BASIN CHARACTERISTICS, HISTORY OF STREAM GAGING, AND STATISTICAL SUMMARY OF SELECTED STREAMFLOW RECORDS FOR THE RAPID CREEK BASIN, WESTERN SOUTH DAKOTA U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY / Open-File Report 90-120 Prepared in cooperation with the CITY OF RAPID CITY, SOUTH DAKOTA, and the SOUTH DAKOTA DEPARTMENT OF GAME, FISH AND PARKS BASIN CHARACTERISTICS, HISTORY OF STREAM GAGING, AND STATISTICAL SUMMARY OF SELECTED STREAMFLOW RECORDS FOR THE RAPID CREEK BASIN, WESTERN SOUTH DAKOTA By Daniel G. Driscoll and John S. Zogorski U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY Open-File Report 90-120 Prepared in cooperation with the CITY OF RAPID CITY, SOUTH DAKOTA, and the SOUTH DAKOTA DEPARTMENT OF GAME, FISH AND PARKS Rapid City, South Dakota 1990 DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR MANUEL LUJAN, JR., Secretary U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY Dallas L. Peck, Dire ctor For additional information Copies of this report can write to: be purchased from: Subdistrict Chief U.S. Geological Survey U.S. Geological Survey Books and Open-File Reports Rm. 237, 515 9th St. Federal Center, Bldg. 810 Rapid City, SD 57701 Box 25425 Denver, CO 80225-0425 CONTENTS Page Abstract ................................ 1 Introduction .............................. 1 Background ............................. 1 Purpose and scope ......................... 1 Basin characteristics .......................... 2 Geology and hydrogeology ...................... 2 Physiography and climate ...................... 5 Land use and vegetation ...................... 5 Reservoirs ............................. 6 Water use ............................. 7 History of stream gaging by the U.S. Geological Survey ......... 8 Statistical summary of streamflow records ................ 10 Selected references ........................... 11 Presentation of data .......................... 13 Rhoads Fork near Rochford, station 06408700 ............ 15 Castle Creek above Deerfield Reservoir near Hill City, station 06409000 ....................... 25 Castle Creek below Deerfield Dam, station 06410000 ......... 39 Rapid Creek above Pactola Reservoir at Silver City, station 06410500 ...................... 53 Rapid Creek below Pactola Dam, station 06411500 .......... 67 Rapid Creek above Canyon Lake, near Rapid City, station 06412500 . 83 Rapid Creek at Rapid City, station 06414000 ............ 99 Rapid Creek below Sewage Plant, near Rapid City, station 06418900 . 115 Rapid Creek near Farmingdale, station 06421500 .......... 125 Deerfield Reservoir near Hill City, station 06409500 ....... 141 Pactola Reservoir near Silver City, station 06411000 ....... 145 ILLUSTRATIONS Page Figure 1. Map showing location of gaging stations within Rapid Creek basin ....................... 3 2. Map showing generalized geology <?f outcrops of bedrock formations within the Rapid CreeJ^ basin ......... 4 3-5. Rhoads Fork near Rochford, station 06408700 (November 1981 through September 1988) 3. Graph of monthly mean dischcirge ........... 18 4. Graph of annual mean discharge ........... 19 5. Graph of duration of daily discharge data ...... 23 6-8. Castle Creek above Deerfield Reservoir near Hill City, station 06409000 (July 1948 throxigh September 1988) 6. Graph of monthly mean discharge ........... 29 7. Graph of annual mean discharge ........... 30 8. Graph of duration of daily discharge data ...... 37 9-11. Castle Creek below Deerfield Dam,, station 06410000 (August 1946 through September 1^83 and March through September, 1984 through 1988) 9. Graph of monthly mean discharge ........... 43 10. Graph of annual mean discharge ........... 44 11. Graph of duration of daily discharge data ...... 51 12-14. Rapid Creek above Pactola Reservoir at Silver City, station 06410500 (October 1953 through September 1988) 12. Graph of monthly mean discharge ........... 57 13. Graph of annual mean discharge ........... 58 14. Graph of duration of daily discharge data ...... 64 15-17. Rapid Creek below Pactola Dam, station 06411500 (May 1929 through November 1930 and August 1946 through September 1988) 15. Graph of monthly mean discharge ........... 72 16. Graph of annual mean discharge ........... 73 17. Graph of duration of daily discharge data ...... 80 18-20. Rapid Creek above Canyon Lake, near Rapid City, station 06412500 (August 1946 through September 1988) 18. Graph of monthly mean discharge ........... 88 19. Graph of annual mean discharge ........... 89 20. Graph of duration of daily discharge data ...... 96 21-23. Rapid Creek at Rapid City, station 06414000 (July 1942 through September 1988) 21. Graph of monthly mean discharge ........... 104 22. Graph of annual mean discharge ........... 105 23. Graph of duration of daily discharge data ...... 