U.S. Department of the Interior

U.S. Geological Survey

Scientific Investigations Report 2015–5124

Prepared in cooperation with the Nevada Department of Transportation

Discharge, Suspended Sediment, Bedload, and 

Water Quality in Clear Creek, Western Nevada, 

Water Years 2010–12
Cover: Photograph showing hydrologic technician, Joseph Joyner, hiking to headwater 

sample site, Clear Creek above Highway 50 near Spooner Summit, Nevada (USGS 

streamgage 10310485). (Photograph taken by Daniel Riddle, U.S. Geological Survey.)
Discharge, Suspended Sediment, 

Bedload, and Water Quality in Clear Creek, 

Western Nevada, Water Years 2010–12

By Jena M. Huntington and Charles S. Savard

Prepared in cooperation with the Nevada Department of Transportation

Scientific Investigations Report 2015–5124

U.S. Department of the Interior

U.S. Geological Survey
U.S. Department of the Interior

SALLY JEWELL, Secretary

U.S. Geological Survey

Suzette M. Kimball, Acting Director

U.S. Geological Survey, Reston, Virginia: 2015

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Suggested citation:

Huntington, J.M., and Savard, C.S., 2015, Discharge, suspended sediment, bedload, and water quality in Clear Creek, 

western Nevada, water years 2010–12: U.S. Geological Survey Scientific Investigations Report 2015-5124, 39 p., 

http://dx.doi.org/10.3133/sir20155124.

ISSN 2328-0328 (online)
iii

Contents

Abstract...........................................................................................................................................................1

Introduction ....................................................................................................................................................1

Purpose and Scope ..............................................................................................................................4

Previous Investigations........................................................................................................................4

Description of Study Area ...................................................................................................................4

Surface-Water Hydrology ............................................................................................................................5

Annual Peak Discharge and Floods...................................................................................................9

Sediment and Water-Quality Study Methods..........................................................................................12

Collection Methods ............................................................................................................................12

Sediment Concentration and Transport ..................................................................................................13

Suspended-Sediment Concentrations ............................................................................................13

Sediment Loads...................................................................................................................................17

Suspended-Sediment Loads....................................................................................................17

Bedload........................................................................................................................................23

Total Sediment Loads ................................................................................................................24

Water-Quality Characteristics ..................................................................................................................24

Summary and Conclusions.........................................................................................................................31

References Cited..........................................................................................................................................32

Appendix 1. Streamflow, Field Measurements, and Suspended-Sediment Analyses for 

Samples Collected at Clear Creek Sites, Western Nevada, Water Years 2010–12 .............35

Appendix 2. Bedload-Sediment Data for Samples Collected at Clear Creek sites, Nevada, 

Water Years 2010–12......................................................................................................................38

Appendix 3. Water-Quality Data for Samples Collected at Clear Creek sites, Nevada, 

Water Years 2010–12......................................................................................................................39
iv

Figures

1. Map showing Clear Creek drainage basin, land ownership, and sampling sites near

Carson City, western Nevada .....................................................................................................2

2. Map showing generalized land cover in the Clear Creek drainage basin, Carson

City and Douglas County, western Nevada..............................................................................3

3. Graph showing mean annual discharge for periods of record at site 2, Clear Creek

near Carson City, Nevada, water years 1949–62 and 1990–2012 .........................................6

4. Boxplots showing mean monthly discharge for periods of record, water years

1949–62 and 1990–2012 and monthly discharge for water years 2010–12, at site 2,

Clear Creek near Carson City, western Nevada......................................................................7

5. Graphs showing daily mean discharges for water year 2010, water year 2011, and

water year 2012 and periods of record for site 2, Clear Creek near Carson City,

western Nevada............................................................................................................................8

6. Graph showing flow duration at site 2, Clear Creek near Carson City, western

Nevada, water years 1949–2003, 2004–07, and 2010–12 ........................................................9

7. Graph showing annual peak discharge at site 2, Clear Creek near Carson City,

western Nevada, water years 1948–78 and 1989–2012........................................................10

8. Graph showing annual exceedance probability of annual peak discharges for site

2, Clear Creek near Carson City, western Nevada................................................................11

9. Graphs showing dates and types of samples collected and daily mean discharge

for water years 2010, 2011, and 2012, at site 2, Clear Creek near Carson City,

western Nevada..........................................................................................................................14

10. Boxplots showing distribution of suspended-sediment concentration at sites 1, 2,

and 3 on Clear Creek, western Nevada, during water years 2010–12 and 2004–07 ........15

11. Boxplots showing ranges of suspended-sediment concentrations measured under

specified ranges of discharge at site 1, site 2, and site 3, Clear Creek, western

Nevada, water years 2004–07 and 2010–12............................................................................16

12. Graphs showing relation between suspended-sediment concentration and sand

break for site 1, site 2, and site 3, Clear Creek, western Nevada, water years

2004–07 and 2010–12 ..................................................................................................................18

13. Boxplots showing distribution of suspended-sediment loads at sites 1, 2, and 3 on

Clear Creek, western Nevada, water years 2010–12 and 2004–07 ...................................19

14. Graphs showing relation between suspended-sediment transport rate and

instantaneous discharge for site 1, site 2, and site 3, Clear Creek, western Nevada.....21

15. Boxplots showing suspended-sediment loads measured under specified ranges

of discharge at site 1, site 2, and site 3, Clear Creek, western Nevada, water years

2004–07 and 2010–12 .................................................................................................................22
v

Figures—Continued

Tables

1. Description of discharge and sampling sites on Clear Creek, western Nevada ...............5

2. Annual exceedance probabilities of annual peak discharges for site 2, Clear Creek

near Carson City, western Nevada (USGS streamgage 10310500) for water years

1948–78 and 1989–2012 compared to Thomas and others (1997) results ..........................11

3. Median percentage of suspended sediment finer than 0.0625 millimeters by weight

for Clear Creek, western Nevada, water years 2004–07 and 2010–12...............................17

4. Coefficients and bias-correction factors for logarithm transformation analysis of

suspended-sediment and bedload-transport rates for sampling sites in Clear Creek,

western Nevada..........................................................................................................................20

5. Estimated annual suspended-sediment loads, annual bedload, total sediment load,

and total sediment yield for site 2, Clear Creek near Carson City, western Nevada

(USGS streamgage 10310500)...................................................................................................27

16. Graph showing relation between bedload and discharge at site 2, Clear Creek,

western Nevada, water years 2004–07 and 2010–12............................................................23

17. Graphs showing bedload composition and associated discharge at site 2, Clear

Creek near Carson City, western Nevada , water years 2010, 2011, and 2012 .................25

18. Graphs showing bedload composition and associated discharge at site 3, Clear

Creek, western Nevada, water years 2010 and 2011............................................................26

19. Graph showing relation between annual mean creek discharge and annual total

sediment load for site 2, Clear Creek near Carson City, western Nevada ........................27

20. Boxplots showing range of specific conductance measured at all three Clear Creek

sampling sites, western Nevada, water years 2010–12 ......................................................28

21. Graphs showing relation between discharge and specific conductance at ite 1, site

2, and site 3, Clear Creek, western Nevada, water years 2004–07 and 2010–12..............29

22. Graphs showing relation between discharge and dissolved calcium, sodium,

chloride, manganese, and iron concentrations for site 1, site 2, and site 3 for Clear

Creek, western Nevada, water years 2004–07 and 2010–12 ...............................................30
vi

Conversion Factors

Inch/Pound to International System of Units

Multiply By To obtain

Length

inch 0.0254 meter (m)

foot (ft) 0.3048 meter (m)

mile (mi) 1.609 kilometer (km)

Area

square mile (mi2

) 2.590 square kilometer (km2) 

Flow rate

acre-foot per year (acre-ft/yr) 1,233 cubic meter per year (m3

/yr)

acre-foot per year (acre-ft/yr) 0.001233 cubic hectometer per year (hm3

/yr)

cubic foot per second (ft3

/s) 0.02832 cubic meter per second (m3/s)

Mass

ton per day (ton/d) 0.9072 metric ton per day

ton per day (ton/d) 0.9072 megagram per day (Mg/d)

ton per year (ton/yr) 0.9072 megagram per year (Mg/yr)

ton per year (ton/yr) 0.9072 metric ton per year

ton per square mile per year

[(ton/mi2

)/yr]

0.3502 ton per square kilometer per year 

[(ton/km2)/yr]

Hydraulic gradient

foot per mile (ft/mi) 0.1894 meter per kilometer (m/km)

Temperature in degrees Celsius (°C) may be converted to degrees Fahrenheit (°F) as follows:

°F=(1.8×°C)+32.

Supplemental Information

Specific conductance is given in microsiemens per centimeter at 25 degrees Celsius

(μS/cm at 25 °C).

Concentrations of chemical constituents in water are given in either milligrams per liter (mg/L) 

or micrograms per liter (μg/L).

Datums

Vertical coordinate information is referenced to the National Geodetic Vertical Datum of 1929.

Horizontal coordinate information is referenced to the insert datum name North American 

Datum of 1983 (NAD 83).

Altitude, as used in this report, refers to distance above the vertical datum.
Discharge, Suspended Sediment, Bedload, and 

Water Quality in Clear Creek, Western Nevada, 

Water Years 2010–12

By Jena M. Huntington and Charles S. Savard

Abstract

Clear Creek is a small stream that drains the eastern 

Sierra Nevada near Lake Tahoe, flows roughly parallel to 

the U.S. Highway 50 corridor, and discharges to the Carson 

River near Carson City, Nevada. Historical and ongoing 

development in the drainage basin is thought to be affecting 

Clear Creek and its sediment-transport characteristics. A 

baseline study from water years 2004–07 collected and 

evaluated data at three Clear Creek sampling sites. These data 

included discharge, selected water-quality parameters, and 

suspended-sediment concentrations, loads, and yields. This 

study builds on what was learned from the baseline study in 

water years 2004–07 and serves as a continuation of the data 

collection and analyses of the Clear Creek discharge regime 

and associated water-quality and sediment concentrations and 

loads during water years 2010–12. 

During this study, total annual sediment loads ranged 

from 355 tons per year in 2010 to 1,768 tons per year in 

2011 and were significantly lower than the previous study 

(water years 2004–07). Bedload represented between 29 and 

38 percent of total sediment load in water years 2010–12, and 

between 72 and 90 percent of the total sediment load in water 

years 2004–07, which indicates a decrease in bedload between 

study periods. Annual suspended-sediment loads in water 

years 2010–12 indicated no significant change from water 

years 2004–07. Mean daily discharge was significantly lower 

in water years 2010–12 than in waters years 2004–07 and may 

be the reason for the decrease in bedload that resulted in a 

lower total sediment load. 

Introduction 

The Clear Creek drainage basin in Eagle Valley lies 

along the eastern front of the Sierra Nevada near Carson City, 

Nevada (fig. 1). The upper portions of the drainage basin 

border the Lake Tahoe Basin. Clear Creek is a perennial alpine 

stream that has its headwaters near Snow Valley Peak (altitude 

9,219 ft), with three main perennial branches and several small 

intermittent tributaries originating from springs and seeps. Clear 

Creek generally flows eastward along its approximate 12 mi 

length and discharges to the Carson River at an altitude of about 

4,600 ft near the small community of Stewart, Nevada (fig. 1). 

Clear Creek, for much of its upper reach, typifies the 

small, clear, cool streams of the Sierra Nevada as it winds its 

way through predominantly forested, shrub/scrub lands and 

occasional grassland areas (fig. 2; Homer and others, 2015). 

Forest fires, extreme precipitation events, and human activities 

have led to channel erosion and incision in the mid-portion 

of the drainage basin and sediment deposition in the lower 

portions of the drainage basin. Construction of large commercial 

buildings and parking lots adjacent to and near the creek’s 

lower reaches also may be affecting stream-water quality and 

sediment yield. Other potential anthropogenic influences on 

Clear Creek water quality and sediment loading may include the 

U.S. Highway 50 interchange (completed August 2007), a golf 

course (completed in 2008), and a residential community (under 

construction) in the mid-portion of the drainage basin. 

In addition to urbanization, another factor potentially 

affecting Clear Creek water quality is the application of road 

salt to roads in the drainage basin. To provide winter access 

to private, State, Federal, and Tribal lands in the basin, salt is 

applied to Old Clear Creek Road (fig. 1) and, in places, the road 

is in close proximity to the stream. In the lower reaches of Clear 

Creek, the stream may be affected by urban and highway runoff, 

agricultural return flows, and seepage from septic-tank systems. 

