10256500 SNOW CREEK NEAR WHITE WATER, CA
LOCATION.-Lat 33°52'14", long 116°40'49", in NW 1/4 NW 1/4 sec.33, T.3 S., R.3 E., Riverside County,
Hydrologic Unit 18100200, on left bank, at upstream side of Desert Water Agency Diversion Dam, 0.1 mi downstream
from East Fork, and 4.4 mi southwest of White Water.
DRAINAGE AREA.-10.9 mi2.
WATER-DISCHARGE RECORDS
PERIOD OF RECORD.-July to December 1921, May 1922 to February 1927, December 1927 to September 1931, October 1959
to current year. Yearly discharges for 1929-31, published in WSP 1314. Discharge records for Snow Creek Diversion
(station 10256550) since October 1978, and those for creek only October 1978 through September 1988 available in
files of the U.S. Geological Survey.
REVISED RECORDS.-WDR CA-89-1: Drainage area. WDR CA-90-1: 1980 Combined discharge. WDR CA-93-1: 1991. WDR
CA-96-1: 1969(M), 1976(M).
GAGE.-Water-stage recorder, crest-stage gage, and broad-crested weir on creek, nonrecording flow meter on
diversion. Elevation of gage is 2,000 ft above sea level, from topographic map. Prior to October 1931, at various
sites within 500 ft of present site at different datums. October 1959 to Oct. 6, 1970, at site 40 ft upstream at
present datum. Oct. 6, 1970, to Oct. 25, 1978, at site 290 ft upstream from diversion at present datum. Gage
moved to present site 10 ft downstream from diversion Oct. 25, 1978.
REMARKS.-Records fair except for estimated daily discharges, which are poor. No regulation upstream from station.
Diversion (station 10256550) 10 ft upstream, generally taking most of the base flow. For combined record of creek
and diversion, see station 10256501. Published record prior to 1989 represents entire flow from basin (combined
creek plus diversion prior to March 1927 and October 1978 to September 1988; creek only, upstream from diversion,
December 1927 to September 1931, and October 1959 to September 1978). Both creek only and combined flow published
beginning October 1989. Statistics for station 10256501 (combined flow) reflect equivalent total flow from basin.
See schematic diagram of Salton Sea Basin.
COOPERATION.-Records for diversion provided by Desert Water Agency.
EXTREMES FOR PERIOD OF RECORD (Combined creek and diversion).- Maximum discharge, 9,900 ft3/s, Jan.
25, 1969, gage height, 13.8 ft, from floodmarks, site and datum then in use, from rating curve extended above 55
ft3/s on basis of slope-area measurement of peak flow; minimum daily, 2.1 ft3/s, June
23-27, Sept. 5-11, 1961.
EXTREMES FOR CURRENT YEAR.-Peak discharges greater than base discharge of 100 ft3/s, or maximum, from
rating curve extended above 29.9 ft3/s on basis of broad-crested weir computations:
Creek only Combined creek and diversion
Discharge Gage height Discharge
Date Time (ft3/s) (ft) (ft3/s)
Nov. 8 1700 23 2.94 23
DISCHARGE, CUBIC FEET PER SECOND, WATER YEAR OCTOBER 1998 TO SEPTEMBER 1999
DAILY MEAN VALUES
DAY OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP
1 .89 .81 6.5 .35 5.1 .28 2.2 5.2 .28 .00 .33 .50
