F L O O D 

D I S C H A R G E S 

IN THE 

UPPER MISSISSIPPI 

RIVER BASIN 

9 9 3 

U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY CIRCULAR 1120-A 
Front Cover-View of Highway 67, West Alton, Missouri, 

(Srenco Photography, St . Louis, Mo.) 

Back Cover-View of Spirit of St . Louis Airport, 

Chesterfield, Mo. (Srenco Photography, 

St. Louis, Mo.) 

Field Hydrologist making streamflow 

measurements (U.S . Geological Survey) 
FLOOD DISCHARGES IN THE


UPPER MISSISSIPPI RIVER BASIN, 1993


By Charles Parrett, Nick B. Melcher, and Robert W. James, Jr. 

Floods in the Upper Mississippi River Basin, 1993


U .S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY CIRCULAR 1120-A

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 

BRUCE BABBITT, Secretary 

U.S . GEOLOGICAL SURVEY 

Robert M. Hirsch, Acting Director 

First Printing August 27, 1993


Second Printing (with revisions) September 24, 1993


UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE: 1993 

Free on application to the


U.S . Geological Survey


Map Distribution


Box 25286, MS 306


Denver Federal Center


Denver, CO 80225

FOREWORD 

During spring and summer 1993, record flooding inundated much of the upper Mississippi 

River Basin. The magnitude of the damages-in terms of property, disrupted business, and personal trauma-was unmatched by any other flood disaster in United States history . Property dam 

age alone is expected to exceed $10 billion . Damaged highways and submerged roads disrupted 

overland transportation throughout the flooded region. The Mississippi and the Missouri Rivers 

were closed to navigation before and after the flooding . Millions of acres of productive farmland 

remained under water for weeks during the growing season. Rills and gullies in many tilled fields 

are the result of the severe erosion that occurred throughout the Midwestern United States farmbelt. The hydrologic effects of extended rainfall throughout the upper Midwestern United States 

were severe and widespread. The banks and channels of many rivers were severely eroded, and 

sediment was deposited over large areas of the basin's flood plain. Record flows submerged many 

areas that had not been affected by previous floods. Industrial and agricultural areas were inundated, which caused concern about the transport and fate of industrial chemicals, sewage effluent, 

and agricultural chemicals in the floodwaters . The extent and duration of the flooding caused 

numerous levees to fail . One failed levee on the Raccoon River in Des Moines, Iowa, led to flooding of the city's water treatment plant. As a result, the city was without drinking water for 19 days. 

As the Nation's principal water-science agency, the U.S . Geological Survey (USGS) is in a 

unique position to provide an immediate assessment of some of the hydrological effects of the 

1993 flood. The USGS maintains a hydrologic data network and conducts extensive water 

resources investigations nationwide. Long-term data from this network and information on local 

and regional hydrology provide the basis for identifying and documenting the effects of the flooding. During the flood, the USGS provided continuous streamflow and related information to the 

National Weather Service (NWS), the U.S . Army Corps of Engineers, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), and many State and local agencies as part of its role to provide basic 

information on the Nation's surface- and ground-water resources at thousands of locations across 

the United States . The NWS has used the data in forecasting floods and issuing flood warnings. 

The data have been used by the Corps of Engineers to operate water diversions, dams, locks, and 

levees. The FEMA and many State and local emergency management agencies have used USGS 

hydrologic data and NWS forecasts as part of the basis of their local flood-response activities . In 

addition, USGS hydrologists are conducting a series of investigations to document the effects of 

the flooding and to improve understanding of the related processes. The major initial findings 

from these studies will be reported in this Circular series as results become available . 

U.S . Geological Survey Circular 1120, Floods in the Upper Mississippi River Basin, 1993, 

consists of individually published chapters that will document the effects of the 1993 flooding . 

The series includes data and findings on the magnitude and frequency of peak discharges; precipi 

tation; water-quality characteristics, including nutrients and man-made contaminants ; transport of 

sediment; assessment of sediment deposited on flood plains ; effects of inundation on ground-water 

quality ; flood-discharge volume; effects of reservoir storage on flood peaks ; stream-channel scour 

at selected bridges ; extent of flood-plain inundation; and documentation of geomorphologic 

changes. 

&4"t /,~- /". / 

Acting Director 

August 27, 1993 

Foreword III 
CONTENTS 

Foreword . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . III 

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

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

Purpose and scope . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 

Flood recurrence interval . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 

Causes and chronology of flooding . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 

Climatic conditions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 

Antecedent hydrologic conditions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 

Chronology of the June to August 1993 flooding . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 

Peak discharges for the 1993 flood . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 

Criteria for selection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 

Comparison with historic floods . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 

Selected references . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 

FIGURES 

1 . Map showing the Mississippi River Basin and general area of flooding streams, June to August 1993. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 

2. Map showing areal distribution of total precipitation as a percentage of normal in the area of flooding in the 

upper Mississippi River Basin, January to July 1993 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 

3. Map showing peak discharges and dates of occurrence for the 1993 flood at selected streamflow-gaging stations 

in the upper Mississippi River Basin. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 

4. Map showing location of selected streamflow-gaging stations and ranges in recurrence interval for the 1993 peak 

discharges in the upper Mississippi River Basin. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 

5. Map showing historic peak discharges and peak discharges for the 1993 flood at selected streamflow-gaging 

stations in the upper Mississippi River Basin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 

TABLE 

1 . Summary of peak stages and discharges at selected streamflow-gaging stations in the upper Mississippi River 

Basin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 

CONVERSION FACTORS 

Multiply By 

inch 25.4 

foot 0.3048 

mile 1 .609 

acre 4,047 

square mile 2.590 

cubic foot per second 0.02832 

To obtain 

millimeter


meter


kilometer


square meter


square kilometer


cubic meter per second


Contents V 
Flood Discharges in the Upper Mississippi River Basin, 1993 

By Charles Parrett, Nick B. Melcher, and Robert W. James, Jr. 

Abstract 

From mid-June through early August 1993, 

flooding was severe in the upper Mississippi 

River Basin following a wet-weather pattern that 

persisted over the area for at least 6 months before 

the flood. The magnitude and timing of several 

intense rainstorms in late June and July, combined 

with wet antecedent climatic conditions, were the 

principal causes of the flooding . 

Flood-peak discharges that equaled or 

exceeded the 10-year recurrence interval were 

recorded at 154 streamflow-gaging stations in the 

upper Mississippi River Basin. At 41 streamflowgaging stations, the peak discharge was greater 

than the previous maximumknown discharge. At 

15 additional gaging stations, peak discharges 

0. 

