Stream gaging in support of instream flow measurement and regulation'

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Environmental Assessment Program

• Stream gaging in support of in-stream flow
  measurement and regulation.

• Place Chart B here.

• GMAP Measures
• Percent of streams below critical low flows
• Actual stream flows compared to in-stream flow
  rules ( meeting target flow) in development
  with Water Resources Program

Providing credible science to guide Washingtons
environmental choices
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Environmental Assessment Program

• Ecologys Stream Gaging Network

• Began development in 1998 in response to USGS
  gaging cuts and escalating costs.
• Ecology Criteria
• Quality or gt than USGS
• Cost lt than USGS
• Consistency between watersheds (SOPs)
• Reliable data mgt
• Timeliness of data
• Public (web) access to data

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Environmental Assessment Program

• Flow monitoring supports in-stream flow
  management, water acquisition programs, and
  salmon recovery planning
  
  

Rocky Ford Creek - Moses Lake
Chumstick Creek - Leavenworth
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Environmental Assessment Program

• Flow monitoring supports TMDLs, Ambient
  Monitoring (status and trends), and other
  watershed investigations
• 
  
  
• Flow is a critical factor in evaluation of
  pollutant assimilative capacity (dilution)

Rocky Ford Creek - Moses Lake
Chumstick Creek - Leavenworth
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Environmental Assessment Program
Flow monitoring supports local watershed
management

• Comprehensive Irrigation District Management Plan
  (Dungeness River Basin)
• Sudcadia Water Trust (Upper Yakima Basin)
• Forest Practices Board Coop Monitoring and
  Research Committee (Willapa Basin)
• Water Acquisition Program Stations
• Naches River (WRIA 38)
• Walla Walla River (WRIA 32)

CCD Irrigation Ditch - Sequim
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Environmental Assessment Program

• Ecology currently operates 187 stations
• 93 telemetry stations
• 34 stand-alone stations
• 60 manual stage height stations

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• Telemetry stations
• Continuous data in near-real time (1-4 hr)
• Allows active water mgt in real time
• Remote evaluation of equipment status
• Stream stage known prior to field visit
• Maintenance schedule every 6-8 weeks
• High initial cost (12k)
• Permits required
• Difficult to relocate (4k)

• Stand-alone stations
• Continuous data downloaded once/month
• Active water mgt not supported
• Equipment status unknown between visits
• Stream stage unknown prior to visit
• Monthly downloads required
• Moderate cost (4k)
• Permits not required
• Relocation easy (700)

• Staff gages
• Data only recorded by reading the gage
• Active water mgt not supported
• Gage status unknown between visits
• Stream stage unknown prior to visit
• Monthly visits usual practice
• Low cost (500)
• Permits not required
• Relocation easy

Planning, site reconnaissance, developing and
calibrating rating curve (relationship of stage
height to flow rate), travel and field expenses
similar for all three types of gages (telemetered
gages have lower recurring travel costs).
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Telemetry Gages
Ecologys Web Page
Ecology Staff
End User
Walla Walla R _at_ Pepper Br
http//www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/eap/flow/shu_main.h
tml
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• GOES DOMSAT LRGS
• Ecology has installed an LRGS (Local Readout
  Ground Station) (somewhere over Jays office)
  for GOES satellite data retrieval. Data are
  transmitted every three hours (some hourly) from
  Ecology telemetry stream gages.

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The result - fully automated, near-real time web
reporting. Telemetry gages provide discharge
(flow), water temp, air temp, and (soon)
provision for continuous turbidity data. (data
below from Ecologys web site at 1200 p.m.
11/10/05)
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Environmental Assessment Program

• GMAP Measure
• Percent of stream flows below critical low flows
  (lt 20 of historical flow)

• Place Chart A here.

Providing credible science to guide Washingtons
environmental choices
12
Environmental Assessment Program

• GMAP Measure
• Actual stream flows compared to in-stream flow
  rule (in development)

Wenatchee River annual hydrograph (blue) and
in-stream flow rule (red) Water Year 2005 (Oct
2004 Oct 2005)
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Established Instream Flows and Schedule for New
Rules
Instream Flows Set
Established Instream Flow Rules
Rules Adopted 2005
Instream Flow Rules Scheduled
Rulemaking in Process
Rulemaking Planned
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Environmental Assessment Program
Instream Flows Rules and Stream Gages
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Environmental Assessment Program
Planning New Stream Gaging Locations
A D e p a r t m e n t o f E c o l o g y
R e p o r t

• Evaluation of Washington States Stream Flow
  Gaging Network

• EAP continues to receive many requests for new
  stream gages, especially in support of 2514
  planning
• EAP has produced an evaluation of its current
  gaging program and opened a discussion around
  strategic planning at the Watershed Advancement
  Group (WAG)