Understand the numbers behind the river
Plain-English guides to streamflow, gauge height, flood stages, USGS gauges, fishing, paddling and River Pulse.
What Does CFS Mean on a River?
A plain-English guide to cubic feet per second, why river flow is measured in CFS, and how to compare flow readings.
Read guide →RIVER BASICSGauge Height vs. River Depth
Gauge height is not the same thing as total river depth. Learn what stage means and why values cannot be compared directly between gauges.
Read guide →USGS GUIDEHow to Read a USGS River Gauge
A beginner-friendly walkthrough of streamflow, gauge height, trends, historical context and flood-stage information.
Read guide →FLOOD BASICSAction Stage vs. Flood Stage
What NOAA action stage and flood stage mean, how they differ, and why every threshold is tied to a specific gauge.
Read guide →PADDLINGHow River Levels Affect Kayaking
Why flow and gauge height matter to paddlers, what rising water can change, and why local knowledge still matters.
Read guide →FISHINGHow River Flow Affects Fishing
A practical look at how changing flow can affect current, water clarity, fish position, access and presentation.
Read guide →GET WATER DATAUnderstanding River Pulse
How Get Water Data turns current flow, recent direction and historical context into a quick plain-English river summary.
Read guide →REFERENCEUSGS River Gauge Glossary
Plain-English definitions for the river terms you see on Get Water Data and USGS streamgage pages.
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