EXPLANATION 

Area of flooding streams 

-. .-Boundary of Mississippi River Basin 

exceeded the previous maximum regulated peak 

discharge. At 45 gaging stations, peak discharges 

exceeded 100-year recurrence intervals. 

INTRODUCTION 

From mid-June through early August 1993, 

severe flooding in the upper Mississippi River Basin 

(fig . 1) followed heavy and persistent rainfall from 

January through July . The flooding was unusual 

because it came so late in the spring-summer runoff 

season and because of the large number of streamflow-gaging stations that had record or near-record 

peak discharges . Record peak discharges were 

recorded from mid-June through early August at U.S . 

Geological Survey (USGS) streamflow-gaging stations in the Minnesota River Basin in Minnesota; in 

the Iowa, the Skunk, the Des Moines, the Little 

Figure 1 . The Mississippi River Basin and general area of flooding streams, June to August 1993. 

Introduction 1 
Sioux, and the Nishnabotna River Basins in Iowa; on 

the Mississippi River at Keokuk, Iowa; in the James 

River Basin in North and South Dakota; in the Platte 

River Basin in Nebraska; in the Kansas River Basin 

in Kansas ; in the Grand River Basin in Missouri; and 

along the Missouri River from St. Joseph to Booneville, Missouri. Unusually high flood discharges were 

recorded at other locations throughout the area of 

flooding. The flooding also was unusual for its long 

duration and widespread and severe damage. At St. 

Louis, Missouri, the Mississippi River reached flood 

stage on June 26 and was still above flood stage in 

mid-August. Millions of acres of agricultural and 

urban lands in the upper Mississippi Basin were inundated for weeks, and unofficial damage estimates 

exceeded $10 billion. 

Purpose and Scope 

As the principal Federal agency responsible 

for the collection of streamflow data, the USGS operates a network of about 7,300 continuous-record 

streamflow-gaging stations throughout the Nation. 

These streamflow records, some of which extend 

back to the 19th century, form the basis for the discussion of the 1993 flood in this report . This report 

describes the flooding in the upper Mississippi River 

Basin from mid-June through early August 1993 and 

the peak discharges at selected sites . Peak discharges 

for the 1993 flood are compared with previous maximum discharges and, for selected sites with long periods of record, are graphically compared with all 

previously known annual peak discharges. 

Flood Recurrence Interval 

For comparative purposes, flood-peak discharges are referenced to a specific recurrence interval or probability of occurrence. The recurrence 

interval is the average number of years between 

occurrences of annual peak discharges that equal or 

exceed a specified discharge. For example, a discharge that has a 100-year recurrence interval is so 

large that an equal or greater annual peak discharge is 

expected, on average, only once in any 100-year 

period. Because of the random nature of flood 

events, the times between annual peak discharges of a 

certain magnitude are far from uniform; a large flood 

in one year does not preclude the occurrence of an 

even larger flood the next year. In any given year, 

2 Flood Discharges in the Upper Mississippi River Basin, 1993 

the annual peak discharge has 1 chance in 100 of 

equaling or exceeding the 100-year flood (U.S. Interagency Advisory Committee on Water Data, 1982). 

Recurrence intervals for the 1993 flood peaks 

presented in this report are generally determined by 

using the most current published USGS flood 

frequency reports for States in the area of flooding . 

For Minnesota, South Dakota, Nebraska, and Kansas, 

however, published flood-frequency reports do not 

include recent data; consequently, the recurrence 

intervals for the 1993 peak discharges are based on 

unpublished flood-frequency analyses archived in the 

USGS District offices in these States . Recurrence 

intervals for the 1993 peak discharges on the Kansas 

River, the Missouri River, and Mississippi River are 

based on unpublished flood-frequency analyses completed by the U.S . Army Corps of Engineers (Gary 

Dyhouse, St. Louis District, U.S . Army Corps of 

Engineers, 1993, written commun. ; Jerry Buehre, 

Kansas City District, U.S . Army Corps of Engineers, 

1993, written commun.) . 

For this report, recurrence intervals have been 

categorized in ranges as follows : from 10 to 50 years, 

greater than 50 to 100 years, and greater than 100 

years. Flood-frequency relations for streamflow-gaging stations in the area of flooding are expected to be 

updated on the basis of 1993 peak-discharge data. 

CAUSES AND CHRONOLOGY OF 

FLOODING 

The area of significant flooding in the upper 

Mississippi River Basin from mid-June to early 

August 1993 includes southern Minnesota, southwest 

ern Wisconsin, Iowa, western Illinois, northern 

Missouri, southern North Dakota, and eastern parts of 

South Dakota, Nebraska, and Kansas. 

Climatic Conditions 

The areal extent and magnitude of the 1993 

Mississippi River flood was due to a persistent wetweather pattern that was throughout the upper Mid 

western United States for at least 6 months preceding 

the flood. This persistent pattern resulted from an 

eastward-flowing jetstream that extended from central Colorado northeastward across Kansas to northern Wisconsin (National Weather Service, 1993). 

Because of this jetstream, a weather-front convergence zone formed across the upper Midwestern 
United States during the spring and summer months 

that preceded the flood. Moist, warm air from the Gulf 

of Mexico was drawn northward along this jetstream 

where it collided with cooler air masses drawn out of 

central Canada. The resultant unstable air masses persisted throughout the flooded area during spring and 

summer 1993 (National Weather Service, 1993). The 

climatic conditions that preceded this flood were 

remarkably similar to those that preceded the last large 

flood on the upper Mississippi River in April 1973 

(Chinn and others, 1975). 

Antecedent Hydrologic Conditions 

In many parts of the flooded area, rainfall totals 

for January through July 1993 were one and one-half 

to two times the January-through-July normal precipita 

tion for 1961 to 1990 (David Miskus, National 

Weather Service, written commun., 1993; fig . 2) . For 

Iowa, which is centrally located in the area of flooding, 

November 1992 to April 1993 was the second wettest 

November-to-April period in 121 years of record. 

Intense rainfall in late March and early April caused 

serious, localized flooding in the Cedar River Basin in 

Iowa, the Rock River Basin in Illinois, and the Big 

Sioux River Basin in South Dakota. 

Rainfall and runoff were above average 

throughout the flooded area from April to June 1993, 

and streams were generally bankfull at the end of 

June. The monthly discharge volumes for the Mississippi River at Keokuk for April through June were 

more than 200 percent of normal (April-June 1961-

90). By late June, most flood-control reservoirs in 

the upper Mississippi River Basin were at or near 

capacity, and soils throughout the flooded area were 

saturated from excessive precipitation . 

