lagnitude and Frequency of 'loods in the United States 'rrt 11. Pacific Slope Basins in California c^ume 2. Klamath and Smith River Basins and Central Valley rainage from the East "... E. YOUNG and R. W. CRUFF HOLOGICAL SURVEY WATER-SUPPLY PAFER 1686 TED STATES GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE, WASHINGTON : 1967 UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR STEW ART L. UDALL, Secretary GEOLOGICAL SURVEY William T. Pecora, Director Library of Congress catalog-card No. GS 64-192 For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office Washington, D.C. 20402 CONTENTS Page Abstract_______________________________________________________ 1 Introduction..-___________________________________________________ 1 Purpose and scope._____-____________________________________ 1 Acknowledgments. __--_-_____-___-______--------_-------__-_-- 2 Flood-frequency analysis.___-____-_________-----_----_-_- ______ 4 Selection of gaging-station records.------.----------------------- 4 Flood frequency at a gaging station____________________________ 6 Hydrologic characteristics-------------------------------------- 7 Topography _____________________-__-_-__---__--_-_______- 7 Cli_nate_________________________________-___-----_____-__ 8 Runoff..._____________._______ _______ 9 Multiple-regression procedures.--------------------------------- 9 Regional analysis________________________________________ _ 11 Sierra Nevada region.____________________________________ 11 Lower Klamath River region_____________________________ 12 Upper Klamath River region______-___-_-_--___-----_______ 12 Central Valley region______----------__-__---_----------__- 12 Regression equations___________________________________ 12 Procedure for estimating flood frequency___----___-_-_-------_------- 33 Illustrative problem_________________________________________ 33 Limitations. _____ _________________________________________ 35 Discussion of results----------------------------------------------- 35 Flood records at gaging stations and miscellaneous sites ________________ 36 Maximum known floods__-___-___-________--__----------------- 38 Buena Vista Lake basin.___________________-______--_----_--___ 54 Golden Trout Creek near Cartago, Calif____________________ 54 Little Kern River near Quaking Aspen Camp, Calif ____________ 54 Kern River near Kernville, Calif__-__-_---_-__----------_-_- 55 Kern River at Kernville, Calif._____________________________ 56 Kern River at Isabella, Calif______________________________ 56 South Fork Kern River near Olancha, Calif.__________________ 57 South Fork Kern River near Onyx, Calif.--___-_----______ 57 Kelso Creek near Weldon, Calif-__----_-_-_----------------- 58 South Fork Kern River at Isabella, Calif______ ________ 59 Kern River below Isabella Dam, Calif__-__----_--------_---_ 59 Kern River near Democrat Springs, Calif___________________ 60 Kern River below Kern Canyon powerhouse (near Baker^field), Calif-.________________________________________________- 61 Tumbleweed Creek near Oildale, Calif_____________________ 62 Wagon Wheel Creek near Reward, Calif _____________ 62 Sand Creek near McKittrick, Calif_________________ 62 Shale Creek near Fellows, Calif_____________________ 63 Oil Creek near Taft, Calif_______________________ 63 m IV CONTENTS Flood records at gaging stations and miscellaneous sites Continued Page Tulare Lake basin_____________________________________________ 63 Mon Canyon Creek near Oildale, Calif-___--_-_-___-_________ 63 White River near Ducor, Calif._____________________________ 64 Deer Creek at California Hot Springs, Calif___________________ 64 North Fork of Middle Fork Tule River near Springville, Calif ___ 65 Bear Creek near Springville, Calif___________________________ 66 North Fork Tule River at Springville, Calif_______________ 66 Tule River near Springville, Calif_________________________ 66 Tule River near Porterville, Calif_______________________ 67 South Fork Tule River near Porterville, Calif.___________ 68 South Fork Tule River near Success, Calif._________________ 69 Tule River below Success Dam, Calif____________________ 70 Middle Fork Kaweah River near Potwisha Camp, Calif._______ 70 Marble Fork Kaweah River at Potwisha Camp, Calif__________ 71 East Fork Kaweah River near Three Rivers, Calif ____________ 71 North Fork Kaweah River at Kaweah, Calif.