This is a picture of a typical data collection station. There are basically four types of
stations used by Hydromet: stream, reservoir, weather, and snowpack. This particular station
measures only the height of the water in the nearby river, providing data from which streamflow
can be calculated. Measurements are logged and stored every 15 minutes, then transmitted to the
GOES-9 satellite every 4 hours. Power is provided by solar cells that charge an internal battery.
Stations can monitor a wide variety of conditions, including things like water and air temperatures,
turbidity, dissolved gas content, soil moisture, wind conditions, solar radiation, seismic activity,
structural stability, snow depth, or precipitation.