USGS Water-Year Summary for Site 08396500

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	00060 Discharge(Mean)

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Water year 2023: 2022-10-01 to 2023-09-30

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USGS Water-Year Summary 2023

08396500 PECOS RIVER NEAR ARTESIA, NM

LOCATION - Lat 32°50'27.1", long 104°19'25.8" referenced to North American Datum of 1983, Eddy County, NM, Hydrologic Unit 13060007, on upstream side of bridge on U.S. Highway 82, 4.3 mi east of Artesia, 7.0 mi upstream from Rio Penasco, and at mile 503.9.

DRAINAGE AREA - 15,300 mi². (approximate contributing area)

REVISIONS HISTORY - WSP 1312 and 1512: 1913, 1915, 1917-18(M), 1920, 1923, 1931-36. WSP 1712: 1906(M), 1908-11(M), 1919, 1921- 23(M), 1929, 1931-32(M), 1935-36(M), 1937, 1939(M), 1941(M). See also PERIOD OF RECORD.

SURFACE-WATER RECORDS

PERIOD OF RECORD - September 1905 to June 1909, August 1909 to current year. Monthly discharge only for some periods, published in WSP 1312 and 1712. Records for August 22-31, 1934, and October 1936 to April 1937, published in WSP 763 and 828, respectively, are not reliable and should not be used. Prior to February 1936, published as "near Dayton."

GAGE - Water-stage recorder with satellite telemetry and crest-stage gage. Elevation of gage is 3,291.92 ft above NGVD of 1983 (Bureau of Reclamation benchmark). See WSP 1923 or 2123 for history of changes prior to Apr. 5, 1941. Apr. 5, 1941, to Apr. 2, 1981, water-stage recorder at site 250 ft downstream at same datum.

REMARKS - Water year 2014 and water years 2021-2022; records good. Water years 2015-2020 and water year 2023; records fair except for estimated discharges, which are poor. Considerable flow regulation by Lake Sumner (station 08384000) since Aug. 1937, and by Two Rivers Reservoir (station 08390600) since July 1963. Diversions and ground-water withdrawals for irrigation of about 154,000 acres, 1959 determination, upstream from station.

EXTREMES OUTSIDE PERIOD OF RECORD - Greatest flood since at least 1893 occurred Oct. 2, 1904, discharge not determined; the peak inflow to Lake McMillan, which includes Rio Penasco and Fourmile Draw, was estimated at 82,000 ft³/s. The second highest flood occurred July 25, 1905, discharge downstream from Rio Penasco, 50,300 ft³/s, based on gain in storage and spill from Lake McMillan. The floods in Aug. 1893 and Oct. 1904 damaged McMillan Dam and washed out Avalon Dam.

WATER-QUALITY RECORDS

PERIOD OF RECORD - Water years 1937 to current year.