Chronology of the June to August 1993 

Flooding 

The magnitude and timing of several rainstorms in mid-June and July, combined with wet antecedent climatic conditions, were the principal causes 

of the severe flooding in the upper Mississippi River 

Basin. To illustrate the influence of the timing of runoff from these storms on the peak discharge on the 

Mississippi River, the peak discharges and their dates 

of occurrence for selected streamflow-gaging stations 

in the general area of flooding are shown in figure 3. 

During June 17-18, 2 to 7 inches of rain fell 

throughout southern Minnesota, northern Iowa, and 

southwestern Wisconsin. Runoff from this storm 

caused flooding on the Minnesota and the Mississippi 

Rivers in Minnesota and the Chippewa and the Black 

Rivers in Wisconsin. As a result of these floodwaters, the discharge of the Mississippi River at Clinton, 

Iowa, peaked on July 5, 1993 (fig 3). 

Two separate storms in early July caused 

large-scale flooding in Iowa. During the first storm 

on July 4-5, 2 to 5 inches of rain fell in central Iowa 

and caused lowland flooding on the Iowa, the Skunk, 

and the Des Moines Rivers. During the second storm 

on July 8-9, 2 to 8 inches of rain fell in central Iowa. 

Rivers throughout central Iowa had not receded from 

the July 4-5 storm, and the three major reservoirs in 

this part of the State were at capacity. The runoff 

from this storm, combined with the runoff from the 

July 4-5 storm, caused record or near-record peak discharges at streamflow-gaging stations throughout the 

Iowa, the Skunk, the Raccoon, and the Des Moines 

River Basins. The floodwaters from these rivers 

entered the Mississippi River at about the same time 

as the flood peak from the late June storm in northern 

basins reached Keokuk (fig . 3). The coincident timing of the flood peaks from these tributary rivers 

increased the peak discharge on the Mississippi River 

and aggravated flooding on the Mississippi River 

from Davenport, Iowa, to St. Louis. The discharge 

on the Mississippi River at St. Louis that resulted 

from these combined floodwaters peaked on July 20. 

On July 15-16, 2 to 7 inches of rain fell in 

eastern North Dakota and western Minnesota and 

caused flooding in the upper reaches of the Minne 

sota River Basin in Minnesota and the James River 

Basin in North Dakota. Although peak discharges 

from this storm were not as large in the lower reaches 

of these basins as the peak discharges of late June, 

the floodwaters from the James River added to the 

flooding of late July on the Missouri River. 

From July 22 to 24, 2 to 13 inches of rain fell 

in parts of Nebraska, Kansas, Missouri, Iowa, and Illinois. The runoff from this storm caused record peak 

discharges on the Platte River in Nebraska and contributed large flows to previously filled reservoirs in 

the Kansas River Basin in Kansas. Discharges also 

were near-record on the Nishnabotna River in Iowa 

and the Illinois River in Illinois . Peak discharges on 

the Kansas River were the largest since 1951, which 

is before significant river regulation began. 

Causes and Chronology of Flooding 3 
Before the July 22 to 24 storm, the Missouri River in North and South Dakota, the Big Sioux 

River was at or near flood stage as a result of large River in South Dakota, and the Little Sioux River in 

tributary inflows earlier in the month from the James Iowa. As a result, floodwaters from the Platte and 

100° 95° 90, 

40° 

EXPLANATION 

I Area of flooding streams 

-200-Line of equal total precipitation for 

January through July, 1993, as 

percentage of the 30-year pre 

cipitation normal for January 

through July, 1961-90-Hachures


indicate closed areas of lesser 0 100 200 MILES


precipitation. Interval 50 percent 0 100 200 KILOMETERS 

Figure 2. Areal distribution of total precipitation as a percentage of normal in the area of flooding in the upper Mississippi River 

Basin, January to July 1993. 

Flood Discharges in the Upper Mississippi River Basin, 1993 
the Kansas Rivers caused record or near-record peak 

discharges on the Missouri River at streamflow-gaging stations downstream from the confluence of the 

Platte River. The flood peak on the Missouri River 

reached Hermann, Missouri, on July 31 (fig . 3) . The 

peak discharge from the Missouri River caused a second and greater peak discharge at the streamflow-gaging station on the Mississippi River at St. Louis on 

August 1 . 

Flood conditions on the Mississippi River differed above and below the confluence of the Ohio 

River. At Thebes, Illinois, just upstream from the 

confluence, severe flooding on the Mississippi River 

peaked on August 7. Downstream from the confluence, flooding on the Mississippi River was not 

severe because of less-than-average discharge contributed by the Ohio River and a substantially larger 

channel capacity in this reach of the Mississippi 

River. The discharge of the Ohio River was less than 

average during July and August as a result of generally dry conditions and low reservoir outflows 

throughout the Ohio River Basin. 

PEAK DISCHARGES FOR THE 1993 

FLOOD 

Flood data for 154 streamflow-gaging stations 

in the area of flooding are listed in table 1 (at end of 

report), and the locations of the streamflow-gaging sta 

tions and the ranges of computed recurrence intervals 

for the 1993 peak discharges are shown in figure 4. 

South Skunk River below 

Raccoon River at Van Meter, Iowa Squaw Creek near Ames, Iowa Mississippi River at St. Paul, Minn . 

Q= 70,200 cubic feet per second Q= 25,300 cubic feet per second Q= 104,000 cubic feet per second 

July 10, 1993 July 9, 1993 June 26, 1993 

Minnesota River near Jordan, Minn . 

Q= 92,200 cubic feet per second Mississippi River at Clinton, Iowa 

June 24, 1993 Q= 245,000 cubic feet per second 

95° July 5, 1993 

Kansas River at Topeka, Kansas 

Q= 166,000 cubic feet per second 

July 25, 1993 

Mississippi River at Keokuk, Iowa 

Q= 435,000 cubic feet per second 

July 10, 1993 

Missouri River at Hermann, Mo. 

Q= 750,000 cubic feet per second 

July 31, 1993 

EXPLANATION€ Mississippi River at St . Louis, Mo. 

Q=1,080,000 cubic feet per second 

Area of flooding streams August 1, 1993 

-. .-Boundary of Mississippi River Basin 

Streamflow-gaging station 

Figure 3. Peak discharges (Q) and dates of occurrence for the 1993 flood at selected streamflow-gaging stations in the 

upper Mississippi River Basin. 

Peak Discharges for the 1993 Flood 5 
45o 

40 0 

Streamflow-gaging station and number, 

and ranges of recurrence intervals 

for 1993 peak discharge 

IL6 10 to 50 years 100 200 MILES 

I ®9 Greater than 50 to 100 years 100 200 KILOMETERS 

-12 Greater than 100 years 

Figure 4. Location of selected streamflow-gaging stations and ranges in recurrence interval for the 1993 peak discharges in the 

upper Mississippi River Basin. 

