USGS Water-Year Summary for Site 12355500

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

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USGS Water-Year Summary 2023

12355500 NORTH FORK FLATHEAD RIVER NEAR COLUMBIA FALLS, MT

LOCATION - Lat 48°29'44.87", long 114°07'36.35" referenced to North American Datum of 1983, in NE 1/4 SW 1/4 NW 1/4 sec.35, T.32 N., R.20 W., Flathead County, MT, Hydrologic Unit 17010206, on right bank 1.5 mi downstream from Canyon Creek, 3.8 mi upstream from Middle Fork, 8.8 mi northeast of Columbia Falls, and at river mile 162.1.

DRAINAGE AREA - 1,556 mi².

REVISIONS HISTORY - WSP 1216: Drainage area. WSP 1246: 1911; 1912, maximum discharge (M); 1915-17 (M); 1929 (M); 1938-39 (M); 1946 (M).

SURFACE-WATER RECORDS

PERIOD OF RECORD - October 1910 to September 1917 (no winter records in water years 1913, 1916, 1917), April 1929 to February 1935 (incomplete), June 1935 to current year. Monthly discharge only for some periods are published in Water Supply Paper (WSP) 1316. Site was published as "Flathead River near Columbia Falls" from 1915-17 and 1929-70.

GAGE - Water-stage recorder. Elevation of gage is 3,145.59 ft, referenced to the National Geodetic Vertical Datum of 1929. September 1910 to September 1917 and April to August 1929, nonrecording gages, and May 1, 1930, to Sept. 30, 1962, water-stage recorder, all at site 2.7 mi downstream at different elevations. Bureau of Reclamation data collection platform with satellite telemetry at station.

REMARKS - A few small diversions from tributaries for irrigation of hay meadows occur upstream from station.

EXTREMES FOR PERIOD OF RECORD - Maximum peak flow on basis of slope-area measurement.

WATER-QUALITY RECORDS

PERIOD OF RECORD - Water years 1950, 1970, 1976 to current year.

PERIOD OF DAILY RECORD -

SPECIFIC CONDUCTANCE: October 1975 to October 1978. 
WATER TEMPERATURE: October 1975 to current year (seasonal records beginning April 2006). 
SUSPENDED-SEDIMENT DISCHARGE: October 1975 to November 1978.

INSTRUMENTATION - Water temperature probe was installed Oct. 1, 1975. Most recent water temperature probe installed September 2001.

REMARKS -

EXTREMES FOR PERIOD OF DAILY RECORD -

SPECIFIC CONDUCTANCE: Maximum daily, 246 microsiemens per centimeter (uS/cm) at 25.0°C, Dec. 31, 1976; 
minimum daily, 128 uS/cm at 25.0°C, June 30, July 1, 1976. 

WATER TEMPERATURE: Maximum daily, 23.0°C, Aug. 12, 1997; minimum daily, -0.1°C many days during winter periods. 

SEDIMENT CONCENTRATION: Maximum daily mean, 931 mg/L, May 11, 1976; minimum daily mean, 1 mg/L on many days each year. 

SEDIMENT LOAD: Maximum daily, 56,800 tons, May 11, 1976; minimum daily, 1.1 tons, Mar. 3, 1978.