IC 22 GEORGIA STATE DIVISION OF CONSERVATION DEPARTMENT OF MINES, MINING AND GEOLOGY GARLAND PEYTON, Director THE GEOLOGICAL SURVEY Information Circular 22 SURFACE-WATER RESOURCES OF THE YELLOW RIVER BASIN IN GWINNETT COUNTY, GEORGIA by R. F. Carter and W. B. Gannon United States Geological Survey Prepared cooperatively by the Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior, Washington, D. C. ATLANTA 1962 SURFACE-WATER RESOURCES OF THE YELLOW RIVER BASIN IN GWINNETT COUNTY by R. F. Carter and W. B. Gannon Prepared cooperatively by the Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior, Washington, D. C. AREA COVERED BY THIS REPORT -c-u -u -fT1 :::0 0 0 )> CJ) ~ r ____ -u __ _ r -)> z CONTENTS Page ABSTRACT _ ..................................--.........---------------...----- ------ -----------------------. ---------- . .. 4 INTRODUCTION ___________________ --. --- - ---- --- --------------- -------------- --------- ----------. --- ----------..--- 4 Purpose and Scope __ ____ ______________________ --------------- -------------- ------ ----------------- 4 Administration and Acknowledgments ___ ------------------------------ ------- 5 DESCRIPTION OF THE AREA ___________________ -------------------------------------------- ____________________ 5 FLOW RECORDS AVAILABLE ____________ .. --- ----------------------------------------------------- --- ------------- 5 METHODS OF ANALYSIS ... Correlation __ _ _ __________ -------------------------------------------------------- - .______10 ___ 10 Frequency ________________________________ ---------------------- ---------------------------------------------------------- -- .10 Average flow for specified periods _____ _____________________ ---------------------------------- _________ 11 Storage _ __11 PRESENTATI0 N 0 F RESULTS _____________________ .------------------------------------------------- ________ - ..11 Complete-record gaging stations ___ _________ ___ __ ___ ______________________________________________________11 Flow maps ________ _______ _____________________________________ --------------------------------- _______________11 Storage required to develop average flow _______________________________________________________________12 Storage maps ___ __ __ ____________________________________________________________________________12 Long-term average flow _ Tabulation of flow Probable accuracy_ - --------- .12 - -- ..12 12 APPLICATION OF RESULTS __ __12 Use of flow maps __ . ____ ______________________________________ ---------------------------- ______ ____________12 Use of Table 3 ____ ________________________________ -------------------------------------------- __ ___ _____________ ___ ____13 Storage ____ __ ____ _ ___________________________ ______________ ______________________________________________13 Minimum flow during the 1954 drought _______________________________________________ . ______ .13 DISCUSSION AND REVIEW ----- ------ ------------ -- -------------------- ------------------------ .....13 ILLUSTRATIONS Plate 1. Map of the portion of the Yellow River Basin. Page (In Pocket) Figure 1. Stream pattern and location of numbered flow measurement sites, Yellow 17 River Basin, Gwinnett County, Georgia. 2. Flow map showing minimum 7-day average flow having a recurrence 18 interval of 20 years. 3. Flow map showing minimum 30-day average flow having a recurrence 19 interval of 20 years. 4. Map showing the storage required to develop the 30-day average flow 20 having a recurrence interval of 20 years. 5. Flow map showing 90-day average flow having a recurrence interval of 21 20 years. 6. Map showing the storage required to develop the 90-day average flow 22 having a recurrence interval of 20 years. 7. Flow map showing minimum 274-day average flow having a recurrence 23 interval of 20 years. 8. Map showing the storage required to develop the 274-day average flow 24 having a recurrence interval of 20 years. 9. Flow map showing minimum 7-day average flow having a recurrence 25 interval of 10 years. 10. Flow map showing minimum 30-day average flow having a recurrence 26 interval of 10 years. 11. Map showing the storage required to develop the 30-day average flow 27 having a recurrence interval of 10 years. 12. Flow map showing minimum 90-day average flow having a recurrence 28 interval of 10 years. 13. Map showing the storage required to develop the 90-day average flow 29 having a recurrence interval of 10 years. 14. Flow map showing minimum 274-day average flow having a recurrence 30 interval of 10 years. 15. Map showing the storage required to develop the 274-day average flow 31 having a recurrence interval of 10 years. 16. Flow map showing minimum 7-day average flow having a recurrence 32 interval of 2 years. 17. Flow map showing long term average flow for the period 1938-58. 33 18. Storage requirement curves for recurrence intervals of 2 to 20 years. 