DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR HUBERT WORK, Secretary UNITED STATES GEOLOGICAL SURVEY GEORGE OTIS SMITH, Director Water-Supply Paper 506 SURFACE. WATER SUPPLY OF THE UNITED STATES 1919-1920 PART VI. MISSOURI RIVER BASIN NATHAN C. GROVER, Chief Hydraulic Engineer W. A. IAMB, ROBERT FOLLANSBEE, W. G. HOYT, and R. C. RICE District Engineers Prepared in cooperation with the STATES OF MONTANA, WYOMING, IOWA, COLORADO, AND KANSAS WASHINGTON GOVERNMENT FEINTING OFFICE 1923 ADDITIONAL COPIES OF THIS PUBLICATION MAY BE PROCURED FROM THE SUPERINTENDENT OF DOCUMENTS ,,.;. ,..:. .. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE ' 'WASHINGTON, D. C. - .:: - :> -AT 35 CENTS PER COPY PURCHASER AGREES NOT TO RESELL OR DISTRIBUTE THIS COPY FOR PROFIT. PUB. RES. 57, APPROVED MAY 11, 1922 CONTENTS. Page. Authorization and scope of work...................".....................-.. 9 Definition of terms......................................................... 10 Explanation of data........................................................ H Accuracy of field data and computed results................................ 12 Cooperation.............................................................. 13- Division of work.......................................................... 15 Gaging-station records...................................................... 16 Missouri River proper.................................................. 16 Beaverhead River at Barratts, Mont................................ 16 Jefferson River near Silverstar, Mont............................... 18 Missouri River at Fort Benton, Mont................................ 19 Boulder River basin.................................................. 22 Boulder River near Basin, Mont.................................... 22 Madison River basin.................................................. 24 Madison River near Yellowstone, Mont............................. 24 Crow Creek basin..................................................... 27 Crow Creek near Radersburg, Mont................................ 27 Prickly Pear Creek basin.............................................. 29 Tenmile Creek near Rimini, Mont.................................. 29 Tenmile Creek near Helena, Mont.................................. 31 Little Prickly Pear Creek basin........................................ 34 Little Prickly Pear Creek near Marysville, Mont..................... 34 - Little Prickly Pear Creek near Canyon Creek, Mont.................. 36 Sun River basin...................................................... 39 North Fork of Sun River near Augusta, Mont....................... 39 Sun River at Fort Shaw, Mont...................................... 41 Willow Creek near Augusta, Mont.................................. 44 South Fork of Sun River at Augusta, Mont........................... 46 Marias River basin..................................................... 49 Two Medicine River near Glacier Park, Mont....................... 49 Two Medicine River at Family, Mont................................ 51 Marias River near Shelby, Mont..................................... 54 Badger Creek near Family, Mont................................... 56 Birch Creek at Swift dam, near Dupuyer, Mont...................... 58 Birch Creek near Dupuyer, Mont.................................... 62 Dupuyer Creek near Valier, Mont.................................. 64 Cut Bank Creek near Browning, Mont.............................. 66 Cut Bank Creek at Cut Bank, Mont................................ 68 Teton River at Strabane, Mont..................................... 70 Teton River near Chouteau, Mont.................................. 72 Spring Creek near Strabane, Mont................................. 74 Spring Creek near Chouteau, Mont.................................. 76 Deep Cre^knear Chouteau, Mont.................................... 78 Muddy Creek near Bynurn, Mont................................... 81 Blackleaf Creek near Bynum, Mont................................ 83 3 4 CONTENTS. Gaging-station records Continued. Page. Judith River basin.................................................... 85 Judith River near TTtica, Mont..................................... 85 Sage Creek at Windham, Mont...................................... 86 Wolf Creek near Stanford, Mont.................................... 88 Musselshell River basin......................x ........................... 90 Museelshell River at Harlowton, Ment............................... 90 West Careless Creek near Living Springs, Mont..................... 92 Flatwillow Creek near Flatwillow, Mont............................ 93 Milk River basin..................................................... 96 South Fork of Milk River near international boundary................ 