PeakFQ

  Annual Flood Frequency Analysis Using Bulletin 17C and Bulletin 17B Guidelines

                         Version 7.5 (Beta)

                          2024/02/06

--->
---> NOTICE:  Compiled for Windows.
--->
---> This release has been tested on Windows 10.
--->
---> It has not been tested under Vista, XP nor earlier versions
---> of Windows; no assistance or support will be provided for
---> using the program under these older versions of Windows.
---> 

For assistance, enhancement requests, or to report bugs, contact USGS 
by sending e-mail to h2osoft@usgs.gov.


A. Quick Start

   1. If you have previously installed version 5.0 or later of 
      PEAKFQ or PKFQWin use the "Add/Remove Programs" under the 
      "Settings-Control Panel" Window to uninstall the old PeakFQ
      before installing the new version.

   2. From http://water.usgs.gov/software/PeakFQ/,
      download PeakFQ_7.5.exe 

   3. To launch the installation, double click on the downloaded
      PeakFQ_7.5.exe  

      If you accept all defaults during the installation process,
      PeakFQ will be installed in C:\Program Files(x86)\PeakFQ, a
      PeakFQ icon will be placed on your desktop, and PeakFQ
      will be added to the start menu under USGS
      
   4. PeakFQ is launched by

      a.  clicking on the desktop PeakFQ icon or
      b.  selecting USGS/PeakFQ from the Start menu

   5. Bulletin 17C is a good reference for how to conduct flood frequency analyses.
      It can be downloaded from:

      https://doi.org/10.3133/tm4B5

B. Input Files

   *** NOTE: PeakFQ cannot recognize file paths (including directory
   names and filenames) that are too long.  The program will
   fail to compute an output unless the input files are placed into a 
   short file path. ***
   
   PeakFQ recognizes peak flow data in the PeakFQ (watstore) standard
   format.

   Annual peak flows are available in the PeakFQ standard format
   from NWIS-Web, see http://nwis.waterdata.usgs.gov/usa/nwis/peak.
   (Note:  the PeakFQ program CANNOT read the Tab-separated format.)

C. Changes in Version 7.5 (limited version history)

1) Fixed issue in plotting intervals when data has a gap

2) Fixed issue with opening specifications file and editing it, but revised specifications file not being saved

3) Implemented addtional methods for skew weighting and changed default method. See https://www.usgs.gov/mission-areas/water-resources/peakfq-software-user-notice for details. 

4) Added specifications file option (WeightOpt) for skew weighting option as read-only Station input. Valid options are HWN (default; a generalization of the PeakFQ 7.4.1 algorithm using an optimized adjustment factor when censored data are present, results are identical to PeakFQ 7.4.1 when no censored data are present), INV (identical to PeakFQ 7.4.1 and earlier), and ERL (identical to HEC-SSP 2.3)

 
D. Known Bugs

   - On Input/View tab, if in the Perceptible Range Table a Start Year value is entered 
     that differs from the Beginning Year field on the Stations Specification tab, 
     the Beginning Year field on the Station Specification tab will not be automatically 
     updated.  The user must update this value.

   - On Input/View tab, if in the Perceptible Range Table an End Year value is entered 
     that differs from the Ending Year field on the Stations Specification tab, the 
     Ending Year field on the Station Specification tab will not be automatically updated.  
     The user must update this value.

   - In PRT file, some Diagnostic Messages printed in Table 2 - Diagnostic Message and 
     PILF Results are not applicable to EMA analysis.