YELLOWSTONE RIVER BASIN

06329500 YELLOWSTONE RIVER NEAR SIDNEY

(National water-quality assessment program)

LOCATION.--Lat 47×40'42", long 104×09'22" (NAD 27), in SW14NE14SW14 sec.9, T.22 N., R.59 E., Richland County, Hydrologic Unit 10100004, on left bank at Montana-Dakota Utilities Company powerplant, 0.2 mi downstream from bridge on State Highway 23, 2.5 mi south of Sidney, 3.0 mi downstream from Fox Creek, and at river mile 29.2.

DRAINAGE AREA.--69,083 mi2. Area at site 4.5 mi upstream, 68,812 mi2.

WATER-DISCHARGE RECORDS

PERIOD OF RECORD.--October 1910 to September 1931 (published as "at Intake"), October 1933 to current year. If monthly figures of diversions to Lower Yellowstone Canal at Intake are added to records at this site, records equivalent to those published as Yellowstone River at Glendive (1898-1910, 1931-34) can be obtained. Monthly discharge only for some periods, published in WSP 1309. Monthly figures of diversions into Lower Yellowstone Canal prior to 1951 published in WSP 1309, 1951-60 published in WSP 1729, 1961-65 published in WSP 1916, 1966-70 published in WSP 2116, and 1971 to current year are published in annual reports.

REVISED RECORDS.--WDR MT-04-1: Drainage area.

GAGE.--Water-stage recorder. Elevation of gage is 1,881.3 ft (NGVD 29) (levels by U.S. Army Corps of Engineers). Jan. 1, 1911, to Sept. 30, 1931, nonrecording gage at site 32 miles upstream at different elevation. Apr. 9, 1934, water-stage recorder at two sites within 500 ft of highway bridge 0.2 mi upstream and May 17, 1945, to Apr. 3, 1952, nonrecording gage on same bridge at elevation 1.36 ft higher. Apr. 4, 1952, to Nov. 19, 1967, water-stage recorder at site 4.5 mi upstream at different elevation.

REMARKS.--Records good except for estimated daily discharges, which are poor. Flow regulated to some extent by Bighorn Lake, usable capacity, 1,312,000 acre-ft, on the Bighorn River and on other tributary streams in Wyoming and Montana. Diversion for irrigation of about 1,250,000 acres upstream from station. Lower Yellowstone Project Main Canal diverts from left bank in NW14 sec.36, T.18 N., R.56 E., at Lower Yellowstone diversion dam at Intake about 36.6 mi upstream for irrigation of about 52,000 acres of which about one-third lies upstream from station. U. S. Army Corps of Engineers satellite telemeter at station.

Discharge, cubic feet per second, WATER YEAR OCTOBER 2003 TO SEPTEMBER 2004

DAILY MEAN VALUES

DAY	OCT	NOV	DEC	JAN	FEB	MAR	APR	MAY	JUN	JUL	AUG	SEP
1	3,940	4,950	e4,000	e3,400	e3,000	e4,800	5,280	2,890	7,100	14,200	4,670	3,720
2	3,940	e5,000	e4,400	e3,000	e2,600	e4,800	5,170	2,700	9,150	13,700	4,490	3,590
3	3,930	e5,000	e4,600	e2,800	e2,400	e4,800	5,020	2,790	9,950	13,100	4,350	3,270
4	4,000	e5,000	e4,800	e2,700	e2,600	e4,800	4,860	3,590	8,970	13,600	4,460	3,060
5	4,110	e4,400	e4,800	e2,600	e3,200	e4,900	4,830	3,100	7,670	13,400	4,410	2,890
6	4,110	e3,800	e4,800	e2,500	e4,500	e5,000	5,080	2,430	6,770	13,100	4,590	2,910
7	4,090	e3,700	e4,800	e2,400	e4,500	e5,100	5,400	2,030	6,470	12,900	4,590	3,120
8	4,050	e3,500	e4,800	e2,200	e4,500	e5,400	5,550	1,890	7,510	14,500	4,300	3,490
9	4,030	e3,700	e4,700	e2,100	e4,500	e5,600	5,410	3,330	11,400	14,600	4,340	3,660
10	3,950	e4,000	e4,700	e2,100	e4,600	e5,800	5,480	6,440	15,200	13,400	4,170	3,610
11	3,910	e4,300	e4,700	e2,100	e4,600	e6,000	5,770	8,320	17,700	12,300	3,880	3,510
12	3,870	e4,500	e4,500	e2,300	e4,600	e5,800	6,130	9,010	17,600	12,900	3,640	3,540
13	3,850	e4,600	e4,400	e2,600	e4,600	e6,000	6,580	9,090	22,500	11,100	3,350	3,660
14	3,990	e4,400	e5,000	e3,000	e4,600	e6,100	6,810	8,440	24,900	10,400	3,050	3,930
15	4,100	e4,800	e5,000	e4,000	e4,400	e6,200	6,490	7,980	21,700	9,490	2,740	4,060
16	4,260	e4,800	e4,600	e5,200	e4,300	e6,000	6,020	7,890	18,900	8,420	2,520	4,270
17	4,310	e4,600	e4,700	e5,200	e4,200	e6,000	5,870	6,780	16,600	7,600	2,170	4,330
18	4,450	e4,600	e4,800	e5,200	e4,300	e5,900	5,770	5,980	14,900	6,860	1,960	4,420
19	4,490	e4,700	e5,100	e5,200	e4,400	e6,000	6,000	5,440	14,300	6,390	1,780	4,390
20	4,480	e4,800	e5,100	e5,200	e4,500	e5,800	6,280	5,070	13,800	6,070	1,660	4,810
21	4,420	e4,700	e5,100	e5,200	e4,600	e5,700	6,040	4,790	13,100	5,740	1,540	5,220
22	4,390	e3,500	e5,200	e5,200	e4,800	e5,600	5,670	5,040	12,600	5,340	1,480	5,310
23	4,540	e3,000	e5,200	e5,200	e4,800	e5,700	5,460	5,150	12,300	5,120	1,510	5,570
24	4,740	e2,500	e5,200	e5,200	e4,800	5,720	5,310	5,900	12,000	5,640	1,680	5,830
25	4,550	e3,000	e5,200	e5,200	e4,800	5,540	5,130	6,940	11,500	5,810	1,890	6,070
26	4,400	e3,200	e5,300	e5,300	e4,800	5,470	4,640	7,760	11,500	5,570	1,870	6,300
27	4,310	e3,600	e5,200	e5,300	e4,800	5,280	3,870	8,970	12,000	5,540	1,960	6,170
28	4,400	e3,300	e5,100	e5,300	e4,800	5,140	3,680	9,330	13,500	5,480	1,870	5,970
29	4,580	e3,400	e5,100	e5,300	e4,800	5,180	3,490	9,250	14,500	5,210	1,900	5,850
30	4,860	e3,500	e4,700	e5,000	---	5,330	3,110	7,940	14,600	4,930	2,200	5,930
31	5,140	---	e3,800	e3,700	---	5,370	---	7,160	---	4,760	2,660	---
TOTAL	132,190	122,850	149,400	121,700	123,900	170,830	160,200	183,420	400,690	287,170	91,680	132,460
MEAN	4,264	4,095	4,819	3,926	4,272	5,511	5,340	5,917	13,360	9,264	2,957	4,415
MAX	5,140	5,000	5,300	5,300	4,800	6,200	6,810	9,330	24,900	14,600	4,670	6,300
MIN	3,850	2,500	3,800	2,100	2,400	4,800	3,110	1,890	6,470	4,760	1,480	2,890
AC-FT	262,200	243,700	296,300	241,400	245,800	338,800	317,800	363,800	794,800	569,600	181,800	262,700
STATISTICS OF MONTHLY MEAN DATA FOR WATER YEARS 1911- 2004, BY WATER YEAR (WY)*
MEAN	8,227	7,290	5,925	5,691	6,812	10,860	10,230	18,090	38,440	22,730	8,596	7,082
MAX	29,130	12,150	9,594	13,110	17,750	25,980	39,160	38,100	77,280	55,000	20,470	16,000
(WY)	(1924)	(1924)	(1976)	(1925)	(1971)	(1972)	(1924)	(1928)	(1918)	(1917)	(1912)	(1941)
MIN	3,726	3,700	3,019	2,0875	2,702	3,235	2,821	5,409	11,580	3,311	1,602	2,389
(WY)	(1922)	(1922)	(1961)	(1937)	(1936)	(2002)	(19861)	(1961)	(1919)	(1919)	(1961)	(1934)

