The Federal Priority Streamgage (FPS) network serves as a backbone of the greater National Streamgage Network to meet ongoing Federal priorities for streamgage data. The network was designed to meet five federal information needs, and 4,758 sites nationally were selected as meeting one or more of these needs, as indicated on this mapper. These sites are eligible for federal funding, as available. As of September 30, 2022, 3,457 of these sites were active, collecting real time streamflow and/or water level data to meet federal needs. The FPS federal appropriations fully-funds about one-third of these sites and partially funds about one-fourth; with the remaining active sites receiving no FPS funds but are funded through other means. There were 1,301 FPS-eligible stations that were not active. The FPS network addresses these priority information needs:

• Supply Forecasts of floods, droughts, and other streamflow by a Federal agency, primarily National Weather Service, to mitigate water hazards and supply shortages;
• Support interstate, international, and tribal border water agreements, compacts, court decrees, and treaties;
• Monitor Water Availability in large, key watersheds to the next downstream basin, estuary, ocean or the Great Lakes;
• Track sentinel trends at long-term gages associated with major land uses and ecoregions to support water modeling and management; and
• Support federal water-quality assessments of major rivers and estuaries.

This mapper depicts locations, primary information goals, and funding characteristics of the FPS network. Views can be selected for each State, and for specific federal priorities or funding characteristics. The total active number of sites in the table header below represents currently active stations and may vary over time as part of normal network operations.