USGS Ohio Indiana Kentucky Water Science Center

Super Gage Network

Ohio River at Ironton, OH

USGS Station ID: 03216070

Available Data

Stream Data: Gage height, stream velocity, discharge
Water-Quality Data: Dissolved oxygen, nitrate + nitrite, pH, specific conductance at 25°C, turbidity, water temperature
Atmospheric Data: None

View data

 

Station Description

Latitude: 38°31'55.40"
Longitude: 82°41'09.40"
Hydrologic Unit Code (HUC): 05090103
Datum: 481.03 ft (1929 NGVD) and
480.41 ft (1988 NGVD)
Drainage Area: 60,816 square miles
County in which site is located: Lawrence County (Ohio)
Site managed by: Louisville District Office

Station Funding

This station is operated in cooperation with the Kentucky Governor’s Office of Agriculture Policy.

Hydrologic Conditions

The site is 9.81 miles downstream from where the Ohio River River enters Kentucky. Flow is regulated by the Greenup Dam nr Greenup, Kentucky (USGS station id 03216600).

Sample Collection and Use

In addition to the continuous nitrate + nitrite collected at this gaging station, discrete nitrate, particulate nitrate, phosphorus, total carbon, and suspended sediment samples also are collected. Discrete samples are collected throughout the range of hydrologic and chemical conditions.

Why Continuous Monitoring is Important

Delivery of excess nutrients, primarily nitrogen and phosphorus, from the Ohio River to the Mississippi River could contribute to hypoxia in the Gulf of Mexico. The approach of the USGS Ohio Kentucky Indiana Water Science Center super gage network on the Ohio River is to monitor what nutrients and sediment are entering and leaving Kentucky. This station quantifies the concentrations of nutrients and sediment that are entering the state. In addition to the discrete water quality samples that are collected, the real-time nitrate data captures the high and low values and what occurs in between discrete samples, and can be used in the future to develop surrogate models and load/yield computations.

 

USGS Fact Sheet 2015-3041 provides more detailed information about super gages, how they operate, and the data they collect.

Contact Information

Indiana:
Tim Lathrop
(317) 600-2782
trlathro@usgs.gov

Kentucky:
Jeff Woods
(317) 600-2762
jwoods@usgs.gov