In February 2004, the Nevada Division of Environmental 

Protection (NDEP) issued a “National Pollutant Discharge 

Elimination System” permit to the Nevada Department of 

Transportation (NDOT) for pollutants discharged into the 

municipal storm water sewer system (Nevada Department of 

Transportation, 2005). In response, NDOT developed the Clear 

Creek Storm Water Management Program in 2005 to meet the 

requirements of the permit, which were to reduce the discharge 

of pollutants to the storm water drainage systems associated 

with highways and highway-related properties, facilities, and 

activities operated by NDOT in the Clear Creek drainage basin. 
2 Discharge, Suspended Sediment, Bedload, and Water Quality in Clear Creek, Western Nevada, Water Years 2010–12

Clear Creek

Kings Canyon Creek

Ash Canyon Creek

Carson River

Marlette

Lake

Spooner

Lake

Carson City

Johnson Lane

£

£US

50

£US

395

SR

513

£US

50

£US

395

£US

395

US

50

JACKS VALLEY ROAD

OLD CLEAR CREEK ROAD

Site 1

Site 2 Site 3

Nevada Department

of Transportation

Erosion Mitigation

Area

Highway 

Interchange

Golf Course 

Fuji Park 

Snow Valley

Peak

Stewart

WASHOE COUNTY

CARSON CITY

CARSON CITY

DOUGLAS COUNTY

0 0.5 1 2 3 4 MILES

0 1 2 3 4 0.5 KILOMETERS

Base shaded relief from National Elevation Dataset (NED), 2014. Watershed Boundary Dataset (WBD) 

from Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), 2014. Roads from U.S. Census Bureau 

Tiger Line Data, 2014. Land cover from the 2011 National Land Cover Dataset (NLCD), 

U.S Geological Survey, 2015. Universal Transverse Mercator projection, Zone 11 North

North American Datum of 1983

119°54' 51' 48' 119°45'

39°

10'

08'

06'

04'

39°

02'

NEVADA

Area of

map

Land ownership, 2010

Boundary of Clear Creek drainage basin

EXPLANATION

Private

Bureau of Indian Affairs

Bureau of Land Management

Forest Service

Nevada State Lands

Nevada Lake Tahoe State Park

Clear Creek sample site Site 1

Figure 1. Clear Creek drainage basin, land ownership, and sampling sites near Carson City, western Nevada. Drainage basin 

boundary from U.S. Geological Survey and U.S. Department of Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation Service (2013).
Introduction 3

sac15-4209_fig02

Clear Creek

Kings Canyon Creek

Ash Canyon Creek

Carson River

Marlette

Lake

Spooner

Lake

Carson City

Johnson Lane

£

£US

50

£US

395

SR

513

£US

50

£US

395

£US

395

US

50

JACKS VALLEY ROAD

Site 1

Site 2 Site 3

Nevada Department

of Transportation

Erosion Mitigation

Area Highway 

Interchange

Golf Course 

Snow Valley

Peak

Stewart

WASHOE COUNTY

CARSON CITY

CARSON CITY

DOUGLAS COUNTY

0 0.5 1 2 3 4 MILES

0 1 2 3 4 0.5 KILOMETERS

Base shaded relief from National Elevation Dataset (NED), 2014. Watershed Boundary Dataset (WBD) 

from Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), 2014. Roads from U.S. Census Bureau 

Tiger Line Data, 2014. Land cover from the 2011 National Land Cover Dataset (NLCD), 

U.S Geological Survey, 2015. Universal Transverse Mercator projection, Zone 11 North

North American Datum of 1983

119°54' 51' 48' 119°45'

39°

10'

08'

06'

04'

39°

02'

NEVADA

Area of

map

EXPLANATION

Land cover representative of 2011

Open water

Developed, open space

Developed, low intensity

Developed, medium intensity

Developed, high intensity

Barren land

Evergreen forest

Shrub/scrub

Grasslands/herbaceous

Agricultural land

Emergent herbaceous wetlands

Boundary of Clear Creek

drainage basin

Clear Creek sample site Site 1

OLD CLEAR CREEK ROAD

Figure 2. Generalized land cover in the Clear Creek drainage basin, Carson City and Douglas County, western Nevada. Drainage 

basin boundary from U.S. Geological Survey and U.S. Department of Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation Service (2013).
4 Discharge, Suspended Sediment, Bedload, and Water Quality in Clear Creek, Western Nevada, Water Years 2010–12

As part of NDOT’s Storm Water Management Program, the 

U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) began a cooperative study 

with NDOT to assess baseline conditions of general water 

quality and sediment loading within the Clear Creek drainage 

basin. Water-quality and sediment data were collected during 

water years1 2004–07 (initial phase of this cooperative study) 

and results reported by Seiler and Wood (2009). This report 

provides additional information on sediment and water-quality 

characteristics in Clear Creek during 2010–12. 

Purpose and Scope

Discharge, sediment, and water-quality data were 

collected during 2010–12 at three sites in the Clear Creek 

drainage basin (fig. 1) in collaboration with NDOT. The 

objectives of this study were to build on previous monitoring 

and investigative studies in the Clear Creek drainage basin 

by evaluating (1) long-term stream discharge, (2) long-term 

sediment transport properties and potential changes in total 

sediment load over time, and (3) concentrations of selected 

chemical constituents in Clear Creek.

Previous Investigations

Numerous studies have collected data in the Clear Creek 

drainage basin. Glancy and Katzer (1976), in their appraisal 

of the Carson River Basin, reported the 1948–62 Clear Creek 

annual mean discharge was 5.42 ft3/s. Piper (1969) studied 

runoff in the Carson Valley area and determined that runoff 

was greater at higher elevations and decreased with increasing 

distance from the Sierra Nevada. Discharge data collected in 

the Clear Creek drainage basin by the USGS were published in 

the annual data report (U.S. Geological Survey, 2012a) and are 

available from the USGS National Water Information System. 

The long-term annual mean discharge at the streamgage on 

Clear Creek near Carson City (fig. 1, site 2, USGS streamgage 

10310500) is 5.31 ft3/s (period of record 1949–62 and 

1990–2012). 

Several studies have focused on sediment movement in 

the Clear Creek drainage basin, including Brown and Skau 

(1977), Fisher (1978), Stevenson (1989), Fritchel (2003), 

and PBS&J (2003). PBS&J (2003) found that sediment 

transported in Clear Creek could reach the Carson River 

during major flood events. Seiler and Wood (2009) determined 

that, when discharge was high enough to transport bedload, 

it was primarily composed of sand and gravel (80 percent 

sand) and that bedload contributed 6–92 percent (average of 

73 percent) of the total sediment load in the creek (Seiler and 

Wood, 2009, p. 26). These results are similar to those found 

by Fisher (1978), where bedload contributed 78 percent of 

the total sediment load. Seiler and Wood (2009) reported 

suspended-sediment concentrations of 2–1,150 mg/L in 

2004–07, with the highest concentrations occurring during 

isolated storm runoff events and snowmelt runoff in the 

spring. Generally, water quality in Clear Creek met all U.S. 

Environmental Protection Agency primary and secondary 

drinking-water standards, with the exception of turbidity, 

which exceeded the 5 Nephelometric Turbidity Units (NTU) 

standard during spring runoff and storm events.

Description of Study Area

The Clear Creek study area covers almost 19.8 mi2 and 

drains the eastern slope of the Sierra Nevada in the Eagle 

Valley hydrographic area2 of the Carson River drainage 

basin (fig. 1). This study area is nearly 2 mi2 larger than 

what Seiler and Wood (2009, p. 3) reported because the 

Clear Creek drainage basin boundary was delineated during 

this study using an updated watershed boundary dataset 

(U.S. Geological Survey and U.S. Department of Agriculture, 

Natural Resources Conservation Service, 2013). The altitudes 

in the study area ranges from about 9,200 ft in the headwaters 

to 4,765 ft at Fuji Park (near site 3). After leaving Fuji Park, 

Clear Creek flows an additional 2.5 mi to its confluence with 

the Carson River in southern Carson City (fig. 1). The average 

main channel slope is about 1,000 ft/mi at the high-elevation 

headwaters area, about 308 ft/mi (6 percent slope) in the 

1-mile reach upstream of site 2, and about 58 ft/mi (1 percent 

slope) where Clear Creek enters Eagle Valley (Seiler and 

Wood, 2009, p. 17). 

Seiler and Wood (2009, p. 3–12) describe the climate, 

land use, vegetation cover, road network, geology, and soils 

in the study area. To summarize, the study area lies in the rain 

1

A water year is the period from October 1 to September 30; it is designated 

by the year in which it ends. Water year is used almost exclusively throughout 

this report. In order to reduce confusion between calendar years and water 

years in this report, all reference to years and periods is to water years unless 

specifically referred to as calendar year.

2

Formal hydrographic areas in Nevada were delineated systematically 

by the U.S. Geological Survey and Nevada Division of Water Resources 

in the late 1960s for scientific and administrative purposes (Cardinalli 

and others, 1968; Rush, 1968). The official hydrographic-area names, 

numbers, and geographic boundaries continue to be used in U.S. Geological 

Survey information products and Nevada Division of Water Resources 

administrative activities.
Surface-Water Hydrology 5

shadow of the Sierra Nevada and precipitation falls primarily 

as winter snow; however, winter and/or summer thunderstorms 

also can generate considerable precipitation. Jeffrey pine 

(Pinus jeffreyi) and white fir (Abies concolor) are dominant 

on the high east- and north-facing slopes. Manzanita (of 

genus Arctostaphylos) and sagebrush (Artemisia tridentate) 

prevail on the south-facing slopes and low altitudes. The 

Clear Creek watershed drainage basin is composed mostly 

of Mesozoic granite of the Sierra Nevada batholith (Moore, 

1969; Stewart, 1980; Seiler and Wood, 2009), with small areas 

of metavolcanic and metamorphic rocks in the northwestern 

part of the basin (Seiler and Wood, 2009, fig. 8). Alluvial 

deposits, derived from the adjacent mountains, dominate the 

geology from where the creek emerges from the canyon to its 

confluence with the Carson River (Moore, 1969).

The study area is mostly undeveloped; however, 

commercial development has occurred in the eastern low 

altitudes area since 2003 (Seiler and Wood, 2009, fig. 3). 

Developments in the study area, which disrupt the natural 

flow of surface water, have included the road network, several 

residential areas, a golf course, and a commercial development 

(fig. 2). The road network, U.S. Highway 50, Old Clear Creek 

Road, and access roads, have been major contributors to 

erosion processes (Stevenson, 1989; Forman, 2003). Large 

road cuts and embankments formed steep slopes susceptible to 

rill erosion and landslides. Discharge from culverts associated 

with the road development also have caused gullies. NDOT, as 

part of the Storm Water Management Program, has identified 

areas most susceptible to erosion and has begun implementing 

mitigation efforts (see erosion mitigation area in fig. 2; 

Christopher Holman, Nevada Department of Transportation, 

written commun., February 9, 2015). 

Surface-Water Hydrology

Discharge was measured at the same three sites in the 

Clear Creek drainage basin (fig. 1, table 1) as measured by 

Seiler and Wood (2009). Site 1 represents the 2.4 mi2 forested 

and undeveloped headwaters area of Clear Creek upstream of 

U.S. Highway 50 (fig. 2). Site 2 represents the reach of Clear 

Creek that extends 5.7 river miles downstream of site 1 and 

an additional 13.0 mi2 of drainage area (15.4 mi2 cumulative) 

consisting of shrub/scrub community vegetation, forest, dense 

riparian vegetation, and low-density residential areas (fig. 2). 

Just upstream of the streamgage (site 2), Clear Creek enters a 

narrow granite bedrock canyon. Site 3 represents the reach of 

Clear Creek that extends 1.4 river miles downstream of site 2 

and an additional 2.7 mi2 drainage area (18.1 mi2 cumulative) 

consisting of similar land cover as site 2, with the addition 

of some urbanized areas (fig. 2). After exiting the narrow 

granite bedrock canyon at site 2, Clear Creek proceeds across 

an alluvial fan and then to Fuji Park and U.S. Highway 395. 

More detailed site descriptions are provided in Seiler and 

Wood (2009).

At sites 1 and 3, only discrete discharge measurements 

were made during sediment or water-quality sampling. The 

site 2 streamgage, Clear Creek near Carson City, Nevada 

(USGS streamgage 10310500; altitude 5,000 ft) was a 

continuous recording streamgage from 1948 to 1962 and 

from 1989 to 2012. From 1963 to 1988, the streamgage was 

a crest‐stage gage and only peak discharges were determined. 

When the streamgage was operating continuously, stage was 

recorded at 15-minute intervals and then 15-minute discharges 

were computed (Rantz, 1982a, 1982b). Daily mean discharge 

was computed from the 15-minute discharges. During periods 

of ice effect3 or instrument malfunction, daily mean discharges 

were estimated. Discrete discharge measurements were taken 

at site 2 during sediment and water-quality sampling events 

throughout the study period (2010–12). All summary discharge 

data for the three sites have been published in USGS annual 

data reports (U.S. Geological Survey, 2010, 2011, 2012b). 

3

“Ice effect,” as described by Rantz (1982b, p. 360), is when the formation 

of ice in stream channels affects the stage-discharge relation by causing 

backwater that varies in effect with the quantity and nature of the ice, as well 

as with the discharge.

Table 1. Description of discharge and sampling sites on Clear Creek, western Nevada.

[Latitude and longitude are in degrees, minutes, seconds, North American Datum of 1983 (NAD 83). Site altitude is in feet above National Geodetic Vertical 

Datum of 1929 (NGVD 29)]

Site No.

(see fig. 1) Site name USGSstation ID Latitude Longitude

Drainage 

area

(square 

miles)

Site

altitude 

1 Clear Creek above Highway 50, near Spooner Summit 10310485 39o07'14'' 119o52'35'' 2.4 6,620

2 Clear Creek near Carson City 10310500 39o06'48'' 119o47'50'' 15.5 5,000

3 Clear Creek at Fuji Park, at Carson City 10310518 39o06'52'' 119o46'32'' 17.8 4,765
6 Discharge, Suspended Sediment, Bedload, and Water Quality in Clear Creek, Western Nevada, Water Years 2010–12

Annual mean discharge at site 2 has varied throughout 

the periods of continuous gaging (1949–62 and 1990–2012) 

(fig. 3). Discharge data from 2010 to 2012 were added to 

the long-term dataset as part of this study, resulting in a 

long-term mean annual discharge of 5.31 ft3/s at site 2. The 

mean annual discharge at site 2 during this study was 3.25 ft3/s 

in 2010, 7.13 ft3/s in 2011, and 3.99 ft3/s in 2012 (fig. 3). 

The maximum mean annual discharge for the creek over 

the entire period of record was 13.4 ft3/s in 1997, and the 

minimum was 2.09 ft3/s in 1992. The variation in mean annual 

discharge is caused primarily by the annual variation of 

snowpack in the drainage basin; however, significant rain-onsnow events can occur, such as in 1997. During the previous 

study (2004–07), only 2006 mean annual discharge (8.64 ft3/s) 

was greater than the long-term mean annual discharge; during 

the current study (2010–12), only 2011 mean annual discharge 

(7.13 ft3/s) was greater than the long-term mean annual 

discharge (fig. 3). 

Mean monthly discharge at site 2 for the periods 

of record (March 1948–September 1962 and February 1989–

September 2012) ranged from 0.67 to 36.3 ft3/s (fig. 4). Mean 

monthly discharge statistics were computed based on months 

for which complete records of discharge were available. 

Generally, the maximum median mean-monthly discharge was 

in April, while the minimum median discharge was in August 

and September. Discharge in water year 2010 was less than 

average because nearly all monthly mean discharges were 

less than the median mean monthly discharge for the period 

of record (fig. 4). During water year 2011, October–February 

mean monthly discharges generally were less than the median 

mean monthly discharges for the period of record; however, 

high streamflow resulting from an above-normal snowpack 

increased the March–September mean monthly discharge to 

greater than the 75th percentile for mean monthly discharges 

for the period of record (fig. 4). October and November in 

water year 2012 continued to exhibit greater mean monthly 

discharge; however, from April through September 2012, 

mean monthly discharge receded to less than the mean 

monthly discharge for the period of record (fig. 4). The 

greatest January outlier corresponds to the 1997 rain-on-snow 

event, and the greatest April and May outliers both correspond 

to a 1952 event (fig. 4). 