6 Flood Discharges in the Upper Mississippi River Basin, 1993 
z

Cl) 0 80 

0 Z

Z0 

Nw 60 Z) Cn 

O¢ 

xw~a 

?w 40 

ww 

w 

Cr U 

am 20 x~ 

00 0 

1900 1920 1940 1960 1980 2000 1800 1850 1900 1950 2000 

Raccoon River at Van Meter, Iowa Mississippi at Keokuk, Iowa 

n^ 95, 

0. 

EXPLANATION 

Area of flooding streams 

-. .-Boundary of Mississippi River Basin 

Streamflow-gaging station 

U) 0 1,500 Z 00 a 0	 Oz 

z 0 

co w Z) U) rn w O¢ Z) U) 

xw O ¢ 1,000 

~a	 xwPa 

-w zFww -w 

w ww QU	 a w 

Q0 500

2m 2 m 000 U Q0 

00 _

00w 

0 1800 1850 1900 1950 2000 1800 1850 1900 1950 2000 

YEAR YEAR 

Missouri River at Boonville, Missouri Mississippi River at St Louis, Missouri 

Figure 5. Historic peak discharges and peak discharges for the 1993 flood at selected streamflow-gaging stations in the upper 

Mississippi River Basin. 

Peak Discharges for the 1993 Flood 7 
Criteria for Selection 

The streamflow-gaging stations that are shown 

in figure 4 and table 1 generally are located on major 

streams and had peak discharges with recurrence 

intervals of 10 years or greater from June to August 

1993 . After additional stage-discharge analyses are 

completed, some June to August 1993 peak discharges might be updated, and some additional 

streamflow-gaging stations, where 1993 peak discharges occurred during the antecedent hydrologic 

months of March to May and secondary peak discharges occurred from June to August, may be identified. 

Although the focus of this report is on peak discharge, data on peak stage also are included in table 1 

because peak stage is the primary indicator of over 

bank flooding and is used to define the limits of inundation . The inclusion of peak-stage data is of particular interest for several sites on the Mississippi and the 

Missouri River mainstems, where the peak stages in 

1993 substantially exceeded the previous maximum 

known stages . Because of the effect of man-made and 

natural changes in the channel and flood plain, some 

sites that had record stages in 1993 had less-thanrecord peak discharges. 

Comparison With Historic Floods 

As shown in table 1, 41 streamflow-gaging stations in the area of flooding had record peak discharges in 1993. In addition, 15 other stations had 

peak discharges that exceeded the previous maximum 

regulated discharge . At 45 stations, peak discharges 

had recurrence intervals of greater than 100 years. 

Historic annual peak discharges and 1993 peak 

discharges at four streamflow-gaging stations that have 

long records of discharge are shown in figure 5 . As 

shown in the figure, the 1993 peak discharge for the 

Raccoon River at Van Meter, Iowa, is remarkable 

because it was almost twice as large as any previous 

peak discharge in almost 80 years of record. 

At two sites on the Mississippi River, the 1993 

peak discharges were record or near-record discharges. 

The 1993 peak discharge for the Mississippi River at 

Keokuk was substantially greater than previous record 

peak discharges in 1973 and 1851 . Although the 1993 

peak discharge for the Mississippi River at St. Louis 

was not a record discharge, it was substantially larger 

8 Flood Discharges in the Upper Mississippi River Basin, 1993 

than that for the large flood of 1973. The 1993 peak 

discharge for the Mississippi River at St. Louis was 

also slightly greater than that in 1903 and only slightly 

less than the estimated record peak discharge in 1844. 

The 1993 peak discharge for the Missouri River 

at Boonville, Missouri, also was a record discharge, 

which exceeded previous historic flood-peak discharges in 1951, 1903, and 1844. Because floodwaters 

upstream from Lewis and Clark Lake were contained 

in 1993 by the Missouri River dam system, the large 

peak discharge at Boonville is particularly notable . 

At all four sites shown in figure 5, the 1993 

peak discharge was greater than the discharge with a 

100-year recurrence interval. At the Mississippi River 

at St. Louis, the 1993 peak discharge was slightly 

greater than the discharge with the 100-year recurrence 

interval. At the Raccoon River at Van Meter, however, 

the 1993 peak discharge was about 40 percent greater 

than the discharge with a 100-year recurrence interval. 

SELECTED REFERENCES 

Chin, E.H., Skelton, J., and Guy, H.P ., 1975, The 1973 Mississippi River basin flood-Compilation and analyses 

of meteorologic, streamflow, and sediment data: U.S . 

Geological Survey Professional Paper 937, 137 p. 

Curtis, G.W., 1987, Technique for estimating flood-peak 

discharges and frequencies on rural streams in 

Illinois : U.S . Geological Survey Water-Resources 

Investigations Report 87-4207, 79 p. 

Eash, D.A., 1993, Estimating design-flood discharges for 

streams in Iowa using drainage-basin and channelgeometry characteristics : U.S . Geological Survey 

Water-Resources Investigations Report 93-4062, 

96 p. 

Krug, W.R., Conger, D.H., and Gebert, W.A., 1991, Floodfrequency characteristics of Wisconsin streams : U.S . 

Geological Survey Water-Resources Investigations 

Report 91-4128, 185 p. 

National Weather Service, 1993, Midwestern floods-Heat 

and drought in the East: Special Climate Summary, 

v. 93, no. l, 4 p. 

U.S . Interagency Advisory Committee on Water Data, 

1982, Guidelines for determining flood flow frequency: U.S . Geological Survey, Hydrology Subcom 

mittee Bulletin 17B, 183 p. 

