Cooperative Agreement for affiliated Partner with Great Basin Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit
The Geological Survey seeks a Great Basin Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit partner to research improved discharge measurements and streamgage operations in the South Elko field area.
Funder: Geological Survey
Due Dates: December 7, 2026 (Applications, 11:59 p.m. ET)
Funding Amounts: Up to $300,000 over five years; $100,000 available for Budget Year 1; one anticipated award
Summary: Supports research evaluating emerging discharge-measurement technologies and improving streamgage operations in Nevada’s South Elko field area.
Key Information: Applicants must be participating Great Basin CESU partners able to collaborate weekly in person in Carson City, Nevada.
Description
The USGS Nevada Water Science Center offers this cooperative agreement through the Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Units (CESU) Program. The project combines hands-on hydrologic fieldwork with analytical research to improve discharge measurements, streamflow records, and streamgage operations in the South Elko field area. Its remote watersheds, flashy hydrology, and snowmelt-driven fluctuations create challenges for reliable stage–discharge relations and efficient monitoring.
USGS will first train the selected partner in approved field methods, streamgage operations, safety, documentation, hydrograph interpretation, rating development, and uncertainty analysis. The partner will then test emerging technologies against established USGS methods across hydraulic and geomorphic conditions. Potential tools include image-based velocimetry, uncrewed aircraft systems, and radar-based velocity sensing. Final products will compare technology performance, assess local feasibility, identify basin-wide data gaps, and recommend measurement priorities, instrumentation, and operational strategies.