0.00 

1.50 

3.00 

4.50 

6.00 

7.50 

9.00 

10.50 

12.00 

13.50 

1949 1950 

1951 

1952 1953 

1954 1955 

1956 

1957 1958 

1959 1960 

1961 

1962 

data gap 

1990 

1991 

1992 1993 

1994 1995 

1996 

1997 1998 

1999 2000 

2001 

2002 2003 

2004 2005 

2006 

2007 2008 

2009 2010 

2011 

2012 

Year

Mean annual discharge, in cubic feet per second

Long-term mean annual discharge

(5.31 cubic feet per second)

Figure 3. Mean annual discharge for periods of record at site 2, Clear Creek near Carson City, Nevada (USGS 

streamgage 10310500), water years 1949–62 and 1990–2012.
Surface-Water Hydrology 7

sac15-4209_fig04

Oct. Nov. Dec. Jan. Feb. Mar. Apr. May June July Aug. Sept.

Mean monthly discharge, in cubic feet per second

0

10

20

30

40

Water year 2010

Water year 2011

Water year 2012 

37 37 37 37 38 39 39 39 39 39 39 39 EXPLANATION

Monthly discharge

37 Number of values

90th percentile

Outlier or outside value—Values 

are more than 1.0 times the 

semiquartile range from the top 

or bottom of the box

75th percentile

Median

25th percentile

10th percentile

Vertical line—Line from box 

extends to the limit of data

Semiquartile

range

Mean monthly discharge

Figure 4. Mean monthly discharge for periods of record, water years 1949–62 and 1990–2012 and monthly discharge for water 

years 2010–12, at site 2, Clear Creek near Carson City, western Nevada (USGS streamgage 10310500).

Daily mean discharge of Clear Creek ranged from 

0.87 to 45 ft3/s during 2010–12 (figs. 5A–5C). Relatively low 

discharge conditions occurred in Clear Creek during 2010 

and 2012 (figs. 5A and 5C). In 2011, above-normal snowpack 

led to greater snowmelt, increasing discharge in Clear Creek 

to above normal throughout the spring and into the autumn 

(fig. 5B). Daily mean discharge of Clear Creek is important 

because it is used to compute annual sediment loads. 

For the purposes of this study, flow-duration curves 

were created for stream discharge measured at site 2 for three 

periods of record to better understand any differences in 

sediment transport dynamics in the system. Figure 6 shows, 

for example, that 30 percent of the mean daily discharges in 

Clear Creek are likely to equal or exceed 6 ft3

/s. The long-term 

discharge dataset was used to characterize low, moderate, 

and high discharge conditions for Clear Creek (fig. 6, upper 

x-axis). For the purposes of this evaluation, 

• low discharge conditions were defined as mean 

daily discharges less than the 25th percentile (about 

2.4 ft3/s); 

• moderate discharge conditions were defined as 

mean daily discharges representing the 25th and 

75th percentiles of mean daily discharges, respectively 

(about 2.4 to 6.7 ft3/s); and, 

• high discharge conditions were defined as mean daily 

discharges exceeding the 75th percentile (6.7 ft3/s). 

The actual stream-discharge values associated with each 

percentile of the dataset may change over time as additional 

discharge data become available and are incorporated into the 

long-term dataset. When using the discharge characterizations, 

it should be understood that the 25th discharge percentile 

(about 2.4 ft3/s) is exceeded 75 percent of the time (fig. 6).

A visual comparison of mean daily discharge for 2004–07 

and 2010–12 to the long-term record (1949–2003) shows 

that, with the exception of the extreme high-discharge and 

low-discharge endpoints, discharge characteristics among the 

three periods of record were similar, as evidenced by the mean 

daily discharges between the 2nd (19 ft3

/s) and 91st (1.5 ft3/s) 

percentiles (fig. 6). During 2004–07, there were more mean 

daily discharges greater than 20 ft3/s, which likely resulted 

from the 2006 flood. Departures from the long-term record on 

the low-discharge end (greater than 95th percentile) represent 

small increments of discharge relative to departures on the 

high-discharge end (less than 1st percentile). When compared 

to the long-term dataset, mean daily discharges for both the 

previous and current datasets were within the range of flows 

historically observed for the creek. 
8 Discharge, Suspended Sediment, Bedload, and Water Quality in Clear Creek, Western Nevada, Water Years 2010–12

sac15-4209_fig05

0.1

1

10

100

1,000

0.1

1

10

100

1,000

0.1

1

10

100

1,000

Daily mean discharge, in cubic feet per second

A. water year 2010

Maximum water years 1949–62 and 1990–2012

Mean water years 1949–62 and 1990–2012

Minimum water years 1949–62 and 1990–2012

Water year

EXPLANATION

B. water year 2011

C. water year 2012

Oct. Nov. Dec. Jan. Feb. Mar. Apr. May June July Aug. Sept. 

Figure 5. Daily mean discharges for (A) water year 2010, (B) water year 2011, and (C) water year 2012 and 

periods of record for site 2, Clear Creek near Carson City, western Nevada (USGS streamgage 10310500).
Surface-Water Hydrology 9

sac15-4209_fig06

Long-term dataset 1949–2003

Previous dataset 2004–07

Current dataset 2010–12

Mean daily discharge, in cubic feet per second

0.1

1

10

100

1,000

EXPLANATION

High discharge Moderate discharge Low discharge

98 99 99.899.9

0.05

99.95

99.99

0.1

0.01 521 10 20 30 50 70 80 90 95 0.2

Percentage of time indicated discharge was equaled or exceeded 

0.5

Discharge percentile 99.99

99 95 90 75 50 25 10 5 1 0.01

Figure 6. Flow duration at site 2, Clear Creek near Carson City, western Nevada (USGS streamgage 10310500), water 

years 1949–2003 (long-term dataset), 2004–07 (previous dataset), and 2010–12 (current dataset).

The shape (slope) of a flow-duration curve can be used 

to determine hydrologic and geologic characteristics of a 

drainage area (Searcy, 1959, p. 22). Curves that exhibit a 

relatively flat slope at the low end (low discharge) generally 

are indicative of a snowmelt-dominated drainage basin (high 

discharges are distributed over fairly long time periods), as is 

the case in Clear Creek. The sudden changes in slope seen in 

the previous dataset (2004–07; discharge greater than 22 ft3/s) 

and in the current dataset (2010–12; discharge greater than 

about 10 ft3/s) are likely caused by the 2006 storm event and 

the 2011 spring runoff, which followed an above average 

snowpack (see section, “Annual Peak Discharge and Floods”), 

which can be considered to be more episodic than distributed 

events. Maurer and others (2008) also found similarly shaped 

duration curves in the Carson River Basin.

Annual Peak Discharge and Floods

The annual peak discharge of a stream is the maximum 

instantaneous discharge recorded during a given water 

year. Peak discharge varies from water year to water year 

depending on the amount of snow and the water content of the 

snowpack in the drainage basin, the melt rate, and occurrences 

of rain-on-snow or summer thunderstorm events. At site 2, 

55 annual peak discharges were measured during 1948–78 

and 1989–2012 and greatly varied, ranging from 5 to 266 ft3/s 

(fig. 7). The minimum annual peak discharge was 5 ft3/s in 

1976 and 1977. The maximum and second largest measured 

annual peak discharges were 266 ft3/s on January 2, 1997 

and 252 ft3/s on December 31, 2005, respectively, both of 

which were the result of rain-on-snow events associated with 

unseasonably warm winter storms. 

Streamflow recurrence intervals are useful when 

evaluating the probability of a particular flow event occurring 

during any given year (Robinson and others, 1998). Changes 

in recurrence intervals can occur for a stream when significant 

changes arise in the stream’s discharge pattern. These 

changes can be caused by natural events or human-related 

activities. Generally, changes occur more often when 

recurrence intervals are short rather than when they are long 

(Robinson and others, 1998). During high discharge events 

and floods, sediment transport is increased by the increased 

velocity of flood waters in the channel and increased erosion 

processes in the drainage basin (Seiler and Wood, 2009, 

p. 34). Characterizing high discharge events, magnitudes, and 

frequency helps to understand sediment movement dynamics 

within the creek. 
10 Discharge, Suspended Sediment, Bedload, and Water Quality in Clear Creek, Western Nevada, Water Years 2010–12

Figure 7. Annual peak discharge at site 2, Clear Creek near Carson City, western Nevada (USGS streamgage 

10310500), water years 1948–78 and 1989–2012.

sac15-4209_fig07

0 

50 

100 

150 

200 

250 

300 

1945 1950 1955 1960 1965 1970 1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010 2015 

Annual peak discharge, in cubic feet per second

Water year

The probability of a peak discharge being exceeded 

during a water year can be determined with a flood 

frequency analysis, which is a form of recurrence interval 

evaluation (Interagency Advisory Committee on Water 

Data, 1982). A flood frequency analysis using annual peak 

discharges from 1948 to 1978 found drainage area, mean 

basin elevation, and latitude were significant in estimating 

a flood‐frequency relationship (Thomas and others, 1997). 

A new flood‐frequency analysis was created using the 

55 annual peak discharges (systematic annual peaks) 

measured at site 2 during 1948–78 and 1989–2012 (fig. 8). 

This statistical analysis involved computing flood frequency 

(recurrence) estimates by using an expected moments 

algorithm (EMA) (Cohn and others, 1997, 2001; Veilleux 

and others, 2013) and fitting a known statistical distribution 

model (log-Pearson Type III) to the series of Clear Creek 

annual peak discharges (Interagency Advisory Committee 

on Water Data, 1982). The EMA method has been used to 

characterize recurrence estimates for other streams in the 

Sierra Nevada in California (Parrett and others, 2011; Gotvald 

and others, 2012). 

Low outliers are peak discharges that are significantly 

less than other recorded discharges, such as zero flow for 

a perennial stream during a drought year. The multiple 

Grubbs‐Beck test was used to look for low outliers (Cohn and 

others, 2013). No annual peak discharges qualified as a low 

outlier for Clear Creek during 1948–78 or 1989–2012; thus, 

all annual peak discharges were used in the EMA analysis 

(U.S. Geological Survey, 2010, 2011, 2012). A generalized 

skew value of 0.156 was used from Interagency Advisory 

Committee on Water Data (1982, pl. 1) to adjust the station 

skew of 0.380 for a weighted skew of 0.309. 

The annual exceedance probabilities for the 55 annual 

peak discharges (U.S. Geological Survey, 2013) using 

the EMA are plotted in figure 8, and selected annual 

peak discharge exceedance probabilities and recurrence 

intervals are shown in table 2. The annual exceedance 

probability of 1 percent suggests that once every 100 years 

a flood event in the Clear Creek drainage basin can cause an 

estimated annual peak discharge of 336 ft3/s. The maximum 

observed annual peak discharge of 266 ft3/s, on January 2, 

1997, was estimated to have an annual exceedance probability 

of 1.8 percent. The second greatest observed annual peak 

discharge of 252 ft3/s, on December 31, 2005, was estimated 

to have an annual exceedance probability of 3.6 percent. 

The annual peak discharges for 2010 (13 ft3/s), 2011 

(87 ft3/s), and 2012 (35 ft3/s) exceeded the 10 percent annual 

exceedance probability. 
Surface-Water Hydrology 11

Figure 8. Annual exceedance probability of annual peak discharges for site 2, Clear Creek near Carson City, western 

Nevada (USGS streamgage 10310500).

Table 2. Annual exceedance probabilities of annual peak discharges for site 2, Clear Creek near Carson City, 

western Nevada (USGS streamgage 10310500) for water years 1948–78 and 1989–2012 compared to Thomas and 

others (1997) results.

[–, no data available]

Annual 

exceedance 

probability 

(percent)

Recurrence 

interval

(years)

Annual peak discharge 

1948–78 and 1989–2012 Thomas and others (1997), 1948–78

Gage values 

Weighted

regional 

adjustment 

Gage values

Weighted

regional

adjustment 

(cubic feet per second)

50 2 26 27 29 30

20 5 62 63 67 66

10 10 101 101 103 120

4 25 174 170 162 207

2 50 251 243 217 297

1 100 353 336 282 408

0.5 200 486 456 – –

0.2 500 725 666 – –

sac15-4209_fig08

Upper 95-percent confidence limits

Expected moments algorithm using weighted skew for 1948–78 and 1989–2012

Lower 95-percent confidence limits

Thomas and others (1997) station flood-frequency curve for 1948–78

Systematic annual peaks 1948–78 and 1989–2012

EXPLANATION

Annual exceedance probability, in percent

9899 95 90 7080 50 2030 10 5 0.20.512

Annual peak discharge, in cubic feet per second

1

10

100

1,000

10,000
12 Discharge, Suspended Sediment, Bedload, and Water Quality in Clear Creek, Western Nevada, Water Years 2010–12

Sediment and Water-Quality Study 

Methods

Samples were collected during 2010–12 at three sites 

on Clear Creek to characterize the sediment-transport 

characteristics and water quality in three distinct reaches of 

the creek (fig. 2). These three sites were the same sites where 

Seiler and Wood (2009) collected and analyzed sediment and 

water-quality data during 2004–07. Continued data collection 

at these three sites allows for the comparison of current data to 

baseline conditions and the evaluation of data over time.

Samples collected at site 1 were collected upstream of 

the culvert where U.S. Highway 50 crosses Clear Creek at an 

altitude of 6,620 ft (fig. 2). Site 2 samples were collected just 

upstream of the concrete weir at the streamgage at an altitude 

of 5,000 ft. Site 3 samples were collected just downstream of 

a cement culvert in a dense stand of willows within Fuji Park, 

which is adjacent to a major commercial development in 

Carson City at an altitude of 4,765 ft (figs. 1 and 2).

Collection Methods 

Samples collected at the three Clear Creek sites were 

analyzed for sediment (suspended-sediment concentration 

and bedload), particle-size distribution and sand break, 

and selected water-quality constituents. Sand break is the 

fraction of the suspended sediment whose particle size is less 

than 0.0625 mm. When creek discharge was sufficient, the 

suspended-sediment samples were collected with a hand-held 

DH-48 sampler (Edwards and Glysson, 1999) at several points 

distributed in equal-width increments across the creek. When 

the depth of water in the stream was less than about 0.5 ft, 

samples were collected by dipping a glass bottle in the stream 

at a single point in the centroid of flow. 