Williams-Sether, Tara, 1992, Techniques for estimating 

peak-flow frequency relations for North Dakota 

streams : U.S . Geological Survey Water-Resources 

Investigations Report 92-4020, 57 p. 
1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

21

22

23

24

25

26

Table 1 . Summary of peak stages and dicharges at selected streamflow-gaging stations in the upper Mississippi River Basin 

[mil, square miles; ft, feet; ft3/s, cubic feet per second ; >, greater than] 

Flood data 

Drainage Flood of June-August 1993 Previous maximum discharge 

Peak Maximum 

stage discharge Date 

(ft) (ft3/s) 

11 .78 4,300 09/1991 

213 .35 4,730 3 04/1952 

12 .92 3,060 04/1952 

314 .58 5,520 307/1969 

221 .68 35,100 04/1969 

17 .50 25,200 06/1919 

15 .92 19,700 06/1957 

2 11 .33 1,070 04/1985 

17 .79 930 04/1965 

2 20 .86 28,700 304/1969 

8.96 1,340 03/1985 

18 .72 19,000 04/1965 

21 .36 43,100 04/1965 

22.72 24,700 3 04/1965 

29.9 110,000 04/1881 

19 .78 920 06/1983 

35 .07 117,000 06/1965 

26 .01 171,000 04/1965 

2 12 .74 6,030 307/1990 

14 .01 36,100 04/1965 

10 .90 17,600 304/1986 

18 .80 46,000 08/1941 

18 .40 123,000 304/1967 

23.80 48,800 09/1938 

°15 .46 65,500 3 04/1967 

10 .00 4,180 09/1942 

Site Station 

number number 

05278930 

05290000 

05292000 

05294000 

05311000 

05313500 

05316500 

05316570 

05316700 

05317000 

05317200 

05319500 

05320000 

05320500 

05325000 

05326100 

05330000 

05331000 

05353800 

05355200 

05360500 

05362000 

05369500 

05381000 

05382000 

05393500 

Station name area Peak Peak 

(mil ) dis- stage charge (ft)) W/O 

Buffalo Creek neart 374 10 .89 3,380 

Glencoe, Minn. 

Little Minnesota River 447 13 .58 1 8,900 

near Peever, S. Dak. 

Minnesota River at 1,160 9.96 2,950 

Ortonville, Minn. 

Pomme De Terre River 905 9.57 2,400 

at Appleton, Minn. 

Minnesota River at 6,180 16 .46 11,500 

Montevideo, Minn. 

Yellow Medicine Rivert 653 10 .84 8,340 

near Granite Falls, Minn. 

Recurrence 

Date interval 

range 

(years) 

06/19 10- 50 

07/25 >100 

07/28 10- 50 

07/10 10- 50 

08/04 10- 50 

06/21 10- 50 

06/18 (>50)-100 

06/17 > 100 

06/17 (>50)-100 

06/19 (>50)- 100 

06/20 >100 

06/20 >100 

06/20 10- 50 

06/21 10- 50 

06/21 (>50)-100 

06/17 10- 50 

06/24 (>50)-100 

06/26 10- 50 

06/17 > 10- 50 

06/17 (>50)-100 

06/21 10- 50 

06/21 10- 50 

06/23 10- 50 

06/20 10- 50 

06/21 > 100 

06/21 10- 50 

Redwood River near 

Redwood Falls, Minn. 

Beaver Creek at Beaver 

Falls, Minn. 

Spring Creek near Sleepy 

Eye, Minn

Cottonwood River near 

New Ulm, Minn. 

Liattle Cottonwood River 

near Courtland, Minn. 

Wantonwan River near 

Garden City, Minn. 

Blue Earth River near 

Rapidan, Minn. 

Le Sueur River near 

near Rapidan, Minn. 

Minnesota River at 

Mankato, Minn. 

Middle Branch Rush River 

near Gaylord, Minn. 

Minnesota River near 

Jordan, Minn. 

Mississippi River at 

St . Paul, Minn. 

Straight River near 

Faribault, Minn. 

Cannon River at 

Welch, Minn. 

Flameau River near 

Bruce, Wis. 

Jump River at Sheldon, 

Wis. 

Chippewa River at 

Durand, Wis. 

Black River at 

Neilsville, Wis. 

Black River near 

Galesville, Wis. 

Spirit River at Spirit 

Falls, Wis . 

629 15 .73 12,600 

194 14 .29 '2,750 

31 .3 17 .91 1 960 

1,280 18 .87 24,200 

230 10 .46 9,540 

812 15 .89 14,400 

2,430 13 .32 20,300 

1,100 13 .33 11,500 

14,900 30 .11 75,600 

68 .5 19 .93 1 1,380 

16,200 33 .52 92,200 

36,800 19 .13 104,000 

442 11 .16 5,920 

1,320 13 .19 18,800 

1,860 10 .11 16,500 

576 13 .20 16,400 

9,010 15 .76 90,100 

749 19 .28 30,300 

2,080 16 .64 64,000 

81 .6 7.4 2,700 

See footnotes at end of table . 

Table 9 
Table 1 . Summary of peak stages and dicharges at selected streamflow-gaging stations in the upper Mississippi River 

Basin-Continued 

Flood data 

Drainage Flood of June-August 

Station name area Peak Peak 

(mil l dis­ stage charge Date 

(ft)) MIA) 

Wisconsin River at 4,020 27.48 44,400 06/21 

Rothschild, Wis. 

Wisconsin River near 8,090 18 .16 59,100 06/24 

Wisconsin Dells, Wis. 

Baraboo River near 609 22.78 6,360 07/18 

Baraboo, Wis. 

Black Earth Creek at 

Black Earth, Wis . 

45.6 6.13 1,320 07/06 

Wisconsin River at 

Muscoda, Wis. 

10,400 10.35 59,600 06/25 

Sinsinawa River near 39.6 13.18 11,300 07/05 

Menominee, Ill . 

Galena River at 

Buncombe, Wis. 

125 16.7 16,000 07/06 

Maquoketa River near 1,553 32.59 38,000 07/06

Maquoketa, Iowa. 

Mississippi River at 85,600 222.98 245,000 307/05

Clinton, Iowa . 

1993 Previous maximum discharge Site Station num­ number ber 

27 05398000 

28 05404000 

29 05405000 

30 05406500 

31 05407000 

32 05414820 

33 05415000 

34 05418500 

35 05420500 

36 05422000 

37 05427948 

38 05429500 

39 05431486 

40 05432500 

41 05433000 

42 05448000 

43 05451500 

44 05451700 

45 05452000 

46 05453100 

47 05454300 

48 05454500 

49 05455100 

50 05455500 

51 05455700 

52 05463500 

Recurrence Peak interval stage range 

(years) (ft) 

10- 50 5 18 .46 

10- 50 23.83 

10- 50 6 ' 17 .50 

10- 50 6.58 

10- 50 °11 .48 

(>50)-100 13 .34 

10- 50 19 .57 

10- 50 5 24.7 

10- 50 24.65 

10- 50 14 .19 

10- 50 8.54 

10- 50 256.33 

10- 50 7 12.85 

10- 50 20.71 

10- 50 15.74 

10- 50 12.65 

10- 50 20.47 

10- 50 17.69 

(>50)-100 20.00 

> 100 19.79 

10- 50 16.36 

> 100 6 924.1 

' 028.21 

> 100 17.25 

> 100 21 .45 

> 100 20.27 

10- 50 18.23 

Maximum 

discharge Date 

MIA) 

49,200 04/1965 

72,200 09/1938 

7,900 03/1917 

1,750 07/1954 

80,800 09/1938 

11,600 06/1969 

29,700 06/1969 

48,000 06/1944 

307,000 04/1965 

31,100 06/1990 

516 303/1975 

867 304/1959 

16,500 04/1973 

22,000 07/1950 

11,700 02/1948 

9,300 04/1973 

42,000 3 06/1918 

12,000 08/1977 

35,000 306/1947 

30,800 303/1960 

10,200 06/1990 

6970,000 06/1851 

`°26,900 07/1993 

13,500 06/1982 

20,000 09/1965 

35,700 3 05/1974 

19,300 07/1969 

Wapsipinicon River 

near DeWitt, Iowa. 

Pheasant Branch at 

Middleton, Wis. 

Yahara River near 

McFarland, Wis. 

Turtle Creek at Carvers 

Rock Road near 

Clinton, Wis. Pecatonica River at 

Darlington, Wis. 

East Branch Pecatonica 

River near Blanchardville, 

Wis. 

Mill Creek at Milan, Ill . . . . 

Iowa River at Marshalltown, Iowa . 

Timber Creek near 

Marshalltown, Iowa. 

Salt Creek near Elberon, 

Iowa. 

Iowa River at Marengo,

Iowa. 

Clear Creek near 

Coralville, Iowa. 

Iowa River at Iowa City, 

Iowa. 

Old Mans Creek near 

Iowa City, Iowa . 

English River at Kalona, 

Iowa. 

Iowa River at Lone Tree, 

Iowa. 

Black Hawk Creek 

at Hudson, Iowa. 

2,330 12.86 24,100 07/09 

18.3 8.92 '746 07/06 

327 2 6.75 615 07/25 

199 10.38 5,580 06/30 

273 18.22 12,400 07/06 

221 16.54 6,560 07/06 

62.4 10.29 7,680 06/25 

1,564 20.55 19,200 07/10 

118 17.10 8,250 07/09 

201 20.85 28,000 07/09 

2,794 20.27 '39,000 07/19 

98.1 14.82 6,910 07/06 

3,271 28.52 828,200 08/10 

201 18.58 127,000 07/06 

573 22.55 '33,000 07/06 

4,293 22.94 157,000 07/07 

303 17.1 9,600 07/09 

See footnotes at end of table . 

1 0 Flood Discharges in the Upper Mississippi River Basin, 1993 
Table 1. Summary of peak stages and dicharges at selected streamflow-gaging stations in the upper Mississippi River 

Basin-Continued 

Flood data 

Site Station Drainage Flood of June-August 1993 Previous maximum discharge 

numher number Station name area Peak Peak Recurrence Peak Maximum (mil) stage dis- Date interval stage discharge Date 

�(years)

range (ft)) (ft) (ft 3/s) (ft/ss)e

53 05465000 

54 05465500 

55 05467000 

56 05469000 

57 05470000 

58 05470500 

59 05471000 

60 05471500 

61 05472500 

62 05474000 

63 05474500 

64 05476000 

65 05476500 

66 05476750 

67 05480500 

68 05481300 

69 05481650 

70 05481950 

71 05482135 

72 05482500 

73 05483450 

74 05483600 

75 05484000 

76 05484500 

77 05485500 

Cedar River near 

Conesville, Iowa . 

Iowa River at Wapello, 

Iowa. 

Pope Creek near 

Keithsburg, Ill . 

Henderson Creek near 

Oquawka, Ill . 

South Skunk River near 

Ames, Iowa. 

Squaw Creek at Ames, 

Iowa. 

South Skunk River below 

Squaw Creek near 

Ames, Iowa. 

South Skunk River near 

Oskaloosa, Iowa. 

North Skunk River near 

Sigoumey, Iowa. 

Skunk River at Augusta, 

Iowa. 

Mississippi River at 

Keokuk, Iowa. 

Des Moines River at 

Jackson, Minn. 

Des Moines River at 

Esterville, Iowa . 

Des Moines River at 

Humboldt, Iowa. 

Des Moines River at 

Fort Dodge, Iowa. 

Des Moines River near 

Stratford, Iowa. 

Des Moines River near 

Saylorville, Iowa. 

Beaver Creek near 

Grimes, Iowa. 

North Raccoon River 

near Newell, Iowa . 

North Raccoon River 

near Jefferson, Iowa. 

Middle Raccoon River 

near Bayard, Iowa . 

Middle Raccoon River at 

Panora, Iowa. 

South Raccoon River at 

Redfield, Iowa . 

Raccoon River at 

Van Meter, Iowa. 

Des Moines River below 

Raccoon River at 

Des Moines, Iowa. 

7,785 16 .83 67,700 07/07 10- 50 16 .85 70,800 `04/1961 

12,499 29.53 '107,000 07/07 >100 28 .91 94,000 306/1947 

174 229.08 6,860 07/24 10- 50 228 .61 8,900 304/1973 

432 232 .58 30,100 07/25 (>50)-100 31 .05 34,600 07/1982 

315 14 .15 '11,500 07/09 >100 13 .90 8,630 306/1954 

204 18 .54 '21,000 07/09 >100 15 .97 12,500 06/1990 

556 25 .53 '25,300 07/09 >100 25 .57 14,700 06/1975 

1,635 25 .10 20,400 07/15 10- 50 25 .80 37,000 05/1944 

730 24 .72 22,600 07/06 (>50)-100 25 .33 27,500 03/1960 

4,303 23 .68 54,400 07/10 >100 27 .05 66,800 04/1973 

119,000 27 .15 '435,000 07/10 >100 21 .0 360,000 06/1851 

1,220 16 .67 8,250 07/07 10- 50 19 .45 15,700 04/1969 

1,372 15 .38 10,200 06/30 10- 50 17 .68 16,000 04/1969 

2,256 15 .22 '19,000 07/13 >100 15 .40 18,000 04/1969 

4,190 15 .73 31,000 07/14 10- 50 19 .62 35,600 '04/1965 

5,452 25 .64 42,100 07/11 10- 50 29 .7 57,400 06/1954 

5,841 24 .12 842,700 07/11 >100 924.50 8 60,000 06/1954 

07/19 '020.72 9 30,100 06/1984 

358 16 .58 1 15,500 07/10 > 100 14 .73 7,980 06/1986 

233 15 .99 2,250 07/11 10- 50 16 .73 2,850 06/1984 

1,619 19 .23 16,800 07/10 10- 50 22.3 29,100 06/1947 

375 28.71 1 24,000 07/09 > 100 24.70 14,600 3 07/1973 

440 20.04 '22,400 07/09 > 100 15 .50 15,300 06/1986 

994 26.98 '44,000 07/10 > 100 529.04 35,000 07/1958 

3,441 26.34 '70,200 07/10 >100 22.69 41,200 3 06/1947 

9,879 34 .29 1 116,000 07/11 > 100 "20.80 `77,000 06/1947 

`°28 .46 '°58,400 06/1984 

See footnotes at end of table . 