34 TABLES Table 1. Description of sites at which flow measurements have been made. 6-10 2. Magnitude and frequency of low flow at complete -record gaging stations. 11 3. Low-flow data and storage indexes for numbered sites. 15-16 3 SURFACE-WATER RESOURCES OF THE YELLOW RIVER BASIN IN GWINNETT COUNTY by R. F. Carter and W. B. Gannon ABSTRACT An inventory of surface-water resources of a small basin is presented, including information on water available for use at almost all points on perennial streams. The information is in the form of "flow maps" showing variations in flow along the streams as well as areal patterns. The flows shown on maps are minimum average flows for various periods of time and for various recurrence intervals. "Storage maps" are included to show the storage required to maintain minimum flows which are averages for time periods longer than 7 days. In addition to the flow maps, flow data for selected points are tabulated. A method is presented by which the user can make reasonable estimates of the storage required to maintain any given rate of flow at 103 sites. These storage requirements may be estimated for each of three recurrence intervals. INTRODUCTION Purpose and Scope The surface-water data in this report are assembled and presented as one unit of a waterresources inventory of Georgia which is being prepared by the U. S. Geological Survey. This report includes a comprehensive analysis of the water resources for a small basin in the Piedmont province of the State. Similar reports for other small river basins will be prepared; first, as a representative report for each hydrologic province, and eventually complete coverage for the State. The primary value of the data presented in this report is its usefulness in estimating the amount of flow expected to be available during periods of scarcity or droughts. The data are also useful for estimating the storage capacity needed for supplementing natural flows sufficiently to meet various requirements. The report area covers the Yellow River basin above the Upper Anniston Dam site. Most of the basin is in Gwinnett County, but a small part of it is in DeKalb County. The area, which is believed to be fairly representative of small river basins in the Piedmont province of Georgia, has considerable economic importance because of its growth potential. It is within easy commuting distance of Atlanta and is being made even more accessible by the construction of express highways through the area. Considerable population growth and industrial expansion may reasonably be expected in the near future. A relatively large amount of streamflow information has been obtained in the Yellow River basin in Gwinnett County in recent years for use in studying the variation in streamflow characteristics and in determining the amount and types of observed data needed to define these characteristics on an areal basis. This streamflow information was used in the preparation of this report. The report area is limited to the drainage basin tributary to the proposed multipurpose dam at the Upper Anniston Dam site. A preliminary investigation has been made by the Corps of Engineers, Department of the Army, of the feasibility of constructing a multipurpose dam at this site. The selection of the basin above this site for coverage in this report is not intended to imply that the dam will be constructed. Much of the data in this report is presented in the form of "flow maps," which are intended to enable the user to find specific answers to many questions without further interpretation of the streamflow data. This type of presentation simplifies area comparisons of stream characteristics and is expected to supply all the information needed for reconnaissance-type studies. Low flows are highly variable from stream to stream. They are greatly affected by local differences in soil type, land cover, topography, and geology. Areal generalizations are not feasible unless considerable flow data are available. This report utilizes streamflow measurements made during drought periods at a dense network of sites. These measured flows were correlated with continuous records of flow :wailable at a few stream-gaging stations, located in the report area. thereby producing considerable flow information at the network of sites. Because these sites were close together with relatively little difference in flow between them, it was possible to interpolate from site to site along the stream pattern and construct flow maps which are areal generalizations. Measurements of floodflows at a dense network of sites. such as used in this report, would be highly impracticable. Moreover, such an intensity of floodflow measurements is not necessary because these flows are less affected by variations in local land conditions than are drought flows. Areal analyses and generalizations of floodflows can be made on the basis of data collected at a less dense network of sites. Analysis of floodflows is not covered in this report. Methods of estimating the frequency of floods of various magnitudes are described by Thomson and others1 Because of the difficulty of obtaining ample floodflow information on small streams, 'M. T. Thomson, S. M. Herrick, Eugene Brown and others, 1956, The availability and use of water in Georgia: Georgia Department of :;..unes, Mining and Geology Bulletin 65, p. 171-176. 4 sufficient data have not yet been collected for predicting flood magnitudes for streams draining less than 30 square miles in the area covered by this report. At present; the flow of most streams in the area is predominantly natural flow with little man-made regulation. Economic growth of the area likely will alter this condition and streamflow records representing natural flow conditions may eventually be difficult to obtain. Administration and acknowledgments The streamflow data at the continuous-record gaging stations and the low-flow measurement at other sites were collected under a cooperative agreement between the Department of Mines, Mining and Geology of the Georgia State Division of Conservation, and the U.S. Geological Survey. The agreement also provides for the analysis of the data and the preparation of this report. The size of many of the drainage areas listed in this report were obtained under a cooperative agreement between the Georgia State Highway Department and the U.S. Geological Survey. This report was prepared in the Georgia District of the Surface Water Branch under the general direction of A. N. Cameron, district engineer. R. F. Carter and W. B. Gannon, hydraulic engineers, directed the collection and compilation of the data. M. T. Thomson, former district engineer, did much of the preliminary planning of the report. DESCRIPTION OF THE AREA The Yellow River basin above the Upper Anniston Dam site is an area of 154 square miles. A map of the area is shown in plate 1. The topography consists generally of gently rolling hills with dendritic stream patterns. Most of the streams flow in well-defined channels with narrow or, in places, no flood plains and with densely wooded borders. Only a few streams flow through swampy areas. Towns, highways, railroads, and most of the farms are located on ridges. The largest city in the area is Lawrenceville, which has a population of about 4,000 Other main towns lying all or partly in the area are Norcross, Duluth, Lilburn, and Snellville. The area is now part of suburban Atlanta and its development consists mainly of suburban homes and light industries. There are some light industries near the towns, but new industries and housing developments being established tend to prefer locations adjacent to the express highway under construction through the area. The agricultural practices in the area have changed extensively in recent years. As in most parts of Georgia, the acreage under row-crop cultivation has decreased considerably. Row-crop farming has been replaced to a great extent by stock and poultry farming and by the production of timber and pulpwood. Very little irrigation is now practiced in the area, although there may be a trend toward an increase in this type of water use. Many farm ponds have been constructed to provide water for stock and for recreation; it is estimated that there are about 500 farm ponds in the entire area of Gwinnett County. Little or no information is available on the effects these ponds have on the flow of surface streams. The Gwinnett County Water System supplements water supplies of most of the towns in the report area and serves a large percentage of the rural dwellings by means of an unusually long pipeline network. This system draws raw water from the Chattahoochee River outside the report area and may be expected to meet new domestic and light industry demands in the future. However, the streams in the study area may be used to supply major demands for water such as from industries that require large amounts of water or from increased irrigation. In addition, the streams of the study area will certainly be used more extensively for waste disposal. FLOW RECORDS AVAILABLE Five complete-record gaging stations with drainage areas ranging from 0.94 square mile to 134 square miles are operated in the report area. Measurements of base flow have been made at 99 additional sites with drainage areas ranging from 0.18 square mile to 126 square miles. The locations of these gaging stations and measuring sites are shown on plate 1, and descriptions of all the sites are included in table 1. The identification map numbers used in plate 1 and table 1 are based, in part, on a nationwide gaging-station numbering system. For this reason the map numbers do not begin with number 1, and the numbers are not consecutive. 5 Table 1.-Description of sites at which flow measurements have been made in the Yellow River basin Map No. Stream and location Drainage area (sq. mi.) 491 Tributary to Yellow River (lat 3r00'25", long 8359'10") at county road, 3% miles 0.53 north of Lawrenceville, 0.2 mile northeast of State Highway 20, and 0.3 mile upstream from junction with Yellow River. 492 Yellow River (lat 3400'05", long 8359'20") at State Highway 20, 3 miles north of 2.09 Lawrenceville. 500 USGS complete-record gaging station 1953-; Wildcat Creek near Lawrenceville, Ga., 1.59 (lat 34 00'05", long 84 00'20") at county road, 1.1 miles west of State Highway 20 and 3 '\4 miles north of Lawrenceville. 501 Yellow River (lat 3359'15", long 8400'40") at county road, 0.9 mile south of Collins 6.08 Hill Church and 2 1h miles northwest of Lawrenceville. 502 Little Suwanee Creek (lat 3401'45", long 8358'30") at county road, 0.8 mile west of .81 Elbethel Church, 6 miles east of Suwanee, and 5 miles north of Lawrenceville. 503 Tributary to Little Suwanee Creek (lat 3402'35", long 8359'30") at State Highway .61 20, 0.5 mile southeast of Rock Springs Church, 4lh miles east of Suwanee, and 0.5 mile above junction with Little Suwanee Creek. 504 Little Suwanee Creek (lat 34 02'10", long 84 00'15") at county road, 0.8 mile east of 3.69 Hopewell Church, 4 miles east of Suwanee, 1 mile west of State Highway 20, and 4 miles upstream from junction with Yellow River. 510 Little Suwanee Creek (lat 34 01'00", long 84 00'55") at county road, 1.2 miles north 4.99 cf Collins Hill Church and 4 miles southeast of Suwanee. 511 Webb Branch (lat 3400'45", long 8402'35") at county road, 114 miles south of Old- .75 field Church, 3%, miles southeast of Suwanee, and 0.9 mile upstream from junction with Ager Creek. 512 Ager Creek (lat 3400'25", long 8401'35") at county road, 4 miles southeast of Su- 3.17 wanee, and 0.2 mile upstream from junction with Little Suwanee Creek. 513 Little Suwanee Creek (lat 3359'45", long 8401'15") at county road, 0.5 mile north- 9.62 west of McKendree Church, and 3 14 miles northwest of Lawrenceville. 520 Yellow River (lat 3358'40", long 8401'15") at county road, 0.9 mile north of State 17.7 Highway 120, and 2 14 miles northwest of Lawrenceville. 521 Yellow River (lat 3358'10", long 8401'50") at State Highway 120, 2lh miles west 19.1 of Lawrenceville. 522 West Fork of Wolf Creek (lat 3359'35", long 8403'00") about 4 miles northwest of .75 Lawrenceville, 4 miles south of Suwanee, and 0.1 mile upstream from junction with East Fork of Wolf Creek. 523 East Fork of Wolf Creek (lat 3400'05", long 8403'00") at county road, 0.1 mile .38 east of Buggtown Church, 3%, miles southeast of Suwanee, and 0.7 mile upstream from junction with West Fork of Wolf Creek. 524 East Fork of Wolf Creek (lat 33 o 59'35", long 84 o 03'00") about 4 miles northwest of .96 Lawrenceville, and 0.2 mile upstream from junction with West Fork of Wolf Creek. 525 Wolf Creek (lat 3359'30", long 8403'00") at county road, 4 14 miles northwest of 1.83 Lawrenceville. 530 Wolf Creek (lat 3358'10", long 8402'25") at State Highway 120, 3 miles west of 3.84 Lawrenceville. 531 Tributary to Yellow River (lat 3357'35", long 8402'35") at county road, 1.2 miles .63 southwest of Fairview Church, 0.5 mile south of State Highway 120, 3 miles west of Lawrenceville, and 0.2 mile upstream from junction with Yellow River. 532 Yellow River (lat 3357'15", long 8402'25") at county road, 1.2 miles west of Mt. 25.3 Vernon Church, and 3 miles west of Lawrenceville. 533 Yellow River (lat 3356'40", long 8402'30") at county road, 0.7 mile northwest of 26.5 State Highway 8 and 3 '\4 miles west of Lawrenceville. 540 Yellow River (lat 3355'50", long 8402'45") at State Highway 8, 3%, miles southwest 28.0 of Lawrenceville. 541 Pew Creek (lat 3356'15"), long 8359'40") at State Highway 124, 1.3 miles south .55 of Lawrenceville. 550 USGS complete-record gaging station 1953-; Pew Creek near Lawrenceville, Ga., (lat 2.23 3356'05", long 84"01'00") at county road, 0.2 mile southeast of State Highway 8, and 2 '\4 miles southwest of Lawrenceville. 6 Table I.-Description of sites at which flow measurements have been ?nade in the Yellow River basin-continued Map No. Stream and location Drainage area (sq. mi.) 551 Redland Creek (lat 3357'35", long 8400'45") at county road west of city limits of 0.18 Lawrenceville, 0.5 mile west of State Highway 120, and 2 miles upstream from junc- tion with Pew Creek. 552 Redland Creek (lat 3356'20", long 8401'45") at State Highway 8, 2%. miles south- 3.11 west of Lawrenceville. 553 Pughs Creek (lat 3355'10", long 8358'55") at county road, 2% miles northwest of .99 Grayson, 2% miles south of Lawrenceville, and 0.7 mile west of State Highway 20. 554 Tributary to Pughs Creek, (lat 3355'00", long 8359'50") at county road, 2% miles .89 south of Lawrenceville and 0.2 mile east of State Highway 124. 555 Pughs Creek (lat 33 o 54'45", long 84 o 00'30") at county road (old Lawrenceville Road) , 3.58 3% miles south of Lawrenceville and 0.5 mile downstream from State Highway 124. 556 Tributary to Pughs Creek (lat 3354'20", long 8400'50") at county road (old Law- .62 renceville road), 3%, miles south of Lawrenceville, and 0.6 mile upstream from junc- tion with Pughs Creek. 557 Tributary to Pughs Creek (lat 3354'50", long 8401'40") at county road, 0.2 mile .42 northeast of Rocky Branch Church, 4 miles southwest of Lawrenceville, and 0.2 mile upstream from junction with Pughs Creek. 558 Pughs Creek (lat 3354'35", long 8402'05") at county road, 0.3 mile west of Rocky 5.99 Branch Church, and 41,4 miles southwest of Lawrenceville. 560 Yellow River (lat 3354'50", long 8402'55") at county road, 1 mile east of Gloster. 43.5 561 Yellow River (lat 3354'10", long 8404'00") at county road, 0.5 mile south of Gloster. 45.1 562 South Fork of Bankstan Creek (lat 3353'30", long 8401'35") about 2% miles north 1.45 of Snellville, and 0.1 mile upstream from junction with North Fork of Bankstan Creek. 563 North Fork of Bankstan Creek (lat 3353'30", long 8401'30") about 2% miles north .46 of Snellville, and 0.1 mile upstream from junction with South Fork of Bankstan Creek. 564 Bankstan Creek (lat 3353'35", long 8401'35") at county road, 2% miles north of 1.95 Snellville, and 1.3 miles southwest of State Highway 124. 565 Tributary to Bankstan Creek (lat 3353'10", long 8402'20") at county road, 1.0 mile .20 east of Friendship Church, 2%, miles northwest of Snellville, and 1.2 miles east of Five Forks. 566 Bankstan Creek (lat 3353'45", long 8404'00") at county road, 1 mile south of 4.32 Gloster. 567 Fork Creek (lat 3355'50", long 84 04'05") at county road, 1.4 miles north of Gloster, .66 and 0.4 mile northeast of State Highway 8. 570 Fork Creek (lat 3354'45", long 8404'40") at county road 0.7 mile west of Gloster. 2.34 571 Tributary to Sweetwater Creek (lat 3359'20", long 8408'35") at county road, 1.0 .30 mile southwest of Duluth, and 0.4 mile upstream from junction with Sweetwater Creek. 572 Tributary to Sweetwater Creek (lat 3359'00", long 8408'35") at county road 1.4 .24 miles southwest of Duluth, and 0.3 mile upstream from junction with Sweetwater Creek. 573 Knox Creek (lat 3359'00", long 8407'40") at State Highway 120, 1.5 miles southeast 1.48 of Duluth. 574 Sweetwater Creek (lat 3358'15", long 8407'30") at county road, 2% miles southeast 4.47 of Duluth, 1 mile west of State Highway 120, and 1.2 miles upstream from junction with Singleton Creek. 575 Singleton Creek (lat 3400'10", long 8405'55") at county road, 2% miles east of .80 Duluth, 1 mile west of Trinity Church, and 2%, miles upstream from junction with Sweetwater Creek. 576 Singleton Creek (lat 33 o 58'45", long 84 06'35") at State Highway 120, 2% miles 3.54 southeast of Duluth. 577 Fork Creek (lat 3359'25", long 8405'20") at county road, 31,4 miles southeast of .86 Duluth, and 1 mile west of Lebanon Church. 580 Fork Creek (lat 3358'40", long 8405'40") at State Highway 120, 31,4 miles southeast 1.96 of Duluth. 581 Tributary to Fork Creek (lat 3358'30", long 84 03'45") at State Highway 120, 4% .82 miles northwest of Lawrenceville. 7 Table 1.-Description of sites at which flow measurements have been made in the Yellow River b_asin-continued Map No. Stream and location Drainage area (sq. mi.) 582 Tributary to Fork Creek (!at 3358'30", long 8404'25") at State Highway 120, 5 0.88 miles northwest of Lawrenceville, and 1.4 miles southeast of Meadow Church. 583 Tributary to Fork Creek (!at 33 57'35", long 84 04'35") at county road, 5 miles west 3.52 of Lawrenceville, 5 miles southeast of Duluth, and 1.1 miles northwest of Mt. Vernon Church. 584 Sweetwater Creek (!at 3357'00", long 84 05'40") at county road, 2 miles north of 19.5 Mt. Vernon Church, and 4 1h miles southeast of Duluth. 585 Tributary to Sweetwater Creek (lat 3357'00", long 8406'50") at county road 0.8 mile 1.08 east of Pleasant Hill Church, 4 miles southeast of Duluth, and 0.6 mile upstream from junction with Sweetwater Creek. 586 Tributary to Sweetwater Creek (!at 3357'05", long 8406'40") at county road, 3 .21 miles west of Mt. Vernon Church, and 0.7 mile upstream from junction with Sweet- water Creek. 587 Tributary to Sweetwater Creek (!at 3355'50", long 8406'05") near mouth of tribu- .92 tary joining Sweetwater Creek about 2% miles southwest of Mt. Vernon Church. 588 Sweetwater Creek (lat 33 o 55'45", long 84 06'05") at county road, 2% miles southwest 23.2 of Mt. Vernon Church, and 1 mile north of junction with Beaver Ruin Creek. 590 Beaver Ruin Creek (!at 3355'35", long 8411'35") at county road, 1% miles south- 2.78 east of Norcross. 591 Tributary to Beaver Ruin Creek (lat 3354'55", long 8411'15") about 2 14 miles south- .79 east of Norcross on Mitchell Road, 0.5 mile south of Atlanta Expressway, and 0.8 mile upstream from junction with Beaver Ruin Creek. 592 Beaver Ruin Creek (!at 3355'40", long 8410'00") at county road, 2% miles south- 6.11 east of Norcross. 594 Bromolow Creek (!at 3357'35", long 8409'20") at county road, 3 miles south of 1.18 Duluth, 0.9 mile west of Adams Crossroads, and 1 mile upstream from junction with North Beaver Ruin Creek. 600 USGS complete-record gaging station 1953-; Shetley Creek near Norcross, Ga. (lat .94 3357'20", long 8409'40") at county road, 1 mile upstream from mouth, and 3 miles east of Norcross. 