WRD Data Reports Preparation Guide By Charles E. Novak Open P.le. Re-porV 95- U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY Water Resources Division 1985 Edition UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR DONALD PAUL MODEL, Secretary GEOLOGICAL SURVEY Dallas L. Peck, Director Additional copies available from: U.S. Geological Survey Water Resources Division Publications Planning Unit 418 National Center Reston, Virginia 22092 CONTENTS Page Introduction........................................................................ 1 Acknowledgments................................................................ 3 Covers and preliminary pages........................................................ 3 Covers, title page, back-of-title page, preface, report documentation page..... 3 Table of contents, illustrations, tables....................................... 5 List of surface-water stations................................................. 5 List of ground-water wells..................................................... 7 Water-level sites......................................................... 7 Water-quality sites....................................................... 9 Introductory text................................................................... 9 Introduction................................................................... 9 Cooperation.................................................................... 11 Acknowledgments................................................................ 13 Summary of hydrologic conditions............................................... 14 Special networks and programs.................................................. 16 Explanation of records......................................................... 17 Station identification numbers............................................ 17 Downstream order and station numbers................................. 17 Numbering system for wells and miscellaneous sites................... 21 Records of stage and water discharge...................................... 21 Data collection and computation...................................... 22 Data presentation.................................................... 22 Identifying estimated daily discharge................................ 23 Accuracy of data..................................................... 25 Other data available................................................. 26 Records of surface-water quality.......................................... 27 Classification of records............................................ 27 Arrangement of records............................................... 27 On-site measurements and sample collection........................... 28 Water temperature.................................................... 28 Sediment............................................................. 28 Laboratory measurements.............................................. 28 Data presentation.................................................... 28 Remark codes......................................................... 28 Records of ground-water levels............................................ 29 Data collection and computation...................................... 29 Data presentation.................................................... 29 Records of ground-water quality........................................... 30 Data collection and computation...................................... 30 Data presentation.................................................... 30 Records of precipitation quality.......................................... 30 Data collection and computation...................................... 30 Data presentation.................................................... 31 Access to WATSTORE data........................................................ 31 Definition of terms............................................................ 32 Publications on techniques of water-resources investigations................... 32 Illustrations.................................................................. 32 Maps of hydrologic data sites............................................. 33 Schematic diagrams........................................................ 33 Hydrologic-conditions bar graph........................................... 34 Ground-water-level hydrographs............................................ 3^ Surface-water-quantity data......................................................... 35 Records provided by other agencies............................................. 35 Inclusion of records for stations in adjoining States.......................... 35 Manuscript station description................................................. 35 Basin name (running head)................................................. 36 Station number and name.................................................... 37 Location.................................................................. 39 Latitude and longitude............................................... 40 Landlines............................................................ 40 County name.......................................................... 40 Hydrologic-unit number............................................... 40 Dams................................................................. 41 Bridges and stream banks............................................. 41 Towns and other culture.............................................. 41 Tributaries.......................................................... 42 River mileage........................................................ 42 Drainage area............................................................. 43 Water-discharge records................................................... 47 Period of record.......................................................... 47 Records other than daily discharge or contents....................... 48 Fragmentary records.................................................. 49 Seasonal records..................................................... 49 Direct reference to compilation reports.............................. 49 Criteria for equivalence of records.................................. 50 Name changes......................................................... 51 Nonequivalent records................................................ 52 Qualifications for tributaries or diversions......................... 53 Discredited records.................................................. 53 Discharge measurements only.......................................... 53 Gage heights published by other agencies............................. 54 Unpublished records.................................................. 55 Reference to operation as a partial-record station................... 55 Preferred order...................................................... 56 Revised records........................................................... 56 Gage...................................................................... 57 Type of gage......................................................... 58 Datum of gage........................................................ 59 History of changes................................................... 62 Auxiliary gage....................................................... 63 Supplementary gage................................................... 64 Remarks................................................................... 64 Accuracy............................................................. 65 Identifying estimated daily record and assigning accuracy............ 65 Special methods of computation....................................... 67 Descriptive data for reservoirs...................................... 68 Regulation........................................................... 70 Diversions........................................................... 72 Miscellaneous data................................................... 75 Cooperation............................................................... 76 U.S. Army Corps of Engineers......................................... 77 Average discharge......................................................... 78 E ffect of diversion or regulation.................................... 80 Corrections.......................................................... 80 ii Surface-water-quantity data continued Manuscript station description (continued) Average discharge (continued) Medians.............................................................. 81 Extremes for period of record............................................. 81 Extremes outside the period of record..................................... 8? Extremes for current year................................................. 90 Format............................................................... 90 Special conditions.............................................. 90 Peaks greater than a base discharge.................................. 91 Criteria for selecting stations................................. 91 Criteria for selecting base discharge........................... 92 Criteria for selecting independent peaks greater than a base discharge...................................... 93 Tabular format for peaks greater than a base discharge.......... 94 Special conditions.............................................. 95 Qualifying maximums and minimums..................................... 96 Revisions................................................................. 103 Criteria for revisions............................................... 103