USGS Water-Year Summary 2020
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.
SURFACE-WATER RECORDS
PERIOD OF RECORD - July 1927 to current year.
GAGE - Water-stage recorder and crest stage gage. Datum of gage is 2,335.95 ft above National Geodetic Vertical Datum of 1929 (levels by Tennessee Valley Authority). Satellite telemetry at streamgage.
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.