USGS Water-Year Summary 2023
05471000 South Skunk River below Ioway Creek near Ames, IA
LOCATION - Lat 42°00'29.6", long 93°35'45.5" referenced to North American Datum of 1983, in NW 1/4 NE 1/4 NW 1/4 sec.13, T.83 N., R.24 W., Story County, IA, Hydrologic Unit 07080105, on right bank 500 ft downstream from bridge on Southeast 16th Street, 200 ft upstream from bridge on U.S. Highway 30, 2 mi southeast of Ames, 0.2 mi downstream from Squaw Creek, 127 mi upstream from confluence with the North Skunk River, and 221.7 mi upstream from mouth of Skunk River.
DRAINAGE AREA - 556 mi².
REVISIONS HISTORY - Revisions: Gage datum was updated to 857.86 ft NAVD88 on July 11, 2022, as determined by a GNSS Level II survey. Gage datum was previously published as 857.10 ft NGVD29 from levels.
SURFACE-WATER RECORDS
PERIOD OF RECORD -
Discharge records from October 1952 to December 1979, October 1991 to current year.
Prior to October 1966, published as "Skunk River below Sq___ Creek near Ames, IA."
October 1966 to May 2021, published as "South Skunk River below Sq___ Creek near Ames, IA."
GAGE - Water-stage recorder. Datum of gage is 857.86 ft above North American Vertical Datum of 1988. Prior to October 1, 1973, at datum 10.00 ft higher. Prior to October 1991, at site 500 ft upstream.
EXTREMES OUTSIDE PERIOD OF RECORD - Flood of June 17, 1990, reached a stage of 25.40 ft, from the office of the Ames Water and Pollution Control Department, at site 500 ft upstream at current datum, discharge about 13,000 ft³/s. Flood of May 19, 1944, reached a stage of 13.00 ft, from high-water mark, at site and datum then in use, discharge 10,000 ft³/s.
WATER-QUALITY RECORDS
PERIOD OF RECORD - Water year 2012.