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Scientific Investigations Report 2013–5230

Prepared in cooperation with the Texas Water Development Board

Trend Analysis and Selected Summary Statistics of Annual Mean Streamflow for 38 Selected Long-Term U.S. Geological Survey Streamgages in Texas, Water Years 1916–2012

By William H. Asquith and Dana L. Barbie

Thumbnail of and link to report PDF (1.44 MB)Abstract

In 2013, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) operated more than 500 continuous streamgages (streamflow-gaging stations) in Texas. In cooperation with the Texas Water Development Board, the USGS evaluated mean annual streamflow data for 38 selected streamgages that were active as of water year 2012. The 38 streamgages have annual mean streamflow data considered natural and unregulated. Collected annual mean streamflow data for a single streamgage ranged from 49 to 97 cumulative years. The nonparametric Kendall’s tau statistical test was used to detect monotonic trends in annual mean streamflow over time. The monotonic trend analysis detected 2 statistically significant upward trends (0.01 one-tail significance), 1 statistically significant downward trend (0.01 one-tail significance level), and 35 instances of no statistically significant trend (0.02 two-tailed significance level). The Theil slope estimate of a regression slope of annual mean streamflow with time was computed for the three stations where trends in streamflow were detected: 2 increasing Theil slopes were measured (+0.40 and +2.72 cubic feet per second per year, respectively), and 1 decreasing Theil slope (–0.24 cubic feet per second per year) was measured.

Selected summary statistics (L-moments) and estimates of respective sampling variances were computed for the 35 streamgages lacking statistically significant trends. From the L-moments and estimated sampling variances, weighted means or regional values were computed for each L-moment. An example application is included demonstrating how the L-moments could be used to evaluate the magnitude and frequency of annual mean streamflow.

First posted February 10, 2014

Revised August 1, 2014

For additional information, contact:
Director, Texas Water Science Center
U.S. Geological Survey
1505 Ferguson Lane
Austin, Texas 78754–4501
http://tx.usgs.gov/

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Suggested citation:

Asquith, W.H., and Barbie, D.L., 2014, Trend analysis and selected summary statistics of annual mean streamflow for 38 selected long-term U.S. Geological Survey streamgages in Texas, water years 1916–2012 (ver. 1.1, August 2014): U.S. Geological Survey Scientific Investigations Report 2013–5230, 16 p., http://dx.doi.org/10.3133/sir20135230.

ISSN 2328-031X (print)

ISSN 2328-0328 (online)



Contents

Abstract

Introduction

Trend Analysis and Selected Summary Statistics of Annual Mean Streamflow

Summary

References


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