Table 1 1 
Table 1 . Summary of peak stages and dicharges at selected streamflow-gaging stations in the upper Mississippi River 

Basin-Continued 

Flood data 

Site Station num­ number ber 

78 05485640 

79 05487980 

80 05488500 

81 05489000 

82 05489500 

83 05490500 

84 05569500 

85 05570000 

86 05586100 

87 06341800 

88 06347500 

89 06348000 

90 06467600 

91 06468170 

92 06470000 

93 06477150 

94 06478052 

95 06478390 

96 06478500 

97 06478513 

98 06478540 

99 06479000 

100 06479980 

101 06480000 

102 06480400 

103 06481000 

Station name 

Fourmile Creek at 

Des Moines, Iowa. 

White Breast Creek near 

Dallas, Iowa . 

Des Moines River near 

Tracy, Iowa. 

Cedar Creek near 

Bussey, Iowa. 

Des Moines River at 

Ottumwa, Iowa . 

Des Moines River at 

Keosauqua, Iowa. 

Spoon River at London 

Mills, Ill . 

Spoon River at Seville, Ill . . . 

Illinois River at Valley 

City, Ill . 

Painted Woods Creek near 

Wilton, N. Dak. 

Big Muddy Creek near 

Almont, N. Dak. 

Heart River near Lark, 

N. Dak. 

James River near Manfred, 

N. Dak. 

James River near Grace 

City, N. Dak. 

James River at Jamestown, N. Dak. 

Rock Creek near Fulton, 

S . Dak. 

Enemy Creek near 

Mitchell, S. Dak. 

Wolf Creek near Clayton, 

S . Dak. 

James River near Scotland, 

S. Dak. 

James River near Yankton, 

S . Dak. 

Little Vermillion River near 

Salem, S. Dak. 

Vermillion River near 

Wakonda, S. Dak. 

Medary Creek near 

Brookings, S. Dak. 

Big Sioux River near 

Brookings, S. Dak. 

Spring Creek near 

Flandreau, S. Dak. 

Big Sioux River near Dell 

Rapids, S . Dak. 

Drainage 

area Peak Peak (mi l) dis­ stage charge (ft)) (ft'/s) 

92 .7 15 .36 '6,400 

342 30.11 25,300 

12,479 24.16 8109,000 

374 28.46 29,000 

13,374 22.13 8112,000 

14,038 32.66 8108,000 

1,072 25.92 24,000 

1,636 33.09 34,400 

26,742 225.92 97,500 

427 8.12 1,570 

456 30.94 8,680 

2,750 16 .85 12,800 

253 9.40 '2,600 

1,060 13 .49 '3,520 

2,820 13 .60 8 1,300 

240 14 .34 1,880 

163 14 .97 4,050 

396 17 .39 5,390 

20,653 19 .94 19,300 

20,942 21 .15 15,600 

78 .6 11 .95 1 3,300 

2,170 17 .33 14,000 

200 11 .78 1 3,300 

3,898 13 .44 11,300 

63.2 16.84 '4,500 

4,483 15 .78 18,800 

Flood of June-August 1993 Previous maximum discharge 

Recurrence Peak Maximum interval 

range stage discharge Date 

(years) (ft) (ft'/s) 

10- 50 14 .84 5,340 06/1974 

> 100 33.45 37,300 07/1982 

> 100 926.50 9155,000 06/1947 

'018 .11 '°42,600 06/1984 

10- 50 34.61 96,000 07/1982 

> 100 ' 922 9140 '000 3 05/1903 

'14.64 '47,800 06/1984 

> 100 5 927.85 9 146,000 06/1903 

`028.02 '72,200 04/1973

10- 50 28.03 41,000 06/1974 

10- 50 233 .0 37,300 3 08/1924 

10- 50 28.61 123,000 05/1943 

10- 50 9.64 4,050 04/1979 

10- 50 630.7 20,200 04/1950 

10- 50 20.7 29,200 04/1950 

> 100 2 9.20 "2,000 04/1979 

10- 50 12 .00 3,100 04/1969 

> 100 ' 915.82 96,390 05/1950 

Date 

07/09 

07/06 

07/12 

07/05 

07/12 

07/13 

07/25 

07/26 

308/01 

07/23 

07/23 

07/23 

07/23 

07/28 

07/23 

07/06 

07/06 

07/05 

10- 50 

10- 50 

10- 50 

'°8.76 10996 06/1983 

410 .21 2,040 04/1969 

15 .15 4,280 06/1984 

18 .01 6,520 06/1984 

20.45 29,400 06/1984 

24.34 26,400 06/1984 

29.88 900 06/1984 

17 .62 17,000 06/1984 

11 .27 2,590 06/1984 

14 .77 33,900 04/1969 

15 .72 2,030 06/1984 

16 .47 41,300 04/1969 

07/06 (>50)-100 

07/08 10- 50 

07/04 > 100 

07/07 10- 50 

07/05 10- 50 

07/06 10- 50 

07/03 (>50)-100 

07/06 10- 50 

See footnotes at end of table. 

1 2 Flood Discharges in the Upper Mississippi River Basin, 1993 
Table 1 . Summary of peak stages and dicharges at selected streamflow-gaging stations in the upper Mississippi River 

Basin-Continued 

Flood data 

Flood of June-August 1993 Previous maximum discharge Site Station 

number number 

104 06482020 

105 06482745 

106 06483500 

107 06605850 

108 06606600 

109 06608500 

110 06609500 

111 06799230 

112 06799350 

113 06800500 

114 06801000 

115 06803500 

116 06803510 

117 06805500 

118 06806500 

119 06807000 

120 06807410 

121 06808500 

122 06809500 

123 06810000 

124 06811500 

125 06813500 

126 06815000 

127 06817000 

128 06817700 

129 06818000 

Drainage

Station name area Peak Peak 

(mil) dis­ stage charge Date 

(ft)) (ft'/s) 

Big Sioux River at North 5,216 23 .84 18,000 07/07

Cliff Avenue at Sioux Falls, 

Recurrence 

interval Peak 

range stage 

(years) (ft) 

