Provisional Streamflow Data

Data from selected Oregon Water Resources Department streamflow gages are relayed to the USGS Oregon District Office in Portland via an automatic data-collection system. Data are collected from each station at intervals of 4-6 hours and are loaded onto the Oregon District computer system.

Realtime stream discharge data from these gages are 'provisional' and have not been reviewed or edited. These data may be subject to significant change and are not official until reviewed and approved by the Oregon Water Resources Department. Realtime streamflow data may be changed after review because the stage-discharge relationship may have been affected by:

• backwater from ice or debris such as log jams
• algal and aquatic growth in the stream
• sediment movement
• malfunction of recording equipment

Data are reviewed periodically to ensure accuracy. Each station record is considered provisional until the data are published.

Data users are cautioned to consider carefully the provisional nature of the information before using it for decisions that concern personal or public safety or the conduct of business that involves substantial monetary or operational consequences.