BAGS: Bedload Assessment in Gravel-bedded Streams

Frequently Asked Questions

• Who developed BAGS?
• Is technical support available?
• Has BAGS been updated since it's original release?
• How do I enable Macros in Excel 2007 to run BAGS?

Who developed BAGS?

The BAGS program was developed by Dr. John Pitlick (Professor; Department of Geography; University of Colorado; Boulder, CO), Dr. Peter Wilcock (Professor; Department of Geography Environmental Engineering; John Hopkins University; Baltimore, MD), and Dr. Yantao Cui (Hydraulic Engineer; Stillwater Sciences; Berkeley, CA).

BAGS is software in the public domain, and the recipient may not assert any proprietary rights thereto nor represent it to anyone as other than a Government produced program. BAGS is provided “as-is” without warranty of any kind, including, but not limited to, the implied warranties of merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose. The user assumes all responsibility for the accuracy and suitability of this program for a specific application. In no event will the U.S. Forest Service, Stillwater Sciences Inc., Johns Hopkins University, University of Colorado, or any of the program and manual authors be liable for any damages, including lost profits, lost savings, or other incidental or consequential damages arising from the use of or the inability to use this program.

Is technical support available?

BAGS is supported by, and limited technical support is available from, the Streams Systems Technology Center, Fort Collins, CO. The preferred method of contact for obtaining support is to send an e-mail to rmrs_stream@fs.fed.us requesting “BAGS Support” in the subject line.

Has BAGS been updated since it's original release?

Yes, BAGS was updated in October 2009 due to an automatic update of Excel by Microsoft which made inoperable certain functions of Visual Basic for Applications for some programs.  Unfortunately, BAGS uses some of the changed functions.  The
latest working version can now be downloaded.

How do I enable Macros in Excel 2007 to run BAGS?

BAGS runs within Microsoft Excel and calculations are carried out using Visual Basic for Applications (VBA). Users of Excel 2007 may see an error message indicating that macros have been disabled. This is the default setting for Forest Service installations of Excel 2007. To enable macros, open Excel 2007, follow the steps listed below, and then you should be able to run the BAGS program.

Simple Solution:
Open the Microsoft Excel workbook. Click the 'Microsoft Office' button. Click the 'Excel Options' button. In the left pane, click 'Trust Center'. Click the 'Trust Center Settings' button. In the 'Macro Settings' section, select the 'Enable all macros' option. Click 'OK'. Click 'OK'.

Detailed Explanation:
Microsoft Excel 2007 enables you to work with macros. Macros are a series of commands defined to perform certain actions. They are used to automate frequently used tasks. The macro signed by the developer with a digital signature is considered as authentic. If the trust center detects a problem with the digital signature, you get a notification message of an unsafe macro and the macro is disabled. Additionally, if you want to work with required macros you need to enable them.

To enable macros:

1. Open the Microsoft Excel workbook.
2. Click the 'Microsoft Office' button.
3. Click the 'Excel Options' button. (The 'Excel Options' dialog box appears at the bottom of the Home menu window.)
4. In the left pane, click 'Trust Center'.
5. Click the 'Trust Center Settings' button. (The 'Trust Center Settings' dialog box appears on the far right side of the box)
6. Click on 'Macro Settings' in the left panel, and select the 'Enable all macros' option.
7. Click 'OK'.
8. Click 'OK'.
   

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