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Floods in Wisconsin Magnitude and Frequency

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Floods in Wisconsin Magnitude and Frequency UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR GEOLOGICAL SURVEY FLOODS IN WISCONSIN MAGNITUDE AND FREQUENCY By D. W. Ericson Prepared in cooperation with the State Highway Commission of Wisconsin Open-file report Madison, Wisconsin 1961 UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR GEOLOGICAL SURVEI FLOODS IN WISCONSIN MAGNITUDE AND FREQUENCY By D. W. Ericson Prepared in cooperation with the State Highway Commission of Wisconsin Open-file report Madison, Wisconsin 1961 CONTENTS Abstract ..................... 1 Gaging-station records Continued Introduction ................... 1 St. Croix River basin ............ 46 Acknowledgements ............... 1 Namekagon River near (at) Trego ...... 46 Description of the area ............ 1 St. Croix River near Danbury (at Swiss) . 47 Topography ................. 1 St. Croix River near Grantsburg ...... 48 Climate .................. 1 St. Croix River near Rush City, Minn. 49 Flood-frequency analysis ............. 2 Sunrise River near Stacy. Minn. ..... 50 Flood frequency at a gaging station ...... 2 St. Croix River at (near) St. Croix Falls . 51 Types of series .............. 2 Apple River near Somerset ......... 52 Plotting positions ............. 2 Kinnikinnic River near River Falls .... 52 Historical floods ............. 2 Chippewa River basin ............. 53 Fitting frequency graphs .......... 3 Chippewa River at Bishops Bridge Regional frequency analysis .......... 3 near Winter .............. 53 Regional frequency curves ......... 3 Chippewa River near Bruce ......... 54 Derivation of mean annual flood ........ 3 Flambeau River at Flambeau Flowage .... 54 Mean annual flood formulas .......... 10 Flambeau River near Butternut ....... 55 Formula including slope parameter ..... 10 Flambeau River at Babb's Island Formula excluding slope parameter ..... 13 near Winter .............. 56 Abstracting basin characteristics .......15 South Fork Flambeau River near Phillips . 56 Drainage area ...............15 Flambeau River near Ladysmith .... 57 Slope ................... 15 Flambeau River near Bruce ......... 58 Lake and reservoir surface area ...... 15 Chippewa River near Holcombe ....... 59 Geographical factor ............15 South Fork Jump River near Ogema ..... 59 Rivers excepted from the regional analysis . 15 Jump River at Sheldon ........... 59 Menominee River ..............16 Chippewa River at Holcombe ........ 60 Wisconsin River .............. 16 Yellow River at Cadott .......... 61 Chippewa River and Flambeau River . .... 16 Duncan Creek at Bloomer .......... 61 Fox River ................. 17 Duncan Creek at Chippewa Falls ...... 6l St. Croix River and Hamekagon River .... 17 Chippewa River at Chippewa Falls ..... 62 Application of report data to a specific site . 20 Eau Claire River near Augusta ....... 63 Maximum floods known ............... 21 Eau Claire River near Fall Creek ..... 63 Limitations and comments .............21 Chippewa River at (near) Eau Claire .... 64 Gaging-station records ..............23 Red Cedar River near Colfax ........ 64 Streams tributary to Lake Superior ...... 25 Hay River at Wheeler ........... 65 Bois Erule River at Brule ......... 25 Red Cedar River at Menomonie ....... 66 Bad River at Mellen ............ 25 Chippewa River at Durand ......... 66 Bad River near Odanah ........... 25 Eau Galle River at Spring Valley ..... 67 White River near Ashland ..........26 Eau Galle River at Elmwood ........ 68 Montreal River at Ironwood, Mich. ..... 26 Buffalo River basin ............. 68 West Branch Montreal River at Gile ..... 27 Buffalo River near Tell .......... 68 Montreal River near Saxon ......... 27 Whitewater River basin ............ 69 Presque Isle River at Marenisco, Mich. 28 Whitewater River at Beaver, Minn. .... 69 Presque Isle River near Tula, Mich. .... 28 Gilmore Creek basin ............. 69 Middle Branch Ontonagon River near Gilmore Creek at Winona, Minn. ...... 69 Paulding, Mich. ............ 28 Trempealeau River basin ........... 70 Streams tributary to Lake Michigan ...... 29 Trempealeau River at Dodge ........ 70 Iron River at Caspian, Mich. ....... 29 Black River basin ............... 70 Brule River near Florence ......... 29 Black River at Neillsville ........ 70 Paint River at Crystal Falls, Mich. .... 30 Black River near Galesville ........ 71 Menominee River near Florence ....... 30 La Crosse River basin ............ 72 Menominee River at Twin Falls, near Iron Little La Crosse River near Leon ..... 72 Mountain, Mich. ............ 30 La Crosse River near West Salem ..... 73 Pine River near Florence .......... 31 Root River basin ............... 73 Pine River at Pine River powerplant Rush Creek near Rushford, Minn. ..... 73 near Florence .............. 