Modernizaton of the hydrologic data telemetry network in California

California's hydrologic data telemetry differs from those existing in other states because of the breadth in both kinds of data collected and in the muliple uses to which the data is put. The first telemetered data by DWR was a reservoir stage in the 1920s used for water rights administration. Today we telemeter streamflow, precipitation, wind, snow water content, temperature, water quality, and reservoir stage. Combinations of the data are used for flood (river) forecasting, water supply forecasting during the snow season, and project operation. Systems have progressed from radio callup with counting of beeps, telephone callup with beeps, interrogation of remote logic stations from a console, to computer automated callup of all types of stations with automatic assembly of data files therefrom. Event reporting stations are also interrogated by computer. Present systems use radio, ground-based systems for communications; except for ten precipitation stations and one snow sensor which are being operated experimentally on the GOES satellite.The replacement of the North Coast-North bay system in the spring of 1979 will include microprocessors at each remote station as bid.