4/30/13, Boise State University, Dept of Geosciences, Hydrologic Sciences, Jim McNamara Research Director (1999-present), Pam Aishlin site maintenance and data management. Data provided herein is for the Confluence 2 East (C2E) stream measurement site of Dry Creek Experimental Watershed, Boise, Idaho. DATA STREAM: 1. Measurement site was installed by Boise State University in 2004 with data available since 8/19/2004. Instrumentation installed varies over time and may include sensors for stream stage, stream temperature and electrical conductivity measurement. Site maintenance and data collection is provided by Boise State University Hydrologic Sciences. 2. Data files are provided by Campbell Scientific dataloggers and/or self logging instruments, and retrieved either via site visit or telemetry. Files are archived at Boise State University, Hydrologic Sciences, Dept of Geosciences. These raw data files occur at varied data collection intervals, e.g. 10 minute, 30 minute or hourly. ***NOTE: Raw data files are level 0, raw data (CUAHSI HIS standards). (CUAHSI HIS standards, 0 = raw data, 1 = Quality controlled data that have passed quality assurance procedures such as routine estimation of timing and sensor calibration or visual inspection and removal of obvious errors, 2 = Derived products that require scientific and technical interpretation and may include multiple-sensor data. An example is basin average precipitation derived from rain gages using an interpolation procedure.) 3. Select data files are quality checked and post processed for gapfilling, noise filtering and/or corrected according to established instrument calibrations. For stage data, random noise and negative values occuring over short time intervals are replaced with proximate average stage values. During the winter months ice may affect data accuracy, for obvious ice-induced noise (> 5cfs change per time increment occurring in conjunction with freezing temperatures), values are replaced with time range before/after average values. For electrical conductivity, in some instances, negative values are reported when stream is dry, wires are disconnected or other failure occurs. These noise values are replaced with -6999, no data values. Stage-discharge rating curves are applied to continuous stream stage data for output of continuous discharge time series. Where feasible, gaps occuring in the discharge timeseries due to sensor failure/error may be filled via interpolation/regression from same site supplementary instruments or other sites within the same watershed. Raw data timestamps may vary from final output timestamps, in which case raw data will be interpolated for output on the hour. 4. Data as collected and provided is, by protocol, in mountain standard time, year-round. SITE NOTES: Within DCEW, Dry Creek fluvial physical characteristics and process vary between plane-bed, step-pool and cascade reach types (Montgomery-Buffington Classification for Pacific NW mountain fluvial environments). This C2E site is located on Shingle Creek, approximately 100 m upstream of the confluence with Dry Creek, flowing southwest, approximately 3km upstream of the Lower Gage catchment outlet measurement site. Riparian vegetation is abundant. Record peak flow at this site (2004-2012) occurred with spring runoff 2006. At this location, the channel is moderately confined, set within a flood plain no more than 500 m wide and bounded by an older floodplain terrace for which the total width as approximately 200 m at this location. In some years, flow ceases just below this point and resumes in September as daily average solar input decreases. Instrumentation at this site is installed within stilling wells at stream channel bottom within a shallow reach through which water drains freely over sand-gravel-cobble substrate. On-site measurement of established staff gage values are regressed against on-site discharge measurement to determine stage-discharge rating curves for the site, annually and subannually. On-site discharge measurement has been conducted with velocity-area, dilution and slope-area survey based methods. DATA/INSTRUMENT NOTES: Capacitance logger - Capacitance loggers used prior to 2007 were Trutrack (manufactured in New Zealand) water level sensors that also provided water temperature and air temperature. Solinst - Post 2007, secondary stream sensors installed are solinst water level sensors paired with solinst barometric measurement sensors. These sensors are self-logging instruments acquired from the Canada-based Solinst company. Both sensors provide stream or air temperature and pressure data. The Solinst Levellogger Gold Model 3001 0-15 ft and the Solinst Barologger Gold Model 3001 are utilized at our sites. Level logger +/- .01 ft accuracy-typical, .001% FS resolution; barologger +/- .003 ft accuracy-typical, .002% FS resolution. Barologgers applied to solinst total pressure data are installed at this site or at upstream and/or downstream site locations. Pressure transducer - Pressures transducers employed at our stream sites include Global and Druck water level sensors. These sensors include atmospheric pressure compensation via vent tubing encased within the sensor cable to which a vented dessicant capsule is attached at cable end (within the datalogger box). The sensors are wired and programmed using Campbell Scientific dataloggers, CR10x prior to 2013, CR800 or 1000 thereafter. Sensor data resolution is 0.01 to 0.001 ft. Models employed at our sites are selected for expected maximum water depth <10 ft. Druck models employed include PDCR 940, 1230 and 1830 series. Global models used include WL300 and GL300. Model employed at C2E since 3/25/05 is PDCR 1830, prior to which a Global PT was used. Conductivity-Temperature sensor - Campbell Scientific conductivity sensors employed at our sites include CS547A probes which require the Campbell A547 datalogger interface device. Older 247 models were employed prior to 2004. Data resolution is assessed as 0.001 ms/cm. ANNUAL ERRORS/GAPS/UPDATES: 2004- instruments include capacitance water level sensor, also providing stream and air\logger temperture, hourly data. Raw water height data adjusted with offset to staff gage. Significant negative value noise and ice effects have been removed from data values. Average streamflow utilized for 9/27-10/8 period erroneous data values. 2004-Jan 2006 rating curve applied. Minor noise may remain in discharge values, a portion of which may be attributable to turbulence in this small tributary stream. 2005- instruments include global pressure transducer, capacitance water level sensor and conductivity-temperature sensor, hourly data. capacitance rod hourly water depth to 3/25/2005. Druck pressure transducer from 3/25/2005. Caplogger is used for stream temp for 2005. Data gaps 9/24-10/11 PT, multiple data gaps 10/11 to 10/26, gapfilled with caprod data. Numerous instances during summer months wherein ec fails at T-ec sensorcap logger gap 8/27-9/4, temperature filled by solinst sensor. Data processing: Raw water height data adjusted with offset to staff gage. Significant negative value noise and ice effects removed from cap rod data, including 12/10-12/19. Minor noise may remain in discharge values, a portion of which may be attributable to turbulence in this small tributary stream, especially at capacitance rod location. The pressure transducer data is less noisy, no noise removal applied. PT discharge values are slightly lower than discharge calculated from capacitance rod data. Applied rating curves derived from 2004 through 2006 discharge-stage measurements, including spring 2006 flood stage discharge. (Note rating curve is adjusted during 2005 and thereafter as new measurements are made at the stream site). Due to noise in cap rod data, use cap rod derived discharge unitl 3/25/2005, thereafter, utilized PT derived discharge data, except where cap rod is used for gapfill post 3/25/2005. 2006- instruments include druck pressure transducer, capacitance water level sensor and conductivity-temperature sensor. hourly data. hourly data. Capacitance rod hourly water depth available to Jan 6, 2006. Missing data: 11/14,11/15-11/23 2006, 12/12/2006-1/23/2007 for PT. Data processing: Raw water height data adjusted with offset to staff gage. 2004-Jan 2006 rating curve applied until March 29 2am. Thereafter, 2006-2007 rating curve applied w/ high Q rating curve applied to stage >0.8 ft. 2007- instruments include druck pressure transducer, conductivity-temperature sensor and solinst levellogger. hourly data. Solinst available from 11/28/07; Relies on barologger located at BG. Solinst is located in stilling well previously used for capacitance rod, a more turbulent site. Missing data: 1/1-1/23/2007 Site measurements at staff may be useful for data gaps. Data processing: Raw water height data adjusted with offset to staff gage. Rating curve applied. 2008- instruments include druck pressure transducer, conductivity-temperature sensor and solinst levellogger. hourly data. Missing data: 4/13/2008-4/17/2008 and 6/8 - 6/10 PT, filled with Solinst data. Site visit on 6/10 may have created new offset in data to compensate for sensor drift. Result for solinst at c2e looks reasonable, however, note that noise is high with solinst at low stage. Strong signal from barometric pressure relative to minor signal from low stage water depth is a concern, as well as ice effects. PRESENT ASSESSMENT SUGGESTS USE OF PT DATA. Site measurements at staff may be useful for data gaps. Temperature missing in Aug during ec instrument calibration/check. also ec gap 6/5-6/10. Data processing: Raw water height data adjusted with offset to staff gage. Rating curve applied using new 2006-2007 eqn, updated in 2008. For water budget analyses, the PT data results are recommended. The solinst results may be considered for event-response analysis. However, downward drift in solinst stage values occurs after April 2008 relative to PT. It is suspected that solinst data may be low during warm weather. 