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Home My WebLink About20051457 Ver 1_USGS streamflow and ground-water conditions in NC through Monday September 19.msg_20110920Strickland, Bev From: John C Weaver Dcweaver @usgs.gov] Sent: Tuesday, September 20, 2011 12:14 AM To: Linwood Peele Cc: Ashley. E.Hatchell @usace. army. miI; brian.cullen @noaa.gov; Brian. Hai nes @ncdenr.gov; david.lane @ncdenr.gov; debra.owen @ncdenr.gov; eric.seymour @noaa.gov; gagalleh @duke - energy.com; garry_grabow @ncsu.edu; george.mathews @noaa.gov; harold.m.brady @ncdenr.gov; jamie.kritzer @ncdenr.gov; jcweaver @usgs.gov; Jeff.Orrock @noaa.gov; jim.prevette @ncdenr.gov; jucilene.hoffmann @ncdenr.gov; Lara.Pagano @noaa.gov; linwood.peele @ncdenr.gov; Michael .A.Young @saw02.usace. army. miI; michael.moneypenny @noaa.gov; mike.orbon @ncdenr.gov; neelufa.sarwar @ncdenr.gov; Patricia. Tanner @noaa.gov; Peter. Corrigan @noaa.gov; richard.neuherz @noaa.gov; rwall @ncem.org; ryan_boyles @ncsu.edu; sarah.young @ncdenr.gov; todd.hamill @noaa.gov; Tom.Fransen @ncdenr.gov; tom.reeder @ncdenr.gov; tony_dorn @nass.usda.gov; Torey_Lawrence @nass.usda.gov; Vernon. Cox @ncagr.gov; Wayne.Munden @ncdenr.gov; woody. yonts @ncdenr.gov; Brian Fuchs; Allison.Wash @va.usda.gov; Kathleen Carroll; Darin Figurskey; Glenn Carrin; Yonts, Woody Subject: USGS streamflow and ground -water conditions in NC through Monday, September 19 NC Drought advisory group, I will not be on the Tuesday conference call as I'm currently on travel status. Very little to no rainfall occurred during the past week across most of North Carolina, especially the western two - thirds of the state. The largest areas receiving widespread 0.5+ inch rainfall were most of the Coastal Plain (http:/ /water.weather.gov /precip /). A small area across northern Wake County also received some beneficial rainfall, particularly over the past weekend. The lack of beneficial rainfall across the western two - thirds of the state is being reflected in the overall streamflow patterns, particularly in the central Piedmont. The current real -time streamflow maps (http:Hwaterwatch.usgs.gov/ new / ?m= real &r =nc &w= real %2Cmap) depict a growing area of widespread below and well - below normal streamflow conditions in the central Piedmont. Numerous USGS streamgages in the "less than 10th percentile range" occur in an area depicted by a triangle from the southwest Piedmont to the Sand Hills, then towards north of the Triad region. The area of normal and above - normal conditions is still visible across parts of the Coastal Plain affected by Hurricane Irene in late August as well as parts of the central and northern mountains region near the Tennessee border (affected by Tropical Storm Lee a few weeks ago). As of September 18 (Sunday), streamflow conditions indicate 59 percent of sites across North Carolina have percentiles for 7 -day average flows falling below the 25th percentile for the calendar date (see graph below). This percentage suggests declines in overall streamflow relative to 12 percent just a week ago. The wide swings in percentages over the past few weeks are indicative of the deeper dryness that exists in the hydrologic system. Draft 1 for this week's release was available as of Monday evening with no changes yet indicated for North Carolina. The