City partners with USGS for water monitoring effort

An agreement between the city of Longmont and the U.S. Geological Survey means streamflow gauges will continue to be maintained at three locations on Boulder Creek, Lefthand Creek and St. Vrain Creek.

The pact with the USGS was unanimously approved this week by the city council. The annual cost of maintaining the monitoring stations is $56,040, with the cost split between the city and the USGS at $36,560 and $19,480 respectively, according to a city staff report.

The city has partnered with the USGS for the past several years to jointly fund these “important streamflow gauging stations,” the staff report states. Funding has been budgeted into the 2022 Water and Wastewater Operations Budget. 

The gauging stations provide streamflow data. The data is vital to the city’s administration of water rights, the city’s understanding and complying with regulatory requirements associated with stormwater and wastewater discharge permits, the staff report states.

The stations also are important in flood monitoring and evaluating impacts on local habitat, the report states.