USGS Water-Year Summary 2023

03077500 YOUGHIOGHENY RIVER AT YOUGHIOGHENY RIVER DAM, PA

LOCATION - Lat 39°48'19", long 79°21'52" referenced to North American Datum of 1927, Somerset County, PA, Hydrologic Unit 05020006, on right bank 800 ft upstream from bridge on State Highway 281, 0.2 mi downstream from Youghiogheny River Dam, 0.2 mi south of Confluence, 0.7 mi upstream from Casselman River, and at river mile 73.7.

DRAINAGE AREA - 436 mi².

REVISIONS HISTORY - Water Temperature Record: March 3, 2020 (10:15-11:15); monitor was out of water.

SURFACE-WATER RECORDS

PERIOD OF RECORD - September 1904 to September 1913 (gage heights only), October 1939 to September 1991, 2005 -2008 (discharge measurements only),2009 to current year. Monthly discharge only for October 1939 to April 1940, published in WSP 1305. Figures of daily discharge prior to January 1911, published in WSP 169, 205, 243, 263, and 283 are unreliable and should not be used. September 1904 to September 1922 (gage heights only) in reports of Water Supply Commission of Pennsylvania or Pennsylvania Department of Forests and Waters. Published as "at Confluence" 1904-1922.

GAGE - Water-stage recorder and acoustic Doppler velocity meter (installed Oct 2011). Datum of gage is 1,309.7 ft above North American Vertical Datum of 1988. Prior to January 16, 2024, the datum of gage was reported as 1,310.17 ft above National Geodetic Vertical Datum of 1929. Satellite telemetry at station.

COOPERATION - Station established and maintained by the U.S. Geological Survey in cooperation with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Pittsburgh District.

REMARKS - Gage heights can be affected by backwater from the Casselman River. Discharge is computed by using the Index-Velocity Method at a gage height of 4.30 ft and higher. Flow regulated since 1925 by Deep Creek Reservoir and since 1943 by Youghiogheny River Lake 0.2 mi upstream. Record is good except those for estimated discharge, which is poor.

WATER-QUALITY RECORDS

PERIOD OF RECORD - 2002 to current year.

PERIOD OF DAILY RECORD - WATER TEMPERATURE: August 2005 to September 2006; October 2007 to current year. SPECIFIC CONDUCTANCE: August 2005 to September 2006. pH: August 2005 to September 2006. DISSOLVED OXYGEN: August 2005 to September 2006.

COOPERATION - Station established and maintained by the U.S. Geological Survey in cooperation with the U.S. Corps of Engineers, Pittsburgh District. Water-quality samples were collected as part of the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection Water-Quality Network (WQN) with cooperation from the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection.

INSTRUMENTATION - Water temperature sensor interfaced with a data collection platform with 60-minute recording interval.

REMARKS -

As of October 2013, results from discrete water quality samples collected at this site are available through the U.S. Geological Survey National Water Information System web interface on the "Water Quality for the Nation" webpage. As of October 2013, results from discrete water quality samples collected at this site are available through the U.S. Geological Survey National Water Information System web interface on the "Water Quality for the Nation" webpage. Analyses for pH, water temperature, specific conductance, and dissolved oxygen were performed on site. All other sample analyses were performed at the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection laboratory in Harrisburg, PA. Occasionally, values for filtered parameters may exceed values for the corresponding unfiltered parameter. These results are within the limits of analytical precision and methods.

Historically, water temperatures below 0 degrees Celsius were not reported. Water temperature sensors now have the ability to accurately read water temperatures below 0 degrees Celsius. 

Cross-sectional water quality data is available upon request.

  

EXTREMES FOR PERIOD OF DAILY RECORD - WATER TEMPERATURE: Maximum, 25.8°C, Oct 12, 2016; minimum, 1.2°C, March 10, 2015.