Gage height is the height of water in the stream or lake.
With fewer gaps in data, less estimation is necessary to compute daily streamflow or lake content. This allows a quicker response time in repairing or replacing equipment. Technicians also have fewer routine tasks to perform during visits to the station, and maintenance of the equipment is less time consuming. By 1997, data-collection platforms were installed at all gaging stations in Kansas, permitting continuous monitoring. Gage-height data are collected and transmitted to a satellite, then relayed to a ground station and on to USGS offices for dissemination to Federal, State, and local agencies and the general public.