________________ 72 Kaweah River at Three Rivers, Calif._______________________ 73 South Fork Kaweah River near Three Rivers, Calif ________ 74 South Fork Kaweah River at Three Rivers, Calif____________ 74 Kaweah River near Three Rivers, Calif._____________________ 75 Sand Creek near Orange Cove, Calif______-___-______--_-____ 76 Kings River near Hume, Calif______________________________ 77 Kings River above North Fork, Calif._______________________ 77 North Fork Kings River below Meadow Brook, Calif __________ 78 Fleming Creek near Blackcap Mountain, Calif ________________ 79 Post Corral Creek near Blackcap Mountain, Calif_____________ 80 Helms Creek at Sand Meadows, Calif___-____________-------- 80 North Fork Kings River near Cliff Camp, Calif_____ ____ 81 Rancheria Creek near Smith Meadows, Calif________________ 82 Teakettle Creek at site No. 3, near Patterson Mountain, Calif __ 82 Teakettle Creek tributary No. 7 near Patterson Mountain, Calif. 83 Teakettle Creek tributary No. 2 near Patterson Mountain, Calif- _ 83 Teakettle Creek tributary No. 2A near Patterson Mountain, Calif.....__._____.____._____________.__-_-__-__..______ 84 Teakettle Creek tributary No. 1 near Patterson Mountain, Calif. _ 84 North Fork Kings River below Rancheria Creek, Calif _________ 85 North Fork Kings River above Dinkey Creek, at Balch Camp, Calif__________________..._______________._-_.__-_-_--._ 85 Dinkey Creek at Dinkey Meadows, Calif.____________________ 86 Deer Creek below East Fork, Calif_________________ 86 Dinkey Creek at mouth, Calif._____________________________ 87 Kings River below North Fork, Calif_____------_-_- _____ 87 Big Creek above Pine Flat Reservoir, Calif.__________________ 88 Sycamore Creek above Pine Flat Reservoir, Calif______________ 88 Kings River below Pine Flat Dam, Calif_____________________ 89 Mill Creek near Piedra, Calif_ ______________________________ 90 Kings River at Piedra, Calif-______-____-_----_---_-_-_----- 90 San Joaquin River basin___________________________--------_-- 91 North Fork San Joaquin River below Iron Creek, Cali*____ .__ 91 San Joaquin River at Miller Crossing, Calif-__________________ 92 Granite Creek near Cattle Mountain, Calif-_________-_---_--- 93 CONTENTS V Flood records at gaging stations and miscellaneous sites Continued San Joaquin River basin Continued Page South Fork San Joaquin River near Florence Lake, Calif _______ 94 Bear Creek near Lake Thomas A. Edison, Calif-__-____-_---__ 94 Mono Creek below Lake Tomas A. Edison, Calif._____--__-___ 95 South Fork San Joaquin River near Hoffman Meadow, Calif__ 96 Jackass Creek near Bass Lake, Calif.________________________ 97 Chiquito Creek near Bass Lake, Calif.___-_---___--_---______ 97 San Joaquin River above Big Creek, Calif.___________________ 98 Big Creek below Huntington Lake, Calif.____-__---_-_-______ 99 Pitman Creek below Tamarack Creek, Calif._________________ 100 Pitman Creek at Big Creek, Calif__________________________ 101 Big Creek near mouth, near Big Creek, Calif.__.___..__.._____ 101 Stevenson Creek at Shaver, Calif,___________________________ 102 San Joaquin River above Willow Creek, near Auberry, Calif__ 102 North Fork Willow Creek near Bass Lake, Calif.____________ 103 Willow Creek at mouth, near Auberry, Calif.________________ 103 San Joaquin River below Kerckhoff powerhouse, near Feather, Calif------_-_---__---__-__-__------------_--_--------- 104 Fine Gold Creek near Friant, Calif----.--.------------------ 104 Cottonwood Creek near Friant, Calif..-.___________________ 105 San Joaquin River below Friant, Calif-______---_-_-_-___---_ 106 Little Dry Creek near Friant, Calif__--__-_-_---_-------_---- 107 Little Dry Creek at mouth, near Friant, Calif________________ 107 San Joaquin River at Herndon, Calif_-_____________________ 108 Cantua Creek near Cantua Creek, Calif._-___---_-_-_-_-_---_ 108 Fresno River near Knowles, Calif___----_------_------------- 108 Fresno River near Daulton, Calif___-____---_---_-----__-_--- 109 East Fork Chowchilla River near Ahwahnee, Calif_____________ 110 West Fork Chowchilla River near Mariposa, Calif.____________ 111 Middle Fork Chowchilla River near Nipinnawassee, Calif ___ 111 Chowchilla River at Buchanan damsite, near Raymond, Calif___ 111 Bear Creek near Catheys Valley, Calif-__-_---_-_-----------_ 112 Mariposa Creek near Catheys Valley, Calif-___________-----__ 113 Los Banos Creek near Los Banos, Calif----------------------- H3 Merced River at Happy Isles Bridge, near Yosemite, Calif______ 114 Tenaya Creek, near Yosemite, Calif-___________--___----_-- 115 Merced River at Yosemite, Calif._______________-----_-_---- 116 Yosemite Creek at Yosemite, Calif._____________-___-__----- 116 Merced River at Pohono Bridge, near Yosemite, Calif. .___ 117 South Fork Merced River at Wawona, Calif-____----_-_-----_ 118 South Fork Merced River near Wawona, Calif___------... __ 118 South Fork Merced River, near El Portal, Calif_________ __ 119 Merced River at Bagby, Calif______________ -- - 120 Merced River at Exchequer, Calif_______________------------ 121 Merced River near Livingston, Calif_-__----__-_------------- 122 Merced River near Stevinson, Calif_____--------------------- 122 San Joaquin River near Newman, Calif_---__--_-------------