Thoughts on stream gauge and educate me

[Nedak]

Went to Lock 10 w. Mauro (fellow TPFRer) yesterday and we found the river to be high and muddy.  He referred me to stream gauge for the Potomac for future reference.

http://waterdata.usgs.gov/md/nwis/uv?01646500

Note the dramatic temperature decrease July 11-12 almost 10 degrees.

Per http://www.nws.noaa.gov/climate/index.php?wfo=lwx
we did get 1.3 inches of rain at National so I figure its the rain. 

Can someone confirm or educate me on correlation?

Thanks.

[TurbineBlade]

Rain often has a very large impact on water temp, and also other parameters as well (turbidity is an obvious one in this region, but it can also affect pH, conductivity, etc.  Actually, in the winter in DC, snowmelt and/or rain/sleet usually jacks the conductivity trememdously because of all the salt applied to the roads.  It's insane how high the cond. gets on some of the small streams due to this.  

Gene

[TurbineBlade]

I used to work for DDOE -- here is the real-time water quality units on the Potomac and Anacostia -- http://www.ysieconet.com/public/WebUI/Default.aspx?hidCustomerID=167

The one over the Benning road bridge always gets clogged with debris and scuds -- usually when it goes off-line and you take the boat out to check on it, you can expect to knock hundreds of scuds and sometimes some sticks and trash out of the unit.  

The Potomac one usually has fewer problems since the river is larger and is less likely to get fouled up.  

Gene

[TurbineBlade]

Oh, I meant to say -- check the readings before and after it rains and you'll think you're looking at completely different rivers ;).

Gene

[Sardman]

nice how you can see the effect of the tides on the YSI monitoring overlapping with the rain.

the USGS gauge is upstream of the Little falls dam, and is non-tidal. On top of that, the dam acts as a weir and the level elevation is proportional to the flow, not the same with measuring the level  in the open river.

thanks for sharing: it's useful to have a reading of turbidity and chlorophyll in the river, along with transmittance gives you a good idea of the conditions.

M.

[Mike]

Having used the USGS and NOAA data for many years and my limited background in WX data monitoring I'll also chime in with it's about what's coming down the river more so than the current conditions. Rains in the headwaters of the watershed usually take 48 - 72 hours to reflect on the gauge at LF. Localized heavy rains depending on intensity obviously have a varied local effect. (last week) To better judge what the levels will be I always check the gauges at points up stream. This link may help you in that regard.

While the Little Falls gauge is above the fall line and dam, it's position has not varied much since installed and provides many years worth of solid data points. The result is what creates the average level and flow we base most recreational use on.

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[namfos]

from the POV of safety while wading (I'm boat- or yak-less) I prefer not to fish the Harpers Ferry area of the Potomac unless the Point of Rocks gage is 2.0 ft or less. I've much less experience down below Little Falls, but I seem to recall that Fletchers won't rent boats if the Little Falls gage is 5 ft or more.

Mark

[mauro orpianesi]

The other day the LF gauge was at 4-ish , dropping from 4.5. The water level near lock 10 was way too high for wading, and that's not even the main branch of the river. I have been there with 3.25 ft levels and is pretty safe.
M.

On Jul 18, 2013 8:59 AM, "namfos" <mark....@gmail.com> wrote:

from the POV of safety while wading (I'm boat- or yak-less) I prefer not to fish the Harpers Ferry area of the Potomac unless the Point of Rocks gage is 2.0 ft or less. I've much less experience down below Little Falls, but I seem to recall that Fletchers won't rent boats if the Little Falls gage is 5 ft or more.

Mark

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[Eric Y.]

I fished Riverbend two consecutive weekends this month and one day it was 3.25 at Little Falls and the next weekend it was 4.0 at Little Falls. The difference was quite notable. Weekend 1, I could wade across to the far side to fish around the islands with the water reaching above my navel in only one deep hole, all the while feeling very in control. Weekend 2, I got out to waist height, turned around and went right back to shore.

On Thursday, July 18, 2013 10:32:34 AM UTC-4, Sardman wrote:

The other day the LF gauge was at 4-ish , dropping from 4.5. The water level near lock 10 was way too high for wading, and that's not even the main branch of the river. I have been there with 3.25 ft levels and is pretty safe.
M.

On Jul 18, 2013 8:59 AM, "namfos" <mark....@gmail.com> wrote:

from the POV of safety while wading (I'm boat- or yak-less) I prefer not to fish the Harpers Ferry area of the Potomac unless the Point of Rocks gage is 2.0 ft or less. I've much less experience down below Little Falls, but I seem to recall that Fletchers won't rent boats if the Little Falls gage is 5 ft or more.

Mark

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[Richard Farino]

We tell people here to watch the Little Falls gauge – when it’s at 3 foot, the entire river is clear and wadeable.

 

 

R

 

 

Richard Farino

Urban Angler VA | 108 N. Washington Street  2nd Floor | Alexandria, VA 22314

(703) 527-2524 | fax: (703) 527-3313 | ric...@urbanangler.com

 

From: tidal-potoma...@googlegroups.com [mailto:tidal-potoma...@googlegroups.com] On Behalf Of Eric Y.
Sent: Thursday, July 18, 2013 1:09 PM
To: tidal-potoma...@googlegroups.com
Subject: Re: {Tidal Potomac Fly Rodders} Re: Thoughts on stream gauge and educate me

 

I fished Riverbend two consecutive weekends this month and one day it was 3.25 at Little Falls and the next weekend it was 4.0 at Little Falls. The difference was quite notable. Weekend 1, I could wade across to the far side to fish around the islands with the water reaching above my navel in only one deep hole, all the while feeling very in control. Weekend 2, I got out to waist height, turned around and went right back to shore.

On Thursday, July 18, 2013 10:32:34 AM UTC-4, Sardman wrote:

The other day the LF gauge was at 4-ish , dropping from 4.5. The water level near lock 10 was way too high for wading, and that's not even the main branch of the river. I have been there with 3.25 ft levels and is pretty safe.
M.

On Jul 18, 2013 8:59 AM, "namfos" <mark....@gmail.com> wrote:

from the POV of safety while wading (I'm boat- or yak-less) I prefer not to fish the Harpers Ferry area of the Potomac unless the Point of Rocks gage is 2.0 ft or less. I've much less experience down below Little Falls, but I seem to recall that Fletchers won't rent boats if the Little Falls gage is 5 ft or more.

 

Mark

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[Brad]

MD DNR has worked out a good system - here is the link to that table - http://www.dnr.state.md.us/boating/pdfs/upperpotomac.pdf

All MD Potomac boat ramps have yellow and red lines painted on them that correspond to those levels - if the water is touching yellow, you are in the caution zone and touching red is the danger zone. These guides are also reprinted on a popular set of all weather river maps used for boating (no link to commercial stuff). I have used these guidelines for years and they are sound. For instance, one my favorite floats in my canoe ends at Point of Rocks. Anything below 2' on that gauge will be a great day and the water will be moving slow enough that I can easily ferry back and forth between pieces of structure. Above two and ferrying becomes difficult. Above two, using my drag anchor is dangerous. 

On Wednesday, July 17, 2013 3:35:06 PM UTC-4, Nedak wrote: