PUB2793

Water Resources Program

fact sheet

Missouri Geological Survey

Director: Carey Bridges, RG

The South Fabius River streamgage above Newark 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 South Fabius River is a stream in Missouri’s Claypan Till Plains Subsection of the Central Dissected Till Plans, flowing into the Fabius River and eventually the Mississippi River. The river is paired with the North Fabius River, and the two are often historically referred to as the “Twin Rivers.” The name Fabius may have come from a Spanish word for beans or peas, “faba,” and was altered over time to Fabius. The Spanish called the two rivers the Fabbas, or the Bean or Pea Rivers in English. 

The streamgage is located at the County Road 387 bridge over the South Fabius River above Newark in Knox County and consists of a shelter, a data collection platform, an electronic pressure transducer to measure stage, a crest stage gage used to automatically record crest height during high water events and a wire weight gage used to manually verify electronic measurements. Learn how a USGS streamgage works.

Streamgage Information

  • Streamgage Drainage Area: 211 square miles
  • 10-Digit Hydrologic Unit Code: 0711000303
  • Area of HUC10 Basin: 240 square miles
  • Gage Location: 40°00'22", -92°01'37" (Knox County)
  • Gage Datum: 647.5 feet above NAVD88

USGS Tools

  • Average Discharge (cubic feet per second): March 8, 2008 to present
  • Observation Gage Height (feet): March 8, 2008 to present
  • Peak: Gage Height, Discharge (feet, cubic feet per second) 24.14, 15,300 (June 26, 2015)

The South Fabius River above Newark 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 and historical observations, daily data, daily statistics, monthly statistics, annual statistics, peak streamflow and field measurements for any time frame within the period of record. A location map and Water-Year Summary also are available. Customize your own data output online.

Why is the South Fabius River Streamgage above Newark Important?

The streamgage provides recreational users in the area, surrounding landowners and the public with accurate stream height data. 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 
  • Horseback riding
  • Fishing
  • Hunting
  • Waterfowl hunting
  • Camping
  • Hiking

For more information about recreation activities located within the basin, contact the Missouri Department of Conservation.
 
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Figure 3. Channel detail.     
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Figure 4. Damaged crest stage gage.
 
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Figure 5. Site profile.     
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Figure 6. Close up of streamgaging unit.


1    References Cited
Elliott, Katherine. "Place Names of Six Northeast Counties of Missouri." M.A. thesis., University of Missouri-Columbia, 1938.

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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