2009- instruments include druck pressure transducer, conductivity-temperature sensor and solinst levellogger. hourly data. Barologger installed at c2e 11/29/09. Missing data: PT gaps - 10/7-10/16, filled with solinst data. Data processing: Raw water height data adjusted with offset to staff gage. Rating curves applied using 2007-2010 data, employs low Q and high Q rating curves. For water budget analyses, the PT data results are recommended. The solinst results may be considered for event-response analysis. However, it is suspected that solinst data may be low during warm weather. 2010- instruments include druck pressure transducer, conductivity-temperature sensor and solinst levellogger. hourly data. Data gaps: PT 8/12/10 1000,filled by interpolation. Data processing: Raw water height data adjusted with offset to staff gage. Rating curves applied using 2007-2010 data, employs low Q and high Q rating curves. For water budget analyses, the PT data results are recommended. The solinst results may be considered for event-response analysis. However, it is suspected that solinst data may be low during warm weather. 2011- instruments include druck pressure transducer, conductivity-temperature sensor and solinst levellogger. 30 min data from 10/27/11. Data gaps: PT 1/19-1/21 2011, filled by adjusted values from solinst. 7/21-7/22 filled by interpolation.8/22-8/26 filled by adjusted values from solinst and interpolation. Data processing: Raw water height data adjusted with offset to staff gage. Rating curves applied using 2007-2010 data, employs low Q and high Q rating curves. For water budget analyses, the PT data results are recommended. The solinst results may be considered for event-response analysis. However, it is suspected that solinst data may be low during warm weather. 2012- instruments include druck pressure transducer, conductivity-temperature sensor and solinst levellogger. 30 minute data interval. Data gaps: none Data processing: synchronous rating curve applied to stage data. Error/noise in data- During the winter months ice may affect data accuracy, for obvious ice induced noise (> 5cfs change per 30 min in conjunction with freezing temperatures), values are replaced with time range before/after values. For ec, in some instances negative ec is reported when stream is dry, wires are disconnected or other failure occurs, these noise values are replaced with -6999. ec failed 7/20/12 - 9/19/12 (partial failure June 2012). Rain on Snow event,ROS Jan 19 2012, complicated, snow,then rainfall. PT data presented herein for is assessed as reasonable. ALSO 2/22/12 ROS. 2013- instruments include druck pressure transducer, conductivity-temperature sensor and solinst levellogger. Data interval reverted to hourly on 4/3/13 (from 10 min). Baro logger has been hourly. Aug - Oct baro removed for testing at other sites. PT cleaned summer 2013, new offsets needed thereafter. Dry period summer 2013, till 9/14 or 9/17/2013. 2014- solinst and baro provide water level data. Early 2014-Ice effects have been removed/corrected for obvious effects over 5 cfs. 2015- solinst and baro provide water level data. gap for pt, ec, t data May 5-29. ec, T indicate dry conditions june 28 to sep 17. Note, rain on snow early 2015 resulted in early peak stream flow. 2016- solinst and baro provide water level data. ec fail from June 2016 to 11/22/16. T indicates stream dry jy 27 - sep 13. Rating Curve, dual at 0.6 ft stage, low q a=7.6141 b=10.414; high q a=2.8488 b=3.4475. 2017- solinst and baro provide water level data. PT results are comparable,but w/ slightly higher noise levels. no data -6999 values have been emplaced for conductivity where sensor is out of water during shallow flow or dry conditions. Stream temp and conductivity are from the conductivity probe via Campbell logger. Low discharge and higher than normal diurnal temperture signals during July indicate low-no flow conditions.///Ice effects occur in stage data resulting in erroneous peak spikes during low flow freeze events. These are left to the user to assess via comparison with stream temperature and correct as needed, according to data use. Interpolation of flow through freezing events is a reasonable approach to correction. 2018 - cont as above. 