USGS Water-Year Summary for Site 06438000

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	Available Parameters
	00060 Discharge(Mean)
	00065 Gage height(Mean)

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Water year 2024: 2024-10-01 to 2025-09-30

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USGS Water-Year Summary 2024

06438000 BELLE FOURCHE RIVER NEAR ELM SPRINGS, SD

LOCATION - Lat 44°22'12.01", long 102°33'57.89" referenced to North American Datum of 1927, in NE 1/4 NE 1/4 sec.29, T.5 N., R.13 E., Meade County, SD, Hydrologic Unit 10120202, on right bank 50 ft downstream from highway bridge, 4.3 mi northwest of Elm Springs, and 4.7 mi downstream from Hay Creek.

DRAINAGE AREA - 7,004 mi² of which 7 mi² probably is noncontributing.

REVISIONS HISTORY - WSP 926: 1929, 1931(M), 1935, 1937. WDR SD-10-1: Drainage area.

SURFACE-WATER RECORDS

PERIOD OF RECORD - August 1928 to June 1932, March 1934 to current year. Monthly discharge only for some periods, published in WSP 1309.

GAGE - Water-stage recorder and crest-stage gage. Datum of gage is 2,168.80 ft above North American Vertical Datum of 1988 (NAVD88). Prior to NOVD88 conversion, datum of gage was published as 2,167.60 ft above NGVD of 1929. Prior to Oct. 1, 2012, at datum 4.00 ft higher, Jul. 27, 1939, nonrecording gage at same site and datum then in use.

REMARKS - Accuracy of records for water years prior to 2014 are noted in the individual Annual Data Reports for those water years. For water years 2014 onward, records good except for July 1, to Aug. 25, 2014, May 1 to Aug. 19, 2015, and Jun. 20-25, 2018 which are fair, and estimated discharges, which are poor, unless otherwise noted. Flow regulated by Keyhole Dam, usable capacity, 191,600 acre-ft, 304 mi upstream since Oct. 25, 1952. At a point 133 mi above station, water is diverted to Belle Fourche Reservoir (see station 06435000), through Inlet Canal near Belle Fourche (see station 06434505), with other smaller diversions from the main stem and tributaries for irrigation. Total diversion for irrigation of about 60,000 acres upstream from station. Satellite data-collection platform at station.

EXTREMES OUTSIDE PERIOD OF RECORD - Flood of May 1927 reached a stage of 21.8 ft. Flood in spring of 1933 reached a stage of about 20 ft, from floodmarks.

EXTREMES FOR PERIOD OF RECORD - Maximum discharge, 47,500 ft³/s, June 6, 2008, gage height, 19.73 ft, site and datum then in use; minimum daily discharge, 0.00 ft³/s, June 5, 1961, no flow for many days in 1961-62, 1981, and 1991.

EXTREMES FOR PERIOD PRIOR TO REGULATION - Maximum discharge, 35,700 ft³/s, June 10, 1941, gage height, 14.30 ft, site and datum then in use; minimum daily discharge, 0.00 ft³/s, no flow for many days in 1936-37, 1939-40.