2 .79 .78 6.4 .32 2.3 .26 4.0 5.1 3.1 .00 .39 .49
3 .62 .76 6.2 .30 .43 .18 4.1 4.9 3.8 .00 .32 .40
4 .70 .76 6.4 .30 .97 .14 4.3 3.0 3.7 .00 .32 .37
5 .64 .78 6.3 .29 .83 .18 4.3 .56 3.6 .00 .34 .31
6 1.0 .74 6.3 .29 3.1 .18 4.3 .50 3.5 .00 .41 .29
7 .59 .72 3.7 .27 5.4 .20 4.7 .51 1.5 .00 .42 .27
8 .52 8.9 .70 .26 5.3 .21 4.6 .55 .43 2.3 .43 .25
9 .54 9.4 .65 .28 5.7 .17 3.9 .57 .42 3.4 .42 .28
10 .53 7.1 .58 .27 6.6 .19 4.4 .57 .30 3.1 .41 .30
11 .52 7.2 .63 .27 2.9 .17 4.5 .50 .15 3.1 .42 .30
12 .50 7.4 .64 .23 .86 .18 5.8 .46 .11 3.5 .40 .35
13 .45 3.3 .64 .26 .77 .13 5.3 .48 .08 4.2 .37 .35
14 .44 .81 .61 .25 .68 .13 3.2 .48 .10 4.1 .33 .30
15 .50 .68 .53 .23 .63 2.4 1.7 .44 .12 3.5 .32 .26
16 .57 .95 .51 .21 .59 4.4 1.5 .39 .12 1.7 .31 .34
17 .53 .80 .52 .23 .62 1.9 1.4 .24 .11 .32 .32 .41
18 .53 .83 .53 .23 .62 .20 1.3 .16 .10 .29 .31 3.0
19 .49 .77 .51 .21 .58 .18 1.3 .09 .09 .23 .34 2.9
20 .46 .74 .47 .29 .58 .16 1.4 .12 .07 .21 .43 1.3
21 .45 .72 .40 .16 .56 .15 1.5 .21 .07 .19 .36 1.3
22 .46 .69 .36 .26 .51 .10 1.5 2.1 .07 .18 .36 3.6
23 .48 .68 .38 .26 .50 .07 3.5 3.7 .08 .23 1.5 3.4
24 .50 .56 .38 .26 .45 .08 5.8 1.8 .14 .23 2.8 2.1
25 2.1 .63 .38 3.5 .40 1.4 5.4 .66 1.2 .22 1.3 .49
26 3.0 .64 .43 5.2 .40 1.8 2.9 .62 .00 .21 .36 .45
27 1.0 .66 .43 5.0 .39 .21 .99 .49 .00 .21 .37 .45
28 .96 6.0 .42 2.3 .35 .17 1.9 .28 .00 1.4 .59 .42
29 .91 7.5 .39 .51 --- .12 5.4 .22 .00 2.9 2.8 .43
30 .91 6.8 .38 .51 --- .07 5.4 .27 .00 1.4 1.8 .42
31 .89 --- .35 3.2 --- .20 --- .23 --- .33 .44 ---
TOTAL 23.47 79.11 53.62 26.50 48.12 16.21 102.49 35.40 23.24 37.45 20.02 26.03
MEAN .76 2.64 1.73 .85 1.72 .52 3.42 1.14 .77 1.21 .65 .87
MAX 3.0 9.4 6.5 5.2 6.6 4.4 5.8 5.2 3.8 4.2 2.8 3.6
MIN .44 .56 .35 .16 .35 .07 .99 .09 .00 .00 .31 .25
AC-FT 47 157 106 53 95 32 203 70 46 74 40 52
STATISTICS OF MONTHLY MEAN DATA FOR WATER YEARS 1979 - 1999, BY WATER YEAR (WY)
OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP
MEAN 2.26 3.63 5.73 14.9 22.8 17.4 11.5 11.9 6.93 3.88 3.04 2.33
MAX 6.55 13.3 24.0 131 173 71.5 28.6 40.8 31.7 14.4 18.0 7.55
(WY) 1993 1984 1984 1993 1980 1995 1983 1983 1983 1983 1983 1983
MIN .008 .30 .000 .85 1.72 .52 1.09 .29 .14 .000 .001 .17
(WY) 1985 1982 1982 1999 1999 1999 1984 1984 1984 1981 1981 1981
SUMMARY STATISTICS FOR 1998 CALENDAR YEAR FOR 1999 WATER YEAR WATER YEARS 1979 - 1999
ANNUAL TOTAL 4759.40 491.66
ANNUAL MEAN 13.0 1.35 8.78
HIGHEST ANNUAL MEAN 28.4 1980
LOWEST ANNUAL MEAN 1.35 1999
HIGHEST DAILY MEAN 126 Feb 8 9.4 Nov 9 909 Jan 7
1993
LOWEST DAILY MEAN .35 Dec 31 .00 Jun 26 .00 Nov 8
1978
ANNUAL SEVEN-DAY MINIMUM .39 Dec 21 .00 Jun 26 .00 Oct 5
1979
INSTANTANEOUS PEAK FLOW 23 Nov 8 1910 Jan 7
1993
INSTANTANEOUS PEAK STAGE 2.94 Nov 8 7.35 Jan 7
1993
ANNUAL RUNOFF (AC-FT) 9440 975 6360
10 PERCENT EXCEEDS 29 4.3 20
50 PERCENT EXCEEDS 7.6 .50 3.3
90 PERCENT EXCEEDS .57 .15 .20
10256500 SNOW CREEK NEAR WHITE WATER, CA-Continued
WATER-QUALITY RECORDS
PERIOD OF RECORD.-Water years 1972-76, 1978 to current year.