Samples analyzed for bedload and particle-size 

distribution were collected using a Helley-Smith bedload 

sampler (Helley and Smith, 1971) or a BLH-84 sampler 

(Davis and Federal Interagency Sedimentation Project, 2005; 

Federal Interagency Sedimentation Project, 2013). The 

bedload sampler was lowered to the streambed and held in 

place for 30–60 seconds at each sampling point across the 

active stream channel. The length of time the sampler was 

held in place was the same at each point during each sampling 

event. The bedload sediment transport rate, in tons per day, 

was computed using the weight of the sample collected, 

diameter of sampler nozzle, number of sample points, width 

of each section, width of stream, and the number of seconds 

the sampler was deployed (Edwards and Glysson, 1999, eq. 4, 

p. 80).

Field measurements of water temperature, specific 

conductance, and pH were made prior to collecting samples 

for chemical analysis at the three sites. Field measurements 

of water quality were made using the procedures outlined in 

the USGS National Field Manual (Wilde, variously dated) 

for the collection of water-quality data. Samples analyzed for 

chemical analysis were collected with a hand-held DH-81 

sampler (Wilde and others, 2014) and sent to the USGS 

National Water Quality Laboratory (NWQL) in Denver, 

Colorado, for analysis of major ions, nutrients, trace elements, 

and pesticides.

Replicate samples of suspended-sediment concentration 

were collected for quality assurance and quality control 

(Horowitz and others, 1994) at each of the three Clear Creek 

sample sites during 2010–12. Each replicate sample was 

collected within 15 minutes after the regular environmental 

sample and was assumed to represent similar flow and 

sediment conditions; however, creek characteristics can 

be dynamic, which commonly results in some differences 

between environmental and replicate samples. Relative 

differences between environmental and replicate 

suspended-sediment sample concentrations at site 1 (n=11) 

ranged from 0 to 66 percent (median coefficient of variation of 

26 percent). One replicate sample, however, was 142 percent 

lower than the environmental sample and may have been 

caused by small differences in the way the sediment samples 

were collected between replicates. Site 2 replicate samples 

(n=18) were generally in good agreement, with differences 

ranging from 0 to 50 percent; however, one replicate sample 

was 133 percent lower than the environmental sample, 

which is attributed to differences in sample collection 

methods between replicates (median coefficient of variation 

of 10 percent). Site 3 replicate samples (n=11) were in 

mostly good agreement with differences ranging from 0 to 

22 percent (median coefficient of variation of 3 percent). 

Given the degree of variability in suspended-sediment 

concentrations between the environmental and replicate 

samples from the headwaters to the downstream reach of the 

study area, definitive changes in suspended-sediment transport 

characteristics will likely be more apparent at downstream 

reaches in the stream than in the headwaters.

Several statistical tests, the Mann-Whitney Rank-Sum 

and the t-test, were used throughout the sediment and waterquality data analysis in this study to determine whether 

two datasets were statistically different. Instances where 

differences between datasets were not significant indicate that 

the samples collected during 2010–12 are still representative 

of what is considered baseline conditions. Alternatively, 

instances where differences between datasets were significant 

indicate that sediment transport in Clear Creek is different 

from baseline conditions. The Mann-Whitney Rank-Sum test 

was used most often because it can compare two groups of 

data without the required assumptions of normality (Helsel 

and Hirsch, 2002, p. 118). The t-test also was used in the few 

instances where the two datasets were normally distributed 

(Helsel and Hirsch, 2002, p. 124). The t-test is more powerful 

in distinguishing significant differences among data that are 

normally distributed; however, it requires normality. The 

Mann-Whitney Rank-Sum, although not as powerful as the 

t-test, is more widely applicable to environmental data because 

often times environmental data are not normally distributed. A 

significance test also was used to assess whether correlations 
Sediment Concentration and Transport 13

among various parameters were significantly different from 

one another as represented during both periods of evaluation 

(Cohen and others, 2003, p. 272–274). With all these statistical 

significance tests, a p-value less than 0.05 is considered 

indicative of a significant difference between the two datasets. 

Sediment Concentration and Transport 

As part of this study, samples for analyses of suspendedand bedload-sediment and water quality were collected 

during periods of base flow, storm events, and throughout 

the snowmelt-runoff period at the three sample sites (fig. 9, 

appendixes 1–3). Collection of samples over a wide range of 

stream discharges and over several years is important to more 

accurately depict sediment transport characteristics during all 

flow regimes (Uhrich and Bragg, 2003). With the exception 

of water year 2010, sampling during this study was generally 

initiated when peak discharges occurred (fig. 9). During runoff 

and base-flow conditions, all three sites were sampled on the 

same day, if possible. During some spring runoff events, only 

the lower portions of the drainage were contributing runoff; 

therefore, the high altitude site 1 was not sampled. More 

suspended-sediment and bedload samples were collected 

at the site 2 streamgage than at sites 1 or 3. Water-quality 

samples were collected at all three sites on the same day, 

except on September 30, 2010, when a sample was collected 

only at site 2. 

Suspended-Sediment Concentrations

Suspended-sediment concentrations analyzed from 

samples collected during 2010–12 ranged from less than 0.5 to 

33 mg/L at site 1, from 4 to 526 mg/L at site 2, and from 

1 to 123 mg/L at site 3 (appendix 1; fig. 10A). Qualitatively, 

suspended-sediment concentrations over the period of record 

(2004–07 and 2010–12) were highest at site 2 (figs. 10A–10B). 

Generally, discharge during 2010 was consistently less 

than mean daily discharge for the period of record water 

years (fig. 5A), which appeared to influence the suspendedsediment concentration, most noticeably at site 2 but also, 

to a lesser extent, at site 3. The median suspended-sediment 

concentration determined for samples collected from site 2 

during 2010 (9 mg/L) was nearly six times lower than those 

from 2011 and 2012 (68 and 52 mg/L, respectively), which 

resulted in the greater variability shown in the suspendedsediment data during 2010–12 than during 2004–07 (fig. 10B). 

Suspended-sediment concentrations at each of the 

three Clear Creek sampling sites were within the same 

range as samples collected during 2004–07, suggesting that 

concentrations are within what can be considered base line 

(fig. 10). Generally, suspended-sediment concentrations 

were higher in the lower reaches of Clear Creek (sites 2 

and 3) than in the upper drainage basin (site 1). Suspendedsediment concentrations were not statistically different 

between sites 2 and 3 during 2004–07 (fig. 10B) or between 

sites 1 and 3 during 2010–12 (fig. 10A). Overall, variability 

in suspended‐sediment concentration was highest at site 3, 

largely because of the maximum concentration of 1,150 mg/L 

measured on May 2, 2006, when discharge reached 23 ft3/s 

(greater than the 80th percentile in flow for Clear Creek). 

An analysis was performed to better understand how 

suspended-sediment concentrations vary under changing 

discharge. For each Clear Creek sampling site, paired discharge 

and suspended-sediment concentration values were used to plot 

figure 11, which includes data for 2004–07 and 2010–12. The 

range in stream discharge is plotted in a flow duration format 

(similar to fig. 6) showing the percentile discharge values 

for Clear Creek. The specific cubic feet per second discharge 

that constitutes high, moderate, and low discharges is site 

specific. Each boxplot shows the range in suspended-sediment 

concentrations measured in association with specific ranges 

of discharge. For example, at site 1 (fig. 11A), suspendedsediment concentrations ranged from about 1 to 16 mg/L when 

stream discharge ranged from about 2 to 5 ft3/s (shown within 

the 75th to 90th percentile [high] discharge zone). Generally, 

the relations between suspended‐sediment concentrations and 

discharge were similar between the 2004–07 and 2010–12 

datasets and, therefore, the data were combined in the 

evaluations shown in figures 11A–11C. 

For the period of record (2004–07 and 2010–12), 

suspended-sediment concentrations at site 1 ranged from 1 to 

155 mg/L over a 0.12–8.7 ft3/s range in discharge (fig. 11A). 

Suspended-sediment concentrations measured at site 1 during 

high, moderate, or low discharges were not statistically different 

(p>0.05). The drainage basin’s granitic composition upstream 

of site 1 may explain why suspended‐sediment concentration 

differences were not measured under varying discharge. 

Although differences were not statistically significant, 

suspended-sediment concentrations were slightly elevated 

at discharges greater than 5.2 ft3/s (fig. 11A). Discharge and 

suspended-sediment concentrations for site 1 between 2004–07 

and 2010–12 datasets were similar (not statistically different, 

p=0.619 and 0.098, respectively, not shown in fig. 11A); 

however, the median suspended-sediment concentration for 

2010–12 (4 mg/L) was more than two times lower than median 

concentration for 2004–07 (8.5 mg/L) (fig. 10).

For the period of record (2004–07 and 2010–12), 

suspended-sediment concentrations at site 2 ranged from 3 to 

526 mg/L over a 0.79–110 ft3

/s range in discharge (fig. 11B). 

Suspended-sediment concentrations measured at site 2 during 

moderate and low discharges were not statistically different; 

however, higher suspended-sediment concentrations measured 

during discharges greater than 16 ft3/s were statistically 

significant (high discharge; fig. 11B). Discharge and suspendedsediment concentrations between 2004–07 and 2010–12 

datasets were similar (p=0.950 and 0.302, respectively, not 

shown in fig. 11B); however, the median suspended-sediment 

concentration for 2010–12 (42.5 mg/L) was more than two 

times higher than the median concentration for 2004–07 

(21 mg/L) (fig. 10).
14 Discharge, Suspended Sediment, Bedload, and Water Quality in Clear Creek, Western Nevada, Water Years 2010–12

sac15-4209_fig09

A. water year 2010

0.1

1

10

100

1,000

B. water year 2011

Discharge, in cubic feet per second

0.1

1

10

100

1,000

C. water year 2012

Oct. Nov. Dec. Jan. Feb. Mar. Apr. May June July Aug. Sept. 

0.1

1

10

100

1,000

Daily mean discharge

Suspended-sediment sample and instantaneous discharge

Suspended sediment, bedload sample, and instantaneous discharge

Suspended sediment, water-quality sample and instantaneous discharge

Suspended sediment, bedload, water-quality sample and instantaneous discharge 

EXPLANATION

Figure 9. Dates and types of samples collected and daily mean discharge for water years (A) 2010, (B) 2011, and 

(C) 2012, at site 2, Clear Creek near Carson City, western Nevada (USGS streamgage 10310500).
Sediment Concentration and Transport 15

sac15-4209_fig10

27 Number of values

90th percentile

Outlier or outside value—Values 

are more than 1.0 times the 

semiquartile range from the top 

or bottom of the box

75th percentile

Median 

25th percentile

10th percentile

Vertical line—Line from box 

extends to the limit of data

Semiquartile

range

EXPLANATION

Suspended-sediment concentration, in milligrams per liter

Dataset for water years 2010–12

1 3

0.1

1

10

100

1,000

10,000

Laboratory reporting limit 0.5 mg/L

21 34 27

4

42.5

13.5

A. 

26 67 27

2

0.1

1

10

100

1,000

10,000

Dataset for water years 2004–07

8.5

21

14

Laboratory reporting limit 0.5 mg/L

1 2 3

B.

Clear Creek sample sites

13.5

Differing box colors indicate 

site-specific datasets that are 

statistically different when 

compared to neighboring site 

datasets

Figure 10. Distribution of suspended-sediment concentration at sites 1, 2, and 3 on Clear Creek, western Nevada, during 

water years (A) 2010–12 and (B) 2004–07. 
16 Discharge, Suspended Sediment, Bedload, and Water Quality in Clear Creek, Western Nevada, Water Years 2010–12

sac15-4209_fig11

Site-specific discharge, water years 2004–07 

and 2010–12

Suspended-sediment concentration, in milligrams per liter

Discharge, in cubic feet per second

Percentage of time indicated discharge was equaled or exceeded

A A

B

B

B

B

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

1

10

100

1,000

0.1

5030201052 999895908070

909598 75 50 25 2510

1

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

0.1

1

10

100

1,000

0

2

4

6

8

10

0.1

1

10

100

1,000

High discharge Moderate discharge Low discharge

High discharge Moderate discharge Low discharge

High discharge Moderate discharge Low discharge

C. Site 3

B. Site 2

A. Site 1

EXPLANATION

90th percentile

Outlier or outside value—Values 

are more than 1.0 times the 

semiquartile range from the top 

or bottom of the box

75th percentile

Median

25th percentile

10th percentile

Vertical line—Line from box 

extends to the limit of data

Suspended-sediment concentration, in 

milligrams per liter

Semiquartile

range

Letters designate statistical significance 

among suspended-sediment concentrations 

(no letter designations indicate no statistical 

differences among measurements)

Figure 11. Ranges of suspended-sediment concentrations measured under specified ranges of discharge at (A) site 1, 

(B) site 2, and (C) site 3, Clear Creek, western Nevada, water years 2004–07 and 2010–12. The flow duration curve is plotted 

using discharge measurements during paired discharge measurement and suspended-sediment sample collection.
Sediment Concentration and Transport 17

For the period of record (2004–07 and 2010–12), 

suspended-sediment concentrations at site 3 ranged from 

1 to 1,150 mg/L over a 0.16 to 65 ft3/s range in discharge 

(fig. 11C). Suspended-sediment concentrations measured 

at site 3 during high, moderate, or low discharges were not 

statistically different (p>0.05). Although differences were not 

statistically significant, suspended-sediment concentrations 

were elevated when discharges were greater than 19 ft3/s 

(fig. 11C). Sediment deposition has been documented to 

occur upstream of site 3 (PBS&J, 2003; Seiler and Wood, 

2009), which may explain why median suspended-sediment 

concentrations under varying discharge were not statistically 

different. Discharge and suspended sediment concentrations 

between 2004–07 and 2010–12 datasets were similar (p=0.258 

and 0.445, respectively, not shown in fig. 11C).

