Water Data for the Nation

• Real Time Data

• USGS WaterWatch
  • Current hydrologic conditions
  • Floods | Droughts
  • Surface water quality
  • Groundwater levels

• Historical data
  • Streamflow
  • Ground water
  • Water quality
  • Annual Data Reports
  • Instantaneous Data Archive (IDA)

Water Programs

• • Office of Surface Water
  • Office of Groundwater
  • Office of Water Quality
  • National Water Information System
  • National Water Quality Assessment

ABOUT THE HIF

• • Office information
    • Location
    • Employee directory
  • HIF History

USGS IN YOUR STATE

USGS Water Science Centers are located in each state.

Facilities at the Hydrologic Instrumentation Facility

Environmental Chambers

The HIF’s Testing Section uses environmental chambers to subject instruments and equipment to the temperature extremes they will encounter when they are deployed at USGS field sites. The environmental test chambers can be used in concert with pressure controllers to subject pressure-sensing devices (pressure transducers used to measure water levels) to a range of pressures and temperatures. Temperatures within the environmental chambers and pressures provided by the pressure controllers are calibrated with standards that are National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) traceable.

The HIF’s Testing Section operates three reach-in environmental chambers to evaluate and quality-assure submersible and non-submersible pressure transducers, data loggers, and satellite telemetry radios. A walk-in chamber is used primarily to evaluate non-contact, radar stage-sensing equipment.

Graph showing the effect of varying temperatures on two different radar stage-sensing units

• Photo Gallery