USDM author for this week's release is suggesting that deterioration may be needed for the area in vicinity of Charlotte. Based on observations of the recent rainfall and hydrologic patterns, the NC group may want to consider expanding D1 across central NC by connecting the two distinct D1 areas across the Piedmont. This would set the stage for possible further deterioration to D2( ?) across parts of central NC in another week or so if beneficial rainfall does not materialize. Status quo appears to be appropriate for the parts of the Coastal Plain as well as central /northern mountains region affected by the recent tropical events. However, in these same mountains region, there appears to be a hint of returning dryness following the lack of rain during the past week. Comments and opinions welcome... Thanks. JCWeaver ****************************** * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * ** J. Curtis Weaver, Hydrologist, PE USGS North Carolina Water Science Center 3916 Sunset Ridge Road Raleigh, NC 27607 Phone: (919) 571 -4043 H Fax: (919) 571 -4041 Mobile: (919) 830 -6235 E -mail address -- jcweaver @usgs.gov Internet address --.http://nc.water.usgs.gov ****************************** * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * ** -- USDM draft (if available) -- As of Monday afternoon, draft 1 for this week's version was available with no changes yet indicated for North Carolina. Michael Brewer, NIDIS U.S. Drought Portal Manager with the NOAA National Climatic Data Center in Asheville, is the USDM author for this week's release. In the email accompanying draft 1, he made the following specific comments concerning the Carolinas region: NC /SC - didn't make any changes but some degradation may be in order in the Upstate SC and western NC near the GA /SC/NC border. May also be looking at some degradation around Charlotte if it doesn't rain in the next week.... USDM archive (you can select North Carolina from the drop -down box near the top, a quick way to see the last two USDM releases): http: / /drought.unl.edu /dm /archive.html -- Observed precipitation -- Sources of precipitation totals are available from the following: (1) USGS rainfall totals (sorted by county) for the last 7 days at http : / /waterdata.usgs.gov /nc /nwis /current ?tvpe = precip &group kev= county cd (2) State Climate Office of North Carolina at http : / /www.nc - climate.ncsu.edu /mpe departure/ (3) NOAA NWS's Advanced Hydrologic Prediction Service at http://water.weather.gov/preci shown below pulled from the State Climate Office of North Carolina at http: / /www.nc- climate.ncsu.edu /mpe departure/ ncsu.edu File Edit View Favorites Tools Help x . Convert - �'' Select x Gtl Favorites (�.�� _��USGS North Carolina Vdaker 5... � A��ess forbiddeniVVVV Select Layers: Precipitation: Estimate 0 Difference from normal fin.