Some suspended-sediment samples also were analyzed 

for the percentage by weight of samples finer than 0.0625 mm, 

also known as the sand break. This represents the sediment 

diameter threshold between sand and silt. At all sites, most 

suspended sediment was silt sized or finer (table 3). Median 

suspended-sediment concentrations (table 3) were calculated 

only from samples that were collected at the same time that 

samples were analyzed for sand break. Although data are 

limited, the percentage of silt content generally increased 

from upstream to downstream. Comparison of the percentage 

between the 2004–07 and the 2010–12 datasets also indicates 

a possible increase in median silt-size percentage by 

weight (table 3).

The relation between suspended-sediment concentration 

and the silt percentage by weight is not consistent between 

sites or water year datasets (fig. 12). Site 1 shows a correlation 

(R2=0.95) for the 2004–07 dataset between the increase 

in suspended-sediment concentrations and the decrease in 

percentage of the sample (by weight) comprised of fines 

(fig. 12A). However, this relationship is not observed in the 

2010–12 dataset. No relation between concentration and percent 

fines is apparent at site 2; however, the limited data suggests 

that the sand break has increased over time (fig. 12B; table 3). 

When the sand break increases, more suspended sediment 

is finer than 0.0625 mm (by weight). Generally, at site 3, no 

relation between concentration and percent fines is apparent 

(fig. 12C); however, during 2010–12, concentration and sand 

break held nearly constant.

Sediment Loads

Suspended-Sediment Loads

Suspended-sediment loads, in tons per day (ton/d), 

were calculated by multiplying paired stream discharge and 

suspended-sediment concentration. During this study (2010–

12), suspended-sediment loads ranged from 0 to 0.52 ton/d 

at site 1, 0.01 to 40 ton/d at site 2, and 0 to 13 ton/d at site 3 

(fig. 13A, appendix 1). Suspended‐sediment loads were almost 

always lower at sites 1 and 3 than at site 2 (fig. 13A–13B), 

indicating that sediment was being mobilized in reach 2 

(between sites 1 and 2). Suspended-sediment loads were highest 

at site 2 (fig. 13). The single highest suspended-sediment 

load was observed at site 2 during a precipitation event that 

occurred in late December 2005 (fig. 13B). This event produced 

a suspended-sediment load of 86 ton/d in Clear Creek when 

discharge reached 110 ft3/s.

Table 3. Median percentage of suspended sediment finer than 0.0625 millimeters by weight for Clear Creek, western Nevada, water 

years 2004–07 and 2010–12.

[Sample counts and median values represent only suspended-sediment samples where sand break analysis was done. USGS site identification shown in 

parentheses after site name. Abbreviations: mg/L, milligram per liter; mm, millimeter]

Water year 

dataset 

Site 1 Site 2 Site 3

Clear Creek above Highway 50, near

Spooner Summit (10310485)

Clear Creek near Carson City

(10310500)

Clear Creek at Fuji Park, at Carson City 

(10310518)

Number of 

samples

Median 

suspendedsediment 

concentration 

(mg/L)

Median 

suspendedsediment 

percent finer 

than 0.0625 

mm by weight

Number of 

samples

Median 

suspendedsediment 

concentration 

(mg/L)

Median 

suspendedsediment 

percent finer 

than 0.0625 

mm by weight

Number of 

samples

Median 

suspendedsediment 

concentration 

(mg/L)

Median 

suspendedsediment 

percent finer 

than 0.0625 

mm by weight

2004–07 14 9.5 58 26 14.5 48.5 14 13 76.5

2010–12 11 6 64 19 42 77 14 18 86.5
18 Discharge, Suspended Sediment, Bedload, and Water Quality in Clear Creek, Western Nevada, Water Years 2010–12

sac15-4209_fig12

0 

10 

20 

30 

40 

50 

60 

70 

80 

90 

100 

0 

10 

20 

30 

40 

50 

60 

70 

80 

90 

100 

0 

10 

20 

30 

40 

50 

60 

70 

80 

90 

100 

Suspended sediment percent finer than 0.0625 millimeters by weight

Water years 2004–07

Water years 2010–12 

EXPLANATION

1 10 100 1,000 

1 10 100 1,000 10,000 

1 10 100 1,000 

Suspended-sediment concentration, in milligrams per liter

R2 = 0.95 

A. Site 1

B. Site 2

C. Site 3

Figure 12. Relation between suspended-sediment concentration and 

sand break for (A) site 1, (B) site 2, and (C) site 3, Clear Creek, western 

Nevada, water years 2004–07 and 2010–12.
Sediment Concentration and Transport 19

sac15-4209_fig13

24 Number of values

90th percentile

Outlier or outside value—Values 

are more than 1.0 times the 

semiquartile range from the top 

or bottom of the box

75th percentile

Median 

25th percentile

10th percentile

Vertical line—Line from box 

extends to the limit of data

Semiquartile

range

EXPLANATION

Differing box colors indicate 

site-specific datasets that are 

statistically different when 

compared to neighboring site 

datasets

0

0.01

0.1

1

10

100

1,000

0

0.01

0.1

1

10

100

Suspended-sediment load, in tons per day

B. Water years 2004–07

20 67 27

A. Water years 2010–12

1 2 3

15 34 24

Clear Creek sample sites

Figure 13. Distribution of suspended-sediment loads at sites 1, 2, and 3 on Clear Creek, western Nevada, water years 

(A) 2010–12 and (B) 2004–07.
20 Discharge, Suspended Sediment, Bedload, and Water Quality in Clear Creek, Western Nevada, Water Years 2010–12

Table 4. Coefficients and bias-correction factors for logarithm transformation analysis of suspended-sediment and bedload-transport 

rates for sampling sites in Clear Creek, western Nevada.

[Abbreviations: Q, stream discharge; R, revised; SS, suspended sediment; R2, coefficient of determination]

Site No.

(see fig. 1)

Water

years

Dependent 

variable

Number of 

samples Slope Intercept 

Biascorrection 

factor

Trend line 

coefficient of 

determination

(R2

)

Trend line equation

1 2004–07 SS load 26 1.34 -1.67 2.13R 0.7 log(SSload)=1.34*log (Q)-1.67

1 2010–12 SS load 21 1.1 -1.93 1.87 0.54 log(SSload)=1.10*log (Q)-1.93

2 2004–07 SS load 68 2.13 -1.92 1.09R 0.77 log(SSload)=2.13*log (Q)-1.92

2 2010–12 SS load 60 1.95 -1.49 1.58 0.65 log(SSload)=1.95*log (Q)-1.49

2 2004–07 Bedload 11 1.36 -0.52 1.34R 0.62 log(Bedload)=1.36*log(Q)-0.43

2 2010–12 Bedload 20 1.56 -0.94 0.01 0.68 log(Bedload)=1.56*log(Q)-1.49

3 2004–07 SS load 26 1.40 -1.58 2.82R 0.51 log(SSload)=1.40*log (Q)-1.56

3 2010–12 SS load 26 1.77 -2.08 1.9 0.8 log(SSload)=1.77*log (Q)-2.08

Analyzing suspended-sediment loads with associated 

instantaneous discharge helps characterize Clear Creek 

sediment-transport dynamics. Seiler and Wood (2009) 

presented a relation between sediment loads to discharge 

(for 2004–07) using simple linear regression conducted on a 

logarithm transformation. This required the application of a 

bias-correction factor to bring the transformed sediment load 

data back into the non-logarithmic units of tons (Helsel and 

Hirsch, 2002, chap. 9). The bias correction factors applied 

by Seiler and Wood (2009) were updated and the updated 

corrections used to re-compute the annual suspended-sediment 

loads during 2004–07 (table 4). The recalculated annual 

suspended-sediment loads were 6–7 percent higher than 

originally determined (table 1 from Seiler and Wood, 

2009; table 4). 

The same logarithm transformation analysis between 

suspended-sediment loads and discharge were done at each 

Clear Creek site using the 2010–12 dataset. The comparison 

between 2004–07 and 2010–12 highlights the range in 

suspended-sediment loads (fig. 14). The slope of the trend 

lines at site 1 (fig. 14A, equation shown in explanation) 

suggests a small decrease in suspended-sediment load for the 

same discharge between datasets. The slope of the trend line 

at site 3 (fig. 14C) suggests a decrease in suspended-sediment 

transport rates at lower discharges and higher rates at 

discharge greater than 30 ft3/s. However, the difference in 

slope between 2004–07 and 2010–12 datasets is not significant 

for either site 1 or 3 (p=0.85 and p=0.61, at sites 1 and 3, 

respectively; Cohen and others, 2003). The similar trend-line 

slopes at site 2 between 2004–07 and 2010–12 datasets 

indicate no significant change in suspended-sediment load for 

the same discharge (p=0.76, fig. 14B).

Suspended-sediment loads were plotted with 

associated Clear Creek discharge in a flow duration format 

to better understand how suspended-sediment loads 

at each site vary under different discharge conditions 

(figs. 15A–15C). For the period of record (2004–07 and 

2010–12), suspended‐sediment loads at all sites associated 

with high discharge were statistically greater than loads 

associated with low discharge (figs. 15A–15C). Site 1 shows 

significantly higher suspended‐sediment loads associated 

with high discharge greater than about 2.2 ft3/s (p<0.05; 

fig. 15A). Suspended-sediment loads at sites 2 and 3 

generally were similar during high and moderate discharges; 

however, significantly lower during low discharge (p<0.05; 

figs. 15B–15C). Suspended-sediment loads generally were 

significantly higher at discharge greater than 5.5 and 3.2 ft3/s 

at sites 2 and 3, respectively. 

Suspended-sediment loads are almost always lower at 

sites 1 and 3 than at site 2 during both high and low discharges 

(p<0.05, figs. 15A–15C). New data (2010-12) continues 

to support the findings of Seiler and Wood (2009) in that 

sediment deposition occurs between sites 2 and 3 during high 

discharge (generally when site 2 discharge exceeds 9 ft3/s).
Sediment Concentration and Transport 21

sac15-4209_fig14

0.0001 

0.001 

0.01 

0.1 

1 

10 

100 

0.01 

Suspended-sediment transport rate, in tons per day 

0.001 

0.01 

0.1 

1 

10 

100 

1,000 

0.001 

0.01 

0.1 

1 

10 

100 

1,000 

0.1 1 10 100 

0.1 1 10 100 1,000 

0.1 1 10 100 1,000 

Discharge, in cubic feet per second 

Water years 2004–07 

Water years 2010–12 

Water years 2004–07 

Water years 2010–12 

Water years 2004–07 

Water years 2010–12 

R2

=0.70

R2

=0.54

R2=0.65

R2

=0.77

R2

=0.51

R2

=0.80

Water years 2004–07; Log(SSLoad)

=1.34*log(Q)–1.67

Water years 2010–12; Log(SSLoad)

=1.10*log(Q)–1.93 

EXPLANATION

Water years 2004-07; Log(SSLoad)

=2.13*log(Q)-1.92

Water years 2010-12; Log(SSLoad)

=1.95*log(Q)-1.49 

EXPLANATION

Water years 2004–07; Log(SSLoad)

=1.40*log(Q)-1.56

Water years 2010–12; Log(SSLoad)

=1.77*log(Q)-2.08 

EXPLANATION

A. Site 1

B. Site 2

C. Site 3

Figure 14. Relation between suspended-sediment transport rate and instantaneous discharge 

for (A) site 1, (B) site 2, and (C) site 3, Clear Creek, western Nevada. Equations and associated 

simple linear regression analysis information are provided in table 4.
22 Discharge, Suspended Sediment, Bedload, and Water Quality in Clear Creek, Western Nevada, Water Years 2010–12

sac15-4209_fig15

Suspended-sediment load, in tons per day

Discharge, in cubic feet per second

Percentage of time indicated discharge was equaled or exceeded

0

2

4

6

8

10

0.001

0.01

0.1

1

10

5 8 11 11 8 4

A

B

B

B

B

A,B

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

0.001

0.01

0.1

1

10

100

1,000

12 15 25 25 16 8

A

B

B

B

A,B

A

Site-specific discharge, water years 2004–07 and 2010–12

1 2 5 10 20 30 50 70 80 90 95 98 99 99.8

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

0.001

0.01

0.1

1

10

100

1,000

6 7 15 12 10 3

A

A A,B A,B

B

B

High discharge Moderate discharge Low discharge

High discharge Moderate discharge Low discharge

High discharge Moderate discharge Low discharge

A. Site 1

B. Site 2

C. Site 3

EXPLANATION

90th percentile

Outlier or outside value—Values 

are more than 1.0 times the 

semiquartile range from the top 

or bottom of the box

75th percentile

Median

25th percentile

10th percentile

Vertical line—Line from box 

extends to the limit of data

Suspended-sediment load, in tons per day

Semiquartile

range

Number of values

Letters designate statistical significance 

among suspended-sediment concentrations 

(no letter designations indicate no statistical 

differences among measurements)

Figure 15. Suspended-sediment loads measured under specified ranges of discharge at (A) site 1, (B) site 2, and (C) site 3, 

Clear Creek, western Nevada, water years 2004–07 and 2010–12. The flow duration curve is plotted using only those discharge 

measurements associated with a suspended-sediment sample.
Sediment Concentration and Transport 23

Bedload

Bedload, the material rolling or bouncing along the 

bed of the stream, was sampled during varying discharge 

conditions during 2010–12 at the three Clear Creek sites 

(appendix 2, fig. 16). Generally, bedload only occurs when 

a threshold discharge in the creek is reached that provides 

sufficient force to dislodge material from the creekbed. The 

threshold discharge can vary from site to site because of 

creekbed characteristics such as grade and bed material size/

weight. During one visit to site 1 on June 6, 2011, bedload 

material was observed moving in the channel. The creek 

discharge at that time (5.8 ft3/s) was high enough to warrant 

bedload sampling (appendix 2; fig. 16). This was the only 

bedload-sediment sample collected from site 1 during the 

2010–12 study. During the 2004–07 study, bedload material 

was sampled when streamflow was about 0.3 ft3/s. Bedload 

was observed moving in the channel at discharges greater 

than or equal to 2.8 ft3

/s at site 2 and 1.5 ft3/s at site 3 (21 and 

11 samples, respectively). Sampled bedload was 0.74 ton/d 

at site 1 (one sample only), ranged from 0.07 to 14.07 ton/d 

at site 2 and ranged from 0.03 to 4.65 ton/d at site 3 

(appendix 2).

