SAN JUAN RIVER BASIN

09371520 McELMO CREEK ABOVE TRAIL CANYON, NEAR CORTEZ, CO

LOCATION.--Lat 37°19'36", long 108°42'00", in NE14NE14 sec.3, T.35 N., R.17 W., Montezuma County, Hydrologic Unit 14080202, on left bank adjacent to abandoned gravel pit 1.5 mi downstream from Mud Creek, 1.9 mi upstream from Trail Canyon, and 5.5 mi south of Cortez.

DRAINAGE AREA.--234 mi2.

WATER-DISCHARGE RECORDS

PERIOD OF RECORD.--August 1993 to current year. For a complete listing of historical data available for this site, see http://waterdata.usgs.gov/co/nwis/inventory/?site_no=09371520

GAGE.--Water-stage recorder with satellite telemetry. Elevation of gage is 5,690 ft above NGVD of 1929, from topographic map.

REMARKS.--Records good except those for Oct. 1-4, July 20-24, estimated daily discharges and discharges above 1,000 ft3/s which are poor. A few small diversions upstream from station. Most of flow comes from diversions through the Dolores Project and Montezuma Valley Irrigation Company (water imported from Dolores River Basin).

EXTREMES OUTSIDE PERIOD OF RECORD.--Flood of Sept. 9, 1927 at location 1.5 mi upstream was determined to be 5,560 ft3/s, gage height, 5.72 ft, site and datum then in use. Feb. 20, 1993, 890 ft3/s, gage height, 7.57 ft, present datum, on basis of slope-area measurement at site 1 mi upstream.

Discharge, cubic feet per second 

WATER YEAR OCTOBER 2002 TO SEPTEMBER 2003

DAILY MEAN VALUES

DAY	OCT	NOV	DEC	JAN	FEB	MAR	APR	MAY	JUN	JUL	AUG	SEP
1	17	9.7	9.0	e13	e10	25	11	7.0	33	33	35	51
2	19	12	13	e13	e11	20	13	7.6	33	30	45	49
3	39	12	11	e12	e10	20	12	12	27	30	44	48
4	18	12	10	e12	e8.6	20	16	9.6	30	27	41	50
5	e17	12	e10	e12	e8.6	20	15	11	30	27	42	46
6	e15	12	e9.8	e12	e8.4	20	14	17	32	27	38	54
7	e13	13	e9.7	e12	e8.4	20	13	26	32	27	32	58
8	e12	15	e9.7	e12	e8.4	25	11	27	28	28	33	58
9	e12	32	e9.7	e12	8.3	29	11	24	32	27	35	167
10	e12	38	e9.6	e12	8.5	31	11	21	27	27	35	976
11	e11	25	e9.6	e12	8.9	30	11	18	26	31	35	174
12	e9.2	19	e9.7	e12	11	30	9.1	16	30	27	38	104
13	e6.7	26	9.6	e12	18	25	9.2	19	37	24	34	67
14	e6.2	28	e10	e11	37	21	9.1	24	42	27	34	47
15	e7.4	25	e11	e11	18	19	11	27	36	25	50	41
16	e7.2	28	11	e10	14	22	11	34	37	26	48	38
17	e11	25	12	e10	13	64	12	29	38	26	52	32
18	e10	23	e14	e9.9	15	67	10	23	31	29	50	18
19	e8.0	9.2	e13	e9.8	19	37	9.9	27	37	29	42	16
20	e8.2	3.2	e13	e9.8	14	26	9.1	25	37	25	34	26
21	e6.2	2.7	e12	e9.7	13	30	8.4	28	27	31	37	28
22	e9.2	2.7	11	e9.7	11	24	8.2	28	27	42	52	30
23	e18	3.1	e12	e9.7	9.7	20	7.9	30	27	33	47	31
24	e13	3.3	e12	e9.7	9.7	18	8.2	30	26	33	65	29
25	e14	3.3	e12	e9.7	12	16	8.2	33	25	26	87	31
26	e19	3.7	11	e9.6	24	16	7.0	35	34	27	60	33
27	e20	5.5	e13	e9.6	27	17	5.6	28	36	29	58	33
28	e18	7.3	e14	e9.6	27	16	4.4	29	44	36	58	32
29	e19	11	e14	e9.6	---	15	7.1	32	31	37	61	32
30	15	14	e13	e9.6	---	13	6.7	37	31	40	61	32
31	12	---	e13	e9.8	---	e12	---	33	---	37	60	---
TOTAL	422.3	435.7	351.4	335.8	391.5	768	300.1	747.2	963	923	1,443	2,431
MEAN	13.6	14.5	11.3	10.8	14.0	24.8	10.0	24.1	32.1	29.8	46.5	81.0
MAX	39	38	14	13	37	67	16	37	44	42	87	976
MIN	6.2	2.7	9.0	9.6	8.3	12	4.4	7.0	25	24	32	16
AC-FT	838	864	697	666	777	1,520	595	1,480	1,910	1,830	2,860	4,820
STATISTICS OF MONTHLY MEAN DATA FOR WATER YEARS 1993 - 2003, BY WATER YEAR (WY)
MEAN	76.6	48.8	31.3	31.0	35.2	37.0	28.8	54.6	69.1	78.9	93.3	93.5
MAX	125	89.1	42.9	58.8	62.5	87.4	82.8	83.0	100	108	125	126
(WY)	(1994)	(1999)	(1999)	(1997)	(1994)	(1995)	(1997)	(1998)	(1997)	(1997)	(1995)	(1997)
MIN	13.6	14.5	11.3	10.8	14.0	14.4	5.85	22.7	23.3	29.8	8.86	14.9
(WY)	(2003)	(2003)	(2003)	(2003)	(2003)	(2002)	(2002)	(2002)	(2002)	(2003)	(2002)	(2002)

SUMMARY STATISTICS	FOR 2002 CALENDAR YEAR	FOR 2003 WATER YEAR	WATER YEARS 1993 - 2003
ANNUAL TOTAL	6,108.6	9,512.0
ANNUAL MEAN	16.7	26.1	56.4
HIGHEST ANNUAL MEAN			78.8 1997
LOWEST ANNUAL MEAN			23.9 2002
HIGHEST DAILY MEAN	64 Sep 11	976 Sep 10	976 Sep 10, 2003
LOWEST DAILY MEAN	2.7 Nov 21	2.7 Nov 21	a2.7 Nov 21, 2002
ANNUAL SEVEN-DAY MINIMUM	3.1 Nov 20	3.1 Nov 20	3.1 Nov 20, 2002
MAXIMUM PEAK FLOW		b1,790 Sep 10	b1,790 Sep 10, 2003
MAXIMUM PEAK STAGE		c9.44 Sep 10	c9.44 Sep 10, 2003
ANNUAL RUNOFF (AC-FT)	12,120	18,870	40,850
10 PERCENT EXCEEDS	32	42	108
50 PERCENT EXCEEDS	14	19	43
90 PERCENT EXCEEDS	5.1	9.0	17

e Estimated. a Also occurred Nov 22, 2002. b Based on slope area measurement of peak flow. c From floodmarks.