USGS Water-Year Summary for Site 12362500

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	00060 Discharge(Mean)

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

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USGS Water-Year Summary 2024

12362500 SOUTH FORK FLATHEAD RIVER NEAR COLUMBIA FALLS, MT

LOCATION - Lat 48°21'23.68", long 114°02'16.29" referenced to North American Datum of 1983, in SW 1/4 SE 1/4 SW 1/4 sec.16, T.30 N., R.19 W., Flathead County, MT, Hydrologic Unit 17010209, on right bank 1.7 mi downstream from Hungry Horse Dam, 6.8 mi east of Columbia Falls, and at river mile 3.5.

DRAINAGE AREA - 1,668 mi².

REVISIONS HISTORY -

WSP 1216: Drainage area. WSP 1316: 1923-24, maximum discharge (M); 1926-27 (M); 1932 (M); 1935-36 (M). WSP 1636: 1958, adjusted runoff.

Minimum daily value records for the period March 7, 2017 to October 20, 2017, were revised on May 8, 2019, a processor error was discovered which changed the calculation of the statistic.

SURFACE-WATER RECORDS

PERIOD OF RECORD - September 1910 to January 1911 (discharge measurements only), February 1911 to September 1913 (no winter records), October 1913 to August 1916 (scattered daily discharge only), water years 1917-22 (annual maximum), April 1923 to November 1924 (no winter records), July to October 1925, May to November 1927, May 1928 to current year. Monthly discharge only for some periods, published in Water Supply Paper (WSP) 1316.

GAGE - Water-stage recorder. Elevation of gage is 3,040 ft, referenced to National Geodetic Vertical Datum of 1929 (levels by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation). September 1910 to September 1916, nonrecording gage, Apr. 23, 1923, to Sept. 30, 1928, water-stage recorder at site 3 mi downstream at different elevation. Oct. 1, 1928, to Sept. 30, 1952, water-stage recorder at site 1.5 mi downstream at different elevation. U.S. Bureau of Reclamation data collection platform with satellite telemetry at station.

REMARKS - Flow regulated by Hungry Horse Reservoir since September 21, 1951.

EXTREMES FOR PERIOD OF RECORD - Maximum peak flow from rating curve extended above 20,000 ft³/s; minimum daily flow when gates in dam at Hungry Horse Reservoir were closed.

WATER-QUALITY RECORDS

PERIOD OF RECORD - WATER TEMPERATURE: October 1964 to September 1968, March 1979 to current year.

PERIOD OF DAILY RECORD - WATER TEMPERATURE: Annual records October 1964 to September 1968, March 1979 to current year (Water year 2011 operated seasonally: March to October).

INSTRUMENTATION - Water temperature recorder was installed Mar. 30, 1979. Most recent water temperature probe was installed Oct. 19, 2010.

REMARKS -

EXTREMES FOR PERIOD OF DAILY RECORD - WATER TEMPERATURE: Maximum, 19.0°C Aug. 9-11, 1966, Aug. 2-6, 1968, Aug. 6, 2003; minimum, 2.0°C on many days during winter most years.