Network Analysis of USGS Streamflow Gages

This data release has components of an analysis of the coverage, resolution, and representation of national public interests in streamflow information by the USGS streamflow gaging network that was active in water year 2020. The workflow for the analysis is implemented as scripts and functions in the statistical programming language R. The spatial framework for the analysis is based on from the National Hydrography Dataset medium resolution (1:100,000) segments, 12-digit Hydrologic Unit from the Watershed Boundary Dataset, and sites where USGS operated a streamflow gage in Water Year 2020. The analysis examines the distributions of 41 variables for the United States, the contiguous United States, and 4-digit hydrologic unit codes. Geospatial data used in the analysis are available from published sources. Climate divisions, federal and tribal land management, and water quality designations tabulated by NHD catchments or reaches for the contiguous United States are included as a supplemental data item. Priority areas to maintain or add gages are based on standardized criteria applied to cumulative distributions of the variables.