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Water-Year Summary for Site 11427500

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Available Parameters
00060 Discharge(Mean)  

Water year 2023: 2022-10-01 to 2023-09-30
 
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USGS Water-Year Summary 2023
11427500 Middle Fork American River at French Meadows, CA
LOCATION - Lat 39°06'35", long 120°28'49" referenced to North American Datum of 1927, in SW 1/4 NW 1/4 sec.36, T.15 N., R.13 E., Placer County, CA, Hydrologic Unit 18020128, in Tahoe National Forest, on left bank, 0.6 mi downstream from French Meadows Dam, 4.1 mi upstream from Chipmunk Creek, and 14 mi south of Cisco.
DRAINAGE AREA - 47.9 mi².
REVISIONS HISTORY - WSP 1445: 1953-54. WSP 1931: Drainage area.
SURFACE-WATER RECORDS
PERIOD OF RECORD - October 1951 to current year.
GAGE - Water-stage recorder. Elevation of gage is 4,920 ft above NGVD of 1929, from topographic map. Prior to Oct. 1, 1962, at site 0.8 mi upstream at different datum.
COOPERATION - Records, including diversion from French Meadows Reservoir to Hell Hole Reservoir through French Meadows Powerplant (station 11427200) through the 2013 water year, provided by Placer County Water Agency, under general supervision of the U.S. Geological Survey, in connection with Federal Energy Regulatory Commission project no. 2079.
REMARKS - Flow regulated by French Meadows Reservoir (station 11427400) 0.6 mi upstream beginning December 1964. Water diverted into basin from Duncan Creek to French Meadows Reservoir since December 1964. Water diverted out of basin from French Meadows Reservoir through French Meadows Powerplant to Hell Hole Reservoir (station 11428700) since December 1965. See schematic diagram of Middle Fork American and Rubicon River Basins available from the California Water Science Center.
EXTREMES FOR PERIOD OF RECORD - Maximum discharge, 21,500 ft³/s, Jan. 31, 1963, gage height, 14.20 ft, from rating curve extended above 1,100 ft³/s, on basis of peak flow at former site; minimum, 0.3 ft³/s, Oct. 4, 5, 21-25, 1960, Oct. 5, 6, 1961. Maximum discharge since construction of French Meadows Dam in 1964, 6,050 ft³/s, May 16, 1996, gage height, 11.61 ft, from flow over spillway of French Meadows Reservoir; minimum daily, 0.8 ft³/s, Oct. 22-25, 1964.