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USGS Water-Year Summary 2024
08126380 Colorado River near Ballinger, TX
LOCATION - Lat 31°42'55", long 100°01'34" referenced to North American Datum of 1927, Runnels County, TX, Hydrologic Unit 12090101, at right downstream end of bridge on Farm Road 2111, 0.4 mi upstream from Rocky Creek, 5.0 mi northwest of Ballinger, and at mile 665.8.
DRAINAGE AREA - 16,358 mi² of which 10,260 mi² probably is noncontributing.
REVISIONS HISTORY - WSP 1118: Drainage area. WSP 1512: 1916-17, 1919-20, 1921(M), 1922-25, 1928(M), 1930(M). WSP 1712: 1935, 1954- 55(M). WDR TX-78-3: 1975-77.
SURFACE-WATER RECORDS
PERIOD OF RECORD - June 1907 to Sept. 1979 (published as "at Ballinger", station 08126500), Oct. 1979 to current year. Monthly discharge only for some periods published in WSP 1312. Gage-height records collected in this vicinity from 1903-29 are contained in reports of the National Weather Service.
GAGE - Water-stage recorder. Datum of gage is 1,606.88ft above NAVD88 as determined by GNSS survey. Prior to October 31, 2023, datum of gage was 1,606.51ft above NGVD of 1929. Prior to Nov. 29, 1930, non-recording gages at several sites and at various datums near site 5.4 mi downstream. Nov. 29, 1930, to May 1, 1975, water-stage recorder at site 6.2 mi downstream and May 1, 1975, to Sept. 30, 1979, water-stage recorder at site 5.4 mi downstream, both at datum 12.77ft lower. Oct. 1, 1979 to June 20, 2001, water-stage recorder at site 300 ft left at same datum. Satellite telemeter at station.
COOPERATION - Colorado River Municipal Water District, CRMWD and the U.S. Geological Survey, USGS
REMARKS - Since water year 1953, at least 10% of contributing drainage area has been regulated. Many diversions upstream from station for irrigation, municipal supplies, and oil field operations. Flow is also affected by Oak Creek Reservoir (station 08125500), and at times by discharge from the floodwater-retarding structures in the Kickapoo and Valley Creeks drainage basins. No flow at times. Some records listed in the period of record may not be available electronically.
EXTREMES OUTSIDE PERIOD OF RECORD - Maximum stage since at least 1882, about 36 ft sometime in 1884, at former site and datum, from information by local residents. Flood of Aug. 6, 1906, reached a stage of about 32.0 ft, at former site and datum, from floodmarks (backwater from Elm Creek).
EXTREMES FOR PERIOD PRIOR TO REGULATION - WATER YEARS 1908-1952: Maximum discharge, 75,400 ft³/s, Sept. 18, 1936, gage height, 28.6 ft, at former site and datum; no flow at times.
AVERAGE DISCHARGE FOR PERIOD PRIOR TO REGULATION - 45 years (water years 1908-52) prior to completion of Lake J.B. Thomas, 387 ft³/s (280,300 acre-ft/yr).
WATER-QUALITY RECORDS
PERIOD OF DAILY RECORD - SPECIFIC CONDUCTANCE: Oct. 1961 to Sept. 1997 (local observer), Feb. 2001 to current year. (continuous).
WATER TEMPERATURE: Oct. 1961 to Sept. 1997 (local observer), Feb. 2001 to current year. (continuous).
SUSPENDED SEDIMENT DISCHARGE: Jan. 1978 to Sept. 1981 (local observer).
INSTRUMENTATION - A two parameter continuous water-quality instrument since Feb. 2001.
REMARKS - Interruptions or periods of missing record may be due to instrument failure, no flow conditions, or data corrections exceeding allowable criteria, which were deleted. Other than no flow conditions, minimum and maximum extremes may have occurred during period of missing record. Some records listed in the period of record may not be available electronically.
