UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR Harold L. Ickes, Secretary GEOLOGICAL SURVEY W. C. Mendenhall, Director Water- Supply Paper 843 FLOODS OF DECEMBER 1937 IN NORTHERN CALIFORNIA BY H. D. McGLASHAN AND R. C. BRIgGS Prepared in cooperation with the I*? ;* FEDERAL EMERGENCY ADMINISTRATION OF PUBLIC WORKS, BUREAU OF RECI&MATjON AND STATE OF CALIFORNIA ~- tc ; LtJ -r Q-. O 7 D- c- c fiD : UNITED STATES l*< '.^ 0 r GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE « EJ WASHINGTON : 19.39 J* *£. ? fJ? For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, Washington, D. C. - - - Price 60 cents (paper cover) CONTENTS Page Abstract .................................... 1 Introduction .................................. 2 Administration and personnel .......................... 4 Acknowledgments. ................................ 5 General features of the floods ......................... 6 ICeteorologic and hydrologic conditions ..................... 22 Antecedent conditions ........................... 23 Precipitation ............................... 24 General features ............................ 25 Distribution .............................. 44 Temperature ................................ 56 Snow .................................... 65 Sierra Nevada slopes tributary to south half of Central Valley ..... 68 Sierra Nevada slopes tributary to north half of Central Valley ..... 70 Sierra Nevada slopes tributary to the Great Basin ........... 71 Determination of flood discharges ....................... 71 General discussion ............................. 71 Extension of rating curves for river-measurement stations ......... 72 Computation of flow over dams ....................... 74 Computation of flow from .slope-area observations .............. 75 Computation of flow through contracted openings .............. 77 Stages and discharges at river-measurement stations .............. 79 Explanation of data ............................ 79 Miscellaneous flood stages on the San Joaquln River ............ 95 Salinas River Basin ............................. 97 Salinas River near Santa Margarita ................... 97 Salinas River near Spreckels ...................... 98 San Antonio River at Pleyto ...................... 99 Arroyo Seco near Soledad ........................ 100 Pajaro River Basin .............................. 101 Uvas Creek near Morgan Hill ...................... 101 San Lorenzo River Basin .......................... 102 San LorenzO River at Big Trees ..................... 102 San Prancisquito Creek Basin ........................ 103 San Prancisquito Creek at Stanford University ............. 103 San Prancisquito Creek at Palo Alto .................. 104 Los Trancos Creek at Stanford University ................ 1Q5 Stevens Creek Basin ............................ 106 Steveris Creek near Cupertino ...................... Ip6 Guadalupe Creek Basin ........................... 107 Guadalupe Creek at Guadalupe ...................... 107 Guadalupe Creek at San Jose ...................... 108 Alamitos Creek near Edenvale ...................... 109 Los Gatos Creek at Los Gatos ...................... 110 Campbell Creek at Saratoga ....................... Ill Coyote Creek Basin .............................. 112 Coyote Creek near Madrone ....................... 112 Coyote Creek near Edenvale ....................... 113 Alameda Creek Basin ............................ 114 Alameda Creek near Nlles ........................ 114 Kern River Basin .............................. 116 Kerri River near Kernville ....................... 116 Kern River above Kern Canyon power house ................ 117 Kern River near Bakersfield ...;.................. 118 South Pork of Kern River near Onyx ................... 119 South Pork of Kern River at Isabella .................. 120 Tulare Lake Basin ............................. 121 Tulare Lake in Kings County ...................... 121 Tule River near Porterville ...................... 122 South, Pork of Tule River near Success ................. 123 Kaweah River near Three Rivers ..................... 124 North Pork of Kaweah River at Kaweah .................. 125 Kings River above North Pork ...................... 126 Kings River at Pledra ......................... 127 Presno by-pass, Presno County ..................... 128 North Pork of Kings River near Cliff Camp ............... 129 North Pork of Kings River below Rancheria Creek ............ 130 Los Gatos Creek near Coalinga ..................... 131 San Joaquln River Basin .......................... 132 San Joaquin River above Big Creek ................... 132 San Joaquin River below Kerckhoff power house ............. 133 San Joaquin River near Priant ..................... 134 San Joaquin River below Skaggs Bridge ................. 