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Basin characteristics, history of stream gaging, and statistical summary of selected streamflow records for the Rapid Creek basin, western South Dakota
| Content Provider | Semantic Scholar |
|---|---|
| Author | Driscoll, Daniel G. Zogorski, John S. |
| Copyright Year | 1990 |
| Abstract | This report presents a summary of basin characteristics affecting streamflow, a history of the U.S. Geological Survey's stream-gaging program, and a compilation of discharge records and statistical summaries for selected sites within the Rapid Creek basin. It is the first in a series which will investigate surface-water/ground-water relations along Rapid Creek. The summary of basin characteristics includes descriptions of the geology and hydrogeology, physiography and climate, land use and vegetation, reservoirs, and water uses within the basin. A recounting of the U.S. Geological Survey's stream-gaging program and a tabulation of historic stream-gaging stations within the basin are furnished. A compilation of monthly and annual mean discharge values for nine currently operated, long-term, continuousrecord, streamflow-gaging stations on Rapid Creek is presented. The statistical summary for each site includes summary statistics on monthly and annual mean values, correlation matrix for monthly values, serial correlation for 1-year lag for monthly values, percentile rankings for monthly and annual mean values, low and high value tables, duration curves, and peak-discharge tables. Records of monthend contents for two reservoirs within the basin also are presented. INTRODUCTION Background Rapid Creek originates in the central Black Hills of western South Dakota and is one of the largest streams in the Black Hills. Rapid Creek is an important source of water for a number of users, providing most of the municipal water supply for Rapid City and Ellsworth Air Force Base, irrigation water for the Rapid Valley Water Conservation District, and water for numerous recreational users. Purpose and Scope This report is the first prepared as part of the Rapid Creek Merit Fund Study, which is being conducted in cooperation with the City of Rapid City and the South Dakota Department of Game, Fish and Parks. The purpose of this study is to investigate various aspects of surface-water/ground-water relations along Rapid Creek. One specific objective of the study is to develop a hydrologic budget for Rapid Creek. This report is intended to partially fulfill this objective by summarizing selected historic streamflow records for Rapid Creek. The purposes of this report are to: (1) Describe the hydrologic characteristics of the Rapid Creek basin; (2) describe the U.S. Geological Survey's stream-gaging program in the basin for the period 1903-88; and (3) characterize the streamflow of Rapid Creek using various statistical parameters. Monthly and annual discharge records and summary statistics, flow-duration data/ and peak-flow data for nine long-term, main-stem Rapid Creek gaging stations (fig. 1) are presented to aid in describing the spatial variation in streamflow. Monthly records of contents for two reservoirs located within the basin are also included. This compilation Will provide essential background information for future reports generated as part of the Rapid Creek Merit Fund Study. BASIN CHARACTERISTICS This section describes the basin characteristics which affect streamflow within the basin. Descriptions of geology and hydrogeology, physiography and climate, land use and vegetation, reservoirs, ar}d water uses are included. Geology and Hydroqeoloqy The Black Hills of South Dakota and Wyoming were formed by a large domal uplift during the Laramide orogeny (Late Cretaceous-early Tertiary). Erosion of the overlying sedimentary formations has exposed the Precambrian core of the central Black Hills (Rahn and Cries, 1973). The headwaters of the Rapid Creek basin are predominantly within the permeable, Paleozoic Madison Limestone and Englewood and Deadwood Formations (fig. 2). Numerous headwater springs originate from the Madison and provide a steady source of base flow in Rapid Creek and its tributaries. The central and largest part of the basin consists of Precambrian metamorphic r |
| File Format | PDF HTM / HTML |
| DOI | 10.3133/ofr90120 |
| Alternate Webpage(s) | https://pubs.usgs.gov/of/1990/0120/report.pdf |
| Alternate Webpage(s) | https://doi.org/10.3133/ofr90120 |
| Language | English |
| Access Restriction | Open |
| Content Type | Text |
| Resource Type | Article |
