USGS Water-Year Summary 2024

11418500 Deer Creek near Smartsville, CA

LOCATION - Lat 39°13'28", long 121°16'03" referenced to North American Datum of 1927, in SW 1/4 SE 1/4 sec.23, T.16 N., R.6 E., Nevada County, CA, Hydrologic Unit 18020125, on left bank, 400 ft upstream from county road bridge, 0.9 mi upstream from mouth, and 2 mi northeast of Smartsville.

DRAINAGE AREA - 84.6 mi².

REVISIONS HISTORY - WSP 1395: Drainage area.

SURFACE-WATER RECORDS

PERIOD OF RECORD - June 1935 to current year. WATER TEMPERATURE: Water years 1974-79. SEDIMENT DATA: Water years 1974-79.

GAGE - Water-stage recorder. Elevation of gage is 630 ft above NGVD of 1929, from river-profile map. June 21, 1935, to Nov. 30, 1938, nonrecording gage at same site and datum.

REMARKS - Natural flow of stream is affected by Scotts Flat Reservoir beginning in 1949, usable capacity, 26,300 acre-ft, increased to 49,000 acre-ft in July 1964; Deer Creek Reservoir, capacity, 1,400 acre-ft beginning 1949; Lake Wildwood, capacity, 3,840 acre-ft beginning in 1970. At times water from South Yuba River is diverted to Deer Creek and water from Deer Creek is diverted to Bear River. See schematic diagram of South Yuba River Basin available from the California Water Science Center.

EXTREMES OUTSIDE PERIOD OF RECORD - Flood of March 1928 reached a stage of 14.5 ft from floodmarks, discharge, 14,000 ft³/s.

EXTREMES FOR PERIOD OF RECORD - Maximum discharge, 16,000 ft³/s, Dec. 31, 2005, gage height, 14.43 ft; minimum daily, 0.06 ft³/s, Aug. 5, 1977.