METHODS OF STREAM MEASUREMENT (CLASSIC REPRINT)

Excerpt from Methods of Stream MeasurementThe object of the work herein described is to obtain data bearing upon the water resources of the United States. In undertaking with limited funds an investigation of this character, it is obvious that a plan must be adopted which will yield useful results with moderate outlay. The United States is so vast and offers such diversity of topographic and climatic conditions that measurements of rivers in one section give data of little value concerning those of another sec tion. It is therefore necessary to consider carefully the distribution Of field work so as to Obtain typical results, and at the same time not to diffuse it so widely as to destroy its effectiveness. The chief object has been to lay out the operations so that there would be obtained results of practical value and of a reasonable degree of accuracy, broadly representative Of conditions prevailing throughout the United States, without expending money for the attainment of an unneces sary degree of precision. There is of course room for wide differ ence of opinion regarding the best way to attain this object. In the practice of the Survey localities have been selected where the results will have a local application to problems of development and at the same time will yield data which can be applied to adjacent areas under similar topographic conditions.The Operations of the branch of the Geological Survey which has to do with hydrography can be divided into three distinct classes