This dataset contains a zipped file (dailyQs.zip) of daily streamflow data for 1,378 streamgages in 19 study regions in the conterminous U.S. from October 1, 1980 through September 30, 2013 from mostly undisturbed watersheds. USGS streamgages that were identified as being of “reference” quality in the GAGES-II dataset (https://water.usgs.gov/lookup/getspatial?gagesII_Sept2011) and had at least 10 complete water years (WYs) during the study period from WY1981 through WY2013 were selected. Daily streamflow data were retrieved from the National Water Information System (NWIS) on April 18, 2016. This dataset also contains an Excel file (compWYs.xlsx) indicating for each WY during the study period whether a streamgage had a complete streamflow record (no missing values) during that year. Only complete WYs of daily streamflow data during the study period from the selected streamgages were used to compute the empirical FDC quantiles to which regression equations were fitted. These data support a concurrent publication (Over and others, 2018).

This dataset contains a zipped file (dailyQs.zip) of daily streamflow data for 1,378 streamgages in 19 study regions in the conterminous U.S. from October 1, 1980 through September 30, 2013 from mostly undisturbed watersheds. USGS streamgages that were identified as being of “reference” quality in the GAGES-II dataset (https://water.usgs.gov/lookup/getspatial?gagesII_Sept2011) and had at least 10 complete water years (WYs) during the study period from WY1981 through WY2013 were selected. Daily streamflow data were retrieved from the National Water Information System (NWIS) on April 18, 2016. This dataset also contains an Excel file (compWYs.xlsx) indicating for each WY during the study period whether a streamgage had a complete streamflow record (no missing values) during that year. Only complete WYs of daily streamflow data during the study period from the selected streamgages were used to compute the empirical FDC quantiles to which regression equations were fitted. These data support a concurrent publication (Over and others, 2018).

USGS daily stream flow data for Kings Creek on the Konza Prairie

In 1991, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) began a study of more than 50 major river basins across the Nation as part of the National Water-Quality Assessment (NAWQA) project of the National Water-Quality Program. One of the major goals of the NAWQA project is to determine how water-quality conditions change over time. To support that goal, long-term consistent and comparable monitoring has been conducted on streams and rivers throughout the Nation. Outside of the NAWQA project, the USGS and other Federal, State, and local agencies also have collected long-term water-quality data to support their own assessments of changing water-quality conditions. Data from these multiple sources have been combined to support one of the most comprehensive assessments conducted to date of water-quality trends in the United States. In order to interpret these water-quality trends, it is important to also understand how streamflow has changed during the same period. This USGS data release contains all of the input and output files necessary to reproduce the analyses of trends in streamflow described in the U.S. Geological Survey Scientific Investigations Report. Data preparation for input to the model is also fully described in the above mentioned report.

In 1991, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) began a study of more than 50 major river basins across the Nation as part of the National Water-Quality Assessment (NAWQA) project of the National Water-Quality Program. One of the major goals of the NAWQA project is to determine how water-quality conditions change over time. To support that goal, long-term consistent and comparable monitoring has been conducted on streams and rivers throughout the Nation. Outside of the NAWQA project, the USGS and other Federal, State, and local agencies also have collected long-term water-quality data to support their own assessments of changing water-quality conditions. Data from these multiple sources have been combined to support one of the most comprehensive assessments conducted to date of water-quality trends in the United States. In order to interpret these water-quality trends, it is important to also understand how streamflow has changed during the same period. This USGS data release contains all of the input and output files necessary to reproduce the analyses of trends in streamflow described in the U.S. Geological Survey Scientific Investigations Report. Data preparation for input to the model is also fully described in the above mentioned report.

In 1991, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) began a study of more than 50 major river basins across the Nation as part of the National Water-Quality Assessment (NAWQA) project of the National Water-Quality Program. One of the major goals of the NAWQA project is to determine how water-quality conditions change over time. To support that goal, long-term consistent and comparable monitoring has been conducted on streams and rivers throughout the Nation. Outside of the NAWQA project, the USGS and other Federal, State, and local agencies also have collected long-term water-quality data to support their own assessments of changing water-quality conditions. Data from these multiple sources have been combined to support one of the most comprehensive assessments conducted to date of water-quality trends in the United States. In order to interpret these water-quality trends, it is important to also understand how streamflow has changed during the same period. This USGS data release contains all of the input and output files necessary to reproduce the analyses of trends in streamflow described in the U.S. Geological Survey Scientific Investigations Report. Data preparation for input to the model is also fully described in the above mentioned report.