135 San Joaquin River near Newman ..................... 136 San Joaquin River near Verrialis .................... 137 Florence Lake near Big Creek ...................... 138 South Pork of San Jbaquin River near Florence Lake ........... 139 Bear Creek near Vermilion Valley .................... 140 Mono Creek near Vermilion Valley .................... 141 Huntington Lake near Big Creek ..................... 142 Big Creek below Huntington Lake .................... 143 Pitman Creek below Tamarack Creek ................... 144 Shaver Lake near Big Creek ....................... 145 North Pork of Willow Creek at Crane Valley Reservoir .......... 146 Big Sandy Creek near Auberry ...................... 147 III Stages and discharges at river-measurement stations Continued San Joaquin River Basin Continued Page Pine Gold Creek near Priant ...................... 148 Cottonwood Creek near Priant ...................... 149 Little Dry Creek near Priant ...................... 150 Fresno River near Knowles ....................... 151 Presno River near Daulton ....................... 152 Chowchilla River at Buchanan dam site ................. 153 Bear Creek near Planada ........................ 154 Mariposa Creek near Le Grand ...................... 155 Merced River at Happy Isles Bridge, near Yosemite ........... 156 Merced River at Pohono Bridge, near Yosemite .............. 157 Merced River at Kittridge ....................... 158 Lake McClure at Exchequer ....................... 159 Merced River at Exchequer ....................... 160 Merced River near Livingston ...................... 161 Tenaya Creek near Yosemite ....................... 162 Orestimba Creek near Newman ...................... 163 Hetcli Hetchy Reservoir at Hetch Hetchy ................. 164 Tuolumne River near Hetch Hetchy .................... 165 Don Pedro Reservoir near La Grange ................... 166 Tuolumne River above La Grange Dam, near La Grange ........... 167 Palls Creek near Hetch Hetchy ..................... 168 Cherry Creek near Hetch Hetchy ..................... 169 Lake Eleanor near Hetch Hetchy ..................... 170 Eleanor Creek near Hetch Hetchy .................... 171 South Pork of Tuolumne River near Oakland Recreation Camp ....... 172 Middle Tuolvunne River near Buck Meadows ..... ........... 173 Y^oods Creek near Jacksonville ..................... 174 Middle Pork of Stanislaus River at Sand Bar Plat, near Avery ...... 175 Melones Reservoir at Melones Dam .................... 176 Stanislaus River below Melones power house ............... 177 North Pork of Stanislaus River near Avery ............... 178 South Pork of Stanislaus River at Strawberry Reservoir ......... 179 South Pork of Stanislaus River below Lyons Dam ............. 180 Calaveras River at Jenny Llnd ..................... 181 Cosgrove Creek near Valley Springs ................... 183 Salt Springs Reservoir near West Point ................. 184 North Pork of Mokelumne River below Salt Springs Dam .......... 185 Mokelumne River near Mokelumne Hill .................. 186 Mokelumne River at Lancha Plana .................... 187 Mokelumne River near Clements ..................... 188 Mokelumne River at Woodbridge ..................... 189 Cold Creek near Mokelumne Peak ..................... 190 Bear River at Pardoe Camp ....................... 191 Middle Pork of Mokelumne River at West Point .............. 192 South Pork of Mokelumne River near West Point ............. 193 Sutter Creek near Sutter Creek ..................... 194 North Pork of Cosumnes River near El Dorado .............. 195 Cosumnes River at Michigan Bar ..................... 196 Sacramento River Basin ..................- 197 Sacramento River at Antler ....................... 197 Sacramento River at Kennett ...................... 198 Sacramento River near Red Bluff .................... 199 Sacramento River at Verona ....................... 200 Sacramento River at Sacramento and Yolo by-pass at Lisbon ....... 201 Pit River near Canby .......................... 202 Pit River at Pall River Mills ..................... 203 Pit River below pit No. 4 dam ..................... 204 Pit River at Big Bend ......................... 205 Pit River near Ydalpom ......................... 206 South Pork of Pit River near Likely .................. 207 Hat Creek near Hat Creek ........................ 208 McCloud River near McCloud ....................... 209 McCloud River at Baird ......................... 210 Mill Creek near Los Molinos ...................... 211 Elder Creek near Henleyville ...................... 212 Thomas Creek at Paskenta ........................ 213 Deer Creek near Vina .......................... 214 Chico Creek near Chico ......................... 215 Stony Creek above Stony Gorge Reservoir ................ 216 Stony Gorge Reservoir near