USGS Stream and Precipitation Gages
The City of Fayetteville has partnered with the United States Geological Survey (USGS) and installed two real-time stream gages and three real-time precipitation gages at selected locations in the city. The stream gages measure and record stream flow data, and are the first permanent USGS gages in the City of Fayetteville. They help to augment the existing gage located on the Cape Fear River at the Grove Street Bridge. The stream gages measure the stage (height) of the stream, which the USGS uses to compute stream flow rate (discharge) of the two creeks and gives the City valuable data on how rainfall from storms affects flow.
Locations of the stream gages are as follows:
- Blounts Creek @ Winslow Street
- Cross Creek @ Blue Street
- Cape Fear River @ Grove Street Bridge
- Beaver Creek @ Cumberland Rd
In addition to the stream gages, four precipitation gages have been installed in the City.
The precipitation gages monitor the rainfall amount and intensity , and allow us to understand how rain events affect stream flow, as well as giving us an idea of conditions in different parts of the City. The gages help staff understand how a storm’s rainfall intensity affects stream flow. For example, if a storm is short, but has a high rainfall rate (high-intensity storm), we will be able to see how quickly the stream responds and rises, versus a storm that lasts longer and allows for a slower stream rise over time (low-intensity storm).
Locations of the precipitation gages are as follows:
- Fire Station 11
- Fire Station 19
- Cape Fear River near Grove Street Bridge
- Beaver Creek
Currently, the City has entered into a five-year operating agreement with USGS and will continue supporting the gages as funds are available. The City uses the data for calibrating and validating the watershed models, which will help optimize spending on projects that are identified through the Watershed Master Plan. Eventually, these gages will be used as part of the City's more extensive early flood warning system. The data from these new gages are transmitted every hour and can be found on the USGS real-time website at: https://waterdata.usgs.gov/nc/nwis/rt. Additionally, data from the five gages are accessed by the NC Flood Inundation Mapping and Alert Network (FIMAN). FIMAN is managed by the NC Department of Emergency Management and provides the public information about current stages of streams across the state, and will soon be partnered with DOT to provide information to the public about flooded roads.