The Fifteen Minute Stream Flow Data from the USGS Data Set contains 15 minute stream flow data from the USGS station located 2.9 miles upstream from the mouth of Kings Creek. The record extends from April 1, 1979 through September 2, 1988. The purpose of this data set was to provide accurate measurements of the stream flow from Kings Creek so that a water budget analysis for the northwest quadrant of the FIFE study area could be performed. The stilling pipe installed at the USGS station operates on the principle that the water level in a standpipe at a specific location within a stream bed can be converted to a volume of water in the stream bed. The tracking of the change in stream height with time then enables the calculation of stream flow.

In 2016, non-interpretive streamflow statistics were compiled for streamgages located throughout the Nation and stored in the StreamStatsDB database for use with StreamStats and other applications. Two previously published USGS computer programs that were designed to help calculate streamflow statistics were updated to better support StreamStats as part of this effort. These programs are named “GNWISQ” (Get National Water Information System Streamflow (Q) files) and “QSTATS” (Streamflow (Q) Statistics). Statistics for 20,438 streamgages that had 1 or more complete years of record during water years 1901 through 2015 were calculated from daily mean streamflow data; 19,415 of these streamgages were within the conterminous United States. About 89 percent of the 20,438 streamgages had 3 or more years of record, and 65 percent had 10 or more years of record. Drainage areas of the 20,438 streamgages ranged from 0.01 to 1,144,500 square miles. The magnitude of annual average streamflow yields (streamflow per square mile) for these streamgages varied by almost six orders of magnitude, from 0.000029 to 34 cubic feet per second per square mile. About 64 percent of these streamgages did not have any zero-flow days during their available period of record. The 18,122 streamgages with 3 or more years of record were included in the StreamStatsDB compilation so they would be available via the StreamStats interface for user-selected streamgages.

In 2016, non-interpretive streamflow statistics were compiled for streamgages located throughout the Nation and stored in the StreamStatsDB database for use with StreamStats and other applications. Two previously published USGS computer programs that were designed to help calculate streamflow statistics were updated to better support StreamStats as part of this effort. These programs are named “GNWISQ” (Get National Water Information System Streamflow (Q) files) and “QSTATS” (Streamflow (Q) Statistics). Statistics for 20,438 streamgages that had 1 or more complete years of record during water years 1901 through 2015 were calculated from daily mean streamflow data; 19,415 of these streamgages were within the conterminous United States. About 89 percent of the 20,438 streamgages had 3 or more years of record, and 65 percent had 10 or more years of record. Drainage areas of the 20,438 streamgages ranged from 0.01 to 1,144,500 square miles. The magnitude of annual average streamflow yields (streamflow per square mile) for these streamgages varied by almost six orders of magnitude, from 0.000029 to 34 cubic feet per second per square mile. About 64 percent of these streamgages did not have any zero-flow days during their available period of record. The 18,122 streamgages with 3 or more years of record were included in the StreamStatsDB compilation so they would be available via the StreamStats interface for user-selected streamgages.

In 1991, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) began a study of more than 50 major river basins across the Nation as part of the National Water-Quality Assessment (NAWQA) project of the National Water-Quality Program. One of the major goals of the NAWQA project is to determine how water-quality conditions change over time. To support that goal, long-term consistent and comparable monitoring has been conducted on streams and rivers throughout the Nation. Outside of the NAWQA project, the USGS and other Federal, State, and local agencies also have collected long-term water-quality data to support their own assessments of changing water-quality conditions. Data from these multiple sources have been combined to support one of the most comprehensive assessments conducted to date of water-quality trends in the United States. In order to interpret these water-quality trends, it is important to also understand how streamflow has changed during the same period. This USGS data release contains all of the input and output files necessary to reproduce the analyses of trends in streamflow described in the U.S. Geological Survey Scientific Investigations Report. Data preparation for input to the model is also fully described in the above mentioned report.