USGS Water-Year Summary 2024
06025500 BIG HOLE RIVER NEAR MELROSE, MT
LOCATION - Lat 45°31'35.69", long 112°42'06.21" referenced to North American Datum of 1983, in SE 1/4 SE 1/4 SW 1/4 sec.34, T.3 S., R.9 W., Madison County, MT, Hydrologic Unit 10020004, on left bank 50 ft downstream from bridge, on frontage road east of Interstate 15, 0.1 mi downstream from Rock Creek, 7 mi south of Melrose, and at river mile 31.1.
DRAINAGE AREA - 2,472 mi².
SURFACE-WATER RECORDS
PERIOD OF RECORD - October 1923 to current year. Monthly discharge only for some periods, published in Water Supply Paper 1309.
GAGE - Water-stage recorder. Elevation of gage is 5032.87 ft, referenced to the National Geodetic Vertical Datum of 1929. Prior to June 14, 1927, water-stage recorder, and July 17, 1927, to Sept. 30, 1931, nonrecording gage, at site 1.7 mi upstream at different elevation.
EXTREMES FOR PERIOD OF RECORD - Maximum peak flow occurred when Wise River Reservoir dam failed; maximum discharge unaffected by dam failure.
WATER-QUALITY RECORDS
PERIOD OF DAILY RECORD -
WATER TEMPERATURE: August 1956 to September 1957, August 1960 to September 1964, June 1977 to current
year (seasonal records).
SUSPENDED-SEDIMENT DISCHARGE: August 1956 to September 1957, August 1960 to September 1964.
INSTRUMENTATION - Water temperature recorder was installed in June 1977.
EXTREMES FOR PERIOD OF DAILY RECORD -
WATER TEMPERATURE: Maximum, 24.2°C, July 3, 2015. Minimum, 0.0°C on many days during winter most
years.
SEDIMENT CONCENTRATION (water years 1956-57, 1960-64): Maximum daily mean, 200 mg/L, June 29, 1961;
minimum daily mean, 1 mg/L, on many days in 1960-64.
SEDIMENT LOAD (water years 1956-57, 1960-64): Maximum daily, 4,300 tons, June 9, 1964; minimum daily,
less than 0.5 ton on several days in 1961.