601 North Beaver Ruin Creek (!at 3357'10", long 8410'55") at county road, 2 miles 1.61 northeast of Norcross, and 0.5 mile southeast of State Highway 13. 602 North Beaver Ruin Creek (!at 3356'30", long 8410'10") at county road, 2% miles 4.16 east of Norcross, 0.6 mile northwest of Beaver Ruin Road, and 1 mile upstream from junction with Bromolow Creek. 603 Bromolow Creek (!at 3356'35", long 8408'35") at county road, 4 miles east of Nor- 9.23 cross and just downstream from express highway. 604 Tributary to Bromolow Creek (!at 33 o 56'30", long 84 o 08'00") at Beaver Ruin Road, .56 0.1 mile east of Davis Road, 0.5 mile southeast of express highway. 605 Bromolow Creek (lat 3355'45", long 8407'35") at county road, 0.7 mile west of 11.7 Sweetwater Church, and 5 miles east of Norcross. 606 Beaver Ruin Creek (!at 3355'20", long 8407'20") at county road, 21;2 miles north- 21.6 east of Lilburn, and 1.2 miles downstream from Freeman Lake. 610 Sweetwater Creek (!at 33 o 54'50", long 84 05'55") at State Highway 8, 7 miles south- 48.1 west of Lawrenceville. 611 Lucky Shoals Creek (!at 3352'40", long 8412'10") at county road, 4% miles south 1.32 of Norcross, and 0.3 mile downstream from DeKalb-Gwinnett county line. 613 Jackson Creek (!at 3352'50", long 8411'20") at county road, 1 mile east of DeKalb- 3.79 Gwinnett county line, and 4 1h miles south of Norcross. 614 Jackson Creek (!at 3353'20", long 8410'20") at county road, 2 miles west of Lilburn, 5.87 and 42 miles southeast of Norcross. 615 Pumpkin Vine Creek (lat 3354'05", long 8411'30") at county road, 0.7 mile east of .51 Glover Church, 3 miles southeast of Norcross, and 1.5 miles upstream from junction with Jackson Creek. 616 Pumpkin Vine Creek (!at 3354'00", long 8410'20") at county road, 2 miles north- 1.62 west of Lilburn, and 3% miles southeast of Norcross. 8 Table 1.-Description of sites at which flow measurements have been made in the Yellow River basin-continued Map No. Stream and location Drainage area (sq. mi.) 620 Jackson Creek (lat 3353'50", long 8408'50") at county road, 0.8 mile northwest of 9.53 Lilburn, and 5 miles southeast of Norcross. 621 Camp Creek (lat 3352'15", long 8409'45") at county road, 31h miles northheast of 3.40 Tucker, 0.4 mile south of Harmony Grove Church, and 1.8 miles southwest of Lilburn (at Seaboard Air Line Railroad). 622 Tributary to Camp Creek (lat 3351'55", long 8409'30") at county road, 3.! miles .47 northeast of Tucker, 0.9 mile south of Harmony Grove Church, and 2 miles southwest of Lilburn. 623 Camp Creek (lat 3353'05", long 84 08'00") at county road southeast of Lilburn and 6.47 614 miles southeast of Norcross. 624 Tributary to Jackson Creek (lat 3354'05", long 8407'40") at State Highway 8, 1 .54 mile northeast of Lilburn. 630 Jackson Creek (lat 3353'40", long 8406'50") at county road southeast of Luxomni 18.8 and 6.! miles southeast of Norcross. 631 Tributary to Jackson Creek (lat 3353'15", long 8406'15") at county road, 1 mile .43 southeast of Luxomni, and 0.5 mile upstream from junction with Jackson Creek. 640 Yellow River (lat 3353'25", long 8405'05") at county road, 1.8 miles southwest of124. Gloster. 642 Tributary to Yellow River (lat 3352'25", long 8405'30") at county road, 0.8 mile .49 west of Yellow River Church, and 2.! miles north of Opossum Lake. 643 Yellow River (lat 3352'25", long 8405'00") at county road, 0.3 miles west of Yellow126. River Church and 3%, miles west of Snellville. 644 Turkey Creek (lat 3352'30", long 8402'20") at county road, 1.7 miles northwest of .52 Snellville, and 1.5 miles southeast of Five Forks. 645 Turkey Creek (lat 3352'00", long 8404'20") at county road, 0.7 mile southeast of 2.57 Yellow River Church, and 0.6 mile upstream from junction with Yellow River. 646 Watson Creek (lat 3351'55", long 8401'25") on Oak Road, in Snellville and 0.4 mile .27 from intersection Oak Road and Northside Road (State Highway 124). 647 Watson Creek (lat 3351'50", long 8403'00") at county road, 1.8 miles west of 1.63 Snellville. 648 Tributary to Watson Creek (lat 3351'25", long 8402'55") at county road, 1.8 miles .47 west of Snellville, and 0.5 mile north of U. S. Highway 78. 649 Watson Creek (lat 3351'50", long 8404'05") at county road, 1.1 miles southeast of 3.18 Yellow River Church, and 2%, miles west of Snellville. 650 USGS complete-record gaging station 1942-; Yellow River near Snellville, Ga. (lat134. 3351'10", long 8404'45") at county road, 3 14 miles west of Snellville. 651 Garner Creek (lat 3351'00", long 8408'10") at county road, 0.7 mile northwest of .74 Trickum, and 3 miles south of Lilburn. 652 Garner Creek (lat 33 o 51'25", long 84 06:05") at county road, 2%, miles southeast of 1.87 Lilburn, and 2 miles upstream from junction with Yellow River. 654 Hale Creek (lat 3351'55", long 8407'05") at county road, 2 miles southeast of Lil- 1.38 burn, 5 miles west of Snellville, and 0.6 mile upstream from junction with Garner Creek. 