USGS Water-Year Summary 2023

11315900 Bear River below Lower Bear River Dam, CA

LOCATION - Lat 38°32'11", long 120°15'24" referenced to North American Datum of 1927, in NW 1/4 NW 1/4 sec.19, T.8 N., R.16 E., Amador County, CA, Hydrologic Unit 18040012, in Eldorado National Forest, on left bank, 250 ft downstream from outlet valve on Lower Bear River Reservoir, 0.2 mi below Lower Bear River Reservoir Dam, 1.4 mi upstream from Rattlesnake Creek, and 3.5 mi northwest of Salt Springs Dam.

DRAINAGE AREA - 37.4 mi².

SURFACE-WATER RECORDS

PERIOD OF RECORD - December 1987 to current year (low-flow records only). Unpublished records for water years 1981-87 available in files of the U.S. Geological Survey.

GAGE - Water-stage recorder and concrete control. Elevation of gage is 5,500 ft above NGVD of 1929, from topographic map. Prior to Dec. 3, 1987, nonrecording gage, and Dec. 3, 1987 to Oct. 16, 2002, recording gage at same site at different datum.

COOPERATION - Records were collected by Pacific Gas and Electric Co., under general supervision of the U.S. Geological Survey, in connection with Federal Energy Regulatory Commission project no. 137.

REMARKS - No records computed above 154 ft³/s. Flow regulated since 1900 by Bear River Reservoir, capacity, 6,760 acre-ft, and since December 1952 by Lower Bear River Reservoir 0.2 mi upstream, capacity, 49,100 acre-ft. Water diverted for power since December 1952 from Lower Bear River Reservoir through tunnel to Salt Springs Powerplant No. 2 (station 11313510) on North Fork Mokelumne River. Water diverted occasionally from Cole Creek into Lower Bear River Reservoir. See schematic diagram of Mokelumne River Basin available from the California Water Science Center.