✓ Percent of normal 7) Geographic: Ed County lines El cities El Rivers and Streams El H IUC -8, El H IUC -8 Transportation: El Highways Done -- Streamflow -- Search More > Enter query to search (Alt +G) USGS North Carolina WSC - , Skate Climate Office of Current conditions are depicted as real -time, 7 -day, 14 -day, and 28 -day flows available in the WaterWatch series of maps 4 at: htto:Hwaterwatch. usas.aov/ classic / ?m= real &r =nc &w= real %2Cma Current conditions... Monday, Septenber 19, 2011 22 :30ET Last week's conditions... Tuesday, Septenber 13, 2011 08 :30ET WIM MUSGS When viewing the USGS WaterWatch streamflow information, you can hover your cursor over a site and a pop -up box appears with various pieces of information, including the percentile for the current streamflow AND the current percentage of mean and median for the calendar date. Highlighting current flows (September 19 evening) at some selected gaging stations (obtained from http : / /waterdata.usgs.gov /nc /nwis /current / ?type =flow ): Site number Explanation - Percentile classes Flow , Current flow Low X10 10-2-4--'j 7 5 -90 >0 � ...... � ............ - Hi I�ol- ranked jr N m ed ur - ---- ---- -- ebw P trnal A,,we %asU)a, , _ mar €Y,,aI When viewing the USGS WaterWatch streamflow information, you can hover your cursor over a site and a pop -up box appears with various pieces of information, including the percentile for the current streamflow AND the current percentage of mean and median for the calendar date. Highlighting current flows (September 19 evening) at some selected gaging stations (obtained from http : / /waterdata.usgs.gov /nc /nwis /current / ?type =flow ): Site number Site name (and County) Flow Sep 13 Current flow (% of) Median Sep 19 02053200 Potecasi Creek near Union (Hertford) -- 340 cfs 240 cfs 30770 7.8 cfs 02106500 Black River near Tomahawk (Sampson) -- 158 cfs 232 cfs 860 270 cfs 02085500 Flat River at Bahama (Durham) -- 4.9 cfs 0.8 cfs 8.50 9.4 cfs 02096960 Haw River near Bynum (Chatham) -- 75 cfs 68 cfs 31% 216 cfs 02115360 Yadkin River at Enon (Yadkin) -- 875 cfs 845 cfs 64% 1,320 cfs 02152100 First Broad River near Casar (Cleveland) -- 18 cfs 18 cfs 430 42 cfs 03451500 French Broad River at Asheville (Buncombe) -- 748 cfs 626 cfs 600 1,040 cfs 03550000 Valley River at Tomotla (Cherokee) -- 49 cfs 44 cfs 630 70 cfs Focusing on the 7-day average flows... Visit the WaterWatch pages at http: / /waterwatch.usgs.gov /classic / ?r =nc to get the most recent data for sites of interest. Durations plots for selected individual USGS stations can be accessed at http: / /nc.water.usgs.gov /drought /duration.html The OVERALL 7 -day average flows by HUC map (http:Hwaterwatch.usgs.gov /classic / ?m= pa07d &r= nc &w =pa07d nwc %2Cmap) are depicted in the image below: 6 Sunday, Septenber 18, 2011 To help provide more detail by major basin, the BELOW NORMAL 7 -day average flows by HUC map (http: / /waterwatch.usgs.gov /classic /index.php ?map type =drvw &state =nc) are depicted in the image below: Sunday, Septenber 18, 2011 As of September 18 (Sunday), the graph of 7 -day flow percentiles shown below indicates 59 percent of sites across North Carolina have percentiles for 7 -day average flows falling below the 25th percentile for the calendar date. And 21 percent of sites across North Carolina are shown as having 7 -day average flows below the 10th percentile or reaching new minimum for calendar date. Compared to September 11 (Sunday), the current values indicate declines in overall streamflow conditions during course of the past week, considering 12% of sites across the state were below the 25th percentile and 4% of sites were below 10th percentile and /or reaching new minimum for the calendar date. Below is a graph developed from the 7 -day average