700 USGS complete-record gaging station 1953-; Garner Creek near Snellville, Ga. (lat 5.54 3351'45", long 8905'45") at county road, 0.9 mile upstream from mouth, and 4.! miles west of Snellville. 701 Pounds Creek (lat 3350'10", long 8406'55") at county road, 1.1 miles upstream from 1.00 Opossum Lake, 1.5 miles upstream from junction with Yellow River, and 5%, miles west of Snellville. 702 Tributary to Pounds Creek (lat 33 o 50'25", long 84 06'10") about 0.1 mile upstream 1.03 from junction with Pounds Creek, 0.5 mile upstream from Opossum Lake, and 4 miles west of Snellville. 703 Pounds Creek (lat 3349'55", long 8405'25") at outflow of Opossum Lake near june- 3.74 tion with Yellow River, just north of U. S. High 78, and 41,4 miles west of Snellville. 704 Tributary to Yellow River (lat 3349'15" long 8405'15"), at private road. 0.7 mile .93 southeast of U. S. Highway 78 and 0.2 mile upstream from mouth. 9 Table i.-Description of sites at which flow measurements have been made in the Yellow River basin-continued Map No. Stream and location Drainage area (sq. mi.) 705 Jacks Creek (lat 3349'35", long 8403'00") at county road, 2%, miles southwest of 1.57 Snellville, and 1.2 miles southeast of U. S. Highway 78. 706 Jacks Creek (lat 3349'15", long 8403'50") at State !lighway 264, 2%, miles south- 3.88 west of Snellville. 707 Jacks Creek (lat 3348'50", long 8404'10") at county road, 0.8 mile south of Shiloh 4.89 Church and 1.6 miles northwest of Centerville. 708 Yellow River (lat 3348'20", long 8404'35") at county road, 2 miles west of Center-154. ville, at proposed Upper Anniston Dam site. METHODS OF ANALYSIS Correlation The complete-record gaging station on Yellow River near Snellville, Georgia, (map number 650) which has been in operation since October 1942, has the longest record available in the report area. Records for this gaging station were extended back to September 1937 by correlation with records for the Middle Oconee River at Athens. The correlation methods used are based on Searcy's (1960) "Graphical Correlation of Gaging Station Records."2 Flow for Yellow River near Snellville, for the calendar years 1938 through 1958, forms the basis for computing data for the other sites. Records for four other complete-record gaging stations in the study area were extended by correlation with Yellow River near Snellville to cover the period 1938 through 1958. These four complete-record gaging stations are Wildcat Creek near Lawrenceville, Ga. (map number 500), Pew Creek near Lawrenceville, Ga. (map number 550), Shetley Creek near Norcross, Ga. (map number 600), and Garner Creek near Snellville, Ga. (map number 700). Base-flow measurements at the additional measurement sites were correlated with each of the complete-record gaging stations to obtain flow values for each of these sites. The computed flow values for these sites are subject to greater errors than those for complete-record gaging stations. Frequency The flow of a stream varies greatly during a year and the mm1mum flow reached during the dry season of a year varies greatly from year to year. Streamflow cannot be forecast a year ahead, but from past records the probability of a drought of any given severity can be predicted. The recurrence interval, which is a term used in studies of the relative frequency of natural events, is the average of the intervals between successive events with a discharge equal to or less than a given amount. For example, if the annual low flow of a stream was less than 6 million gallons per day (mgd) on 10 occasions during 100 years, then the recurrence interval of an annual low flow less than 6 mgd would be 10 years. It is important to note that 10 years is not a fixed interval, but only the average of the intervals. The recurrence interval would still be 10 years even if, by chance, all the annual low flows of less than 6 mgd occurred in one 10-year period. The recurrence interval is actually the reciprocal of probability. An event that has a 10-year recurrence interval has 1 chance in 10 (equivalent to a probability of 0.10) that the event will occur in a given year. The data used in preparing this report have been processed by statistical methods commonly used by the Geological Survey to evaluate the magnitude and frequency of various rates of flow. The data presented are taken from low-flow frequency curves and are for recurrence intervals of 20, 10, and 2 years. The low-flow frequency curves for the gaging stations .in the report area were compared with data for other gaging stations in the State with much longer periods of record. The comparisions were used to help define the shape of the low-flow frequency curves for gaging stations in the report area, thereby minimizing the effect of unusual drought events during the relatively short period of record at these gaging stations. Recurrence intervals computed on the basis of data thus modified are believed to be more nearly representative of events likely to occur in the future than results based only on records of gaging stations in the report area. 2Searcy, J. K., 1960, Graphical correlation of gaging station records pt. 1 of manual of hydrology, general surface-water techniques: U.S. Geological Survey Water-Supply Paper 1541-C, p. 67-100. 