Building on what the citizens of Fort Collins, Colorado started, the BCMSHRW is utilizing the same rain gauges to gain better resolution of precipitation patterns in the watersheds and how it affects the functionality of the streams.  Using the high capacity, all-weather rain gauges, many local stakeholders including residents, farmers, and businesses are helping to track precipitation amounts and post rainfall amounts online for anyone in the watershed to view.  Participants update daily precipitation to the CoCoRaHS network where precipitation density maps and tables are generated for easy viewing.  For more information or to view daily precipitation across the watershed log on to www.cocorahs.org.

Thanks to all of our volunteers we can create monthly interpolated rainfall estimate maps using gauge data.  All maps are created using gauges that report nearly every day.  Yes, this includes days it did not rain!  Thank you to all of our volunteers!   Look to the right of the screen to see who reported everyday for the current map.

Watershed Rainfall (PDF)
Yearly Precip Total (PDF)
City of Hays Rainfall (PDF)
Ellis County Rainfall (PDF)
Ellsworth County Rainfall (PDF)
Russell County Rainfall (PDF)
Trego & Gove County Rainfall (PDF)

Past Rainfall Maps

Because the project is community and volunteer based we ask anyone interested in reporting precipitation in Trego, Ellis, Russell or Ellsworth counties to please contact us.  We currently have 103 rain gauges in the watershed.  Gauges are on a first come first serve basis with site placement taken into consideration.

Check for site availability with the following maps (some maps require Adobe Reader or Acrobat to view).

CoCoRaHS Stations

Ellis County CoCoRaHS stations*  

Ellsworth County CoCoRaHS stations*

Russell County CoCoRaHS stations*

Trego County CoCoRaHS stations*

* Change map type to 'stations' and click 'get map' to view current CoCoRaHS stations in the respective county.  Not all stations report.

BCMSHRW CoCoRaHS Reporting Stations

City of Hays Rain Gauges (PDF)

Ellis County Rain Gauges (PDF)

Ellsworth County Rain Gauges (PDF)

Russell County Rain Gauges (PDF)

Trego County Rain Gauges (PDF)

* Gauge number corresponds to the CoCoRaHS assigned station number

With the success of the CoCoRaHS rain gauges and the continued interest of new volunteers, this spring we have introduced the hail pads.  Hail pads are used to quantify, much like the rain gauge, extreme weather events.  The pads are made of 1 inch styrofoam coated with aluminum foil.  When the hail hits the pad it leaves an indentation and from this we can calculate the size, force, direction, and intensity of the hail storm.  Hail pads are now available at all local county conservation district offices.  For more information contact us at the information listed above.