USGS Water-Year Summary 2024

09510000 VERDE RIVER BELOW BARTLETT DAM, AZ

LOCATION - Lat 33°48'30", long 111°39'46" referenced to North American Datum of 1927, in NW 1/4 sec.5, T.5 N., R.7 E., Maricopa County, AZ, Hydrologic Unit 15060203, in Tonto National Forest, on right bank 2.1 mi downstream from Bartlett Dam, 4.0 mi upstream from Camp Creek, and 16 mi east of town of Cave Creek.(unsurveyed).

DRAINAGE AREA - 6,161 mi², of which 365 mi² is non-contributing, including 357 mi² in Aubrey Valley Playa, a closed basin.

SURFACE-WATER RECORDS

PERIOD OF RECORD - Aug. 1888 to current year. (Monthly discharge only Aug. 1888 to Dec. 1903, and Jan. 1910 to Sept. 1913. For some periods prior to Dec. 1903 gage heights, discharge measurements, and daily discharge hydrographs are published in reports of the Geological Survey.) Prior to Oct. 1941, published under different names as follows: "near Fort McDowell," "at mouth," "above Salt River," "at McDowell," "at McDowell near Lehi," "near McDowell," and "above Camp Creek, near McDowell."

REVISED RECORDS - WSP 1049: 1893, 1913-14, 1917-18, 1926-27, 1929. WSP 1213: 1915-16. WDR AZ-89-1: Drainage area.

GAGE - Water-stage recorder. Datum of gage is 1,570.34 ft above sea level. Gage at present site and datum 2.00 ft higher Jan. 1, 1942, to Sept. 30, 1961, Dec. 30, 1965, to Mar. 10, 1971, and Oct. 1, 1978, to Jan. 4, 1993; Mar. 2 to Sept. 30, 1978, used as supplementary gage, and Feb. 18, 1975, to Feb. 28, 1978, supplementary water-stage recorder at site 30 ft upstream at same datum. Oct. 1, 1961, to Dec. 29, 1965, and Mar. 11, 1971, to Sept. 30, 1973, water-stage recorder at site 1.9 mi upstream at datum 1,600 ft, from topographic map; at same site at datum 4.00 ft higher, Oct. 1, 1973, to Mar. 3, 1975, and 5.00 ft higher, Oct. 1, 1961, to Dec. 29, 1965, and Mar. 11, 1971, to Sept. 30, 1973. Feb. 17, 1925, to Dec. 31, 1941, water-stage recorder at two sites within 0.5 mi upstream from Camp Creek, at various datums. Prior to Feb. 17, 1925, nonrecording gages at several sites about 20 mi downstream from present location at various datums.

REMARKS - Records good, no estimated daily discharges. About 12,500 acres above station are irrigated by surface water and ground water. Flow completely regulated by Bartlett Reservoir since Feb. 5, 1939, and Horseshoe Reservoir since Nov. 15, 1945, except during periods of spill. Water diverted downstream for municipal supply for the city of Phoenix, and for irrigation in Fort McDowell Indian Reservation. Remainder (except during infrequent periods of extreme flooding) is diverted at Granite Reef Dam on Salt River 27 mi downstream for irrigation in Salt River Valley, and for municipal use by the city of Phoenix.

EXTREMES FOR PERIOD OF RECORD - 1888-1939: Maximum discharge not determined, probably over 150,000 ft³/s Feb. 24, 1891; minimum daily, 29 ft³/s July 11 and 13, 1901. Floods of Nov. 27, 1905 and Mar. 4, 1938, reached maximum discharges of 96,000 ft³/s and 95,000 ft³/s, respectively. --1939-2006: Maximum discharge, 110,000 ft³/s Jan. 8, 1993; no flow at Bartlett Dam at times when gates in dam were closed.

AVERAGE DISCHARGE FOR PERIOD OF RECORD - 126 years, 646 ft³/s, 468,023 acre-ft/yr; median of yearly mean discharge, 449 ft³/s, 325,300 acre-ft/yr. (adjusted for storage in Bartlett and Horseshoe Reservoirs).

WATER-QUALITY RECORDS

PERIOD OF RECORD - Dec. 1950 to Aug. 1992, June 1999 to current year.

PERIOD OF DAILY RECORD - SPECIFIC CONDUCTANCE: Oct. 1964 to Dec. 1981, Mar. 1982 to Sept. 1982, Apr. 1983 to Sept. 1990. WATER TEMPERATURE: Dec. 1950 to Dec. 1981, Mar. 1982 to Sept. 1982, Apr. 1983 to Sept. 1990.

REMARKS - Unpublished daily specific conductance measurements for period Dec. 1950 to Sept. 1964 available from Arizona Water Science Center in Tucson, AZ.