FLOwPER - FLOw PERmanence

The accurate mapping of streams and their streamflow conditions in terms of presence or absence of surface flow is important to both understanding physical, chemical, and biological processes in streams and to managing land, water, and ecological resources.The FLOw PERmanence (FLOwPER) field form provides standardized data collection to map the presence of flow in streams and upload the input data to an ArcGIS database. These data can be used for multiple purposes, such as archiving where flowing water is present in forest planning units, informing modeling efforts of streamflow permanence, and providing information needed to update stream classifications across any spatial extent. FLOwPER uses the ArcGIS Online (AGOL) Survey123 platform, which operates on a variety of mobile devices, including those from agencies and personal mobile devices. FLOwPER is designed for seamless communication with ArcGIS online for easy uploading of collected observations into a publicly available master database (FLOwPER Database) that can include any geographic region. FLOwPER focuses on the rapid collection of a set of simple visual observations that can be recorded from a road over a stream or while standing on the bank of a stream. Use of FLOwPER requires a mobile device that can access the FLOwPER field form through the Survey123 app and an accurate Global Positioning System (GPS) antenna with a rated accuracy of 1 meter or less. With crowdsourced observations collected by many users of FLOwPER, it is possible to collect a large number of observations from a wide geographical range from all parts of the stream network at any time of the year. Although seasonal drying of streams is often of interest, FLOwPER can be used to evaluate patterns of flow permanence at any time of year, including times when stream networks are greatly expanded during wet cycles.