Water Data for the Nation

• Real Time Data

• USGS WaterWatch
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  • 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
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  • HIF History

USGS IN YOUR STATE

USGS Water Science Centers are located in each state.

Programs at the Hydrologic Instrumentation Facility

Project: Plastic AA Bucket Wheels

Plastic Bucketwheel

The plastic bucket wheel is designed to be a direct replacement for the chrome plated metal wheels currently in use on the Type AA USGS velocity meter. The goals for the plastic bucket wheel are to reduce costs and to produce a more uniform bucket wheel than is currently possible with the metal version. The current design employs a plastic frame and individual cups that are made from the same mold cavity. Six cups are fixed to the frame to produce a complete bucketwheel. Being made of plastic, the bucket wheel is lighter taking less torque to begin rotation. When used with a magnetic switch head assembly, the plastic bucket wheel can very accurately measure slow velocities.