The same logarithm transformation analysis used to 

evaluate a relation between suspended sediment and discharge 

was performed between bedload and discharge for all 

samples collected during 2010–12 at site 2 (fig. 16). The bias 

correction factors applied by Seiler and Wood (2009) to the 

2004–07 dataset were updated and the updated corrections 

were used to re-compute the annual suspended‐sediment 

loads during 2004–07 (table 4). The recalculated annual 

suspended‐sediment loads were 2–16 percent higher than 

originally determined (table 1 from Seiler and Wood, 2009; 

table 4). The coefficient of determination (R2) indicates 

that discharge accounts for only about 60–70 percent of the 

variability in the data (2004–07 dataset = 0.62 and 2010–12 

dataset = 0.68; fig. 16). The scatter observed in the data is not 

unexpected given the variation in precipitation, snowmelt, 

channel stability, source material (local geology), and other 

factors during each discharge event. In comparing the two 

datasets, the bedload data collected from site 2 as part of 

this study showed a different relation to discharge than that 

determined by Seiler and Wood (2009). For a given discharge, 

there was less bedload sediment in 2010–12 than in 2004–07 

(fig. 16). Although uncertain, an explanation for lower bedload 

could include changes in the drainage basin affecting bedload 

source material. 

Figure 16. Relation between bedload and discharge at site 2, Clear Creek, western Nevada, water years 2004–07 

and 2010–12.

0.1 1 10 100 

Discharge, in cubic feet per second

0.01 

0.1 

1 

10 

100 

1,000 

10,000 

Bedload-sediment transport rate, in tons per day

R2

=0.62

R2

=0.68

Water years 2004–07; log(bedload)=1.36*log(discharge)-0.43

Water years 2010–12; log(bedload)=1.56*log(discharge)-1.49 

Water years 2004–07

Water years 2010–12

EXPLANATION
24 Discharge, Suspended Sediment, Bedload, and Water Quality in Clear Creek, Western Nevada, Water Years 2010–12

Bedload samples were collected on the same day 

at sites 2 and 3 on nine different dates during 2010–12 

(appendix 2). Bedload was not statistically different between 

sites on those days (p=0.60) or between the entire site 2 and 

site 3 bedload datasets from 2010 to 2012 (p=0.63).

Bedload samples from the Clear Creek sites were 

analyzed for particle size by weight fractions (appendix 2). 

The particle-size distributions were used to determine the 

silt, sand, and gravel composition of each bedload sample 

collected at sites 2 and 3 and then compared to the discharge 

at the time of sample collection (figs. 17 and 18). Silt is 

categorized as sediment particles less than 0.0625 mm in 

diameter; sand-sized sediment is considered particles greater 

than 0.0625 mm and less than or equal to 2 mm in diameter; 

whereas gravel-sized sediments are considered particles with 

a diameter greater than 2 mm. Bedload sample composition 

from site 2 in 2010–12 was composed of mostly sand-sized 

sediment with very little silt (generally less than 1 percent; 

figs. 17A–17C). Gravel-sized sediment contributed to 

the bedload composition only when discharge equaled or 

exceeded 2.8 ft3

/s and generally dominated the composition, 

by weight, when discharge exceeded 12 ft3/s. Discharges 

exceeding 10 ft3/s exceed the 90th percentile of discharge for 

Clear Creek at site 2 and, therefore, can be considered very 

high discharge conditions (fig. 6).

Bedload sample composition from site 3 in 2010–12 

was composed of dominantly sand-sized sediment with very 

little silt (generally less than 0.15 percent of total sample) 

(appendix 2; figs. 18A–18B). Gravel was observed in nearly 

all bedload samples and generally contributed between 2 and 

15 percent to the total bedload composition, by weight, when 

present. Gravel movement was observed at a discharge as low 

as 1.5 ft3/s; however, gravel movement varied greatly. 

Bedload was sampled twice on April 22, 2010, at sites 2 

and 3 (figs. 9A, 17, and 18) within 25 minutes of each other. 

Although there was no recorded change in discharge between 

the replicate samples; measured bedload increased from the 

first to the replicate sample. Why this bedload surge occurred 

is uncertain, or if it in fact did occur (this could be attributed 

to a sample-collection error).

Total Sediment Loads

Total annual sediment load, the summation of 

suspended‐sediment load and bedload, was computed at 

site 2 during 2010–12 and compared to loads from 2004 to 

2007 (table 5). Annual suspended-sediment and bedloads 

were computed for site 2 using the daily discharge from the 

site 2 streamgage and the relation between discharge and 

suspended-sediment load and bedload shown in figures 14 and 

16. Loads for the 2004–07 dataset were recomputed based on 

the revised bias-correction factors. Total sediment loads are 

a function of stream discharge and therefore vary greatly by 

year (fig. 19). Total sediment loads ranged from 355 ton/yr in 

2010 to 5,460 ton/yr in 2006 (table 5) and were significantly 

lower during 2010–12 versus 2004–07 periods (p<0.001). 

Bedload represented between 72 and 90 percent of the total 

sediment load in 2004–07 and between 29 and 38 percent of 

total sediment load in 2010–12, which suggests a decrease in 

bedload between datasets (p=0.054). Mean daily discharge 

was significantly lower in 2010–12 (p=0.026) than in 2004–07 

and may be the reason for the decrease in bedload that results 

in decreased total sediment load. 

An estimate of total sediment yield was calculated for 

site 2 to evaluate the total load of sediment transported in 

Clear Creek per square mile of contributing drainage basin 

(table 5). The drainage basin contributing area to site 2 is 

15.4 mi2 (fig. 2), which includes the 2.4 mi2 upstream drainage 

basin area contributing to site 1. Total sediment yield at site 2 

ranged from 68 to 352 (ton/mi2)/yr during 2004–07 and 23 to 

114 (ton/mi2)/yr during 2010–12 (table 5).

Water-Quality Characteristics 

Clear Creek water samples were collected and analyzed 

for selected major inorganic ions, trace metals, nutrients, 

and pesticides at least twice per water year during 2010–12 

(appendix 3). With the exception of the sample collected on 

September 30, 2011, from site 2, all water-quality samples 

were collected at each site on the same day in order to 

give a snapshot of Clear Creek water quality with distance 

downstream on that given day. Although no quality‐control 

samples were collected for water quality, all results are 

assumed accurate and representative of the chemical 

characteristics of Clear Creek. 

Seiler and Wood (2009) found the Clear Creek water 

to be a dilute calcium/sodium bicarbonate type with low 

nutrient concentrations. Although the number of total samples 

collected during this study was limited, they continued to 

represent this same water type (appendixes 1 and 3). Pesticides 

were only sampled for at site 2 and there were no detections.

Field measurements of water temperature, pH, and 

specific conductance were made at the three Clear Creek 

sites prior to the collection of water-quality and most 

suspended-sediment samples (appendix 1); therefore, field 

measurements were monitored more frequently than other 

water-quality constituents (appendix 3). During this study, 

measured temperatures in Clear Creek ranged from 1.0 to 

17.2 °C (appendix 1). At the three Clear Creek sites, pH 

ranged from 6.9 to 8.2, which was similar to the observed 

ranges during 2004–07. 

The specific conductance of water is a measure of 

water’s capacity to conduct electrical current and is a 

method of measuring the ionic content of a sample. For 

most waters, the primary major inorganic ions which 

contribute to the specific conductance include calcium, 

magnesium, sodium, potassium, carbonate, chloride, and 

sulfate. Specific‐conductance measurements in Clear Creek 

ranged from 46 to 234 μs/cm during 2010–12 (fig. 20). 
Water-Quality Characteristics 25

sac15-4209_fig17 Bedload compositon and total mass, in grams

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

Discharge, in cubic feet per second

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

0

200

400

600

800

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

8

10

12

14

16

18

A. Water year 2010

B. Water year 2011

C. Water year 2012

10-14 10-14 11-23 01-13 02-25 04-22 04-22

2009 2010

10-05 10-06 10-18 10-25 11-19 12-14 12-19 03-14 03-16 06-05 06-11

2010 2011

2012

01-21 03-16 03-17

0

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

EXPLANATION

Sand mass

Gravel mass

Site 2 discharge

Figure 17. Bedload composition and associated 

discharge at site 2, Clear Creek near Carson City, 

western Nevada (USGS streamgage 10310500), 

water years (A) 2010, (B) 2011, and (C) 2012. When 

present, the contribution of silt to total bedload 

mass was generally less than 1 percent.
26 Discharge, Suspended Sediment, Bedload, and Water Quality in Clear Creek, Western Nevada, Water Years 2010–12

sac15-4209_fig18

EXPLANATION

2009 2010

Bedload composition and total mass, in grams

Discharge, in cubic feet per second

B. Water year 2011

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

350

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

10-04-2010 12-14-2010 03-16-2011

A. Water year 2010

0

100

200

300

400

500

600

1

0

2

3

4

5

6

7

10-13 10-14 11-23 01-13 02-25 04-22 04-22 05-27

Sand mass

Gravel mass

Site 3 discharge

Figure 18. Bedload composition and associated discharge at site 3, Clear Creek, western 

Nevada, water years (A) 2010 and (B) 2011. When present, the contribution of silt to total 

bedload mass was generally less than 0.1 percent.
Water-Quality Characteristics 27

sac15-4209_fig19

EXPLANATION

Suspended-sediment load

Bedload

Discharge 

Annual mean discharge, in cubic feet per second

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

Annual total sediment load, in tons

1,000

2,000

3,000

4,000

5,000

6,000

2004 2005 2006 2007 2010 2011 2012

Site 2

0

Figure 19. Relation between annual mean creek discharge and annual total sediment load 

for site 2, Clear Creek near Carson City, western Nevada (USGS streamgage 10310500).

Table 5. Estimated annual suspended-sediment loads, annual bedload, total sediment load, 

and total sediment yield for site 2, Clear Creek near Carson City, western Nevada (USGS 

streamgage 10310500).

[Abbreviations: ft3/s, cubic feet per second; (ton/mi2)/yr, tons per square mile per year]

Water 

year

Annual

Average 

annual total 

sediment yield

[(ton/mi2

)/yr]

Mean 

discharge

(ft3

/s) 

Total 

discharge 

(ft3/s)

Suspendedsediment load

(tons)

Bedload 

(tons)

Total 

sediment 

load

(tons)

2004 3.26 1,192.6 106 947 1,053 68

2005 5.21 1,642.6 235 1,502 1,737 112

2006 8.64 3,153.6 1,551 3,909 5,460 352

2007 4.28 1,562.0 189 1,372 1,561 101

2010 3.25 1,187.5 220 135 355 23

2011 7.13 2,601.0 1,264 504 1,768 114

2012 3.99 1,460.9 343 190 533 34
28 Discharge, Suspended Sediment, Bedload, and Water Quality in Clear Creek, Western Nevada, Water Years 2010–12

This is quite similar to the range of 40 to 234 μs/cm during 

2004–07. Evaluation of chemical data collected on the same 

date showed that the specific conductance at site 1 was 

consistently lower than measurements made at sites 2 and 3. 

There was no significant difference in specific conductance 

between sites 2 and 3 (p=0.26, fig. 20). Cation concentrations, 

including calcium, sodium, magnesium, and potassium 

concentrations increased in Clear Creek from upstream to 

downstream, which is consistent with the increasing specific 

conductance (appendix 3).

At site 1, specific conductance was lower when 

discharge was higher (fig. 21A), which is to be expected 

in natural drainage basins where increased runoff dilutes 

chemical concentrations. Specific conductance was lower 

in the 2010–12 samples at discharges less than 1 ft3/s than 

in the 2004–07 samples (fig. 21A). The steeper trend line 

slope associated with the 2004–07 dataset suggests that 

discharge had a greater influence on specific conductance 

during that time than during 2010–12. The decrease in specific 

conductance during 2010–12 suggests that a previous source 

of chemical load may have been removed from the upper 

drainage basin. Although observations are based on a limited 

dataset, most cation concentrations, including calcium and 

sodium, decreased with increased discharge at site 1; however, 

manganese increased with discharge (fig. 22A). Concentrations 

of cations generally were slightly higher in the current study 

than during 2004–07 (fig. 22A). 

Specific conductance in samples collected from sites 

2 and 3 did not appear to be influenced by Clear Creek 

discharge (figs. 21B–21C). This lack of change in specific 

conductance with discharge suggests a constant source(s) 

of chemical load in lower reaches of Clear Creek. Sodium, 

manganese, and chloride concentrations each indicate an 

increase in concentration with discharge at site 2 (fig. 22B). 

Seiler and Wood (2009) suggested the larger contributing 

area to the lower Clear Creek reaches, geology, and seasonal 

application of road salt to adjacent roads was contributing to 

the dissolved chemical loads. Road salt utilized by NDOT 

consist of a sodium chloride brine and sand (Eric Young, 

NDOT, written commun., February 23, 2014). Sodium and 

chloride concentrations measured at sites 2 and 3 were high 

from November to March (appendix 3). Concentrations of 

iron (p=0.03) were significantly higher in samples collected at 

site 3 in 2010–12 than in 2004–07 (fig. 22C). 

Figure 20. Range of specific conductance measured at all three Clear Creek sampling sites, western Nevada, water years 

2010–12.

