USGS Water-Year Summary 2024

03337000 BONEYARD CREEK AT URBANA, IL

LOCATION - Lat 40°06'40.7", long 88°13'35.6" referenced to North American Datum of 1983, in NW 1/4 NE 1/4 sec.18, T.19 N., R.9 E., Champaign County, IL, Hydrologic Unit 05120109, on right bank 300 ft. upstream from Matthews Ave. on University of Illinois campus in Urbana, and at mile 1.6.

DRAINAGE AREA - 4.46 mi². of which 0.88 mi² is noncontributing.

REVISIONS HISTORY - WDR IL-75-1: Drainage area. WDR IL-83-1: 1982(M). WDR IL-98: 1979-96 (selected events).

SURFACE-WATER RECORDS

PERIOD OF RECORD -
SURFACE-WATER DISCHARGE AND STAGE
  DISCHARGE: July 1948 to current.
  STAGE: Water years 1994 to current.
PRECIPITATION: September 2003 to current.

GAGE - Water-stage recorder, phone telemeter, heated rain gage, and Parshall flume. Datum of gage is 693.88 ft. above North American Vertical Datum of 1988. Prior to Oct. 1, 1974, at datum 14.25 ft higher. From Oct. 1, 1974 to Sept. 30, 2001, at datum 14.10 ft. higher. From Apr. 19, 2002 to June 26, 2002, at site 95 ft. downstream at same datum. From June 27, 2002 to July 24, 2003 at site 250 ft. upstream at same datum.

REMARKS -

Since Aug.1, 1960, storm runoff from 1.12 sq. mi. at the headwaters has been diverted to Saline Branch through the Northwest Diversion Conduit. Prior to the 1970s, the Urbana and Champaign Sanitary District discharged treated runoff and sanitary sewer water about 0.5 mi. upstream from the gage.

Since 1981, the Oak-Ash detention 1.7 mi. upstream stores 59 ac-ft of runoff with a controlled release of 15 ft³/s up to a maximum in-stream rate of 100 ft³/s. Since 1991, the Eureka-Elm Detention 2.4 mi. upstream stores 14.6 ac-ft of runoff. Since July 1999, the Healey Street detention 1.0 mi. upstream temporarily detains 114 ac-ft of runoff. Water enters the basin by gravity flow during periods of heavy runoff, and is pumped out during the recession, with a maximum rate of 20 ft³/s not to exceed a maximum in-stream rate of 60 ft³/s. Since October 1999, some temporary storage began in underground conduits (Campustown inline storage) 0.6 mi upstream during runoff events.

Channel construction near the gage began Aug. 30, 2001. Streamflow diversion pumpage for channel construction began Sept. 1, 2001 causing frequent fluctuations in stage. Channel construction and pumpage for channel construction ended May 6, 2003.

Since December 2010, the Second Street detention 0.9 mi. upstream stores 41.5 ac-ft of runoff. Flood flows are initially routed to storm sewers, then are split between the storm sewer and Boneyard Creek. Construction on this detention began September 2008.

Accuracy of discharge records is discussed in the annual Station Analysis archived at the USGS IL Water Science Center.

PRECIPITATION: Collection, computation, and publication of precipitation data do not necessarily conform to standards used by the National Weather Service.

EXTREMES FOR PERIOD OF RECORD -

SURFACE-WATER DISCHARGE AND STAGE: Prior to channel modifications ending May 6, 2003: maximum discharge, 946 ft³/s, from rating based on two indirect measurements, Aug. 12, 1993, gage height, 24.03 ft, present datum, from flood marks. After channel modifications, maximum discharge, 917 ft³/s, Aug. 27, 2009, gage height, 19.68 ft. Minimum daily discharge, 0.03 ft³/s, Feb. 12, 1981.

PRECIPITATION: Maximum daily total, 3.99 in, Sept. 14, 2008.