USGS Water-Year Summary for Site 09448500

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Water year 2023: 2022-10-01 to 2023-09-30

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USGS Water-Year Summary 2023

09448500 GILA RIVER AT HEAD OF SAFFORD VALLEY, NEAR SOLOMON, AZ

LOCATION - Lat 32°52'57.80", long 109°28'46.58" referenced to North American Datum of 1983, in SW 1/4 SE 1/4 NE 1/4 sec.28, T.6 S., R.28 E., Graham County, AZ, Hydrologic Unit 15040005, on right bank 2.6 mi upstream from intake of Brown Canal, 10 mi northeast of Solomon, and 15 mi downstream from San Francisco River.

DRAINAGE AREA - 7,856.78 mi².

REVISIONS HISTORY - WSP 1059: 1914, 1916-17, 1923(M), 1924-25, 1927, 1929-31(M). WSP 1179: 1915, 1918-19(M). WSP 1313: 1934. WSP 1733: 1923.

SURFACE-WATER RECORDS

PERIOD OF RECORD - Apr. 1914 to current year. Monthly discharge only for some periods, published in WSP 1313. Prior to Oct. 1932 and Oct. 1940 to Sept. 1949 published as "near Solomonsville" and Oct. 1932 to Oct. 1933 and May 1935 to Sept. 1940 as "below Bonita Creek near Solomonsville."

GAGE - Water-stage recorder and crest-stage gage. Datum of gage is 3,096.66 ft above NAVD of 1988. Jan. 31, 2017, to June 16, 2022, the datum of the gage was reported as 3,140 ft above sea level. Prior to Jan. 31, 2017, at site 3.2 mi downstream at datum of 3,059.92 ft above sea level. Prior to July 8, 1980, at datum 4.96 ft higher. See WSP 1733 for history of changes prior to Jan. 1, 1941.

COOPERATION - Gila Water Commissioner.

REMARKS - Records good except for estimated discharges, which are poor. After Jan. 31, 2017, gage is located above Brown Canal diversion. Prior to Jan. 31, 2017, records show water reaching head of Safford Valley and include water diverted to Brown Canal. Diversions above station for mining, municipal use, and for irrigation of about 17,500 acres, much of it by pumping from ground water.

EXTREMES FOR PERIOD OF RECORD - Maximum discharge, 132,000 ft³/s Oct. 2, 1983, gage height, 20.8 ft, from rating curve extended above 52,000 ft³/s on basis of slope-area measurements at 14.40 ft and 20.8 ft; minimum, 11 ft³/s June 25, 1956.

WATER-QUALITY RECORDS

PERIOD OF RECORD - Jan. 1976 to Sept. 1981, Oct. 1988 to current year.