/ Floods of April-June 1952 in Utah and Nevada GEOLOGICAL SURVEY WATER-SUPPLY PAPER 1260-E Prepared in cooperation with the States of California, Idaho, Nevada, Utah, and Wyoming, and agencies of the Federal Government Floods of April-June 1952 in Utah and Nevada FLOODS OF 1952 Prepared under the direction of J. V. B. WELLS, Chief', Surf ace Water Branch GEOLOGICAL SURVEY WATER-SUPPLY PAPER 1260-E Prepared in cooperation with the States of California, Idaho, Nevada, Utah, and ff^yoming, and agencies of the Federal Government UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE, WASHINGTON : 1957 UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR FRED A. S EATON, Secretary GEOLOGICAL SURVEY Thomas B. Nolan, Director For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, U. S. Government Printing Office Washington 25, D. C. PREFACE This report on the floods of April-June 1952 in the Great Basin and part of the Green River basin in Utah was prepared in the Water Resources Division, C. G. Paulsen, chief, under the general di­ rection of J. V. B. Wells, chief, Surface Water Branch. Basic records of stage and discharge were collected and com­ piled under the supervision of M. T. Wilson, district engineer, Sur­ face Water Branch, Salt Lake City district, as part of the cooper­ ating program with the following agencies: in California, State De­ partment of Public Works, C. H. Purcell, director, succeeded by F. B. Durkee, and A. D. Edmonston, State engineer; in Idaho, State Department of Reclamation, M. R. Kulp, State reclamation engi­ neer; in Nevada, Office of State Engineer, H. A. Shamberger; in Utah, Office of State Engineer, J. M. Tracy, and the Utah Water & Power Board, W. R. Wallace, chairman; in Wyoming, Office of the State Engineer, L. C. Bishop; the Bureau of Reclamation, Depart­ ment of the Interior; and the Corps of Engineers, U. S. Army. Snow-survey data were obtained by many Federal and State a- gencies as indicated in statewide reports "Federal-State Coopera­ tive Snow Surveys and Irrigation Water Forecasts" prepared by the Soil Conservation Service, Department of Agriculture, in cooper­ ation with the many participating agencies. The report was prepared by W. P. Somers, hydraulic engineer, Salt Lake City district. The Weather Bureau, the Corps of Engi­ neers, the Offices of the State Engineers of Nevada and Utah, the Utah Power & Light Co., water commissioners of several districts, a flood committee reporting to the Governor of Utah, and many other organizations and individuals supplied information or other­ wise assisted in the collection and compilation of data presented in this report. Ill CONTENTS Page Abstract....................................................... 577 Introduction.................................................... 577 General features of the floods .................................... 578 Hydrologic conditions......................................... 578 Description of the floods ...................................... 587 Great Salt Lake ........................................... 589 Bear River basin.......................................... 590 Weber River basin ........................................ 592 Tributaries between Weber and Jordan Rivers. .............. 598 Jordan River basia ........................................ 598 Sevier Lake basia ......................................... 604 Beaver River basin........................................ 604 Green River basin ......................................... 605 Walker Lake basin. ........................................ 606 Carson River basin........................................ 606 Humboldt River basin...................................... 607 Pyramid and Winnemucca Lakes basin ....................... 610 Summary of flood damages .................................... 611 Determination of flood discharge ................................. 615 Stages and discharges at stream-gaging stations ................... 615 Explanation of data........................................... 615 Colorado River basin: Green River basin: Duchesne River near Tabiona, Utah. ...................... 616 Duchesne River at Duchesne. ............................. 616 Strawberry River near Soldier Springs ................. 617 Strawberry River at Duchesne ......................... 618 Duchesne River at Myton ................................ 619 Price River above Scofield Reservoir, near Scofield ........ 620 Scofield Reservoir near Scofield. ......................... 622 Price River near Scofield................................ 623 Price River near Heiner. ................................ 624 Huntington Creek near Huntington. ........................ 625 Cottonwood Creek near Orangeville .................... 626 Ferron Creek (upper station) near Ferron .............. 