USGS Water-Year Summary 2024
05082500 RED RIVER OF THE NORTH AT GRAND FORKS, ND
LOCATION - Lat 47°55'37", long 97°01'44" referenced to North American Datum of 1927, in sec.03, T.151 N., R.50 W., Grand Forks County, ND, Hydrologic Unit 09020301, on left bank 50 ft downstream from the DeMers Avenue bridge, 0.4 mile downstream from Red Lake River, and at Mile 297.6.
DRAINAGE AREA - 30,100 mi² of which 3,800 mi² probably is noncontributing. including 3,800 mi² in closed basins.
REVISIONS HISTORY - WSP 855: 1936(M). WSP 1115: 1942. WSP 1175: 1897(M). WSP 1388: 1904, 1914-15, 1917-19, 1921-22, 1927, 1950. WSP 1728: Drainage area. WRD-ND-81-1: 1882, 1897 (M).
SURFACE-WATER RECORDS
PERIOD OF RECORD -
PERIOD OF RECORD.--DAILY DISCHARGE--April 1882 to current year. Prior to September 1902 (all monthly periods) and September 1929 (for winter months only), daily values are derived from monthly totals published in WSP 1308.
PERIOD OF RECORD.--DAILY GAGE HEIGHT--September 1902 to current year. History of daily gage height record is shown below;
Prior to 1923: a nonrecording gage was read to quarter-tenths twice daily.
1923 to November, 3, 1933: a nonrecording gage was read to tenths once daily.
November 4, 1933, to present: recording gage operated to tenths or less than tenths accuracy.
GAGE - Water stage recorder with concrete control.
Datum of gage is 780.00 ft above North American Vertical Datum 1988 (NAVD88, Survey by USGS) and 779.00 ft. above National Geodetic Vertical Datum 1929 (NGVD29).
Previous locations and datums are as follows:
1882-92: staff gages near site of Northern Pacific Railway bridge 0.4 mi downstream, datum unknown.
1892 to October 15, 1926: staff gage and chain gages on Northern Pacific Railway bridge 0.4 mi downstream at datum of about 778.35 ft (NGVD29)
October 16, 1926 to November 2, 1933: staff gages about 1.9 mi downstream at datum of 778.35 ft (NGVD29)
November 3, 1933, to April 13, 1965: water-stage recorder 1.6 mi downstream at datum of 778.35 ft (NGVD29)
April 14, 1965, to September 30, 1983: water-stage recorder 1.9 mi downstream at datum of 778.35 ft (NGVD29)
October 1, 1983, to September 30, 1986: gage at present location at datum of 780.00 ft (NGVD29)
EXTREMES FOR PERIOD OF RECORD - Maximum peak flow, 137,000 ft³/s, April 18, 1997. Maximum observed, affected by breakout from Red River of the North about 20 mi upstream of gage that entered Red Lake River about 2 mi upstream of confluence with the Red River of the North. Maximum peak stage, 54.35 ft, April 22, 1997, from floodmark.
WATER-QUALITY RECORDS
PERIOD OF RECORD - Water years 1949, 1959 to current year.
PERIOD OF DAILY RECORD -
WATER TEMPERATURE: March 2007 to current year.
SPECIFIC CONDUCTANCE: March 2007 to current year.
PH: March 2007 to current year.
DISSOLVED OXYGEN: March 2007 to current year.
TURBIDITY: May 2007 to current year.
EXTREMES FOR PERIOD OF DAILY RECORD - WATER TEMPERATURE: Maximum recorded, 28.8°C, July 22, 23, 2012; minimum recorded, 0.0°C, many days in winter months for most years.
SPECIFIC CONDUCTANCE: Maximum recorded, 1,770 microsiemens, November 27, 2012; minimum recorded, 260 microsiemens, April 29, 2013.
PH: Maximum recorded, 8.9 units on November 20-22, 2007, September 5-6, 2008, April 8-10, 2015, April 3, 2016; minimum recorded, 7.5 units, many days in February to April 2011, April, June, July 2013 and January to April 2014.
DISSOLVED OXYGEN: Maximum recorded, 17.8 milligrams per liter, April 10-11, 2015; minimum recorded, 4.8 milligrams per liter, July 5, 2013.
TURBIDITY: Maximum recorded, 1,000 FNU, May 20, 2015; minimum recorded, 1.3 FNU, January 16, 2012.