flow summary table available at: http: / /waterwater.usgs.gov/ classic / ?m= pa07d &r= nc &w= paO7d %2Ctable i? �i Less than 25th percentile Less than 10th percentile New ruin fcrthe day Percentage of sites in North Carolina with 7 -day t indicated percentile range or love October November December February 2010 2010 2010 2011 2011 1 Date Another measure of the streamflow conditions is available from maps of median percentiles for 7 -day average flows for the previous 7 -, 14- 30 -, 60 -, and 90 -day periods updated through September 18 (Sunday). These maps are intended to provide some kind of "long-term" index of the streamflow conditions (not available through the USGS WaterWatch pages) that is mapped according to the classification scheme for streamflow used by the U.S. Drought Monitor. Map images (via the above URL) showing the median percentiles for 7 -day average flows for previous 7 and 30 days are shown below. http: / /nc. water. usgs .gov /drought/dm- streamflow.html I0 i* Q5 Previous 30 days Sunday, September 1, 2011 Explanation No - No Drought ( >30 percentile) DO - Abnormally Dry (21 to 30 percentile) D1 - Moderate Drought (11 to 20 percentile) D2 - Severe Drought (6 to 10 percentile) D3 - Extreme Drought (3 to 5 percentile) D4 - Exceptional Drought (0 to 2 percentile) un no Unregulated Regulated 6 IM 0 ❑ 0 Em IF E 0 w or win 4 v n/d - Not determined ❑ -- Ground Water -- Please visit the Climate Response Network page at http: / /groundwaterwatch. usqs. gov /StateMapsNet.asp ?ncd= crn &sc =37 (map shown below) for more information on ground -water conditions at selected USGS observation wells in North Carolina. WES' VIRGIFIIA �taunt� �h�rlotke�V � 'ei Uliarsauu ok .Logan Oak C 1i .Y R fi � _"Ta,ppaY�annock Atlantic Bedde into , ��" „Saluda, � i harn ° White Mane Beach elolI Unio L k]U' BOr'i! # k Comal Wight tEashrille w P a�ki oanak art Me�nr Virginia Explanation - Percentile class �. ......ee __ New <10 1024 25-75 75-90 >90 New Not ..... ..... — - ..... Low hrluch Below Below Plortnal love hrluGl Dove' High Ranked Shown below are the hydrographs at four selected wells across North Carolina... real -time page for USGS ground water data in NC is available at http: / /waterdata.usgs.gov /nc /nwis /current ?tvpe =qw (MOUNTAINS) NC -144 at Blantyre in Transylvania County (http: / /waterdata.usgs.gov /nc /nwis /dv / ?site no= 351808082374302 &agency cd =USGS &referred module =sw) 10 11 USES 351808082374302 TR -065 HC -144) AT BLANTYRE, HC (RE OLITH C 36.66 2117.00 4J 0 30,56 2116,50 rn 4 31.66 2116.66 a z 31.56 CU (U L 2115.56 m Q 32.66 aO DO 4J 2115.66 ° 32.56 CU L 2114.56 C C G 33.66 L Aug Sep Sep Sep ca 27 03 10 17 2011 2011 2011 2011 - - -- Provisional Data Subject to Revision - - -- 0 Measured depth to water level — Depth to water level 11 (WESTERN PIEDMONT) NC -193, Piedmont RS near Barber in Rowan County (http: / /waterdata .usgs.gov /nc /nwis /dv / ?dd cd =01 72019 00003 &format =imq default &site no= 354057080362601 &set to qscale v =0 &begin date = 20070319) 12 USES 351 0808237430 TR -065 (SIC -144) AT BLANTYRE, HC (RE OLITH a 27.9 2129.9 m Q Q. a, 28.9 2119.9 0 29.9 2118.9 0 z Do L) ' c 39.9 2117.9 L 4 > M r r 31.9 2116.9 D 32.9 2115.9 4 4J C6 L Gi Q p 33.9 .... 