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- Water-Year Summary reports summarize a year of hydrologic data in a printer-friendly format.
- For water years 2014 onward, choose a water year and parameter and an on-demand Water-Year Summary report will be generated.
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USGS Water-Year Summary 2024
06478000 JAMES RIVER NEAR MITCHELL, SD
LOCATION - Lat 43°39'32", long 97°55'08" referenced to North American Datum of 1927, in NW 1/4 NE 1/4 NW 1/4 sec.09, T.102 N., R.59 W., Hanson County, SD, Hydrologic Unit 10160011, on right bank at downstream side of bridge on county road, 6.5 mi southeast of Mitchell, 6.9 mi downstream of Firesteel Creek, and 2.3 mi upstream of Enemy Creek.
DRAINAGE AREA - 19,088 mi² of which 2,051 mi² probably is noncontributing.
REVISIONS HISTORY - WDR SD-11-1: Drainage area.
SURFACE-WATER RECORDS
PERIOD OF RECORD - July 1953 to September 1958 (published as "near Alexandria") and August 1965 to September 1972. Miscellaneous peak discharge measurement in 1995, partial-record crest-stage gage in 1997, and miscellaneous discharge measurements in 2001. October 2001 to current year.
GAGE - Water-stage recorder. Datum of gage is 1,193.48 ft above NGVD of 1929. Miscellaneous discharge measurements made in 2001 at present site and datum. Miscellaneous discharge measurements made in 1995 and 1997 at datum 1,197.93 ft above NGVD of 1929 at site 7.2 mi upstream (SD Hwy 38). August 1965 to September 1972 at datum 1,198.00 ft above NGVD of 1929 (South Dakota Department of Transportation bench mark) at site 6.7 mi upstream (Interstate I-90), and was nonrecording gage Aug. 17 to Dec. 7, 1965. July 1953 to September 1958 nonrecording gage at datum 1,195.03 ft above NGVD of 1929 at site 3.8 mi downstream.
REMARKS - Only discharges above 500 ft³/s published because flows less than 500 ft³/s are unreliable due to wind effect. 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 those for June 16, 2014 to July 31, 2014 and those for estimated discharges, which are fair. Low flow regulated by dams forming Arrowwood and Jim Lakes, combined capacity, 16,530 acre-ft, and by dam forming Jamestown Reservoir, capacity, 229,470 acre-ft, since May 1953, and by dam forming Pipestem Reservoir, capacity, 147,000 acre-ft, since 1973. Satellite data-collection platform at station.
EXTREMES OUTSIDE PERIOD OF RECORD - Maximum discharge at current site, 24,700 ft³/s, Apr. 11, 2001, from rating curve extended above 20,100 ft³/s, gage height, 25.33 ft (from floodmark).
EXTREMES FOR PERIOD OF RECORD - Maximum discharge, 28,400 ft³/s, Mar. 25, 2011, gage height, 25.20 ft (from floodmark); maximum gage height, 23.14 ft, Apr. 7, 1997 (gage height at different site and/or datum).
