USGS Water-Year Summary for Site 03459500

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	Available Parameters
	00060 Discharge(Max.,Min.,Mean)
	00065 Gage height(Max.,Min.,Mean)

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

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USGS Water-Year Summary 2023

03459500 PIGEON RIVER NEAR HEPCO, NC

LOCATION - Lat 35°38'06", long 82°59'24" referenced to North American Datum of 1983, Haywood County, NC, Hydrologic Unit 06010106, on left bank 95 ft east of Interstate 40 (at mile marker 17.5), 0.8 mile downstream from Jonathan Creek, 2.0 miles south of Hepco, 2.4 miles upstream from Fines Creek and at mile 45.1.

DRAINAGE AREA - 350 mi². (measured by TVA on topographic maps, scale 1:24,000). The basin is sparsely populated except for towns of Canton, Waynesville, and resort town of Maggie Valley. It is generally characterized by small farms in the steep valleys along the streams and forest cover over the other area. The rainfall ranges from 40-60 inches per year.

REVISIONS HISTORY - WSP 823: Drainage area. WSP 893: 1928-31, daily and maximum discharges; 1932, maximum discharge; 1933-36, daily discharge; 1935-39, maximum discharge. The datum was revised because the original NGVD29 datum was found to be in error by the Level II GNSS survey that was performed by USGS personnel on April 06, 2022.

SURFACE-WATER RECORDS

PERIOD OF RECORD - July 1927 to current year.

GAGE - Data collection platform. Datum of gage is 2,335.81 ft above NAVD of 1988. Satellite telemetry at streamgage.

REMARKS -

Regulation by Lake Junaluska on Richland Creek and Lake Logan (station 03455773) on West Fork Pigeon River for periods at low flow, combined capacity of reservoirs, about 2,000 ft³/s-day.

Gage-height records are generally good. Discharge records are generally good except for estimated discharges, which are poor. Additional details on the accuracy of the records can be obtained by contacting the USGS South Atlantic Water Science Center at gs-w-nc_nwisweb_data_inquiries@usgs.gov.

EXTREMES OUTSIDE PERIOD OF RECORD - Floods of June 1876 and February 1902 reached a stage of about 18 ft, from flood profiles by Tennessee Valley Authority; discharge, about 42,000 ft³/s.

EXTREMES FOR PERIOD OF RECORD - Maximum discharge from rating curve extended above 12,000 ft³/s on basis of slope-conveyance measurement of peak flow.