2114.9 +} M >- J r H G 34 +0 0 L Nov Jan Mar May Jul Sep 2919 2911 2911 2911 2911 2911 — Daily nean depth to water level Period of provisional data Period of approved data (WESTERN PIEDMONT) NC -193, Piedmont RS near Barber in Rowan County (http: / /waterdata .usgs.gov /nc /nwis /dv / ?dd cd =01 72019 00003 &format =imq default &site no= 354057080362601 &set to qscale v =0 &begin date = 20070319) 12 13 SGS 3540 x'0803 01 RO-149 (NC-193) PIEDMONT RS 1 NR BARBER (REGOLITI 9.05 - 668.95 It CU Q. 9.10 - 668.90 4J 9.15 - 668.85 z 9.20 - 668.80 Qy (U L 9.25 668.75 '0 L (U 4J 9.30 668.70 CU D 'U L 9.35 668.65 CU 4J m C CL 9.40 668.60 0 L Aug Sep Sep Sep 27 03 10 17 2011 2011 2011 2011 ---- Provisional Data Subject to Revision ---- 13 (EASTERN PIEDMONT) NC -126 at Chapel Hill in Orange County ( http:/ /waterdata.usgs.gov /nc /nwis /dv/ ?site no= 355522079043001 &agency cd =USGS &referred module =sw) SGS 354057080362601 Rte -149 (SIC -193) PIEDMONT RS 1 NR BARBER (RE OLIT a USGS 672 +0 1 6 +0 0 CU � to 45 +88 4J 6.5 671 +5 ° n � 45 +85 465 +65 y N 7 +9 671 +6 G 45 +9$ } L) ' C 7 +5 465 +6$ 670 +5 z L L7 z 4} 45 +95 8 +0 670 +0 4} r y L �} L 8 +5 669 +5 -4 C6 CU 4� ° 9 +0 669 +0 +} s J r H G 9.5 668 +5 � Now Jan Mar Nay Jul Sep CL7 2919 2011 2911 2911 2911 2911 46 +18 — Daily nean depth to water level Period of provisional data 465 +48 Period of approved data (EASTERN PIEDMONT) NC -126 at Chapel Hill in Orange County ( http:/ /waterdata.usgs.gov /nc /nwis /dv/ ?site no= 355522079043001 &agency cd =USGS &referred module =sw) 14 USGS 355522079 143001 OR -069 (NC-126) AT CHAPEL HILL, H (RE t LITH) to 45 +88 465 +79 ° n � 45 +85 465 +65 y N 45 +9$ 465 +6$ G } L7 z 4} 45 +95 465 +55 4} y L 46 +98 465 +58 m L Q 46 +95 465 +45 CU :0 �: 46 +18 465 +48 � m }+ 46 +15 465 +35 C6 Q L d L Aug Sep Sep Sep ca 27 93 19 17 2911 2911 2911 2911 - - -- Provisional data Subject to Revision - - -- Measured depth to water level — Depth to water level 14 (COASTAL PLAIN) NC -160 near Simpson in Pitt County ( http:/ /waterdata.usgs.gov /nc /nwis /dv/ ?site no= 353219077153801 &agency cd =USGS &referred module =sw) 15 USGS 3555 079043001 OR -069 (NC -126) AT CHAPEL HILL, H (RE t LITH) a 42.0 469.5 w cu cu .0 42.5 469.0 Q. S Q 43. 468.5 0 S d W 43.5 468.8 > } z 44.9 467.5 L L O J }' ful 44.5 467.8 +4 r 1 45.8 466.5 m cu r-I L C6 45.5 466.$ L G M >- 46.9 465.5 10 J r H 0 CE 46.5 465.8 L Now Jan Mar May Jul Sep 2910 2911 2911 2911 2011 2911 — Daily nean depth to water level Period of provisional data Period of approved data (COASTAL PLAIN) NC -160 near Simpson in Pitt County ( http:/ /waterdata.usgs.gov /nc /nwis /dv/ ?site no= 353219077153801 &agency cd =USGS &referred module =sw) 15 16 USES 353219077153801 PI-532 (NC-160) NR IMP ON, NC (SURFICIAL,) - 55.0 GU C r-I CU Q. 2.0 - 54.0 of 3.0 53.0 z 4•0 0 (U 52.0 5 (U L m 4 y 5•0 L 51.0 CU (U 4 D 6.0 O 50.0 L CU 4J 4J m 4J 7.0 CL 49.0 r- L 8.0 0 Aug Sep Sep Sep 27 03 10 17 2011 2011 2011 2011 ---- Provisional Data Subject to Revision ---- 16 17 USGS 353 19077153801 PI -532 (NC-160) NR SIMPSON, N URFI IAL) O 4ti 1 +$ 5555 +9 Q- 2.0 54 +$ 41 o% 3 +0 +$ 52 +$ 41 0 55 +0 51 0 +} +$ i a 6 +9 CU 59 +$ }y 7 m +9 C6 8 Gi P p +9 48 +$ s 9 H o +$ Now Jan Mar Nay Jul Sep C 2918 2911 2811 2811 2911 2911 0 — Daily nean depth to water level Period of approved data Period of provisional data — Lowest recorded water level prior to MY2911 (8 +97 ft Oct 23,24, 2997) 17