627 The Great Basin: Great Salt Lake basin: Bear River near Evanston, Wyo. ......................... 628 VI CONTENTS Page Stages and discharges at stream-gaging stations--Continued The Great Basin--Continued Great Salt Lake basin--Continued Bear River at Border, Wyo. ............................. 628 Bear River at Harer, Idaho .............................. 629 Little Bear River: Logan River near Logan, Utah ...................... 629 Blacksmith Fork above Utah Power & Light Co. dam, near Hyrum. ............................ 630 Bear River near Collinston .............................. 630 Weber River near Oakley ................................ 631 Weber River near Wanship. .............................. 632 Weber River near Coalville.............................. 633 Chalk Creek at Coalville .............................. 634 Echo Reservoir at Echo ................................. 636 Weber River at Echo .................................... 637 Lost Creek near Croydon ............................. 638 Weber River at Devils Slide.............................. 639 East Canyon Reservoir near Morgan ................... 640 East Canyon Creek near Morgan....................... 641 Hardscrabble Creek near Porterville ................ 642 East Canyon Creek below diversions, near Morgan . ..... 643 Weber River near Morgan ............................... 644 Weber River at Gateway ................................. 645 Weber River at Ogden................................... 646 Ogden River: South Fork Ogden River near Huntsville.............. 647 Pine View Reservoir near Ogden. ...................... 648 Ogden River below Pine View dam, near Ogden ......... 649 Weber River near Plain City.............................. 650 Jordan River: Currant Creek: West Creek: Salt Creek at Nephi. ............................. 651 Payson Creek above diversions, near Payson ........... 652 Spanish Fork at Thistle ............................... 653 Diamond Fork: Sixth Water Creek: Strawberry tunnel at west portal, near Thistle.. 654 Diamond Fork near Thistle .................... 654 Spanish Fork at Castilla .............................. 655 Spanish Fork near Lake Shore ......................... 656 Hobble Creek near Springville ......................... 656 Provo River near Kamas.............................. 657 Provo River near Hailstone ........................... 658 Deer Creek Reservoir near Charleston................. 660 Provo River at Vivian Park ........................... 661 South Fork Provo River at Vivian Park .............. 661 Provo River at Provo................................. 662 Dry Creek near Alpine................................ 663 Fort Creek at Alpine. .............................. 664 CONTENTS VII Page Stages and discharges at stream-gaging stations--Continued The Great Basin--Continued Great Salt Lake basin--Continued Jordan River--Continued Jordan River at Narrows. ................................ 665 Jordan River and Surplus Canal at Salt Lake City. .......... 665 Sevier Lake basin: Sevier River: San Pitch River near Gunnison. ........................ 666 Beaver River basin: Beaver River near Beaver.................................. 666 Beaver River at Adamsville ................................ 666 Walker Lake basin: Walker River: West Walker River: East Fork West Walker River near Bridgeport, Calif. 667 West Walker River below East Fork, near Coleville ..... 667 Humboldt-Carson Sink basin: Carson River: East Fork Carson River near Gardnerville, Nev. .......... 668 West Fork Carson River at Woodfords, Calif. .......... 668 Humboldt River: Marys River above Hot Springs Creek, near Deeth, Nev. 668 Lamoille Creek near Lamoille. ........................ 669 North Fork Humboldt River at Devils Gate, near Halleck. 669 Humboldt River near Elko ............................... 670 South Fork Humboldt River near Lee................... 670 Huntington Creek near Lee. ......................... 670 South Fork Humboldt River above Dixie Creek, near Elko. 671 South Fork Humboldt River near Elko. .................. 671 Humboldt River near Carlin. ............................. 671 Humboldt River at Palisade .............................. 672 Pine Creek near Palisade ............................. 672 Rock Creek near Battle Mountaia ...................... 673 Humboldt River at Comus. ............................... 673 Little Humboldt River near Paradise Valley. ............ 673 Martin Creek near Paradise Valley. ................. 674 Humboldt River near Imlay .............................. 674 Rye Patch Reservoir near Rye Patch ..................... 675 Humboldt River near Rye Patch .......................... 676 Humboldt River near Lovelock ........................... 676 Pyramid and Winnemucca Lakes basin: Truckee River near Truckee,