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The West Virginia Water Gaging Council was created effective May 18, 2005.

 

Purpose

The Council serves as a statewide collaborative body to help achieve effective collection and dissemination of hydrological data applicable to the full range of water resources in WestVirginia, including ground-water and surface-water and precipitation gaging. Council membership includes representatives of state and federal agencies, organizations, and stakeholders that collect and use these types of data. The Council provides a forum for effective communication, cooperation, and collaboration among the membership.

Mission Return to top

The Council’s mission is to ensure that reliable water-resources gaging data are available to meet the various needs of West Virginia stakeholders. The council shall work to support the following activities:

• Establishing and maintaining long-term data networks.
Water-resources gaging data may include long-term continuous information on precipitation, surface-water, and ground-water quantity; aquatic environments; and associated parameters,such as channel geometry and basin characteristics.

• Obtaining reliable data sets.
The Council strives to ensure that water-resources gaging data are reliable. Reliable data are considered by the Council as those which are collected and analyzed according to standardized or documented procedures and which are quality-controlled and assured.

• Maintaining publicly accessible data sets.
Water gaging activities will be coordinated to reduce duplication of efforts and data sharing will be encouraged to make the data available to other interested parties. Available data are those stored and maintained in and retrievable from publicly accessible digital databases.

• Obtaining relevant data sets.
West Virginia stakeholders need water-resources gaging data for such purposes as predicting floods and droughts; designing bridges and dams; permitting and mitigating pollution discharges; evaluating water supplies; planning fishing and boating recreation; and protecting, restoring, and managing the aquatic environment.

• Supporting long-term viability of gaging networks.
The Council supports efforts that ensure the availability of long-term water-resources gaging data, including: 1) collection and maintenance of the data, 2) educating agencies and organizations about the usefulness and value of the data, and 3) gaining needed public and financial support.

Membership Return to top

State Agencies

1. West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection (WVDEP)
2. West Virginia Conservation Agency (WVCA)
3. West Virginia Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management (WVDHSEM)
4. West Virginia Department of Transportation Division of Highways (WVDOH)
5. West Virginia Division of Natural Resources (WVDNR)
6. West Virginia University, National Research Center for Coal and Energy (NRCCE)/West Virginia Water Research Institute (WVWRI)

Federal Agencies

7. National Weather Service (NWS)
8. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE)
9. U.S. Geological Survey (USGS)
10. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation Services (NRCS)

Non-governmental Organizations

11. Canaan Valley Institute (CVI)
12. West Virginia Rivers Coalition (WVRC)
13. Michael Baker Jr. Incorporated

 

Memorandum of Understanding Return to top

Memorandum of Understanding to Establish and Govern the West Virginia Water Gaging Council
Memorandum of Understanding Updated (09-06-07) [.pdf 23KB]

Meeting Minutes Return to top

News Items Return to top

  • Flood Management Benefits of USGS Stream Gaging Program [.pdf 4.397MB]
  • Users and Uses of USGS Stream Gaging Program [.pdf 1.714MB]
  • (Click Article to read full story.)

    Events Return to top

    No WVWGC events scheduled; please check back later.

    How to make a donation to the Council Return to top

    To make a donation to the West Virginia Water Gaging Council please contact.

    Ronald D. Evaldi
    U.S. Geological Survey, West Virginia Water Science Center
    11 Dunbar Street
    Charleston, WV 25301
    304-347-5130
    rdevaldi@usgs.gov

    West Virginia Conservation Agency
    U.S. Geological Survey
    U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
    U.S. Department of Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation Service
    NOAA's National Weather Service
    West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection
    West Virginia Division of Natural Resources
    West Virginia Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management
    West Virginia Department of Transportation
    West Virginia Water Research Institute
    West Virginia Rivers Coalition
    Canaan Valley Institute
    Michael Baker Corporation

    Contacts Return to top

    For more information on the West Virginia Water Gaging Council activities or for inquiries,comments and suggestions, please contact the Council at:

    Russ Campbell, West Virginia Gaging Council Chair
    c/o West Virginia Conservation Agency
    Gus R. Douglass Agricultural Center at Guthrie
    1900 Kanawha Blvd. E
    Charleston, WV 25305
    (304) 558-2204 (w) ext: 211
    (304) 558-1635 (f)
    rcampbell@wvca.us


    Hugh Bevans, West Virginia Gaging Council Vice-Chair
    c/o U.S. Geological Survey, West Virginia Water Science Center
    11 Dunbar Street
    Charleston, WV 25301
    304-347-5130
    hbevans@usgs.gov