96 Milk River at eastern crossing of international boundary............. 99 Milk River at Havre, Mont......................................... 101 Milk River at Malta, Mont........................................ 104 Milk River near Vandalia, Mont.................................... 107 North Fork of Milk River near international boundary. ............. 109 Big Sandy Creek near Laredo, Mont................................ 112 Beaver Creek near Havre, Mont................................... 114 Clear Creek near Bearpaw, Mont............................. '....... 116 Fort Belknap canal near Chinook, Mont............................ 118 Lodge Creek at international boundary.............................. 120 Battle Creek at international boundary............................... 122 Battle Creek near Chinook, Mont.............:..................... 125 Cook canal near Chinook. Mont.................................... 127 Matheson canal near Chinook, Mont................................ 128 New Paradise Valley canal near Chinook, Mont..................... 129 Paradise canal near Chinook, Mont.......... 1....................... 130 Harlem canal near Zurich, Mont.................................... 132 Agency ditch near Harlem, Mont.................................... 133 Peoples Creek near Dodson, Mont.................................. 135 Frenchman River at international boundary.........................' 136 Beaver Creek near Malta, Mont..................................... 139 Beaver Creek near Bowdoin, Mont................................... 141 Beaver Creek near Hinsdale, Mont...... i........................... 142 Rock Creek near Hinsdale, Mont................................... 144 Rock Creek canal near Hinsdale, Mont............................... 14& Porcupine Creek at Nashua, Mont.................................. 148 Little Porcupine Creek basin..,.........-.......-.....-.-.---.----..-.- 150 Little Porcupine Creek at Frazer, Mont.............................. 150 Poplar River basin. ......................-..----..----.------ ------- 151 Poplar River near Poplar, Mont............................--.------ 151 Big Muddy Creek basin..................-.....--...--.--------.------- 154 Big Muddy Creek at Reserve, Mont. ................................. 154 Big Muddy Creek near Culbertson, Mont............................. 155 Wolf Creek near Medicine Lake, Mont.................. r ........... 158 Yellowstone River basin. ..............-.......--..---------- -- ---- - 159 Yellowstone River near Canyon Hotel, Yellowstone National Park, Wyo.................. ......................-. -. .-.-.....--. 159 Yellowstone River at Corwin Springs, Mont......................... 161 Yellowstone River at Intake, Mont.................................. 163 Big Timber Creek near Big Timber, Mont............................ 166 Sweetgrass Creek above Melville, Mont............................. 168 CONTENTS. 5 Gaging-station records Continued. Yellowstone River basin Continued. Page. Sweetgrass Creek below Melville, Mont............................. 171 Clark Fork near Clark, Wyo......................................... 173 Pryor Creek at Coburn, Mont........................................ 175 Wind River at Riverton, Wyo...................................... 178 Big Horn River at Thermopolis, Wyo............................... 180 Big Horn River near Hardin, Mont.................................. 183 Dinwoody Greek near Lenore, Wyo................................. 185 Bull Lake Creek near Lenore, Wyo.................................. 188 Middle Fork of Popo Agie River near Lander, Wyo................... 190 Nowood Creek at Bananaa, Wyo................................... 193 Tensleep Greek near Tensleep, Wyo................................. 195 Paintrock Creek near Bonanza, Wyo................................ 198 Greybull River at Meeteetse, Wyo...............'................... 200 Shell Creek at Shell, Wyo......................................... 201 Shoshone River near Ishawooa, Wyo,............................... 204 Shoshone River at Corbett dam, Wyo................................ 206 Soap Creek near St. Xavier, Mont.................................. 212 Rottengrass Creek near St. Xavier, Mont............................. 214 Little Horn River near Wyola, Mont................................ 216 Little Horn River near Crow Agency, Mont.......................... 218 Lodgegrass Greek at Lodgegrass, Mont................................ 220 Tongue River near Dayton, Wyo................................... 223 Little Goose Creek near Big Horn, Wyo............................. 225 Powder River at Arvada, Wyo..................................... 227 Powder River near Arvada, Wyo................................... 229 Clear Creek near Buffalo, Wyo....................................