90th percentile

Outlier or outside value—Values 

are more than 1.0 times the 

semiquartile range from the top 

or bottom of the box

75th percentile

Median

25th percentile

10th percentile

Vertical line—Line from box 

extends to the limit of data

Semiquartile

range

Letters designate statistical 

significance among suspendedsediment concentrations (no 

letter designations indicate no 

statistical differences among 

measurements)

Clear Creek sample sites

1 2 3

Specific conductance, in microsiems per centimeter at 25 o

C

0

50

100

150

200

250

A

B B

EXPLANATION
Water-Quality Characteristics 29

Figure 21. Relation between discharge and specific conductance at (A) site 1, 

(B) site 2, and (C) site 3, Clear Creek, western Nevada, water years 2004–07 and 

2010–12.

sac15-4209_fig21

0 

20 

40 

60 

80 

100 

120 

140 

0.1 1 10 

Water years 2004–07

Water years 2010–12 

EXPLANATION

Specific conductance, in microsiemens per centimeter at 25 °C

Discharge, in cubic feet per second

0 

50 

100 

150 

200 

250 

300 

0 

50 

100 

150 

200 

250 

300 

0.1 1 10 100 

0.1 1 10 100 

A. Site 1

B. Site 2

C. Site 3
30 Discharge, Suspended Sediment, Bedload, and Water Quality in Clear Creek, Western Nevada, Water Years 2010–12

sac15-4209_fig22

0 

2 

4 

6 

8 

10 

12 

1 

10 

100 

1,000 

0.1 1 10 

2004–07 Log

Calcium

Sodium

Manganese

2010–12 Log

Calcium

Sodium

Manganese

2004–07

Calcium

Sodium

Manganese

2010–12

Calcium

Sodium

Manganese

1 5 10 20 

2004–07 Log

Sodium

Chloride

Manganese

2010–12 Log

Sodium 

Chloride

Manganese

2004–07

Sodium

Chloride

Manganese

2010–12

Sodium

Chloride

Manganese

2004–07

Chloride

Iron

2010–12

Chloride

Iron

2004–07 Linear

Chloride

Iron

2010–12 Linear

Chloride

Iron

0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 

EXPLANATION

EXPLANATION

EXPLANATION

A. Site 1

B. Site 2

C. Site 3

Ion concentration, in milligrams per liter

Discharge, in cubic feet per second

2004–07 and 2010–12 are water years

0

5

10

15

20

25

Figure 22. Relation between discharge and dissolved calcium, sodium, chloride, manganese, and iron concentrations for 

(A) site 1, (B) site 2, and (C) site 3 for Clear Creek, western Nevada, water years 2004–07 and 2010–12.
Summary and Conclusions 31

Summary and Conclusions

Clear Creek is a small alpine stream that drains the 

eastern Sierra Nevada near Lake Tahoe, flows roughly parallel 

to the U.S. Highway 50 corridor, and ultimately discharges 

to the Carson River near Carson City, Nevada. It is unclear 

how historical and ongoing development in the drainage 

basin is influencing the physical and chemical characteristics 

of Clear Creek. In 2004, the Nevada Department of 

Transportation was issued a permit by the Nevada Division of 

Environmental Protection in response to pollutant discharge to 

the municipal storm water sewer system. In turn, the Nevada 

Department of Transportation developed a Clear Creek Storm 

Water Management Program and entered into a cooperative 

agreement with the U.S. Geological Survey to assess general 

water quality of Clear Creek and sediment loading within the 

drainage basin. The initial study of this collaborative effort 

during water years 2004-07 evaluated baseline conditions 

in Clear Creek. The evaluation included characterization 

of data collected from three sampling sites and is presented 

in Seiler and Wood (2009). The data included discharge; 

selected water‐quality parameters; and suspended-sediment 

concentrations, loads, and yields for water years 2004–07. 

The current study builds from what was learned from Seiler 

and Wood (2009) and serves as a continuation of the data 

collection and analyses of the Clear Creek discharge and 

associated water-quality and sediment concentrations and 

loads during water years 2010–12. 

The same three sites previously established by Seiler and 

Wood (2009) were evaluated as part of this study. Continued 

data collection at these three sites allowed for the comparison 

of current data to baseline conditions. Site 1 is ungaged and 

represents the headwater area of the upper drainage basin 

and is therefore considered a reference site; site 2 is gaged 

and represents the mid-drainage basin area, which includes 

some low-density residential areas; and site 3 is ungaged 

and represents the lower drainage basin area, which includes 

more urbanization. Discharge generally increased with 

distance downstream. 

Clear Creek discharge is variable primarily because of 

the variability in snowpack in the drainage basin, which serves 

as the source of discharge. Generally, discharges in the creek 

are highest during the spring (March–May); however, rainon-snow events can cause dramatic increases in discharge 

during months that do not characteristically experience high 

discharge. Discharge has been collected continuously at site 

2 during water years 1949–62 and 1990–2012. The long-term 

annual mean discharge is 5.31 cubic feet per second (ft3/s), 

whereas during this study, the annual mean discharge was 

3.25 ft3

/s in 2010, 7.13 ft3/s in 2011, and 3.99 ft3/s in 2012. 

Discharge in Clear Creek was below monthly median levels 

throughout much of the current study; the exception being 

discharge resulting from a large snowpack and subsequent 

spring runoff in water year 2011. A flow-duration analysis 

of mean daily discharge at site 2 throughout the entire 

dataset (water years 1949–62 and 1990–2012) indicates 

low‐discharge conditions (those discharges equal to or less 

than the 25th percentile for the creek) between 0.4 to 2.3 ft3/s. 

Moderate discharge conditions were defined as mean daily 

discharges representing between the 25th and 75th percentiles 

(about 2.4 to 6.6 ft3/s). High discharge conditions were 

defined as mean daily discharges equal to or exceeding the 

75th percentile (6.7 ft3/s). The minimum flow observed in 

Clear Creek was 0.42 ft3/s and occurred in August 1992; to 

date, the maximum flow of 266 ft3/s was observed in Clear 

Creek and occurred on January 2, 1997. 

A flood-frequency analysis (recurrence-interval 

evaluation) was completed because understanding 

high‐discharge events, flood magnitudes, and frequency helps 

characterize sediment movement. The analysis included 

55 annual peak discharges (ranging from 5 to 266 ft3/s) 

from site 2 observed between water years 1948–78 and 

1989–2012 and suggested that Clear Creek has a 1 percent 

probability (one chance in 100 years) of reaching a 336 ft3

/s 

peak discharge. The two highest observed peak discharges 

of 266 (January 2, 1997) and 252 ft3/s (December 31, 2005) 

were estimated to have an annual exceedance probabilities of 

1.8 and 3.6 percent, respectively. The annual peak discharges 

for 2010 (13 ft3/s), 2011 (87 ft3/s), and 2012 (35 ft3/s), were all 

greater than the 10 percent annual exceedance probability. 

Sediment samples collected at the three Clear Creek 

sites during periods of base flow, storm events, and the 

snowmelt‐runoff period were analyzed for sediment load 

(suspended-sediment concentration and bedload), sand 

break, particle-size distribution, and specific water-chemistry 

constituents. Suspended-sediment concentrations at each of 

the three Clear Creek sampling sites were within the same 

range as samples collected during 2004–07, suggesting that 

concentrations are within what can be considered baseline. 

Generally, suspended-sediment concentrations were higher 

in the lower reaches of Clear Creek (sites 2 and 3) than in the 

upper drainage basin (site 1); however, during 2010–12 there 

was no statistical difference between suspended-sediment 

concentrations at sites 1 and 3. 

Comparison of data collected from 2004 to 2007 to 

those from 2010 to 2012 showed that suspended-sediment 

concentration and associated discharge measurements were 

statistically similar. During water years 2010–12 at sites 1 and 

3, there was no statistical difference among concentrations 

measured during high, moderate, or low discharges; although 

concentrations were elevated at discharges greater than 

5.2 ft3/s at site 1 and 19 ft3/s at site 3. There was no difference 

between suspended-sediment concentrations measured 

at site 2 during moderate and low discharges; however, 

suspended‐sediment concentrations were statistically 

significantly higher during discharges greater than 16 ft3/s. 

Sediment deposition has been previously documented to occur 

upstream of site 3, which may explain, at least in part, why a 

strong difference in suspended-sediment concentrations were 

not measured under varying discharge at this site. 
32 Discharge, Suspended Sediment, Bedload, and Water Quality in Clear Creek, Western Nevada, Water Years 2010–12

Sand break, the percentage by weight of a suspendedsediment sample finer than 0.0625 millimeters, represents 

the division between sand and silt and was analyzed for in a 

subset of the suspended-sediment samples. Silt appeared to 

comprise most of the suspended sediment transported in Clear 

Creek during water years 2010–12 and a general increase 

in the silt content was observed with distance downstream. 

Comparison of the percentages of silt in samples collected 

between 2004–07 to those collected between 2010–12 

indicates a possible increase in median silt-size (percentage 

by weight).

During this study, suspended-sediment loads ranged 

from 0 to 0.52 ton/d at site 1, 0.01 to 40 ton/d at site 2, and 

0 to 13 ton/d at site 3. Suspended-sediment loads are almost 

always lower at sites 1 and 3 than at site 2, indicating that 

sediment is being mobilized upstream of site 2. The single 

highest suspended-sediment load (86 ton/d) was observed 

at site 2 during a precipitation event that occurred in late 

December 2005 when discharge reached 110 ft3/s. A logarithm 

transformation analysis was performed to look for a relation 

between suspended-sediment loads and discharge between 

the 2004–07 and 2010–12 datasets. Results indicated no 

significant difference between the two study periods at any of 

the sites.

During both studies (water years 2004–07 and 2010–12), 

suspended-sediment loads associated with high discharge at 

all three sites were statistically greater than loads associated 

with low discharge. Suspended-sediment loads associated 

with discharge greater than about 2.2 ft3/s were significantly 

higher at site 1. Suspended-sediment loads at sites 2 and 3 

are generally similar during high and moderate discharges; 

however, significantly lower during low discharge. 

Suspended-sediment loads generally were significantly 

higher at discharges greater than 5.5 and 3.2 ft3/s at sites 2 

and 3, respectively. 

Bedload was only measured at discharges greater than 

or equal to 5.8 ft3/s at site 1, 2.8 ft3/s at site 2, and 1.5 ft3/s at 

site 3 during the current study (water years 2010–12) and was 

comprised of mostly sand-sized sediment with very little silt. 

Gravel-sized sediment contributed to the bedload composition 

only when discharge equaled or exceeded 2.8 ft3

/s at site 2 and 

1.5 ft3/s at site 3. A comparison of samples collected on the 

same day at sites 2 and 3 indicates no difference in bedload 

between the two sites on that day. For a given discharge at 

site 2, there was less bedload sediment during 2010–12 than 

during 2004–07. Although uncertain, explanations for lower 

bedload could include changes in the drainage basin affecting 

bedload source material and changes in discharge affecting 

bedload transport. 

Total sediment loads (combined suspended-sediment 

load and bedload) are a function of stream discharge and, 

therefore, can vary substantially by year. Annual sediment 

loads (a relation between discharge and total sediment loads) 

were computed for site 2 using daily discharge and ranged 

from 1,053 to 5,460 tons during 2004–07 and from 355 to 

1,768 tons during 2010–12. The significant decrease in total 

annual sediment loads between the datasets is likely attributed 

to the decreased mean daily discharge measured at site 2 

during 2010–12.

During this study, the general water chemistry 

characteristics measured in Clear Creek (water temperature, 

pH, and specific conductance) were similar to those observed 

during water years 2004–07. Specific conductance values 

were consistently lower at site 1, reflecting its headwater 

location, while no significant difference was measured 

in specific conductance values between sites 2 and 3. As 

discharge increases, specific conductance was observed to 

generally remain constant at sites 2 and 3, which suggests that 

a constant source(s) of chemical load in lower reaches of Clear 

Creek is present. Clear Creek water samples were collected 

and analyzed for selected major inorganic ions, trace metals, 

nutrients, and pesticides during this study. Major ion chemistry 

indicated notable decreases in concentrations of calcium and 

sodium with discharge at site 1, but increases in concentrations 

with discharge at site 2 of sodium, manganese, and chloride. 

Clear Creek continues to represent a dilute calcium/sodium 

bicarbonate type water with low nutrient concentrations, and 

no detections of pesticides, as was described in the initial 

study during water years 2004–07. 

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Appendix 1 35

Appendix 1. Streamflow, Field Measurements, and Suspended-Sediment 

Analyses for Samples Collected at Clear Creek Sites, Western Nevada, 

Water Years 2010–12

[Location of sampling sites are shown in figure 1. USGS site ID given in parentheses after site name. Abbreviations: oC, degrees Celsius; ft3/s, cubic 

feet per second; hhmm, 24-hour time format in 2-digit hour and 2-digit minute; mg/L, milligram per liter; μS/cm, microsiemens per centimeter; %, 

percent; ton/d, ton per day; –, no data available]

Date Time

(hhmm)

Field measurements Suspended sediment

Discharge 

(ft3

/s)

Water 

temperature 

(oC)

pH

Specific 

conductance 

(μS/cm)

Sampled 

concentration 

(mg/L)

Sand 

break

(%)

Transport 

rate

(ton/d)

Site 1. Clear Creek above Highway 50, near Spooner Summit (10310485)

10-13-09 1245 0.44 6 – – 19 64 0.02

10-14-09 0745 0.46 8.5 – – 10 44 0.01

11-23-09 1019 0.44 4 7.9 68 5 47 0.01

01-13-10 0935 0.36 2.9 – 55 6 76 0.01

02-25-10 1110 0.18 2.4 – 61 4 50 0

03-11-10 1050 – 1.2 7.8 90 – – –

04-22-10 1430 0.77 2.4 7.1 73 3 63 0.01

05-27-10 1015 1.4 4.2 7.1 55 1 75 0

06-11-10 1440 – 7.6 7.4 46 – – –

07-20-10 1300 0.17 12.8 7.7 59 6 58 0

08-19-10 1150 0.12 11 8.1 93 1 67 0

10-05-10 1209 1.1 6.7 7.7 65 21 65 0.06

10-18-10 1315 0.29 7.2 7.4 77 29 76 0.02

11-19-10 1024 0.22 3.3 7.4 66 1 – 0

03-05-11 1510 2 2 7.7 60 3 – 0.02

04-01-11 1030 3 3 7.7 75 6 – 0.05

05-27-11 1300 2.5 5 7.5 52 2 – 0.01

06-05-11 0830 4.5 4.5 7.5 50 13 – 0.16

06-06-11 0750 5.8 3 7.6 51 33 – 0.52

07-29-11 1045 2 10.5 7.7 51 <0.5 – <0.003

08-29-11 1100 1.5 10.5 7.8 57 2 – 0.01

11-09-11 1115 3 2.5 6.9 64 1 – 0.01

01-23-12 1320 1 1 7.1 72 1 – 0

03-16-12 1155 1 3.5 7.6 75 2 – 0.01

Site 2. Clear Creek near Carson City (10310500)

10-13-09 1450 3.6 11 – – 183 76 1.8

10-14-09 0915 5.8 10.5 – – 40 84 0.63

11-23-09 1330 2.9 3.6 – 107 – – –

01-13-10 1115 5.2 3.4 – 148 15 68 0.21

02-25-10 1150 4.6 4.2 – 167 9 59 0.11

03-11-10 1250 4.4 3.5 8.1 172 – – –

04-22-10 1312 5.8 4.5 – 173 – – –

04-22-10 1340 5.8 – – – 11 77 0.17

05-27-10 1130 4.4 7.4 – 142 7 84 0.08

06-11-10 1305 4.1 10.1 8.1 141 – – –

07-20-10 1100 1.7 – – – 8 86 0.04
36 Discharge, Suspended Sediment, Bedload, and Water Quality in Clear Creek, Western Nevada, Water Years 2010–12

