USGS Water-Year Summary 2024
09365500 LA PLATA RIVER AT HESPERUS, CO
LOCATION - Lat 37°17'23", long 108°02'24" referenced to North American Datum of 1927, in NE 1/4 SW 1/4 sec.14, T.35 N., R.11 W., La Plata County, CO, Hydrologic Unit 14080105, on right bank at Hesperus, 700 ft downstream from U.S. Highway 160.
DRAINAGE AREA - 34.4 mi².
REVISIONS HISTORY - WSP 1243: 1906 (M). WSP 1563: 1923 (monthly figures only). WDR-US-2011: Drainage area. See also PERIOD OF RECORD.
SURFACE-WATER RECORDS
PERIOD OF RECORD - June to August 1904, May 1905 to September 1906, August to November 1910, June 1917 to December 2018 (discontinued). Monthly discharge only for some periods, published in WSP 1313. Records for Nov. 11 to Dec. 31, 1910, published in WSP 289, have been found to be unreliable and should not be used.
GAGE - Water-stage recorder with satellite telemetry and concrete flume. Datum of gage is 8,104.71 ft above NGVD of 1929. Prior to May 1, 1920, nonrecording gage, and May 1, 1920 to May 24, 1927, water-stage recorder, at several sites about 600 ft downstream at different datums. May 25, 1927 to Sept. 30, 1938, water-stage recorder at site 60 ft downstream and Oct. 1, 1938 to Sept. 30, 1941, at present site at datum 1.00 ft higher.
COOPERATION - Records collected and computed by Colorado Division of Water Resources and reviewed by Geological Survey.
EXTREMES OUTSIDE PERIOD OF RECORD - Maximum flood observed occurred Oct. 5, 1911.
EXTREMES FOR PERIOD OF RECORD - Maximum discharge, 1,880 ft³/s, Sept. 22, 1941, from rating curve extended above 620 ft³/s, on basis of slope-area measurement of peak flow, gage height, 4.30 ft, present datum.