CHEMICAL DATA: Water years 1972-76, 1978 to current year.
WATER-QUALITY DATA, WATER YEAR OCTOBER 1998 TO SEPTEMBER 1999
DIS- PH
CHARGE, SPE- WATER HARD- MAGNE- SODIUM
INST. CIFIC WHOLE NESS CALCIUM SIUM, SODIUM, AD-
CUBIC CON- FIELD TEMPER- TOTAL DIS- DIS- DIS- SORP-
FEET DUCT- (STAND- ATURE (MG/L SOLVED SOLVED SOLVED TION
DATE TIME PER ANCE ARD WATER AS (MG/L (MG/L (MG/L SODIUM RATIO
SECOND (US/CM) UNITS) (DEG C) CACO3) AS CA) AS MG) AS NA) PERCENT
(00061) (00095) (00400) (00010) (00900) (00915) (00925) (00930) (00932) (00931)
NOV
16... 1300 a5.6 96 7.8 11.5 30 11 .91 7.8 34 .6
BICAR- ALKA- SOLIDS, SOLIDS,
POTAS- BONATE LINITY CHLO- FLUO- SILICA, RESIDUE SUM OF SOLIDS,
SIUM, WATER WAT DIS SULFATE RIDE, RIDE, BROMIDE DIS- AT 180 CONSTI- DIS-
DIS- DIS IT TOT IT DIS- DIS- DIS- DIS- SOLVED DEG. C TUENTS, SOLVED
SOLVED FIELD FIELD SOLVED SOLVED SOLVED SOLVED (MG/L DIS- DIS- (TONS
DATE (MG/L MG/L AS MG/L AS (MG/L (MG/L (MG/L (MG/L AS SOLVED SOLVED PER
AS K) HCO3 CACO3 AS SO4) AS CL) AS F) AS BR) SIO2) (MG/L) (MG/L) AC-FT)
(00935) (00453) (39086) (00945) (00940) (00950) (71870) (00955) (70300) (70301) (70303)
NOV
16... 1.8 56 46 .8 1.6 <.1 <.01 20 71 71 .10
NITRO- NITRO- NITRO- NITRO- PHOS-
GEN, GEN, GEN, GEN,AM- PHOS- PHORUS MANGA-
NITRITE NO2+NO3 AMMONIA MONIA + PHORUS ORTHO, ARSENIC BORON, IRON, NESE, CARBON,
DIS- DIS- DIS- ORGANIC DIS- DIS- DIS- DIS- DIS- DIS- ORGANIC
SOLVED SOLVED SOLVED DIS. SOLVED SOLVED SOLVED SOLVED SOLVED SOLVED TOTAL
DATE (MG/L (MG/L (MG/L (MG/L (MG/L (MG/L (UG/L (UG/L (UG/L (UG/L (MG/L
AS N) AS N) AS N) AS N) AS P) AS P) AS AS) AS B) AS FE) AS MN) AS C)
(00613) (00631) (00608) (00623) (00666) (00671) (01000) (01020) (01046) (01056) (00680)
NOV
16... <.01 <.05 <.02 <.1 <.05 <.01 1 16 e6 <3 1
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