Chasing water 🌊
Gear packed, truck loaded, and waders still damp from yesterday... This isn’t your average 9-to-5, this is the grit and grind of a USGS Hydrologic Technician.
From the highest snowy peaks to the lowest coastal streams, these technicians are the boots-on-the-ground, in-the-stream team collecting the data that fuel American water science.
What does it take to collect data for the nation?
🌦️ Braving the elements - From torrential rain and scorching heat to frozen rivers, hydro techs ensure the data points flow.
🛰️ High-tech fieldwork - It’s not just sticks in the water! Hydro techs use advanced sensors, ADCPs for measuring flow, and automated water-quality samplers to get accurate, real-time data.
💧 Measuring the pulse of the river - Hydro techs spend hours collecting critical streamflow data that keeps communities informed.
🧪 Water quality sampling - By collecting samples and monitoring parameters like pH, turbidity, and conductivity, they provide data federal and local agencies need to make informed water management decisions.
🛠️ Patchin’ things up - When a data logger goes down, they are technician, engineer, and/or IT support addressing the issues at hand.
Whether measuring flow during a flood event or conducting a routine site visit, hydro techs are the backbone of water science.
💬 Have you seen a USGS hydro tech in the field?
📷 1: Discrete water quality, bacteria, and microbial sample collection for the Independence Storm Water project in Missouri on Adair Creek.
📷 2: Preparing to launch a boat on the Missouri River at Jefferson City, MO.
📷 3: Processing a bacteria sample collected from the Grand River near Sumner, MO, to determine Total Coliform and E. Coli concentrations in the river.
📷 4: A high-water mark captured using a known elevation from the CSG for the peak rainfall event of the year at Little Osage River near Horton MO.
Credit: Jessica Todd, USGS
#FieldPhotoFriday #WaterScience #WaterData
ALT Discrete water quality, bacteria, and microbial sample collection for the Independence Storm Water project in Missouri on Adair Creek.
ALT Preparing to launch a boat on the Missouri River at Jefferson City, MO.
ALT Processing a bacteria sample collected from the Grand River near Sumner, MO, to determine Total Coliform and E. Coli concentrations in the river.
ALT A high-water mark captured using a known elevation from the CSG for the peak rainfall event of the year at Little Osage River near Horton MO.