31 Root River near Houston, Minn. ...... 74 Menominee River near Iron Mountain, Mich. 32 Coon Creek basin ............... 75 Menominee River near Pembine ........ 33 Coon Creek at Coon Valley ..'....... 75 Pike River at Amberg ............ 33 Coon Creek near Stoddard ....,'.... 75 Menominee River below (at) Koss, Mich. 34 Yellow River basin .............. 75 Menominee River near McAllister ...... 34 Yellow River at Ion, Iowa ......... 75 Peshtigo River at High Falls, near Crivitz . 35 Wisconsin River basin ............ 76 Oconto River near Gillett ......... 36 Wisconsin River at Rainbow Lake Fox River at Berlin ............ 36 near Lake Tomahawk ........... 7^ Wolf River above West Branch Wolf River . 37 Wisconsin River at Whirlpool Rapids Wolf River at Keshena Falls ........ 38 near Rhinelander ............ 77 Embarrass River near Embarrass ....... 39 Tomahawk River near Bradley ........ 77 Wolf River at New London .......... 40 Tomahawk River at Bradley (Tomahawk) ... 78 Little Wolf River at Royalton ....... 41 Spirit River at Spirit Falls ....... 78 Waupaca River near Waupaca ......... 4l Prairie River near Merrill ........ 79 West Branch Fond du Lac River at Fond du Lac 42 Wisconsin River at Merrill ........ 80 East Branch Fond du Lac River at Fond du Lac 43 Rib River at Rib Falls .......... 80 Fox River at Rapide Croche Dam near Eau Claire River near Antigo ....... 8l Wrightstown ............... 43 Eau Claire River at Kelly ......... 81 Sheboygan River at (near) Sheboygan .... 44 Wisconsin River at Rothschild ....... 82 Cedar Creek near Cedarburg ......... 44 Bull Creek Jr. near Rothschild ...... 83 Milwaukee River at (near) Milwaukee .... 45 Big Eau Pleine River near Colby ...... 83 Rum River basin ................ 46 Big Eau Pleine River near Stratford .... 83 Rum River near St. Francis, Minn. ..... 46 Wisconsin River at Knowlton ........ 84 III IV CONTENTS Gaging-station records--Continued Gaging-station records Continued Wisconsin River "basin Continued Apple River basin .............. 96 Plover River near Stevens Point ..... 85 Apple River near Hanover, 111. ...... 96 Wisconsin River near Nekoosa ....... Rock River basin ............... 97 Wisconsin River near Necedah ....... West Branch Rock River near Waupun .... 97 Yellow River at Babcock ......... South Branch Rock River at Waupun ..... 97 Yellow River at Sprague ......... East Branch Rock River near Mayville ... 98 Yellow River at Necedah ......... Rock River at Watertown .......... 98 Lemonweir River at New Lisbon ...... 87 Crawfish River at Milford ......... 99 Wisconsin River near Wisconsin Dells . Whitewater Creek near Whitewater ..... 99 Baraboo River near Baraboo ........ Whitewater' Creek at Whitewater ...... 100 Wisconsin River at Prairie du Sac .... Yahara River near McFarland ........ 100 Wisconsin River at Muscoda ........ Rock River at Afton ............ 101 Kickapoo River at La Farge ........ 90 Turtle Creek near Clinton ......... 101 Kickapoo River at Gays Mills ....... 90 Pecatonica River at Darlington ...... 102 Kickapoo River at Steuben ........ 91 East Branch Pecatonica River near Turkey River basin ............. 91 Blanchardville ............. 103 Turkey River at Garber, Iowa ....... 91 Pecatonica River at Dill ......... 103 Grant River basin .............. 92 Pecatonica River at Martintown ...... 1.0k Grant River at Burton .......... 92 Pecatonica River at Freeport, 111. .... 10k Platte River basin ............. 93 Sugar River near Brodhead ......... 105 Platte River near Rockville ....... 93 Pecatonica River at Shirland, 111. .... 106 Little Maquoketa River basin ........ 93 Rock River at Rockton, 111. ........ 106 Little Maquoketa River near Durango, Iowa 93 Kishwaukee River at Belvidere, 111. 107 'Galena River basin ............. 9k Illinois River basin ............. 108 Galena River at Buncombe ......... 9k Des Plaines River near Gurnee, 111. 108 East Fork Galena River at Council Hill, Fox River at Wilmot ............ 108 111. ................. 95 Selected references ............... 109 Maquoketa River basin ............ 95 Maquoketa River near Manchester, Iowa . 95 Maquoketa River near Maquoketa, Iowa . 96 ILLUSTRATIONS Page Figure 1. Location of flood-frequency regions in Wisconsin .......................... 7 2. Composite flood-frequency curve for region A ............................ 8 3. Composite flood-frequency curve for region B ............................ 8 k. Adjustment to ratio to mean annual flood for region A on basis of drainage area .....- 9 5. Adjustment to ratio to mean annual flood for region B on basis of drainage area .......... 9 6. Location of geographical areas for mean annual flood formula that includes the slope parameter ... 13 7- Location of geographical areas for mean annual flood formula that does not include the slope parameter ............................................
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