USGS Water-Year Summary for Site 03044000

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	Available Parameters
	00010 Temperature, water(Max.,Min.,Mean)
	00060 Discharge(Mean)
	00095 Specific cond at 25C(Max.,Min.,Mean)

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Water year 2024: 2024-10-01 to 2025-09-30

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USGS Water-Year Summary 2024

03044000 CONEMAUGH RIVER AT TUNNELTON, PA

LOCATION - Lat 40°27'16", long 79°23'28" referenced to North American Datum of 1927, Indiana County, PA, Hydrologic Unit 05010007, on right bank at upstream side of highway bridge at Tunnelton, 0.9 mi downstream from Boatyard Run, 2.0 mi downstream from Conemaugh River Dam, 3.8 mi southeast of Saltsburg, and 5.5 mi upstream from confluence with Loyalhanna Creek.

DRAINAGE AREA - 1,358 mi².

REVISIONS HISTORY - WDR-US-2011:2010

SURFACE-WATER RECORDS

PERIOD OF RECORD - 1940-91, 2005-2009 (discharge measurements only), 2010 to current year.

GAGE - Datum of gage is 844.3 ft above North American Vertical Datum of 1988 from rapid-static GNSS survey . Prior to December 21, 2023, the datum of gage was reported as 844.64 ft above National Geodetic Vertical Datum of 1929. Satellite telemetry at station.

COOPERATION - Station established and maintained by the U.S. Geological Survey in cooperation with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Pittsburgh District.

REMARKS - Flow completely regulated by Conemaugh Lake (station 03043500) 2.0 mi upstream since October 1951. Records are good except for estimated daily discharges which are poor.

WATER-QUALITY RECORDS

PERIOD OF RECORD - April 2002 to current year.

PERIOD OF DAILY RECORD - WATER TEMPERATURE: December 2012 to current year. SPECIFIC CONDUCTANCE: December 2012 to current year.

COOPERATION - Water-quality samples were collected as part of the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection Water-Quality Network (WQN) with cooperation from the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection.

INSTRUMENTATION - Continuous water-quality monitor interfaced with a data collection platform with 15-minute recording interval.

REMARKS -

As of October 2013, results from discrete water quality samples collected at this site are available through the U.S. Geological Survey National Water Information System web interface on the "Water Quality for the Nation" webpage. Analyses for pH, water temperature, specific conductance, and dissolved oxygen were performed on site. All other sample analyses were performed at the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection laboratory in Harrisburg, PA. Occasionally, values for filtered parameters may exceed values for the corresponding unfiltered parameter. These results are within the limits of analytical precision and methods.

Historically, water temperatures below 0 degrees Celsius were not reported. Water temperature sensors now have the ability to accurately read water temperatures below 0 degrees Celsius.

Values reported by the continuous monitor may not be representative of the entire river width. Cross-sectional water quality data is available upon request.

For water year 2014, Water temperature records rated good. Specific conductance records rated good, except for October 1-24, March 14, May 22, and June 30 to July 7, which are fair, and March 15-21, May 23-June 13, and July 8-17, which are poor. For water year 2015, records for water temperature are rated good. Records for specific conductance are rated good, except for July 5 to August 17, which are rated fair, and for August 18 to September 4, which are rated poor. For water year 2016, records for water temperature are rated good. Records for dissolved oxygen are rated good, except for January 4-February 21, which are fair, and June 15, which are poor. For water year 2017, records for water temperature and specific conductance are rated good. For water year 2018, records for water temperature are rated good. Records for specific conductance are rated good, except for May 8 to September 31, which are fair, and December 8-20 and January 2-13, which are poor. For water year 2019, records for water temperature are rated good, except for October 10 to July 7, which are fair. Records for specific conductance are rated fair, except for January 17 to February 28, April 1-3, and August 6 to September 30, which are poor.

Beginning in water year 2019, water quality records are not rated as "excellent", "good", "fair", or "poor".

For water year 2021, differences in water temperature of up to 1° C were noted between the deployed thermistor and the reference thermistor during several visit between April through July. Recorded water temperatures were still within the maximum allowable limits of 2° C.

EXTREMES FOR PERIOD OF DAILY RECORD -

SPECIFIC CONDUCTANCE: Maximum, 1470 microsiemens/cm, October 27, 2019 ; minimum, 116 microsiemens/cm, June 2, 2019.

WATER TEMPERATURE: Maximum, 32.2°C, July 8, 2020; minimum, -0.3°C, many days in winter months.