only search W.R.W.W.       Virtual Forecast   "Google Earth Mash-up"   for Rain Prediction         Overview:   This section of WaldensRidgeWhiteWater is not for the novice or intermediate computer user. You need to be patient and take your time. You will need to learn "where to click" and what applications are useful to you; you the user. You will have to download and install some free programs on your computer. These applications will only work when at home-work... on your desktop or laptop...It's not a true mobile application per say like the rest of this site. Where using a Smartphone can get you by. *Note I can get this to work with my Droid but its not a click-click and I'm done application. A Laptop-Notebook with a with a wireless internet card from Verizon (AT&T doesn't work good in the boondocks for some reason) would be good to have for this application.   Why you need to learn and use this:   The thing is. The USGS is wanting to and will eventually abandon our internet river gauges in favor of using KMZ Files for layered rainfall predictions . Using computer software only, with no physical located gauges. By using this technology that is cutting edge, you are being pro-active and ahead of the curve stuff. Once you get the hang of it. This will be your tool of choice.   You will be able to predict how much rain a watershed got, it's just as good as someone giving you a rainfall rain gauge visual. You will be setting your shuttles and be waiting on the creeks to come up. And you will boat more, and you will be able to paddle more steep headwater type runs knowing what creek is going to run due to better predictions.       This service is brought to you by:                     Google Streams Installation Instructions: These aren't written in stone so play around with the instructions. 1) Download and install Google Earth on your PC: http://earth.google.com/download-earth.html     1.a) Once downloaded and installed, then go to your desktop and see if the Google Earth Icon was installed, if so click on it and open Google Earth 2) Click on this links below and select "Open With Google Earth" (or download it and then double click the file icon)   (copy and paste into toolbar) example http://www.waldensridgewhitewater.com/GoogleEarthMashsup/Nchick_test.kmz   3) If you want to make this even easier use, use Google’s Chrome Browser.   Once you use Chrome, and have Google Earth open , you will see the downloaded KMZ file on the bottom of your computer screen (Chrome Browser screen). All you will have to do is click on the file on the bottom of the screen(KMZ File). You don’t have to go looking around in your computer, or wonder what folder it went to see where the file resides.   It’s about as easy as it gets. Google Chrome will do the rest of the work for you.   ALL OF THIS SOUNDS COMPLICATED, but once you use it once or twice its very user friendly , just take our tips and try them " )   From David Young I wanted to be sure you know that text information is contained in the KMZ files too.  One can click on either the “Places” legend entry or on the put in/take out points to view more info.    MORE INSTRUCTIONS ARE AT THE BOTTOM OF THIS PAGE:                   Here are some files to play with. (see below) You will get a pop-up window asking you to download the files. These files are virus free.     USGS Real-time stream flow KML   Here is a USGS water gauge site that will open Google Earth with gauge points that link to flow and level charts.    http://waterwatch.usgs.gov/new/?id=real&sid=w__kml     North Chick Watershed KMZ_Files\Nchick_test.kmz     http://www.waldensridgewhitewater.com/KMZ_FILES/Nchick_test.kmz   (or copy and paste into toolbar,if hyperlink doesn't work)       Soddy Creek Watersheds http://www.waldensridgewhitewater.com/GoogleEarthMashup/SoddyCreekWatershedStreams.kmz     http://www.waldensridgewhitewater.com/KMZ_FILES/SoddyCreekWatershedStreams.kmz (or copy and paste into toolbar,if hyperlink doesn't work)   Piney Creek Watersheds provided by David Young http://www.waldensridgewhitewater.com/GoogleEarthMashup/PineyCreek.kmz http://www.waldensridgewhitewater.com/GoogleEarthMashup/PineyCreek.kmz (or copy and paste into toolbar,if hyperlink doesn't work)   Piney map with the side creeks:   http://www.waldensridgewhitewater.com/GoogleEarthMashup/PineyCreek2.kmz   http://www.waldensridgewhitewater.com/GoogleEarthMashup/PineyCreek.kmz (or copy and paste into toolbar,if hyperlink doesn't work)     White's Creek Watershed Map  provided by David Young http://www.waldensridgewhitewater.com/GoogleEarthMashup/UpperWhitesCreek.kmz http://www.waldensridgewhitewater.com/GoogleEarthMashup/UpperWhitesCreek.kmz (or copy and paste into toolbar,if hyperlink doesn't work)     Big Brush Watershed http://www.waldensridgewhitewater.com/KMZ_Files/BigBrushCreek.kmz http://www.waldensridgewhitewater.com/KMZ_Files/BigBrushCreek.kmz (or copy and paste into toolbar, if hyperlink doesn't work)   Little Brush Watershed http://www.waldensridgewhitewater.com/KMZ_Files/LittleBrushCreek.kmz    