Water Resources Program fact sheet
Missouri Geological Survey Director: Carey Bridges, RG
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Streamgage - East Fork Big Creek near Bethany Figure 1
Figure 1. 10-Digit Hydrologic unit (HUC10) basin containing USGS Streamgage 06897000 East Fork Big Creek near Bethany.

The East Fork Big Creek streamgage near Bethany is owned by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and funded in cooperation with the Missouri Department of Natural Resources. Stage (water-surface elevation) measurements are made and recorded at 15-minute intervals and transmitted to the USGS office every hour. Stage and streamflow values are displayed in near real-time. 

The East Fork of Big Creek near Bethany is located in the Central Dissected Till Plains, flowing from southern Iowa through Harrison County, Missouri. This stream is one of the tributaries of Big Creek, named for how the creek floods its lowlands during heavy rainfall (Ewing).

The streamgage is located at the U.S. Highway 69 bridge over East Fork Big Creek near Bethany in Harrison County and consists of a shelter, a data collection platform, a rain gage, an electronic pressure transducer to measure stage, a crest stage gage to automatically record crest height during high water events and a wire weight gage used to manually verify electronic measurements. Read how a USGS streamgage works. 

Streamgage Information

  • Streamgage Drainage Area: 95 square miles
  • 10-Digit Hydrologic Unit Code: 1028010109
  • Area of HUC10 Basin: 388.4 square miles
  • Gage Location: Harrison County: 40°17'50.0", -94°01'34.4"
  • Gage Datum: 854.74 feet above NGVD29

USGS Tools

  • Precipitation: March 28, 2019 to present
  • Average Discharge (cubic feet per second): April 1, 1934 to present
  • Observation Gage Height (feet): Sept. 30, 2001 to present
  • Peak: Gage Height, Discharge (feet, cubic feet per second) 27.00, 13,000 (Oct. 13, 1973)

The East Fork Big Creek near Bethany streamgage webpage is maintained by USGS. Users are able to create graphs and tables utilizing the recorded parameters, which can be customized to show current/historical observations, daily data, daily statistics, monthly statistics, annual statistics, peak streamflow, water quality and field measurements for any time frame within the period of record. A location map and Water-Year Summary are also available. Customize your own data output online. https://waterdata.usgs.gov/monitoring-location/06897000.

Why is the East Fork Big Creek Streamgage near Bethany Important?

The streamgage provides recreational users in the area, surrounding landowners and the public with accurate stream height data. The data collected is also valuable for understanding hydrologic conditions in Harrison County. The Water Resources Center uses discharge data from this streamgage for flood, drought and water supply studies.

In the area, people can enjoy:

  • Bird-watching
  • Camping 
  • Fishing 
  • Hunting 
  • Hiking

For more information about recreation activities located within the basin, contact the Missouri Department of Conservation.

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Figure 3.   Bridge instrumentation.     
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Figure 4.   Profile of site.
 
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Figure 5.   Stream detail.    


1    REFERENCES CITED
Ewing, Martha K. "Place Names In The Northwest Counties Of Missouri." M.A. thesis., University of Missouri-Columbia, 1929.
 

Nothing in this document may be used to implement any enforcement action or levy any penalty unless promulgated by rule under chapter 536 or authorized by statute.

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