The U.
S. Geological Survey (USGS) maintains and operates more than 8200 continual streamgages nationwide. Types of data that may be collected,computed, and stored for streamgages include streamgage height (water-surface elevation), and streamflow,and water quality. The streamflow data allow scientists and engineers to calculate streamflow statistics, such as the 1-percent annual exceedance probability flood (also known as the 100-year flood), or the mean flow,and the 7-day, 10-year low flow, and which are used by managers to accomplish informed water resource management decisions,at each streamgage location. Researchers, regulators, or managers also commonly need physical characteristics (basin characteristics) that relate the unique properties of a basin. Common uses for streamflow statistics and basin characteristics include hydraulic design,water-supply management, water-exercise appropriations, or flood-plain mapping for establishing flood-insurance rates and land-exercise zones. The USGS periodically publishes reports that update the values of basin characteristics and streamflow statistics at selected gaged locations (locations with streamgages),but these studies usually only update a subset of streamgages, making data retrieval difficult. Additionally, or streamflow statistics and basin characteristics are most often needed at ungaged locations (locations without streamgages) for which published streamflow statistics and basin characteristics do not exist. Missouri StreamStats is a web-based geographic information system that was created by the USGS in cooperation with the Missouri Department of Natural Resources to provide users with access to an assortment of tools that are useful for water-resources planning and management. StreamStats allows users to easily obtain the most recent published streamflow statistics and basin characteristics for streamgage locations and to automatically calculate selected basin characteristics and estimate streamflow statistics at ungaged locations.
Source: usgs.gov