USGS Water-Year Summary 2024
04101500 ST. JOSEPH RIVER AT NILES, MI
LOCATION - Lat 41°49'45", long 86°15'35" referenced to North American Datum of 1927, in SW 1/4 sec.26, T.7 S., R.17 W., Berrien County, MI, Hydrologic Unit 04050001, on right bank 100 ft upstream from Main Street Bridge in Niles, 0.6 mi downstream from dam at French Paper Co., 1.3 mi upstream from Dowagiac River, and at mile 44.
DRAINAGE AREA - 3,666 mi².
REVISIONS HISTORY - WSP 1387: 1931, 1933-36, 1940-43, 1945-46(M). WSP 1911: Drainage area.
SURFACE-WATER RECORDS
PERIOD OF RECORD - October 1930 to current year. Monthly discharge only for some periods, published in WSP 1307.
GAGE - Water-stage recorder. Datum of gage is 632.57 ft above NAVD 88, converted on July 9, 2020 from NGVD 29. Prior to Oct. 1, 1968, at datum 2.00 ft higher. Oct. 1, 1930 to Feb. 11, 1931, nonrecording gage on Main Street Bridge, and Feb. 12 to June 30, 1931, nonrecording gage 50 ft upstream from present site (gage heights referred to sea level datum). Oct. 1, 1943 to Apr. 12, 1970, auxiliary gage was headwater gage at hydroelectric plant at Buchanan Dam, 8 mi downstream from base gage at different datum. Since Apr. 13, 1970, auxiliary water-stage recorder at sewage-treatment plant, 1.1 mi downstream from base gage at same datum.
EXTREMES FOR PERIOD OF RECORD - Maximum discharge, 25,300 ft³/s, Feb. 22, 2018, gage height, 17.33 ft.
WATER-QUALITY RECORDS
PERIOD OF RECORD - Water years 1967, 1972-75, 1979-95, 2001, 2002, 2009, 2011 to current year.
PERIOD OF DAILY RECORD - SPECIFIC CONDUCTANCE: February 1979 to September 1984, April 2011 to October 2014, April 2015 to current year.
pH: April 2011 to October 2014, April 2015 to April 2018.
WATER TEMPERATURE: February 1979 to September 1984, April 2011 to October 2014, April 2015 to current year.
DISSOLVED OXYGEN: April 2011 to October 2014, May 2015 to current year.
TURBIDITY: April 2011 to October 2014, May 2015 to current year.
INSTRUMENTATION - Water-quality monitor telemeter, set for 15-minute interval.
EXTREMES FOR PERIOD OF DAILY RECORD - SPECIFIC CONDUCTANCE: Maximum recorded, 800 microsiemens, Feb. 27, 2013; minimum recorded, 278 microsiemens, Mar. 19, 1982.
pH: Maximum recorded, 8.5 std. units, on several days in water year 2013; minimum recorded, 6.8 std. units, Feb. 22, 2018.
WATER TEMPERATURE: Maximum recorded, 30.7°C, July 7, 2012; minimum recorded, -0.2°C, on many days in water years 2014, 2016
DISSOLVED OXYGEN: Maximum recorded, 14.9 mg/L, on several days in water years 2012, 2013, 2016; minimum recorded, 5.0 mg/L, July 16, 2012.
TURBIDITY: Maximum recorded, 589 FNU, May 4, 2018; minimum recorded, 0.0 FNU, Oct. 30, 2013, Sept. 11, 2017, several days in water years 2018-2021.