diff --git a/src/troute-network/troute/nhd_io.py b/src/troute-network/troute/nhd_io.py
index 5542bf5e4..bbfbb4b69 100644
--- a/src/troute-network/troute/nhd_io.py
+++ b/src/troute-network/troute/nhd_io.py
@@ -1172,7 +1172,7 @@ def get_obs_from_timeslices(
     df = crosswalk_df.reset_index()
     df[crosswalk_gage_field] = np.asarray(df[crosswalk_gage_field]).astype('<U15')
     df = df.set_index(crosswalk_gage_field)
-    
+    df.index = df.index.str.strip()
     # join crosswalk data with timeslice data, indexed on crosswalk destination field
     observation_df = (df.join(timeslice_obs_df).
                reset_index().
diff --git a/src/troute-network/troute/nhd_network.py b/src/troute-network/troute/nhd_network.py
index 0b57aa13b..9e3ac1fa3 100644
--- a/src/troute-network/troute/nhd_network.py
+++ b/src/troute-network/troute/nhd_network.py
@@ -95,7 +95,7 @@ def gage_mapping(segment_gage_df, gage_col="gages"):
     gage_list = list(map(bytes.strip, segment_gage_df[gage_col].values))
     gage_mask = list(map(bytes.isalnum, gage_list))
     segment_gage_df = segment_gage_df.loc[gage_mask, [gage_col]]
-    segment_gage_df[gage_col] = segment_gage_df[gage_col].map(bytes.strip)
+    segment_gage_df[gage_col] = segment_gage_df[gage_col].apply(lambda x: x.decode('utf-8'))
     gage_map = segment_gage_df.to_dict()
     return gage_map