In cooperation with the City of Houston, the U.S. Geological Survey collects, processes, and interprets water-quality, streamflow, and reservoir water elevation and capacity data. These data are collected to better understand the effects of urbanization in Lake Houston, a drinking water reservoir in Houston, Texas. The combined monitoring efforts of Lake Houston and the associated watershed increase the understanding of the effects of natural and controlled inflows, nutrient and sediment loads, and water-column structure on the chemistry and biology of Lake Houston.
Since 2005, two USGS monitoring stations in the Lake Houston watershed evaluate the effects of watershed influences and in-lake processes on Lake Houston water quality. These continuous water-quality monitoring stations are located in both the rural and the urbanized portions of the watershed. The real-time floating monitoring stations provide:
The interactive graph below shows turbidity measured at three real-time water quality monitoring locations within the watershed. Typical and elevated turbidity ranges can be explored for all three water-quality locations to explore how changes in turbidity move through the watershed. Results are used to better understand fluctuations of water quality concentrations and loads during changing seasons and flow conditions. Turbidity, for example, can be used as an indicator for the presence of suspended sediment or algae in the lake that may cause taste and odor problems. As shown on the graph, low turbidity or base-flow conditions are seasonal and are often be seen during the month of October.
Examples of elevated turbidity associated with periods of intense rainfall and high streamflow can be seen on the graph below during the following dates:
Left image: Typical turbidity at Kingwood, September 2016.
Right image: Elevated turbidity at Kingwood, August 31, 2017.
Left image: Typical turbidity at San Jacinto Dam, September 2016.
Right image: Elevated turbidity at San Jacinto Dam, August 31, 2017.
Left image: Typical turbidity on the West Fork San Jacinto River, September 2016.
Right image: Elevated turbidity on the West Fork San Jacinto River, August 31, 2017.
Typical turbidity images are from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA) Aerial Photography Field Office (APFO) National Agriculture Imagery Program (NAIP), September, 2016. Imagery available at https://datagateway.nrcs.usda.gov/.
Elevated turbidity images are from the Department of Commerce (DOC), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), National Ocean Service (NOS), National Geodetic Survey (NGS), Remote Sensing Division, August, 2017. Imagery available at https://storms.ngs.noaa.gov/storms/harvey/index.html#7/28.400/-96.690
Real-time continuous data is collected at 31 gages in the Lake Houston watershed. Reservoir stage and capacity are collected at three reservoirs; discharge and gage height are monitoried along the mainstem of the San Jacinto River and tributaries feeding into Lake Houston; and water temperature, specific conductance, pH, dissolved oxygen, and trubidity are monitored at seven gages. Real-time continusous data is augmented and verified with discrete samples collected throughout the Lake Houston watershed.
Explore the DataWater-quality, streamflow, and reservoir data are available as part of USGS data products.
Get the Water-Quality Data Get the Streamflow Data Get the Reservoir Data Get the Latest ReportScientific Investigations Report 2015-5153
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