Resource library

Read the number. Understand the answer.

Fourteen field guides for the questions behind the data. Start with a topic, then put the explanation to work.

Lake levels Tide charts River gauges Radon zones GS pay Burn bans Hail records

Lake levels

Storage, elevation and recent change.

Teal water in a clear vessel beside a terracotta vessel and cobalt object.

Lakes · 3 min read

How to read a reservoir’s percent full

Storage and elevation answer different questions. Use both to understand a reservoir.

An open field notebook and brass survey level on a limestone ledge beside water.

Lakes · 3 min read

Lake Travis: put today’s reading in context

Follow a dated TWDB reading from the headline number to its 30-day chart.

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Tide charts

Plan around high and low water.

A folded blue paper wave beside a brass clock and coral cord.

Tides · 5 min read

How to read a NOAA high and low tide chart

A station, a time zone and a datum make the table meaningful.

A weathered wooden pier beside a sheltered rocky coastal inlet.

Tides · 5 min read

Why a nearby tide station can differ from your beach

Follow the water connection and station coverage before trusting a nearby name.

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River gauges

Find the right station for your stretch.

River water flowing around mossy stones beside a grassy bank.

Rivers · 5 min read

Gauge height, discharge and flood stage

Three different quantities that should never be read as interchangeable.

Brass field instruments, open notebooks and a winding paper ribbon on a blue table.

Rivers · 5 min read

Which Susquehanna gauge should you use?

Begin with your river reach and confirm the station on the source map.

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Radon zones

Understand the county behind a ZIP area.

A plain open sampling canister and lid on a wooden table in a sunlit living room.

Radon · 3 min read

EPA radon zones versus a home test

A county-level potential category cannot measure the air inside a home.

Three rural mailboxes beside quiet lanes and grassy verges.

Radon · 3 min read

Why a ZIP-area search can return multiple counties

The lookup uses Census geography, with boundaries and relationships that need explanation.

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GS pay

Grade, step and locality, clearly explained.

A calculator, envelopes, glasses and laptop on a wooden home-office desk.

GS pay · 3 min read

Base pay versus locality pay in 2026

Choose the correct table before comparing grade and step.

Cobalt ceramic steps with a brass marker beside paper and a coral pencil.

GS pay · 3 min read

A worked GS grade-and-step lookup

Trace a calculator result to the exact OPM row and column.

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Burn bans

Find the issuing authority and current order.

A covered, unlit metal fire pit on a dry rural patio.

Burn bans · 3 min read

How to verify a Texas county burn ban

Use the map to find the county, then read the current issuing authority’s information.

Sunlit dry prairie grasses beside a weathered fence.

Burn bans · 3 min read

Wildfire danger versus a legal burn ban

Weather conditions and legal restrictions answer different questions.

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Hail records

Explore reports with dates and source context.

Loose sheets and a tied bundle of records beside translucent spheres.

Hail · 5 min read

SPC preliminary reports versus NCEI event records

Choose the dataset that matches the time window and the question.

Rain droplets on an undamaged roof and gutter above a suburban garden.

Hail · 5 min read

What a hail record can tell you about a property

A nearby reported event is context, not proof of damage at an address.

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