USGS Water-Year Summary 2024

11390000 Butte Creek near Chico, CA

LOCATION - Lat 39°43'34", long 121°42'28" referenced to North American Datum of 1927, in NW 1/4 NW 1/4 sec.36, T.22 N., R.2 E., Butte County, CA, Hydrologic Unit 18020158, on right bank, 1,000 ft downstream from covered bridge, 0.7 mi downstream from Little Butte Creek, and 7.5 mi east of Chico.

DRAINAGE AREA - 147 mi².

REVISIONS HISTORY - WSP 1445: 1953 (instantaneous maximum discharge). WSP 1931: Drainage area.

SURFACE-WATER RECORDS

PERIOD OF RECORD - October 1930 to current year. Monthly discharge only for some periods, published in WSP 1315-A.

GAGE - Water-stage recorder and crest-stage gage. Datum of gage is 321.34 ft above NAVD of 1988. Prior to Aug. 13, 1944, water-stage recorder at site 0.4 mi upstream at different datum. Aug. 13, 1944, to June 5, 1986, at datum 3.00 ft higher.

REMARKS - Flow slightly regulated by storage in Magalia Reservoir, usable capacity, 2,640 acre-ft, and since 1957 by Paradise Reservoir, usable capacity, 11,500 acre-ft. Diversions upstream from station for irrigation and domestic use of about 7,000 acre-ft annually. Butte Creek receives water above station from West Branch Feather River by way of Toadtown Canal (station 11389800). See schematic diagram of lower Sacramento River Basin available from the California Water Science Center.

EXTREMES FOR PERIOD OF RECORD - Maximum discharge, 35,600 ft³/s, Jan. 1, 1997, gage height, 15.06 ft in gage well, 15.7 ft from floodmarks, on basis of slope-area measurement of peak flow, maximum gage height, 17.52 ft, Feb. 17, 1986, present datum; minimum discharge, 44 ft³/s, Aug. 23-29, 1931.

WATER-QUALITY RECORDS

PERIOD OF RECORD -

DISCRETE WATER-QUALITY DATA:
CHEMICAL DATA: Water years 1953-79.
SEDIMENT DATA: Water years 2001-02.

CONTINUOUS WATER-QUALITY DATA:
WATER TEMPERATURE: Water years November 1961 to January 1979, October 1998 to current year.
TURBIDITY: Water years January 2001 to September 2004.