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Evaluation of the U.S. Geological Survey Streamgage Network in South Carolina, 2017

Open-File Report 2020-1104
Prepared in cooperation with the South Carolina Department of Transportation
By:  and 
https://doi.org/10.3133/ofr20201104

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Abstract

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) has been monitoring streamflow in South Carolina since the late 1800s. From the beginning, the USGS streamgage network in South Carolina has been dynamic, with streamgages being added or removed depending on their purpose and the availability of funding from Federal, State, and local partners. Streamflow monitoring is important for acquiring real-time data during flood events, but also for collecting long-term data that can be used to compute the magnitude and frequency of floods and to frame flood events in a historical perspective. These data are also critical for being able to develop regional regression equations that can be used to estimate flood characteristics at ungaged locations, which is important for infrastructure planning and design. The historical flooding that occurred in South Carolina in 2015, 2016, and 2018 highlighted the importance of collecting these data. Therefore, the USGS, in cooperation with the South Carolina Department of Transportation, evaluated the USGS streamgage network in South Carolina for the purpose of helping guide decisions concerning future streamgage location selection, both spatially and in terms of the range of drainage basin characteristics that are typically important in flood-frequency analyses. The results of this evaluation are presented in this report.

Suggested Citation

Feaster, T.D., and Kolb, K.R., 2020, Evaluation of the U.S. Geological Survey streamgage network in South Carolina, 2017: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2020–1104, 15 p., https://doi.org/10.3133/ofr20201104.

ISSN: 2331-1258 (online)

Study Area

Table of Contents

  • Acknowledgments
  • Abstract
  • Introduction
  • Purpose and Scope
  • History of the Streamgage Network in South Carolina
  • Methods
  • Summary Statistics
  • Considerations for the Selection of New Streamgage Locations
  • Summary
  • References Cited
  • Appendix 1. U.S. Geological Survey Streamgages in South Carolina With Record Through September 2017—Rural Streamgages With 10 or More Years of Record
  • Appendix 2. U.S. Geological Survey Streamgages in South Carolina With Record Through September 2017—Rural Streamgages With Less Than 10 Years of Record
  • Appendix 3. U.S. Geological Survey Streamgages in South Carolina With Record Through September 2017—Urban Streamgages With Varying Years of Record
Publication type Report
Publication Subtype USGS Numbered Series
Title Evaluation of the U.S. Geological Survey streamgage network in South Carolina, 2017
Series title Open-File Report
Series number 2020-1104
DOI 10.3133/ofr20201104
Year Published 2020
Language English
Publisher U.S. Geological Survey
Publisher location Reston, VA
Contributing office(s) South Atlantic Water Science Center
Description Report: vii, 15 p.; 1 Plate: 40.00 x 40.00 inches; Appendixes 1-3; Data Release
Country United States
State South Carolina
Online Only (Y/N) Y
Additional Online Files (Y/N) Y
Google Analytic Metrics Metrics page
Additional publication details