112 24-26. Rapid Creek below Sewage Plant, near Rapid City, station 06418900 (October 1981 through September 1988) 24. Graph of monthly mean discharge ........... 118 25. Graph of annual mean discharge ........... 119 26. Graph of duration of daily discharge data ...... 123 27-29. Rapid Creek near Farmingdale, station 06421500 (August 1946 through November 19$8 and August 1959 through September 19»8) 27. Graph of monthly mean discharge ........... 130 28. Graph of annual mean discharge ........... 131 29. Graph of duration of daily discharge data ...... 138 IV TABLES Page Table 1. Continuous-record streamflow-gaging stations within the Rapid Creek basin, South Dakota .............. 9 2-9. Rhoads Fork near Rochford, station 06408700 2. Mean discharge, in cubic feet per second ....... 17 3. Statistics on mean discharge, in cubic feet per second (November 1981 through September 1988) .... 17 4. Correlation matrix for monthly mean discharge (November 1981 through September 1988) ........ 20 5. Serial correlation for 1-year lag for monthly mean discharge (November 1981 through September 1988) ... 21 6. Percentile rankings for mean discharge, in cubic feet per second (November 1981 through September 1988) . 21 7. Lowest mean discharge, in cubic feet per second, and ranking for the following number of consecutive days . 22 8. Highest mean discharge, in cubic feet per second, and ranking for the following number of consecutive days in year ending September 30 ........... 22 9. Peak-discharge and gage-height data ......... 24 10-17. Castle Creek above Deerfield Reservoir, near Hill City, station 06409000 10. Mean discharge, in cubic feet per second ....... 27 11. Statistics on mean discharge, in cubic feet per second (July 1948 through September 1988) ...... 28 12. Correlation matrix for monthly mean discharge (July 1948 through September 1988) .......... 31 13. Serial correlation for 1-year lag for monthly mean discharge (July 1948 through September 1988) ..... 32 14. Percentile rankings for mean discharge, in cubic feet per second (July 1948 through September 1988) .... 32 15. Lowest mean discharge, in cubic feet per second, and ranking for the following number of consecutive days . 33 16. Highest mean discharge, in cubic feet per second, and ranking for the following number of consecutive days in year ending September 30 ........... 35 17. Peak-discharge and gage-height data ......... 38 18-25. Castle Creek below Deerfield Dam, station 06410000 18. Mean discharge, in cubic feet per second ....... 41 19. Statistics on mean discharge, in cubic feet per second (August 1946 through September 1983 and March through September, 1984 through 1988) ..... 42 20. Correlation matrix for monthly mean discharge (August 1946 through September 1983 and March through September, 1984 through 1988) ........ 45 21. Serial correlation for 1-year lag for monthly mean discharge (August 1946 through September 1983 and March through September, 1984 through 1988) ..... 46 22. Percentile rankings for mean discharge, in cubic feet per second (August 1946 through September 1983 and March through September, 1984 through 1988) ..... 46 23. Lowest mean discharge, in cubic feet per second, and ranking for the following number of consecutive days . 47 24. Highest mean discharge, in cubic feet per second, and ranking for the following number of consecutive days in year ending September 30 ........... 49 25. Peak-discharge and gage-height data ......... 52 TABLES Cont inued Page Table 26-33. Rapid Creek above Pactola Reservoir, at Silver City, station 06410500 26. Mean discharge, in cubic feet per second ....... 55 27. Statistics on mean discharge, in cubic feet per second (October 1953 through September 1988) ..... 56 28. Correlation matrix for monthly mean discharge (October 1953 through September 1988) ........ 59 29. Serial correlation for 1-year lag for monthly mean discharge (October 1953 through September 1988) ... 60 30. Percentile rankings for mean'discharge, in cubic feet per second (October 1953 through September 1988) ... 60 31. Lowest mean discharge, in cubic feet per second, and ranking for the following number of consecutive days . 61 32. Highest mean discharge, in cubic feet per second, and ranking for the following number of consecutive days in year ending September 30 ........... 62 33. Peak-discharge and gage-height data ......... 65 34-41. Rapid Creek below Pactola Dam, station 06411500 34. Mean discharge, in cubic feet per second ....... 69 35. Statistics on mean discharge, in cubic feet per second (May 1929 through November 1930 and August 1946 through September 1988) ......... 71 36. Correlation matrix for monthly mean discharge (May 1929 through November 1930 and August 1946 through September 1988) ............... 74 37. Serial correlation for 1-year lag for monthly mean discharge (May 1929 through November 1930 and August 1946 through September