A 2.87-foot reading needs its timestamp

ORIGINAL SOURCE-RESPONSE ANALYSIS

A stable-looking line can still be unusable for a later decision

We reopened the time-bounded USGS response on September 7, 2026. It returned four provisional gage-height observations at station 01646500: 2.86, 2.87, 2.87 and 2.86 ft from 03:45 to 04:00 EDT on September 2. The 2.87-ft observation used in this case is present at 03:50. The nearby values provide a check on the extracted number, not evidence of current conditions.

Three different failure checks

1. Clock validity: a record later than the decision time cannot be treated as already available. UTC offsets must travel with the timestamp.
2. Freshness: at 08:00 EDT, the selected observation is 250 minutes old. It fails an illustrative four-hour limit by ten minutes; changing the limit does not update the observation.
3. Applicability: passing an age check still does not establish that this station represents another reach, or that access, wading or boating is safe.

Using the last observation in this small extract instead would produce an age of exactly four hours. That is why a pipeline must state whether it selects a specific record or the latest valid observation in a defined response. Silently mixing the 03:50 value with a 04:00 timestamp would be a provenance error even though both numbers look similar.

The chart shows gage height at the station, not river depth or discharge. FINVECTOR's streamgage guide explains the parameter distinction and the need to check the relevant reach. The source may later revise provisional data; our download records the values actually observed on the access date.

Download the dated inputs and observed outputs (JSON). The file distinguishes official values, tool observations and controlled assumptions. It contains no personal borrower or employee data.