UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR GEOLOGICAL SURVEY SMALL-STREAM FLOOD INVESTIGATIONS IN MINNESOTA, October 1958 to September 1980 With floods from selected larger drainage areas By K. T. Gunard and C. J. Smith Open-File Report 82-433 Prepared in cooperation with the MINNESOTA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION, MINNESOTA DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES, UNITED STATES ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS St. Paul, Minnesota May 1982 OONTQiTS Page Abstract................................................................. 1 Conversion factors....................................................... 1 Definition of terms...................................................... 2 Introduction............................................................. 3 Purpose and scope...................................................... 3 Cooperation............................................................ 4 Description of program................................................... 4 Program operation........................................................ 6 Selection of gaging-station sites...................................... 6 Instrumentation........................................................ 6 Data collection and analysis........................................... 7 Flood investigations at miscellaneous sites............................ 9 Presentation of data..................................................... 9 Maximum floods......................................................... 9 Station manuscripts.................................................... 16 References............................................................... 16 Gaging-station records................................................... 28 04011370 Little Devil Track River near Grand Marais................... 28 04011390 Little Devil Track River tributary near Grand Marais......... 29 04012500 Poplar River at Lutsen....................................... 30 04013100 Lake Superior tributary near Taconite Harbor................. 32 04013200 Caribou River near Little Marais............................. 33 04015150 Crow Creek near Silver Creek................................. 34 04015200 Encampment River tributary at Silver Creek................... 35 04015250 Silver Creek tributary near Two Harbors...................... 36 04015300 Little Stewart River near Two Harbors........................ 37 04015360 Lake Superior tributary No. 2 at French River................ 38 04015370 Talmadge River at Duluth..................................... 39 04015400 Miller Creek at Duluth....................................... 40 04017700 McKinley Lake tributary at McKinley.......................... 41 04018800 East Two River tributary at Virginia......................... 42 04020400 North Branch Whitef ace River near Fairbanks.................. 43 04020700 Bug Creek at Shaw............................................ 44 04021205 Floodwood River above Floodwood.............................. 45 04024095 Nemadji River near Holyoke................................... 46 04024100 Rock Creek near Blackhoof.................................... 47 04024110 Rock Creek tributary near Blackhoof. 48 111 CONTENTS Page Gaging-station records Continued 04024200 South Fork Nemad ji River near Holyoke........................ 49 05047600 West Branch Mustinka River near Graceville................... 50 05047700 West Branch Mustinka River tributary near Graceville......... 51 05049200 Eighteenmile Creek near Wheaton.............................. 52 05050700 Rabbit River near Nashua..................................... 53 05060800 Buffalo River near Callaway.................................. 54 05061200 Whisky Creek at Barnesville.................................. 55 05061400 Spring Creek above Downer.................................... 56 05062280 Mosquito Creek near Bagley................................... 57 05062470 Marsh Creek tributary near Mahnomen.......................... 58 05062700 Wild Rice River tributary near Twin Valley................... 59 05062800 Coon Creek near Twin Valley.................................. 60 05063200 Spring Creek tributary near Ogema............................ 61 05063500 South Branch Wild Rice River near Borup...................... 62 05073600 South Branch Battle River at Northome........................ 63 05073750 Spring Creek near Blackduck.................................. 64 05073800 Perry Creek tributary near Shocks............................ 65 05075700 Mud River near Grygla........................................ 66 05076600 Red Lake River tributary near Thief River Falls.............. 67 05077700 Ruffy Brook near Gonvick..................................... 68 05078000 Clearwater River at Plumner.................................. 69 05078100 Lost River at Gonvick........................................ 71 05078180 Silver Creek near Clearbrook................................. 72 05078200 Silver Creek tributary at Clearbrook......................... 73 05078400 Clearwater River tributary near Plummer...................... 74 05086900 Middle River near Newfolden.................................. 75 05128300 Pike River near Gilbert...................................... 76 05128700 Pike River tributary near Wahlsten........................... 77 05129650 Little Fork River at Cook.................................... 78 05129710 Johnson Creek near Britt..................................... 79 05130300 Boriin Creek near Chisholm................................... 80 05131750 Big Fork River near Bigfork.................................. 81 iv CONTENTS Page Gaging-station records Continued 05131878 Bowerman Brook near Craigville............................... 82 05132000 Big Fork River at Big Falls.................................. 83 05140000 Bulldog Ri*i near Warroad..................................... 85 05140500 East Branch Warroad River near Warroad....................... 86 05200200 Hennepin Creek near Becida................................... 8? 05200445 Mississippi River at Bemidji................................. 88 05210200 Smith Creek near Hill City................................... 89 05216700 Of Brien Creek near Nashwauk.................................. 90 05216980 Swan River tributary at Warba................................ 91 05217700 Bluff Creek near Jacobson.................................... 92 05221020 Willow River below Palisade.................................. 93 05244100 Kitten Creek near Sebeka..................................... 94 05244200 Cat River near Nimrod........................................ 95 05244440 Leaf River near Aldrich...................................... 96 05245800 Sevenmile Creek near Pillager................................ 97 05261000 Mississippi River near Fort Ripley........................... 98 05267800 Big Mink Creek tributary near Lastrup........................ 99 05267900 Hillman Creek near Pierz..................................... 1QO 05268000 Platte River above Royalton.................................. 101 05270300 Sauk River tributary at Spring Hill.......................... 102 05270310 Sauk River tributary No. 2 near St. Martin................... 103 05271800 Johnson Creek tributary at Luxemburg......................... 104 05272000 Johnson Creek tributary No. 2 near St. Augusta............... 105 05272300 Johnson Creek near St. Augusta............................... 106 05273510 Mississippi River at Clearwater.............................. 107 05273700 Otsego Creek near Otsego..................................... 108 05274200 Stony Brook tributary near Foley............................. 109 05276100 North Fork Crow River tributary near Paynesville............. 110 05276200 North Fork Crow River at Paynesville......................... 111 05278350 Fountain Creek near Montrose................................. 112 05278700 Otter Creek near Lester Prairie.............................. 113 05278750 Otter Creek tributary near Lester Prairie.................... 114 CONTENTS Page Gaging-station records Continued 05278850 Buffalo Creek tributary near Brownton........................ 115 05279000 South Fork Crow River near Mayer............................. 116 05279030 South Fork Crow River tributary near Mayer................... 118 05280300 School Lake Creek tributary near St. Michael................. 119 05284100 Mille Lacs Lake tributary near Wealthwood.................... 120 05284600 Robinson Brook near Onamia................................... 121 05284620 Run River tributary near Onamia.............................. 122 05284920 Stanchfield Creek tributary near Day......................... 123 05299100 Lazarus Creek tributary near Canby........................... 124 05301200 Minnesota River tributary near Montevideo.................... 125 05302500 Little Chippewa River near Starbuck.......................... 126 05302970 Outlet Creek tributary near Starbuck......................... 127 05303450 Hassel Creek near Clontarf................................... 128 05305200 Spring Creek near Montevideo................................. 129 05311200 North Branch Yellow Medicine River near Ivanhoe.............. 130 05311250 North Branch Yellow Medicine River tributary near Wilno...... 131 05311300 North Branch Yellow Medicine River tributary No. 2 near Porter..................................................... 132 05313800 Kandiyohi County ditch 16 near Blankest...................... 133 05314900 Redwood River at Ruthton..................................... 134 05315200 Prairie Ravine near Marshall................................