http://www.waldensridgewhitewater.com/KMZ_Files/LittleBrushCreek.kmz (or copy and paste into toolbar if hyperlink doesn't work)     Rock Creek-Lookout Mountain-Lula Lake Watershed provided by David Young http://www.waldensridgewhitewater.com/KMZ_Files/RockCreekGA.kmz http://www.waldensridgewhitewater.com/KMZ_Files/RockCreekGA.kmz  (or copy and paste into toolbar, if hyperlink doesn't work)       Pocket Creek Watershed http://www.waldensridgewhitewater.com/KMZ_Files/PocketCreek.kmz   http://www.waldensridgewhitewater.com/KMZ_Files/PocketCreek.kmz  (or copy and paste into toolbar, if hyperlink doesn't work)   Tellico River Watershed provided by David Young   http://www.waldensridgewhitewater.com/KMZ_Files/TellicoRiver.kmz    http://www.waldensridgewhitewater.com/KMZ_Files/TellicoRiver.kmz  (or copy and paste into toolbar, if hyperlink doesn't work)   Citico Creek Watershed provided by David Young   http://www.waldensridgewhitewater.com/KMZ_Files/CiticoCreekTN.kmz    http://www.waldensridgewhitewater.com/KMZ_Files/CiticoCreekTN.kmz  (or copy and paste into toolbar, if hyperlink doesn't work)   Obed-Emory Watershed provided by David Young   http://www.waldensridgewhitewater.com/KMZ_Files/ClearDaddysObedCrookedEmory.kmz    http://www.waldensridgewhitewater.com/KMZ_Files/ClearDaddysObedCrookedEmory.kmz  (or copy and paste into toolbar, if hyperlink doesn't work)   Allen -Doughtey Creek Lookout Mountain provided by David Young   http://www.waldensridgewhitewater.com/KMZ_Files/AllenDougherty.kmz     http://www.waldensridgewhitewater.com/KMZ_Files/AllenDougherty.kmz  (or copy and paste into toolbar, if hyperlink doesn't work)         More instructions :     4) It will open up Google Earth and put a folder named "GoogleStreams (BETA 0.2)" in your "Temporary Places" folder in Places (left menu). Drag this folder into "My Places" to make sure it stays with you when you start Google Earth next time. 5) Google Earth should zoom in to show you the streams . (Pretty cool, huh?) You can pan and zoom and tilt to look at the creeks. That's it. Now to see what this puppy is really good for, you'll need to mashup the Nat. Weather Svc. radar data too. Here are some instructions for doing that:         1) Go to: http://www.srh.noaa.gov/ridge/kmzgenerator.php     2) Select what you want. For example, Single Radar for Huntsville, Alabama, Base Reflectivity or Storm Total Precip. Or down a the bottom, Animation Radar KMZ generation, pick Huntsville Alabama or Maryville Tennessee. Then press the Submit button to the right side of your selection.     3) When the download window comes up, choose to open the file using Google Earth (not save it to disk!) I've tried it in IE7 and Firefox and Google Chrome (Are you a user yet? ). NOTE: you MUST have Google Earth installed before you do this!     4) Google Earth may put the new folder in your "Temporary Places" folder under "My Places" (Apple Users) or (Window Users) "Download Folder " (Window users this varies so look around for it once done ) on the left side of the Google Earth screen. Move it out of there and into My Places to keep it around for next time you run Google Earth. I made a folder under My Places called "WRWW Radars" and put all of the ones I downloaded into that folder to keep things organized. You can turn the different radars on and off by clicking the checkboxes on the folders and images. NOTE: they will only stay updated if you are connected to the Internet!     5) For the animations, a slider bar appears at the top of the Google Earth window. It has a "Play" button on the right. That's the way you play the animation - it won't start automatically. The images may take a while to load too.   Example from Fish, using an Arkansas Stream KMZ file as an example. You will/ can have the same results for you area you are looking at. OK, that should get everyone started with this. The accuracy of the storm total rainfall estimates has so far been amazing. I have about 10 times so far when predictions made using this tool matched very well what was actually observed in terms of creek levels in the field. I would recommend using both the Tulsa and Little Rock radar for areas in southeastern Newton Co. (i.e. Richland), the Ark. R. valley, and the Cossatot to make sure they are in agreement. Sometimes mountains and such can get in the way of the radar beam from one location or another.  Get wet,  Fish These steps are copyrighted by the Arkansas Canoe Club -OzarkWhiteWater Page and is free for use by any and all paddlers.  Credit where credit is due: Credit for the data entry and file creations for this project goes to Randall Hale of  North River Geographic  for providing his hard work in creating these  KMZ file maps. and Bill "Fish" Herring of the Ozark WhiteWater Page for providing the user instructions. David Young has also given countless hours for these maps .       We need your help!   Do you know how to make a KMZ file?  Would you like to host your file here so others can use it?   Contact us  We need more maps!