). By this method, the stream channel cross section is divided into subsections. For each subsection, a tape measure is used to measure the distance from the left stream bank (as facing downstream), a wading rod is used to measure the channel depth, and a velocity meter attached to the wading rod is used to measure the water velocity. For shallow stream depths, such as those at the six measurement sites, velocity is typically measured at a position that is 60 percent of the total water depth. The volumetric streamflow rate for each subsection is calculated as the product of the width, depth, and velocity of the subsection. The width of each subsection extends from the depth measurement to points that are halfway to the preceding and following depth measurement points along the stream transect. The total flow rate is calculated as the sum of the flow rates over all subsections. Total flow rates at the six sites are small, ranging from 0.06 to 0.17 cubic feet per second. These rates are considered approximate because of the non-ideal stream channel conditions at some sites and the low stream velocities.

This dataset includes streamflow measurements collected at six sites in Pinnacles National Park during 2018. Data collection occurred at times when the streamflow did not include runoff from precipitation. The wading method was used to measure streamflow (Nolan, K.M. and Shields, R.R., 2000, Measurement of stream discharge by wading, U.S. Geological Survey Water-Resources Investigations Report 2000-4036, 106 p.). By this method, the stream channel cross section is divided into subsections. For each subsection, a tape measure is used to measure the distance from the left stream bank (as facing downstream), a wading rod is used to measure the channel depth, and a velocity meter attached to the wading rod is used to measure the water velocity. For shallow stream depths, such as those at the six measurement sites, velocity is typically measured at a position that is 60 percent of the total water depth. The volumetric streamflow rate for each subsection is calculated as the product of the width, depth, and velocity of the subsection. The width of each subsection extends from the depth measurement to points that are halfway to the preceding and following depth measurement points along the stream transect. The total flow rate is calculated as the sum of the flow rates over all subsections. Total flow rates at the six sites are small, ranging from 0.06 to 0.17 cubic feet per second. These rates are considered approximate because of the non-ideal stream channel conditions at some sites and the low stream velocities.

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Water Mission Area (WMA) is working to address a need to understand where the Nation is experiencing water shortages or surpluses relative to the demand for water need by delivering routine assessments of water supply and demand. It is also improving understanding of the natural and human factors affecting the balance between supply and demand. A key part of these national assessments is identifying long-term trends in water availability, including groundwater and surface water quantity, quality, and use. To describe the long-term trends in the surface water quality component of water availability, data from the USGS and other Federal, State, and local agencies were accessed primarily through the US EPA's Water Quality Portal (https://www.waterqualitydata.us/) in 2023 and used in trend analyses. This USGS data release contains all the input and output files necessary to reproduce the results from the Weighted Regressions on Time, Discharge, and Season (WRTDS) models, using data preparation methods described in Oelsner and others, 2017 for individual monitoring locations. Models were calibrated for each combination of site and parameter using the screened input data. Models were run on Tallgrass, the USGS supercomputer, in separate run for each parameter. Once calibrated, the WRTDS models were initially evaluated using a logistic regression equation that estimated a probability of acceptance for each model (e.g., "a good fit") based on a set of diagnostic metrics derived from the observed, estimated, and residual values from each model and data set (Murphy and Chanat, 2023). Each WRTDS model was assigned to one of three categories: “auto-accept,” “auto-reject,” or “manual evaluation". Models assigned to the latter category were visually evaluated for appropriate model fit using residual and diagnostic plots. Models assigned to the first two categories were automatically included or rejected from the final results, respectively. Seven water-quality parameters were assessed, including nutrients (nitrate, filtered orthophosphate, total nitrogen, and total phosphorus), salinity indicators (chloride and specific conductance), and sediment (suspended sediment concentration). Trends are reported for three trend periods: 1980-2020, 2000-2020, and the longest period of record at each site.

This dataset represents 19,031 basin boundaries and their streamgage locations for the U.S. Geological Survey's (USGS) active and historical streamgages from the published dataset of Stewart and others (2006) and its subsequent updates (D.W. Stewart, USGS, written commun., 2011). Only the basin boundaries that were delineated within 15 percent of the basin area reported in the National Water Information System (NWIS) were included in this dataset. This dataset only includes streamgage basins in the lower 48 states and not in Alaska, Hawaii, or Puerto Rico. The basin boundaries and streamgage locations are provided in 18 shapefiles separated by 2-digit Hydrologic Unit Code. The USGS streamgage station's identification number attached to each delineated polygon can be linked to the attribute data found in Stewart and others (2006). The delineated watersheds were made from digital elevation models found in the NHDPlus data suite (version 1, 2006) and based on gage locations provided by Stewart and others (2006). These basins have been used in several USGS studies such as James Falcone's "GAGES-II: Geospatial Attributes of Gages for Evaluating Streamflow" (2011) and Xiaodong Jian and others, "WaterWatch-Maps, Graphs, and Tables of Current, Recent, and Past Streamflow Conditions " (2008).

This dataset represents 19,031 basin boundaries and their streamgage locations for the U.S. Geological Survey's (USGS) active and historical streamgages from the published dataset of Stewart and others (2006) and its subsequent updates (D.W. Stewart, USGS, written commun., 2011). Only the basin boundaries that were delineated within 15 percent of the basin area reported in the National Water Information System (NWIS) were included in this dataset. This dataset only includes streamgage basins in the lower 48 states and not in Alaska, Hawaii, or Puerto Rico. The basin boundaries and streamgage locations are provided in 18 shapefiles separated by 2-digit Hydrologic Unit Code. The USGS streamgage station's identification number attached to each delineated polygon can be linked to the attribute data found in Stewart and others (2006). The delineated watersheds were made from digital elevation models found in the NHDPlus data suite (version 1, 2006) and based on gage locations provided by Stewart and others (2006). These basins have been used in several USGS studies such as James Falcone's "GAGES-II: Geospatial Attributes of Gages for Evaluating Streamflow" (2011) and Xiaodong Jian and others, "WaterWatch-Maps, Graphs, and Tables of Current, Recent, and Past Streamflow Conditions " (2008).