Availability of Baseplot and Hydcomp software, user documentation, and support

In Reply Refer To:	April 3, 2003
Mail Stop 415




OFFICE OF SURFACE WATER TECHNICAL MEMORANDUM NO. 2003.03

SUBJECT:  	Availability of “Baseplot” and “Hydcomp” software, user 
documentation, and support

This memorandum announces the availability of “Baseplot” and “Hydcomp” 
streamflow records review software and provides access information for 
documentation and user support of those programs.

Over the last several years, Lamar Sanders of the South Carolina District, 
has developed two computer programs to aid U.S. Geological Survey 
personnel in the checking and reviewing of primary streamflow records.  
The Office of Surface Water, the Southeastern Region, and the South 
Carolina District funded program enhancements and documentation.  The 
resulting programs, known as BASEPLOT and HYDCOMP, were distributed to 
districts in the Southeast Region and have been used extensively in 
records review and hydrologic surveillance by those districts.  A recent 
survey of several of these districts indicated that the programs increased 
the efficiency of records preparation and review and aided the management 
of their networks.  These software tools are being announced with the 
expectation that others may also find them useful and experience increased 
efficiencies.

The current stand-alone programs are based on the Statistical Analysis 
System (SAS) and have the following capabilities:

BASEPLOT:

This Program produces tabular and graphical displays of data from 
measurement, rating, unit values (UV), and daily values (DV) files for use 
in quality control of surface-water discharge (stage-discharge ratings) 
records.  A questionnaire/review form is available for each BASEPLOT 
display to guide, facilitate, and document the records-checking process.  
Specific displays include: 

1. Plots of ratings and measurements;
2. Plots of stage-shift curves;
3. Plots of shift curves in terms of stage and flow;
4. Plots of hydrographs showing:
      	(a) Unit-value gage heights, shifts corrections, and datum 
            corrections;
      	(b) Input datum and shift correction data points;
      	(c) Discharge measurements, and
      	(d) Numeric quality control checks;
5. Tables of numeric quality-control checks, in addition to 
   measurement and shift correction data.

HYDCOMP:

This Program computes estimated daily values based on regression with DV 
records from one or two index stations.  The estimates can be used to help 
fill in gaps in record or for quality control through objective 
comparisons with computed discharge at nearby/similar gaging stations.  
The program outputs estimated data in a flat file that the user must 
manually input to ADAPS.  The HYDCOMP program:

1. Automatically selects 5 "best" index stations in the state by 
   correlation and regression;
2. Produces the standard error of estimate for evaluating the 
   accuracy of the regression;
3. Estimates missing flows and, if specified by the user, 
   erroneous nonmissing flows; 
4. Smooths estimated flows using a Kalman-filter smoothing 
   algorithm, and
5. Produces DV hydrographs of estimated flow data, observed flow 
   data, 95 percent confidence limits, discharge measurements, and limits of 
   regression. Quality control is achieved by comparison of observed flow 
   data with 95 percent confidence limits on the hydrograph.

To assist users of these programs, two user's manuals were recently 
published as U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Reports. The reports, titled 
"User's Manual for Computer Program BASEPLOT" (OFR 02-151) and "Daily 
Values Flow Comparison and Estimates Using Program HYDCOMP, Version 1.0" 
(OFR 02-286), are currently available for download as Adobe Acrobat PDF 
files on the South Carolina District web page. Complete instructions on 
downloading, installing, and executing the programs can be found in the 
user's manuals. The respective URLs for the BASEPLOT and HYDCOMP user's 
manuals are http://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2002/ofr02151/ and 
http://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2002/ofr02-286/.  In addition to 
the user manuals, the South Carolina District has agreed to provide 
limited user support for these programs through October 2003.



							/signed/

Stephen F. Blanchard
Chief, Office of Surface Water

Distribition Code:  A, B, DC, CD, FO, PO, 
 	            and District SW Specialists