USGS Water-Year Summary for Site 08162000

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

08162000 Colorado River at Wharton, TX

LOCATION - Lat 29°18'32", long 96°06'13" referenced to North American Datum of 1927, Wharton County, TX, Hydrologic Unit 12090302, near left bank at downstream side of downstream bridge on U.S. Highway 59 in Wharton, 1,100 ft downstream from Texas and New Orleans Railroad Co. bridge, 12 mi upstream from Jones Creek, and at mile 66.6.

DRAINAGE AREA - 42,003 mi² of which 11,403 mi² probably is noncontributing.

REVISIONS HISTORY - WSP 878: 1938(M). WDR TX-81-3: Drainage area. WDR TX-88-3: 1985.

SURFACE-WATER RECORDS

PERIOD OF RECORD - July 1916 to Aug. 1918 (intermittent periods), Mar. 1919 to Sept. 1925 and July and Aug. 1938 (flood discharge measurements only), Oct. 1938 to current year. June to Nov. 1901, May to Sept. 1902, daily records published in U.S. Department of Agriculture, Office of Experiment Stations, Bulletin Nos. 119 and 133. Gage-height records collected in this vicinity since 1935 are contained in reports of the National Weather Service. PERIOD OF RECORD, Water-Quality.-- CHEMICAL DATA: Apr. 1944 to Sept. 1995. BIOCHEMICAL DATA: Jan. 1968 to Sept. 1995. RADIOCHEMICAL DATA: Dec. 1973 to Sept. 1995. PESTICIDE DATA: Oct. 1967 to June 1982. SEDIMENT DATA: Oct. 1974 to Sept. 1995. PERIOD OF DAILY RECORD, Water-Quality.-- SPECIFIC CONDUCTANCE: Apr. 1944 to Sept. 1992. WATER TEMPERATURE: Oct. 1945 to Sept 1948, Mar. 1950 to Sept. 1992.

GAGE - Water-stage recorder. Datum of gage is 52.42 ft above NGVD of 1929. Prior to Oct. 1, 1938, various types of recording and nonrecording gages 800 ft upstream at different datum. Oct. 1, 1938, to June 1, 1956, nonrecording gage 100 ft upstream at datum 13.00 ft higher. June 1, 1966, to Sept. 30, 1975, water-stage recorder at present site at datum 13.00 ft higher. Oct. 1, 1975, to Mar. 1, 1983, water-stage recorder at present site at datum 10.00 ft higher. Satellite telemeter at station.

REMARKS - Since installation of gage in Oct. 1938, at least 10% of contributing drainage area has been regulated. There are many diversions above station for irrigation, municipal supply, cooling water for thermal-electric power plant, and oil field operations. Some records listed in the "Period of Record" for surface water and water quality may not be available electronically.

EXTREMES OUTSIDE PERIOD OF RECORD - Maximum stage since at least 1869, 51.9 ft Dec. 8, 1913, present datum, from information by local residents; below Wharton floodwater combined with that of the Brazos River. Flood of about July 12, 1869, reached about same height. Flood of June 20, 1935, reached a stage of 51.2 ft, present datum, furnished by National Weather Service (discharge, 159,000 ft³/s), from rating curve defined by current-meter measurements below 145,000 ft³/s. Flood of July 30, 1938, reached a stage of 50.4 ft, present datum, observed by U.S. Geological Survey personnel (discharge, 145,000 ft³/s).