Little Blue River Flow Gage
This gage was placed at Kennedy Park
in cooperation with the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) in 2007.
A grant from the American Water Company with additional funds from
Knauf Fiber Glass and the City of Shelbyville MS4 Project
paid for the initial installation.
The gage is not in operation right now because of a lack of funding.
The watershed project is actively seeking commitment
from government, business and private individuals
to pay for three years of Operation & Maintenance (O&M) funding.
Full funding requires:
Local contribution/year - $7,200
USGS match - $4,800
The USGS match is based on a three year commitment from our community. How the gage works
The gage records STAGE - the height of the water surface above a reference elevation.
The gage also records DISCHAGE - the volume of flow passing a specified point in a given interval of time. A RATING CURVE is developed from the stage/discharge relationship. DATA is transmitted via satellite and can be accessed from the Internet. How the data is used
Many individuals, groups and agencies use the information for a variety of purposes:
Public Safety To warn the public when flooding is imminent.and to project future stream flow during weather events.
Infrastructure Development
For engineering and planning highways, bridges, flood plain maps and flood risk zones.
Water Quality Monitoring
To utilize discharge data when assessing aquatic habitat and chemical and biological indicators,
computing total minimum daily loads (TMDLs), and
complying with Federal Clean Water Act MS4 requirements.
Education and Recreation
For teachers, boaters, anglers, and others who enjoy the river
to plan outings and to better understand the river ecosystem.
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