10 Storage As computed for this report, storage is a volume of water that would be required to supplement streamflows to maintain a constant rate of flow. For specific periods of record, storage may be computed by summation of the difference between daily flow rates and the desired constant rate. This is equivalent to the mass curve technique explained in most text books on hydrology. Frequency of storage requirements for this report was computed by using data from low-flow frequency curves to construct mass curves. For example, the average flows for various periods of consecutive days with a given recurrence interval, taken from the low-flow frequency curves, were used to construct mass curves of flow with that recurrence interval. The storage required to maintain various rates of constant flow was computed from these mass curves, and has the same recurrence interval as the flow data on which the mass curves are based. PRESENTATION OF RESULTS Complete-record gaging stations Statistics on the low flow at complete-record gaging stations are tabulated in table 2. The annual low flows for various periods of time, ranging from 1 day to 274 days, are average flows for the given number of days. These average flows are listed for 20-year, 10-year, and 2-year recurrence intervals. Table 2.-Magnitude and frequency of annual low flow at complete-record gaging stations .. 1 " c ...10. :s _ . U" E IWI ~.,.: e ~ a. . .. Q -! "... =~~ :ut":s~.c:. r-~! Ill: Discharge, in million gallons per day, for indicated number of consecutive days and indicated recurrence interval Number of co,nsecutive days 3 7 14 30 60 90 120 ISO 183 274 500 1.59 2 0.081 0.094 0.11 0.12 0.15 0.21 0.27 10 .022 .023 .025 .030 .043 .056 .073 20 .012 .013 .014 .017 .028 .038 .051 550 2.23 2 .29 .32 .34 .36 .41 10 .16 .16 .17 .18 .21 20 .12 .13 .13 .14 .18 .51 .58 .23 .27 .20 .22 600 .94 2 .091 .10 .11 .12 .15 .19 .24 10 .024 .026 .028 .035 .049 .062 .083 20 .015 .016 .017 .020 .033 .044 .059 650 134 2 11 12 13 15 18 10 2.3 2.5 2.8 3.5 5.2 20 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.8 3.2 24 28 7.0 9.5 4.5 6.5 700 5.54 2 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.2 1.3 10 .54 .54 .57 .62 .73 20 .42 .44 .45 .48 .61 1.6 1.7 .83 .96 .70 .81 Gaging stations are shown on the map. plate 1. and the locations are described in table 1. 0.30 .099 .072 .65 .32 .27 .26 .11 .082 32 13 9.3 1.8 1.1 .94 0.37 .13 .094 .76 .38 .31 .30 .13 .10 36 16 12 2.0 1.3 1.1 0.45 .17 .13 .87 .44 .37 .37 .16 .13 43 20 16 2.2 1.4 1.3 0.75 .35 .27 1.3 .74 .61 .57 .29 .24 67 35 29 2.7 1.9 1.8 Flow maps The main results of the study are presented in the flow maps of figures 1-17, which show data for nearly all the well-defined streams in the study area. Flow rates, in million gallons per day, were interpolated between the sites where flows were computed on basis of discharge measurements. These rates of flow, which are depicted graphically in terms of ranges of probable flow, can be read from the maps for any site. Figure 1 shows only the generalized stream pattern and the map numbers of measurement sites. It serves as an index map to facilitate the identification of specific sites on the flow maps. The probable range of flows to be expected at most points on streams in the basin may be read from the flow maps of figures 2, 3, 5 and 7 for the 20-year recurrence interval, from figures 9, 10, 12 and 14 for the 10-year recurrence interval, and from figure 16 for the 2-year recurrence interval. These flow maps show the average flows for selected periods of consecutive days. The annual low flows for periods of 7, 30, 90 and 274 days are shown by the maps for the 20-year and ~0-year recurrence intervals. Only the 7-day annual low flow is shown for the 2-year recurrence Interval. 11 Storage required to develop average flow If the prospective user of streamflow \Yishes to be sure of a water suppl~ available without interruption, he needs somewhat mo1e information than just the average flow to be expected during a certain number of rlc. .08 "C .0 6 1--1-- .......... / / 1-)......-- 1-- v 3 ............. / ./ ./ / / / / / v / v v v ... v v Q) t,......-::- c. v V2/ / / [/ v / v v v / v cU::l .04 ........... / I v - v / .2 / ~/ v c / C> v - c:: v / v 0 ::: .0 \./ v E / V" / / v v v / v . ~ - v ..... c IV I / ~ .0 ~ / / / / ~ ::Qc) .008 c ,3g .006 U IILI. (~ 8 11 \J OI IN QUS SU I'Ifl. ( ( TR[Al ... ( N T r-11(;1'1 11P( F'h' [ W (Nl QIY 10(0 " ' ""' W AY LAI I I UO ( I> N O lO N G.ITUO .. "'' t ~w Ti t,. "'' "r~ ,.I.PJII 0 "' ST JII l .t. W 0 11 C JIIl[J< W( SE .llv O IIIt .o ol>< O A"' ltf'HII VQ I II , ~ ~ 0 '1 P O I'rl 0 ~o. 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