Drop that science, Proffesor D!

Jeff, I have recently considered moving to the DOE gauge that you mentioned. The only reason I have not yet, is because I wanted to watch the levels one more year.

The DOE gauge for the Icicle is actually down at the Fish Hatchery, and oddly enough although the NWS forcast site says Icicle above snow creek, it is indeed not, it reports and forcasts off the DOE gauge that is at the Hatchery as well.

The USGS site is indeed a visual / Non Live staff that is recorded and posted with a delay of up to 1-6 weeks at times. Currently the latest data from the USGS is 4/11/2012. This makes that data almost useless other than historical comparisions to help determine flows from other sources. Regardless never going to use this one because that run changes everyday as the sun shines, clouds roll or rain / snow falls. And it turns off and on pretty durn quick.

The DOE gauge is what I am interested in. Currently our virtual gauge does what jeff mentioned. Takes the difference from Plain and Peshastin. Removes a percentage for side creeks that flow inbetween the two locations. Then removes an additional flux amount based on the amount of water being diverted into the irrigation canal and inflow from snow creek. This whole formula was actually made for the lower icicle more than the upper stretches since the diversion for water is done just above the snow creek drop, but there you have it.

So what I have been doing, or rather what my computer has been doing is monitoring the outflow of the irrigation diversion so I can take the DOE gauge and post it as the Lower Icicle Value, and then create a virtual value for the upper portions that puts the irrigation diversion back in. Believe it or not that diversion can take quite a bit of water, unfortunately it is not a real time source either. The dept. of fish and wildlife and the BLM both monitor the flow and include it in various reports. I have a couple of old ones that I just used the historical values from in correlation to hot days, peak water use etc..

So there you have it... why aren't we on the DOE yet? cuz I'm lazy :)

http://professorpaddle.com/rivers/riverdetails.asp?riverid=468

There is the lower, I just switched it to the DOE gauge... Still the upper parts should be tweaked to show the irrigation diversion which can be as high and low as 0cfs - 250cfs!!!



Edited by James - 03 May 2012 at 10:05am

Darren

It's hard to put a personal target on water levels as our perception of whitewater is changing personally all the time year to year, weekend to weekend.  Three years ago I would have called the levels I run the middle now super juicy.   Thats why its hard to define a tatget comfort zone of levels for a group census....... I'm visual with Icicle if it looks good and im feeling good, its on. if not ??? I portage my way down or watch darren and rob kayak while I take pics......however the upper and lower can get pushed with levels and can be run pretty high......

Yea I am not saying my preference sets the bar either, just thought I would put my 2 centalos out there.