USGS Water-Year Summary 2024

10309000 East Fork Carson River Near Gardnerville, NV

LOCATION - Lat 38°50'42.7", long 119°42'21.9" referenced to North American Datum of 1983, in NW 1/4 SE 1/4 sec.02, T.11 N., R.20 E., Douglas County, NV, Hydrologic Unit 16050201, on left bank, at lower end of Horseshoe Bend, 2 mi east of Mud Lake Reservoir, 4.3 mi downstream from Bryant Creek, 7 mi southeast of Gardnerville, and at mi 100.1 upstream from Lahontan Dam.

DRAINAGE AREA - 356 mi².

REVISIONS HISTORY - WSP 1214: 1938 (M), 1942-43 (M), 1945 (M). WSP 1514: 1909-10. WDR NV-79-1: Drainage area.

SURFACE-WATER RECORDS

PERIOD OF RECORD - Jan. 1890 to Dec. 1893, Oct. 1900 to Dec. 1906 (gage heights only Aug. to Dec. 1904 and Jul. 1905 to Dec. 1906), Jan. 1908 to Dec. 1910, Jun. to Oct. 1917, Dec. 1924 to Sep. 1928, Jun. to Sep. 1929, Oct. 1935 to Dec. 1937, and May 1939 to current year.

GAGE - Water-stage recorder. Datum of gage is 4,987.68 ft above National Geodetic Vertical Datum of 1929, from topographic map. Prior to May 19, 1939, nonrecording gages at several sites within 2 mi of present site at various datums. Prior to Jul. 20, 2001, at site 300 ft downstream and 2.57 ft lower. Prior to January 27, 2012, at site approximately 900 ft downstream. Gage datum is the same for all sites.

REMARKS - Station is above all diversions in Carson Valley. Diversions for irrigation above station. Flow slightly regulated by several small reservoirs, total capacity, about 5,000 acre-ft. 10/01/2013-09/30/2014: Records good except for estimated daily discharges, which are poor. 10/01/2014-09/30/2015: Records good. 10/01/2015-09/30/2016: Records good except for estimated daily discharges, which are poor. 10/01/2016-09/30/2017: Records fair except for estimated daily discharges, which are poor. 10/01/2017-09/30/2018: Records fair except for estimated discharges, which are poor. 10/01/2018-09/30/2019: Records fair except for estimated discharges, which are poor. 10/01/2019-09/30/2020: Records fair except for estimated discharges, which are poor. 10/01/2020-09/30/2021: Records fair except for estimated discharges, which are poor. 

EXTREMES FOR PERIOD OF RECORD - Maximum discharge, 20,300 ft³/s, Jan. 2, 1997, gage height, 13.00 ft; minimum daily, 11 ft³/s, Sep. 4, 1977.

WATER-QUALITY RECORDS

PERIOD OF RECORD - Water years 1955-72, 1977-84, 1990 to Nov. 1996, Feb. 2002 to Aug. 2004.

PERIOD OF DAILY RECORD - SPECIFIC CONDUCTANCE: Nov. 1993 to Sep. 1996, Feb. 2002 to Aug. 2004, discontinued. WATER TEMPERATURE: Jul. 1955 to Jun. 1966, Nov. 1966 to Sep. 1972, Nov. 1993 to Sep. 1996, and February 2002 to Aug. 2004, discontinued.

INSTRUMENTATION - Specific conductance monitor since Nov. 1993 to Sep. 1996, Feb. to Sep. 2002, hourly. Water temperature recorder Jul. 1955 to Jun. 1966 and Nov. 1966 to Sep. 1972 provided continuous recordings. Water temperature monitor Nov. 1993 to Sep. 1996 and Februrary 2002 to Aug. 2004, hourly.

REMARKS - Instantaneous specific-conductance and water-temperature measurements during a site visit can be slightly outside the range of values recorded during the same day by the water-quality monitor. This presumably is due to fluctuations in conductance and temperature during the interval between periodic monitor recordings. Records represent water temperature at probe within 0.5°C.

EXTREMES FOR PERIOD OF DAILY RECORD - SPECIFIC CONDUCTANCE: Maximum daily, 375 microsiemens, cm at 25°C, Sep. 28, 29, 1994; minimum daily, 24 microsiemens, cm at 25°C, May 17, 1996. WATER TEMPERATURE: Maximum daily, 29.5C, Aug. 7, 1960; minimum, -0.5C, on several days in water years 2003 and 2004.