Legal Basis

   Section 1521.03 of the Ohio Revised Code sets forth powers and duties for the Division of Water that have a strong technical component involving watershed hydrology. The Division is charged with responsibility for: performing stream and ground water gaging, conducting inventories of water and related natural resources in drainage basins, making investigations of factors relating to floods, and assisting in the establishment of water conservation measures. Technical support for these Division of Water activities is provided in part by the Watershed Hydrology Program.

Streamflow Gaging Network

   The Division of Water works cooperatively with the U.S. Geological Survey to perform stream gaging in Ohio. In 1998, the Division provided cost sharing for operation of 50 continuous daily discharge stations and 40 partial record low-flow stations. Other cooperators provided funds for 58 additional continuous daily discharge stations. Real-time information about river stage and discharge is available at http://water.usgs.gov/realtime.htlm for many of the continuous daily discharge stations.

   A network analysis completed by the U.S. Geological Survey for the Division of Water in 1998 (Analysis of the Streamflow-Gaging Network in Ohio, WRI 98-4043) provides information for prioritizing gages for regional water data collection. The network analysis is used by the Division to make decisions about allocation of state bond issue monies for capital improvements to the gaging network. An abstract of the network analysis report can be found at http://www-oh.er.usgs.gov/reports/Abstracts/wrir.98-4043.html.