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Water-Year Summary for Site 12101500

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  • Water-Year Summary reports summarize a year of hydrologic data in a printer-friendly format.
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Available Parameters
00060 Discharge(Mean)  
63680 Turbidity, Form Neph(Min.,Max.,Med.)  

Water year 2024: 2024-10-01 to 2025-09-30
 
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USGS Water-Year Summary 2024
12101500 PUYALLUP RIVER AT PUYALLUP, WA
LOCATION - Lat 47°12'31", long 122°19'33" referenced to North American Datum of 1927, in SE 1/4 NW 1/4 sec.20, T.20 N., R.4 E., Pierce County, WA, Hydrologic Unit 17110014, on left bank 0.8 mi upstream from bridge at Clarks Creek, 2.0 mi northwest of Puyallup City Hall, and at mile 6.6.
DRAINAGE AREA - 948 mi².
REVISIONS HISTORY - WSP 832: Drainage area.
SURFACE-WATER RECORDS
PERIOD OF RECORD - May 1914 to current year.
GAGE - Water-stage recorder and crest-stage gage. Datum of gage is NGVD of 1929 and is 3.487 ft above NAVD of 1988 (levels by USGS on Sep. 16, 2021). Prior to Dec. 3, 1919, at sites 1.2 mi upstream and 900 ft upstream at different datums. Dec. 3, 1919, to Nov. 9, 1935, at site 500 ft upstream at datum 9.61 ft higher.
REMARKS - All diverted water returned to river upstream of gage. Part of flow of White River (a tributary) diverted through Lake Tapps (station 12101000). Flood flow regulated by Mud Mountain Lake (station 12098000) on White River. Some pondage on tributaries and upper Puyallup River. Diurnal fluctuations caused by powerplants and glacial melt upstream from station. U.S. Geological Survey satellite telemeter at station.

Chemical analyses October 1958 to September 1968, October 1970 to September 1972, October 1974 to September 1994. Water temperatures July 1959 to September 1961, August 1965 to September 1966. Since 1912 the City of Tacoma pipeline diversion from Green River has released as much as 123 ft³/s daily, and from 1957-1990 an average of about 15 ft³/s per month into Puyallup River 0.5 mi east of McMillin. Since 1990 releases have been minimal. 

EXTREMES FOR PERIOD OF RECORD - Maximum discharge, 57,000 ft³/s, Dec. 10, 1933, elevation, 31.0 ft, present datum; minimum discharge, 306 ft³/s, Sept. 25, 1955, elevation, 8.23 ft; minimum daily discharge, 400 ft³/s, Nov. 30, 1952.
WATER-QUALITY RECORDS
PERIOD OF DAILY RECORD - TURBIDITY: May 2012 to September 2015.
INSTRUMENTATION - Turbidity sensor (FTS DTS-12) interfaced with a Data Collection Platform/Electronic Datalogger, with 15-minute logging interval, since May 2012. Any use of trade, product, or firm names in this publication is for descriptive purposes only and does not imply endorsement by the U.S. Government.
REMARKS - Additional details are available from the Washington Water Science Center. Continuous water quality record is no longer rated, as of water year 2021. Prior ratings can be obtained via request to the Washington Water Science Center.
EXTREMES FOR PERIOD OF DAILY RECORD - TURBIDITY: Maximum, >1,500 FNU, Aug. 13 and Sept. 25, 2014; minimum 2.4 FNU, Nov. 30, 2013, Jan. 26, 27, 28, and Apr. 15, 2014.