River Level Gages
The purpose of this portion of the website is to provide available stream elevation data for the residents of Shawnee County. The information provided is gathered and distributed by the United States Geological Survey (USGS) and the National Weather Service (NWS).
These sites contain links to seven (7) gage stations that have been installed to monitor water levels within rivers and streams potentially impacting Shawnee County. The links provided present the information in a variety of formats depending on the data source. Each link includes, at a minimum, the most recent water level reading at the gage station. A number of the links provide additional information about the gage site including: flow rate data, estimated rainfall totals, historical high water elevations from past events, and estimated five (5) day forecasts of future river conditions.
Please note that if a "datum of gage" is listed for a site then this elevation must be added to the current water level reading to calculate the "above mean sea level" elevation at the site.
National Weather Service ‐ Advanced Hydrological Prediction Service
United State Geological Service ‐ National Water Information System
Gage height (also known as stage) is the height of the water in the stream above a reference point. Gage height refers to the elevation of the water surface in the specific pool at the streamgaging station, not along the entire stream. Gage height also does not refer to the depth of the stream. Measurements of gage height are continually recorded by equipment inside a gagehouse on the streambank.
Streamflow (also known as discharge) is the volume of water flowing past a given point in the stream in a given period of time. Streamflow is reported as cubic feet per second (ft3/s). Streamflow values are better indicators than gage height of conditions along the whole river. Measurements of streamflow are made about every six weeks by USGS personnel; they wade into the stream to make the measurement or do so from a boat, bridge, or cableway over the stream.
For each streamgaging station, a relation between gage height and streamflow is determined by simultaneous measurements of gage height and streamflow over the natural range of flows (from very low flows to floods). This relation provides the current condition streamflow data from that station. All current condition data are provisional and subject to revision.
Estimated Rainfall
The Estimated Rainfall page contains a link to the National Weather Service (NWS) River Forecast Center Precipitation Analysis. This website presents estimated rainfall totals throughout the United States in a map-based format. Users can sort rainfall estimates by various time intervals (last 3 hours to last 90 days) and search archives for historical rainfall totals.