2019 - solinst fail by mid year. Campbell logger and sensors also failed this year. No data available after June. 2020 - no data 2021 - A new Con2E site is installed downstream of the above historic site late spring 2021. Solinst water level sensor provides streamflow data 5/5/21 to 6/25/21. Solinst results for late May into June are suspect as low. CS451 (Campbell Sci pressure transducer) provides streamflow data from 8/27/21. A water level data gap exists 6/25 to 8/27, low flow, during which time streamflow is estimated as 0.25 cfs (7.08 L/s) Stream conductivity and temperature data, however, are continuously available from 5/12/21 via a campbell sci cond/temp sensor and may be used to assess continuity of flow during the low flow period. Barometric and air T data is also available at this new site, continuous from 5/5/21. The rating curves applied are as follows For PT water level data, to which temporally adjusted staff offsets are applied: Q cfs = 0.1961*stage ft + 0.2 for stage less or = than 0.5 ft and 12.241*stage ft ^5.45 for stage > 0.5 ft. Additional measurement to improve the low flow curve is recommended. The high flow curve for 2022 is projected to differ from the 2021 high flow rating curve due to suspect sediment scour. For Solinst water level data, use only the above high flow curve 2.241*stage ft ^5.45 plus an added 0.2 cfs for stream flow below at water levels below this sensors position, according to validation via PT sensor and/or site observation. Due to the dfficulty of accurate flow measurement at this site, all discharge data produced should be considered a reasonable estimate of actual flow. However, the time series does provide a useful record of changes in flow. Detailed notes 2021: A. Jan 1 - March 4 No working sensors at historical C2E site. Linear extrapolation from site gaging may be utilized to estimate flow. 3/4/2021 historic site staff gage water level height is 0.5 ft and may be used to calculate flow at that time using the above rating curve. 3/4/2021 flow on site estimate is apprx 1 cfs, as also indicated by historic rating curve. However beaver dam ponding just below the historic C2E site may affect the validity of the historic rating curve, thus the establishment of a newer site downstream. B. March - May New site is selected just above the confluence with Dry Creek, downstream of the above historic C2E site. 3/14/2021 streamflow is estimated as up to 5 cfs. 3/24/2021 measured as 2.93 cfs. 4/25/2021 began installation at new site. Solinst, along with staff gage is installed at shallow south side of channel, while PT is installed at deeper north side of channel. 5/5 measured 2.03 cfs. 5/12 1.32 cfs. Measurments via MarshMcBirney flow meter. Solinst water level timeseries begins 5/5/21 and is considered valid till late June, assuming potential spring runoff channel alteration occurred prior to this period, allowing valid rating curve application based upon May onsite streamflow measurements. The solinst sensor is assessed as being "high and dry" as of 6/25/2021 14:00. No water level data is available to date from the PT, aside from a single data point on 5/5/21. C. June - Sept As water receeds, staff is observed as well above the south bank channel bottom. Possible channel scour late April-early May during peak flow? Staff and attached solinst logger are repositioned during low flow site visit on 8/27/21, lowered by 0.4 ft. Also on 8/27, continual power supply (vs. control power) is implemented to successfully employ the pressure transducer for a second water level data set. A data gap exists from 6/25 to 8/27 wherein neither sensor provided valid data. During this low flow period, flow is estimated at 0.4 to 0.2 cfs, according to site visits June, July, Aug. On approximately 9/19, streamflow increased to a level measurable by the solinst sensor at the shallow south bank. This was preceeded by a 9/11 initial increase in streamflow. D. Oct - Dec 10/12/21 site visit. Stream is flowing well. Flow is too low for full flowmeter measurement, partial measurement and calculation indicates appr 0.3 cfs. Rating curves indicate flow on 10/12/21 to be 0.3 to 0.5 cfs. DILUTION GAGING IS RECOMMENDED. Solinst at south bank is submerged by 10/12/21. All Campbell logger sensors are assessed as performing well. 11/14/21 15:00 sudden drop in PT stage (by 0.2 ft), unexplained, water temperature is dropping, yet still above freezing. May be related to end of pcp event. Streamflow thereafter (based on PT stage) is fairly steady at 1 to 1.5 cfs to the end of 2021. TENTATIVE RATING CURVE UTILZIED is linear for low flow below/= stage 0.5 ft wherein water level adequately measured by the PT sensor, but not the solinst secondary sensor. Eqn for discharge in cfs is 0.1961*stage + 0.2. For higher flow a power curve is applied for discharge in cfs as 12.241*stage^5.45. 2022 A rise in flow occurs early Jan, possibly related to rain and/or snowmelt.