Date Time

(hhmm)

Field measurements Suspended sediment

Discharge 

(ft3

/s)

Water 

temperature 

(oC)

pH

Specific 

conductance 

(μS/cm)

Sampled 

concentration 

(mg/L)

Sand 

break

(%)

Transport 

rate

(ton/d)

Site 2. Clear Creek near Carson City (10310500)—Continued

08-19-10 1425 0.79 13.8 – 152 5 88 0.01

09-30-10 1225 1.6 11.8 8.1 149 – – –

10-04-10 0855 3.1 11.2 8 151 42 82 0.35

10-05-10 1107 7.1 9.3 7.5 74 104 87 2

10-06-10 0928 3.2 8.3 7.9 150 22 78 0.19

10-07-10 1042 3.2 9.5 8 143 43 87 0.37

10-18-10 1015 3.1 9.5 8 155 114 90 0.95

10-25-10 1135 5 7.9 8 171 55 75 0.74

11-19-10 1130 2.8 6.1 8 162 12 – 0.09

12-14-10 1030 6.4 – – – 526 60 9.1

12-14-10 1328 12 5.3 7.8 161 348 71 11

12-19-10 1307 12 2.8 7.9 186 58 – 1.9

03-06-11 1645 5.8 5.5 7.9 88 38 – 0.6

03-07-11 0850 9.9 2.5 7.6 168 78 – 2.1

03-14-11 0855 19 3 7.6 166 307 30 16

03-16-11 0755 65 3 7.6 149 229 – 40

04-01-11 0845 16 4.5 7.7 234 110 – 4.8

05-27-11 1400 11 10 7.9 162 40 – 1.2

06-05-11 0945 12 8.5 7.9 174 224 – 7.3

06-06-11 0943 35 6.5 7.9 173 273 42 26

07-29-11 1220 5 14 7.9 137 13 – 0.18

08-29-11 1250 3 13 8.2 145 9 – 0.07

11-09-11 1300 4.8 3 7.2 133 4 – 0.05

01-21-12 0725 17 2 7 178 356 – 16

01-23-12 1010 7.5 1.5 7.1 151 19 – 0.38

03-16-12 1255 11 6.5 7.2 167 140 – 4

03-17-12 0955 10 3.5 7.3 179 52 – 1.4

Site 3. Clear Creek at Fuji Park, at Carson City (10310518)

10-13-09 1555 1.5 11 – – – – –

10-14-09 1020 3.5 9 – – 21 87 0.2

11-23-09 1500 – 4.2 7.7 132 – – –

11-23-09 1510 – – – – 3 73 –

01-13-10 1315 6.2 4.2 – 157 8 89 0.13

02-25-10 1500 4.4 5.5 7.7 171 15 89 0.18

03-11-10 1405 – 5.6 7.9 164 – – –

04-22-10 1143 6.6 3.8 7.5 156 15 86 0.27

05-27-10 1350 3.9 9.6 7.6 169 6 79 0.06

06-11-10 1205 0.16 11.7 7.8 153 – –

07-20-10 1215 0.16 17.2 7.9 175 1 75 0.000

08-19-10 1400 0.93 16.5 7.8 164 1 67 0.002

10-05-10 0955 6.1 10 7.2 105 40 80 0.66

10-18-10 1150 2.2 10.6 7.5 155 102 96 0.61

11-19-10 1212 2.5 6.7 7.5 173 1 – 0.007

12-14-10 1437 14 5.6 7.3 180 40 70 1.51

Appendix 1. Streamflow, field measurements, and suspended-sediment analyses for samples collected at Clear Creek sites, 

western Nevada, water years 2010–12.—Continued

[Location of sampling sites are shown in figure 1. USGS site ID given in parentheses after site name. Abbreviations: oC, degrees Celsius; ft3/s, cubic 

feet per second; hhmm, 24-hour time format in 2-digit hour and 2-digit minute; mg/L, milligram per liter; μS/cm, microsiemens per centimeter; %, 

percent; ton/d, ton per day; –, no data available]
Appendix 1 37

Date Time

(hhmm)

Field measurements Suspended sediment

Discharge 

(ft3

/s)

Water 

temperature 

(oC)

pH

Specific 

conductance 

(μS/cm)

Sampled 

concentration 

(mg/L)

Sand 

break

(%)

Transport 

rate

(ton/d)

Site 3. Clear Creek at Fuji Park, at Carson City (10310518)

03-05-11 1705 6 6 7.9 193 2 – 0.032

03-07-11 0905 12 3 7.7 169 17 – 0.53

03-14-11 1000 22 3.5 7.6 153 55 90 3.3

03-16-11 0845 65 4 7.7 158 74 90 13

04-01-11 0910 15 6 7.9 155 5 – 0.2

05-27-11 1430 9 10 7.8 168 10 – 0.24

06-05-11 1018 14 9.5 7.6 175 12 – 0.46

06-06-11 1018 32 7 7.7 172 89 94 7.7

07-29-11 1350 4 17 7.6 146 17 – 0.18

08-29-11 1440 2 16.5 8 140 8 – 0.043

11-09-11 1405 5 3.5 7.2 138 3 – 0.04

01-21-12 0840 19 2 7 172 123 – 6.3

01-23-12 1200 8 2 7 144 12 – 0.26

03-16-12 1350 11 8 7.1 176 24 – 0.71

03-17-12 1105 10 5 7.3 176 11 – 0.3

Appendix 1. Streamflow, field measurements, and suspended-sediment analyses for samples collected at Clear Creek sites, 

western Nevada, water years 2010–12.—Continued

[Location of sampling sites are shown in figure 1. USGS site ID given in parentheses after site name. Abbreviations: oC, degrees Celsius; ft3/s, cubic 

feet per second; hhmm, 24-hour time format in 2-digit hour and 2-digit minute; mg/L, milligram per liter; μS/cm, microsiemens per centimeter; %, 

percent; ton/d, ton per day; –, no data available]
38 Discharge, Suspended Sediment, Bedload, and Water Quality in Clear Creek, Western Nevada, Water Years 2010–12

[USGS site ID given in parentheses after the site name. Silt-sized, sediment particles less than 0.0625 mm in diameter. Sand 

sized, particles greater than 0.0625 mm and less than or equal to 2 mm in diameter. Gravel sized, particles with a diameter 

greater than 2 mm; Abbreviations: hhmm, 24-hour time format in 2-digit hour and 2-digit minute; ft3/s, cubic feet per 

second; mm, millimeters. t/d, tons per day; –, data not available]

Date Time

(hhmm)

Discharge 

(ft3

/s)

Bedload 

sediment, 

total sample 

mass, dry 

weight 

Silt-sized 

bedload 

fraction

Sand-sized 

bedload 

fraction

Gravel-sized 

bedload 

fraction

Bedload 

sediment 

transport rate 

(t/d)

(grams)

Site 1. Clear Creek above Highway 50, near Spooner Summit (10310485)

08-25-04 1000 0.34 10.7 0.2 8.9 1.6 0.03

06-06-11 0800 5.8 40.6 0.20 31.3 9.10 0.74

Site 2. Clear Creek near Carson City (10310500)

10-13-09 1450 3.6 43.6 0.1 43.5 0 0.33

10-14-09 0910 5.8 21.0 0 21.0 0 0.16

11-23-09 1340 2.9 81.2 0 79.4 1.8 0.62

01-13-10 1115 5.2 103.2 0 78.3 24.9 0.79

02-25-10 1150 4.6 73.8 0 66.2 7.6 0.62

04-22-10 1312 5.8 11.5 0 9.3 2.2 0.18

04-22-10 1328 – 87.6 0 72.5 15.1 1.33

10-05-10 1107 7.1 9.8 0.1 9.6 0.1 0.17

10-06-10 0928 3.2 39.4 0.1 9.8 0 0.25

10-18-10 1030 3 17.8 0.1 17.7 0 0.11

10-25-10 1135 5 33.1 0.1 31.8 1.2 0.21

11-19-10 1130 2.8 10.6 0 10.3 0.3 0.07

12-14-10 1328 12 223.1 0.2 215.1 7.8 1.65

12-19-10 1307 12 62.4 0.1 57.8 4.5 0.92

03-14-11 0855 19 375.9 0.1 181.7 194.1 9.55

03-16-11 0755 65 248.1 0.1 209.2 38.8 7.88

06-05-11 0945 12 830.9 0.1 202.8 628.0 14.07

06-06-11 0943 35 335.5 0.1 282.9 52.5 9.23

01-21-12 0725 17 116.0 0.1 111.9 4.0 2.36

03-16-12 1255 11 171.6 0.1 101.1 14.8 2.54

03-17-12 0955 10 79.6 0 78.5 1.1 1.18

Site 3. Clear Creek at Fuji Park, at Carson City (10310518)

02-25-04 1515 7.3 48.8 0.1 39.1 9.6 0.49

05-28-04 0850 2.8 40.4 0.2 29.9 10.2 0.43

09-07-04 1300 0.46 8.2 0.0 6.6 1.6 0.03

10-13-09 1555 1.5 26.7 0 25.2 1.5 0.22

10-14-09 1020 3.5 142.0 0 139.9 2.1 0.98

11-23-09 1510 – 66.6 0 61.6 5.0 0.68

01-13-10 1315 6.2 513.0 0 122.1 390.9 4.65

02-25-10 1500 4.4 106.4 0 104.1 2.3 0.85

04-22-10 1120 6.6 1.4 0 1.2 0.2 0.03

04-22-10 1143 6.6 127.8 0 102.0 25.8 2.32

05-27-10 1350 3.9 1.4 0 1.4 0 0.03

10-05-10 1015 6.1 3.9 0 3.9 0 0.07

12-14-10 1437 14 55.5 0.1 52.5 2.9 0.51

03-16-11 0845 65 288.1 0.2 135.7 152.2 4.06

Appendix 2. Bedload-Sediment Data for Samples Collected at Clear Creek

Sites, Nevada, Water Years 2010–12
Appendix 3 39

[Location of sampling sites are shown in figure 1. USGS site ID given in parentheses after site name. Abbreviations: hhmm, 24-hour time format in 2-digit hour 

and 2-digit minute; mg/L, milligram per liter; μg/L, microgram per liter; E, estimated; <, less than; –, no data available]

Date Time 

(hhmm)

Dissolved 

solids Calcium Magnesium Sodium Potassium Chloride Sulfate Fluoride Silica Iron Manganese Boron

(mg/L) (μg/L)

Site 1. Clear Creek above Highway 50, near Spooner Summit (10310485)

11-23-09 1019 77 10.5 2.35 6.29 1.69 0.55 0.69 0.06E 23.2 42 1.4 –

03-11-10 1050 – 9.81 2.26 5.89 1.62 0.55 0.73 <0.08 25.3 52 1.9 E 2

06-11-10 1440 37 4.5 1.06 3.68 0.98 0.31 0.33 – 18.3 76 3.1 E 2

07-29-11 1045 42 4.81 1.17 3.48 0.85 0.2 0.23 <0.04 20.5 144 5.3 < 3

08-29-11 1100 53 5.92 1.39 3.97 1.06 0.24 0.35 <0.04 21.4 185 7.6 < 3

11-09-11 1115 62 7.49 1.8 4.73 1.28 0.54 0.43 <0.04 23.7 120 6 < 3

01-23-12 1320 61 7.5 1.88 4.84 1.61 0.79 0.49 0.06 23 108 7 3

Site 2. Clear Creek near Carson City (10310500)

11-23-09 1330 121 18.6 3.03 10.4 2.03 10.4 1.11 0.08 21.1 98 8.3 –

03-11-10 1250 137 18.1 3.27 11.4 2.11 17.7 1.69 0.05E 22.4 97 8.5 4

06-11-10 1305 103 15.2 2.57 9.43 1.64 11.4 0.78 0.06E 21 148 8.9 4

07-29-11 1225 123 19.5 2.96 9.18 2.02 5.38 0.98 0.09 20.6 114 7.1 7

08-29-11 1220 90 13.7 2.7 8.32 1.66 9.39 0.63 0.07 23.1 296 10.4 5

11-09-11 1250 102 15.2 2.84 8.42 1.79 7.67 0.86 0.04 22.1 277 9.1 4

01-23-12 1300 102 16.8 3.17 8.69 1.73 10.4 0.57 0.06 23.7 139 8.5 4

Site 3. Clear Creek at Fuji Park, at Carson City (10310518)

11-23-09 1500 125 18.8 3.15 11 2.12 11.5 1.1 0.08 21.8 244 15.2 –

03-11-10 1405 139 18.4 3.34 11.7 2.06 18.1 1.62 0.05E 22.7 225 20.7 4

06-11-10 1205 109 15.6 2.88 9.68 1.93 11.8 0.74 0.07E 21.9 322 33.4 5

07-29-11 1350 111 14.6 2.9 8.79 1.7 9.92 0.66 0.08 23.8 522 29.3 5

08-29-11 1440 102 16.4 3.13 8.93 1.87 8.17 0.54 0.05 23.4 686 28.1 3

11-09-11 1405 100 16.7 3.28 9.57 1.9 11.2 0.55 0.06 24.2 375 32.9 4

01-23-12 1200 91 13.9 2.87 11 2.81 15.2 1.1 0.09 17.5 272 44.5 8

Appendix 3. Water-Quality Data for Samples Collected at Clear Creek Sites, 

Nevada, Water Years 2010–12

Publishing support provided by the U.S. Geological Survey

Publishing Network, Tacoma Publishing Service Center

For more information concerning the research in this report, contact the

 Nevada Water Science Center

U.S. Geological Survey

2730 N. Deer Run Rd.

Carson City, NV 89701 

http://nevada.usgs.gov/water/
Huntington and Savard—Discharge, Suspended Sediment, Bedload, and Water Quality, Clear Creek, Western Nevada, WY 2010–12—Scientific Investigations Report 2015–5124

ISSN 2328-0328 (online)

http://dx.doi.org/10.3133/sir20155124