SUMMARY STATISTICS	FOR 2003 CALENDAR YEAR	FOR 2004 WATER YEAR	WATER YEARS 19611 - 2004*
ANNUAL TOTAL	2,758,240	2,076,490
ANNUAL MEAN	7,557	5,673	12,510
HIGHEST ANNUAL MEAN			21,250 1924
LOWEST ANNUAL MEAN			5,673 2004
HIGHEST DAILY MEAN	48,400 Jun  5	24,900 Jun 14	142,000 Jun 21, 1921
LOWEST DAILY MEAN	1,720 Aug 30	1,480 Aug 22	570 May 17, 1961
ANNUAL SEVEN-DAY MINIMUM	1,800 Aug 26	1,650 Aug 19	1,010 Aug 8, 1961
MAXIMUM PEAK FLOW		25,800 Jun 14	a159,000 Jun 21, 1921
MAXIMUM PEAK STAGE		9.99 Jun 14	b24.03 Mar  6, 1994
INSTANTANEOUS LOW FLOW			c470 May 17, 1961
ANNUAL RUNOFF (AC-FT)	5,471,000	4,119,000	9,065,000
10 PERCENT EXCEEDS	17,300	10,100	28,000
50 PERCENT EXCEEDS	4,700	4,800	8,000
90 PERCENT EXCEEDS	2,880	2,800	4,040

SUMMARY STATISTICS	WATER YEARS 1911 - 1965**	WATER YEARS 1967 - 2004***
ANNUAL MEAN	12,890	12,100
HIGHEST ANNUAL MEAN	21,250 1924	19,150 1997
LOWEST ANNUAL MEAN	5,814 1934	5,673 2004
HIGHEST DAILY MEAN	142,000 Jun 21, 1921	104,000 May 23, 1978
LOWEST DAILY MEAN	570 May 17, 1961	800 Jan 2, 1989
ANNUAL SEVEN-DAY MINIMUM	1,010 Aug 8, 1961	1,060 Aug 23, 2001
MAXIMUM PEAK FLOW	a159,000 Jun 21, 1921	d111,000 May 23, 1978
MAXIMUM PEAK STAGE	b21.85 Mar 22, 1947	b24.03 Mar 6, 1994
INSTANTANEOUS LOW FLOW	c470 May 17, 1961
ANNUAL RUNOFF (AC-FT)	9,341,000	8,763,000
10 PERCENT EXCEEDS	29,900	26,000
50 PERCENT EXCEEDS	7,690	8,500
90 PERCENT EXCEEDS	3,820	4,550

* During period of operation 1911-31, 1934 to current year; published as "At Intake" 1911-31 ** Prior to Bighorn Lake reaching operational level *** After Bighorn Lake reached operational level a Gage height, 12.60 ft, site and datum then in use b Backwater from ice c Gage height, 2.73 ft, site and datum then in use d Gage height, 20.02 ft e Estimated

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