USGS Water-Year Summary for Site 15281000

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	00060 Discharge(Mean)

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

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USGS Water-Year Summary 2023

15281000 KNIK RIVER NEAR PALMER, AK

LOCATION - Lat 61°30'18", long 149°01'50" referenced to North American Datum of 1927, in NE 1/4 SE 1/4 sec.02, T.16 N., R.2 E., Matanuska-Susitna Borough, AK, Hydrologic Unit 19020402, (Anchorage C-6 quad), near the right bank on downstream side of bridge on Old Glenn Highway, 7 mi upstream from Alaska Railroad bridge, 9 mi downstream from Friday Creek, about 17 mi downstream from Knik Glacier, and 7 mi south of Palmer.

DRAINAGE AREA - 1,220 mi². approximately

REVISIONS HISTORY - WRD-AK-77-1: 1974-75 (Instantaneous maximum discharge).

SURFACE-WATER RECORDS

PERIOD OF RECORD - October 1959 to January 1988, annual maximum, water year 1989, October 1991 to September 1992, April 2001 to current year (no winter record).

GAGE - Water-stage recorder. Datum of gage is 33.57 ft above North American Vertical Datum of 1988. Prior to June 27, 1960, nonrecording gage, and June 27, 1960 to April 25,1974, water-stage recorder at old bridge 100 ft upstream at original 1929 datum. April 26, 1974 to April 18, 1976, recording gage at site 0.4 mi upstream at different datum.

REMARKS - Flood peaks due to outbreak of glacier-dammed Lake George, 1948-62, 1964, 1965, published in WSP 1936. Streamflow augmented by glaciers, which cover 54 percent of the basin.

EXTREMES OUTSIDE PERIOD OF RECORD - Maximum discharge since at least 1948, 359,000 ft³/s, July 18, 1958, gage height, 25.30 ft, at site in use beginning 1959, from outbreak of glacier-dammed Lake George.

EXTREMES FOR PERIOD OF RECORD - Maximum discharge, 355,000 ft³/s, July 26, 1961, gage-height 24.30 ft, site then in use, caused by release of stored water (Lake George) behind Knik Glacier. Maximum gage-height, 24.35 ft, July 17, 1960, caused by release of stored water (Lake George) behind Knik Glacier; minimum daily, 260 ft³/s estimated, March 1-31, 1962.

WATER-QUALITY RECORDS

PERIOD OF RECORD - Water years 1948-1958, 1961-72, 1974-75, 1989, 2003-04, and 2006 to 2010.

PERIOD OF DAILY RECORD - Suspended-sediment discharge: Water years 1962-66. Chemical data: 1949-53, and 1959-66.