Water level monitoring data at Lake Carl Blackwell, Payne County, Oklahoma

<p dir="ltr">A radar water level sensor (Campbell Scientific ® CS475A-L) was installed on the water intake tower of Lake Carl Blackwell, Payne County, Oklahoma (36.1351 N, 97.2195 W) to automate monitoring of lake water level conducted by USDA Agriculture Research Service staff. Manual monitoring of lake level has been conducted by Hydraulic Engineering Research Unit staff since the laboratory’s inception in 1940. Current lake level monitoring is undertaken by visual observation of a lake level staff gauge. Manual monitoring methods have changed with time and have included visual observations of lake level staff gauges, float and strip chart recorder gauge located on the raw water intake tower, u-tube manometer gauge connected to siphon system, bubble gauge with strip chart recorder and telemetry system located at the downstream toe of the dam, gatehouse staff gauge connected to siphon system, and individual measurements from the auxiliary spillway staff gauge recorded during spillway flow events.</p><p dir="ltr">This data release provides data collected since installation of the sensor on June 12, 2025. All data are reported with respect to the NGVD of 1929 (EPSG 5702), the datum utilized for manual readings. Time is reported in local time (CST or CDT). Manual readings collected from June 12, 2025, are also provided to quantify variability between past and ongoing monitoring methods (Figure 1). The elevation of the radar transducer face is at 953.85 ft (NGVD, 1929). Spillway crest elevation of 944.17 ft (NGVD 1929) was confirmed by visual observation when lake level indicated by manual staff gauge readings equaled the elevation of spillway crest. Radar water level was initially recorded at 1-minute intervals and then changed to a 10-minute recording interval from June 15, 2025, onwards.</p><p dir="ltr">Mention of trade names or commercial products in this publication is solely for the purpose of providing specific information and does not imply recommendation or endorsement by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.</p>

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