USGS Water-Year Summary 2023
09415000 Virgin River At Littlefield, AZ
LOCATION - Lat 36°53'30", long 113°55'25" referenced to North American Datum of 1927, in SW 1/4 SW 1/4 sec.04, T.40 N., R.15 W., Mohave County, AZ, Hydrologic Unit 15010010, on right bank, 0.75 mi downstream of Beaver Dam Wash, 0.4 mi upstream from the town of Littlefield, AZ, and approximately 43 mi upstream from Lake Mead.
DRAINAGE AREA - 5,090 mi².
REVISIONS HISTORY - Revisions: WSP 959: 1932. WSP 979: 1930-31, 1933-37. WSP 1313: 1940 (M). The maximum gage height for water year 2020 was revised on Apr. 8, 2021, to correct a typographical error.
SURFACE-WATER RECORDS
PERIOD OF RECORD - Oct. 1929 to current year.
GAGE - Water-stage recorder. Datum of gage is 1,763.68 ft above National Geodetic Vertical Datum of 1929, from topographic map. Prior to May 28, 1933, nonrecording gage at site 300 ft upstream, and May 28, 1933, to Nov. 7, 1939, at same site, both at datum 2.53 ft higher. Nov. 8, 1939, to Mar. 31, 1942, nonrecording gage at same site at datum 2.00 ft higher. Apr. 1, 1942, to Sep. 30, 1970, water-stage recorder at same site at datum 2.00 ft higher. Oct. 1, 1970, to Aug. 7, 1979, at site 300 ft upstream at same datum (1,763.68 ft). Aug 7, 1979 to April 17, 2007, water-stage recorder at same site at same datum. Apr. 17, 2007 to Apr. 14, 2011, water-stage recorder at site 300 ft upstream at same datum. Apr. 14, 2011 to April 25 2013, water-stage recorder at same site at same datum. April 25, 2013 to current year, water-stage recorder at site 300 ft upstream at same datum.
EXTREMES FOR PERIOD OF RECORD - Maximum discharge, 61,000 ft³/s, Jan. 1, 1989, gage height, 22.37 ft, due to failure of Quail Creek Dam; maximum discharge excluding 1989: 36,500 ft³/s, Jan. 10, 2005, gage height, 15.93 ft, on basis of slope-area measurement of peak flow; minimum daily, 40 ft³/s, Aug. 6, 1966.
WATER-QUALITY RECORDS
PERIOD OF RECORD - Oct. 1948 to current year.
PERIOD OF DAILY RECORD -
CHEMICAL ANALYSES: Jul. 1949 to Sep. 1969.
SPECIFIC CONDUCTANCE: Oct. 1947 to Mar. 1988.
WATER TEMPERATURE: Oct. 1947 to Mar. 1988.
SEDIMENT DATA: Oct. 1947 to Sep. 1968, Oct. 1992 to Sep. 1995.
EXTREMES FOR PERIOD OF DAILY RECORD - SPECIFIC CONDUCTANCE: Maximum, 4,650 microsiemens/cm, Aug. 21, 1966; minimum, 615 microsiemens/cm, May 27, 28, 30, 31, 1983.
WATER TEMPERATURE: Maximum, 33.5°C, Jul. 7, 1953; minimum, 2.0°C Jan. 4, 1949, Jan. 4, 1950, Jan. 4, 5, 1971.