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Water-Year Summary for Site 08285500

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Available Parameters
00060 Discharge(Mean)  

Water year 2023: 2022-10-01 to 2023-09-30
 
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USGS Water-Year Summary 2023
08285500 RIO CHAMA BELOW EL VADO DAM, NM
LOCATION - Lat 36°34'49.38", long 106°43'29.16" referenced to North American Datum of 1983, Rio Arriba County, NM, Hydrologic Unit 13020102, in Tierra Amarilla Grant, on left bank 1.5 mi downstream from El Vado Dam, 2.8 mi upstream from Rio Nutrias, 13 mi southwest of Tierra Amarilla, and at mile 76.2.
DRAINAGE AREA - 877 mi² of which 100 mi² probably is noncontributing.
REVISIONS HISTORY - WSP 1312: 1914, 1949. WSP 1392: 1949. WDR-NM-90: 1989.
SURFACE-WATER RECORDS
PERIOD OF RECORD - October 1913 to November 1915, April to November 1916, March and April 1920, September 1920 to August 1924, October 1935 to current year. Monthly discharge only for some periods, published in WSP 1312. Published as "Chama River" prior to 1935, as "near Tierra Amarilla" 1913-14 and 1935-47, as "near El Vado" 1915-16, and as "at El Vado" 1920-24.
GAGE - Water-stage recorder with satellite telemetry. Datum of gage is 6,696.12 ft above NGVD of 1929. Prior to Oct. 1935, at site 1.5 mi upstream at different datum. Oct. 1935 to Sept. 1938, at site 1.1 mi upstream at datum 30.34 ft higher.
REMARKS - Water years 2014-2020; records good except for estimated discharges, which are fair. Flow regulated by El Vado Reservoir (station 08285000) since 1935. Flow affected by release of transmountain water from Heron Reservoir (station 08284510) since May 1971. Diversions for irrigation of about 10,600 acres upstream from station.
EXTREMES OUTSIDE PERIOD OF RECORD - Flood of Oct. 4 or 5, 1911, was greater than floods in Sept. 1904 and May 1920, from information by local residents.