Historic Century Gages in

USGS Kentucky Cooperators Meeting April 18, 2019

U.S. Department of the Interior U.S. Geological Survey Early Streamgaging in Kentucky

. Many partners operated these gages in addition to the USGS early on Century Gage Criteria

. Looked for first documentation of any data taken at a gage location still operated today

. Most gages started as daily stage readings by an observer or dam operator

. Peak flows

. Unfortunately, all gages have some gaps due to discontinuation of monitoring

19th Century

Gage Site First Data Installed 03287500 AT LOCK 4 AT FRANKFORT, KY 1817 1905 03294500 AT LOUISVILLE, KY 1832 1871

03315500 GREEN RIVER AT LOCK 4 AT WOODBURY, KY 1839 1899

03253500 AT CATAWBA, KY 1854 1887

03212500 AT PAINTSVILLE, KY 1862 1928

03611000 OHIO RIVER AT PADUCAH, KY 1873 1879

03287000 KENTUCKY RIVER AT LOCK 6 NEAR SALVISA, KY 1885 1892

03215000 BIG SANDY RIVER AT LOUISA, KY 1897 1897 Early 20th Century

Site First Data Gage Installed 03286500 KENTUCKY RIVER AT LOCK 7 AT HIGHBRIDGE, KY 1901 1901

03280000 NORTH FORK KENTUCKY RIVER AT JACKSON, KY 1904 1904 03285000 NEAR DANVILLE, KY 1905 1905 03404500 AT CUMBERLAND FALLS, KY 1907 1907 03284000 KENTUCKY RIVER AT LOCK 10 NEAR WINCHESTER, KY 1907 1907 03286200 DIX RIVER AT DIX DAM NEAR BURGIN, KY 1910 1910 03314500 BARREN RIVER AT BOWLING GREEN, KY 1913 1915 03308500 GREEN RIVER AT MUNFORDVILLE, KY 1913 1915 03291500 EAGLE CREEK AT GLENCOE, KY 1913 1915 03289500 NEAR FRANKFORT, KY 1915 1915 03249500 LICKING RIVER AT FARMERS, KY 1915 1915 03252500 SOUTH FORK LICKING RIVER AT CYNTHIANA, KY 1917 1917 03282000 KENTUCKY RIVER AT LOCK 14 AT HEIDELBERG, KY 1917 1917 Field Work

. Observers

. Local Citizens/University Staff Field Work

. Daily observations

. Stage readings only Field Work

. Haskell Meter (prior to 1895)

. Price AA Field Work

. William Gunn Price Field Work

. Making a discharge measurement Field Work

. Making a discharge measurement Field Work

. Cableways Instrumentation and Recorders

. First known stage recorder created in 1876

. First known use by USGS in 1892 on the Rio Grande River, New Mexico

. Several types subsequently developed but none were reliable until 1903 when the 7 day recorder was introduced Instrumentation and Recorders

. 325 continuous recorders in use by 1914

. 19% of all USGS gages nationwide

. 3,181 by 1940

. 81% Instrumentation and Recorders

. Recorder clocks needed to be wound and set each visit to ensure accurate time Gage Design

. With the advent of data recorders, shelters were needed to house them

. Early shelters (ca. 1903) were crude and made primarily of wood

. This design was inadequate and consequently, gages were routinely destroyed during floods or periods of heavy ice Gage Design

. Reinforced concrete stilling well designed in 1910 by USGS District Office in New York Gage Design

. Large number of stilling wells installed around the country from 1933-1942 as part of the Civilian Conservation Corps public works project Early Telemetry

. Position-Motor System . Self-synchronizing motors transmitted via A/C power through a 5 wire transmission line up to 15 miles

. Impulse System . Utilizes a dedicated phone line and could transmit much further utilizing electrical pulses

. Telemark System . Still used today at USACE sites . Can send a digital value or provide one audibly Kentucky Century Gages

. 21 active locations with record more than 100 years old continue to serve the state and country

Kentucky Century Gages

. Flood forecasting . Long-term trends in water use and availability . Support the design and management of infrastructure

Kentucky Hydrologic Networks Highlights from Water Year 2018

USGS Kentucky Cooperators Meeting April 18, 2019

U.S. Department of the Interior U.S. Geological Survey Flooding in 2018 Flooding in 2018 Flooding in 2018

. Primarily a moderate category flood (Ohio River Cannelton briefly reached major category)

. Special measurements of discharge made for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers below Barkley and Kentucky Lakes (largest releases since 2010)

. Highest measured discharges we have ever made at 4 different Ohio River gages

. Also responded to localized flooding in Louisville and northern Kentucky Flooding in 2018 Flooding in 2018 Streamflow Overview for WY 2018 Streamflow Overview for WY 2018 Current Water Year Streamflow Overview for WY 2018 Gage Updates New Gages

. 03291585 Kentucky River at Lock 1, KY

. Gage Height

New Gages

. Water Quality Sensors

. 03254520 Licking River at HWY 536 near Alexandria, KY . 03290500 Kentucky River at Lock 2 at Lockport, KY

New Gages

. 03319600 Rough River at Hartford, KY

. Gage height and discharge . Flood Inundation Map

Discontinued Gages

. 03438000 Little River near Cadiz, KY

. Discharge computations to cease July 1 Thank you for your continued support!

U.S. Department of the Interior U.S. Geological Survey