10- 50 27 .45 

(>50)-100 24.21 

10- 50 '17.32 

10- 50 19 .58 

10- 50 25.86 

10- 50 28.17 

10- 50 225 .22 

(>50)-100 25 .72 

10- 50 216 .09 

10- 50 '16.60 

>100 19 .23 

(>50)-100 26 .15 

(>50)-100 20 .02 

(>50)-100 12 .45 

> 100 29 .80 

(>50)-100 1927.66 

'°24 .78 

10- 50 22.12 

10- 50 24.50 

10- 50 27.43 

(>50)-100 28 .27 

(>50)-100 27 .65 

>100 925 .60 

' 024 .40 

10- 50 31 .40 

10- 50 25 .3 

>100 23 .34 

>100 926.82 

`°23 .83 

Maximum 

discharge Date 

(ft3 /s) 

40,700 04/1969 

62,000 05/1993 

40,400 04/1969 

13,100 06/1984 

29,800 04/1965 

22,500 06/1950 

30,800 06/1990 

15,100 06/1990 

33,000 306/1969 

100,000 06/1944 

' 2 130,000 03/1993 

28,200 06/1951 

8,000 307/1985 

144,000 306/1984 

60,300 05/1950 

9414,000 04/1952

'°182,000 06/1984 

26,400 09/1972 

40,800 05/1987 

38,000 09/1972 

55,500 306/1947 

164,000 05/1950 

9 358,000 04/1952

'0242,000 06/1984

71,600 10/1973 

31,100 06/1947 

26,600 09/1989 

9397,000 04/1952 

' 0207,000 05/1987 

S. Dak. 

Beaver Creek at Valley

Springs, S. Dak. 

Rock River near Rock 

Valley, Iowa 

Little Sioux River at Linn 

Grove, Iowa. Little Sioux River at 

Correctionville, Iowa. 

Soldier River at Pisgah, 

Iowa. 

Boyer River at Logan, 

Iowa. 

Union Creek at Madison, 

Nebr. 

Elkhorn River at West 

Point, Nebr. 

Elkhorn River at Waterloo, 

104 24.19 62,000 07/05 

1,592 19 .77 28,500 07/12 

1,548 20.77 '16,400 07/02 

2,500 23 .82 22,600 07/18 

407 27.58 '23,000 07/10 

871 22 .20 25,500 07/10 

174 25 .52 14,500 07/09 

5,100 13 .94 29,500 07/09 

6,900 15 .28 30,400 07/11 

84,200 21 .45 114,000 07/25 

684 26 .52 '30,000 07/24 

43 .6 20 .5 '8,300 07/23 

85,800 11 .90 '160,000 07/25 

241 31 .15 '70,000 07/23 

Nebr. 

Platte River at Ashland, 

Nebr. 

Salt Creek at Lincoln, 

Nebr. 

Little Salt Creek near 

Lincoln, Nebr. 

Platte River at Louisville, 

Nebr. 

Weeping Water Creek 

at Union, Nebr. 

Missouri River at 

Nebraska City, Nebr. 

West Nishnabotna River at 

Hancock, Iowa. 

West Nishnabotna River at 

Randolph, Iowa. 

East Nishnabotna River 

near Red Oak, Iowa. 

Nishnabotna River above 

Hamburg, Iowa . 

Little Nemaha River at 

Auburn, Nebr. 

Missouri River at Rulo, 

Nebr. 

Big Nemaha River at 

Falls City, Nebr. 

Nodaway River at 

Clarinda, Iowa. 

Nodaway River near 

Graham, Mo. 

Missouri River at 

St . Joseph, Mo. 

410,000 27.19 8 196,000 07/23 

609 23 .53 '27,000 07/10 

1,326 23 .60 22,100 07/23 

894 21 .88 21,400 07/23 

2,806 30.56 37,700 07/25 

793 26 .3 92,000 07/25 

414,900 25 .37 8307,000 07/24 

1,340 29 .80 59,000 07/06 

762 22 .92 27,900 07/22 

1,380 26 .14 '70,000 07/23 

420,300 32 .07 8335,000 07/26 

See footnotes at end of table . 

Table 13 
Table 1 . Summary of peak stages and dicharges at selected streamflow-gaging stations in the upper Mississippi River 

Basin-Continued 

Flood data 

Site Station 

number number 

130 06820500 

131 06851500 

132 06853020 

133 06879100 

134 06881500 

135 06884000 

136 06887500 

137 06889000 

138 06891000 

139 06893000 

140 06895500 

141 06897500 

142 06897950 

143 06898000 

144 06899500 

145 06902000 

146 06903400 

147 06903700 

148 06904500 

149 06905500 

150 06909000 

151 06934500 

152 07010000 

153 07020500 

154 07022000 

Station name 

Platte River near Agency, 

Mo. 

Thompson Creek at 

Riverton, Nebr. 

Republican River at Guide 

Rock, Nebr. 

Kansas River at Fort 

Riley, Kans. 

Big Blue River at Beatrice, 

Nebr. 

Little Blue River at 

Fairbury, Nebr. 

Kansas River at Wamego, 

Kans. 

Kansas River at Topeka, 

Kans. 

Kansas River at 

Lecompton, Kans. 

Drainage 

area Peak Peak 

(mil)	 dis­ stage charge (ft)) (ft3/s) 

1,760 36.07 '60,800 

279 14 .65 12,000 

22,090 15 .40 9,600 

44,870 27.93 885,500 

3,900 28.8 29,000 

2,350 21 .22 25,500 

55,280 27.33 8171,000 

56,720 34.90 8166,000 

58,460 24.65 8186,000 

Flood of June-August 1993 Previous maximum discharge 

Recurrence 

Date interval 

range 

(years) 

07/25 > 100 

07/18 (>50)- 100 

07/19 10- 50 

Peak Maximum 

stage discharge 

(ft) (ft 3/s) 

35 .05 53,000 

413 .22 12,200 

620.73 29,200 

Date 

07/1965 

07/1950 

06/1957 

07/1951 

3 10/1973

06/1984 

07/1992 

07/1951 

10/1973 

07/1951 

10/1973 

07/1951 

10/1973 

06/1844 

09/1973 

07/1951 

307/1965 

306/1947 

307/1990 

09/1992 

06/1947 

06/1947 

09/1992 

09/1992 

06/1947 

04/1973 

306/1844 

10/1986

06/1844 

3 10/1986 

3 06/1844 

3 06/1844 

07/1844 

07/26 10- 50 "30.53 9 298,000 

07/26 10- 50 

07/27 10- 50 

07/26 (>50)-100 

07/25 10- 50 

07/27 (>50)-100 

07/27 > 100 

07/28 > 100 

07/08 > 100 

07/09 10- 50 

07/05 >100 

07/06 10- 50 

07/10 (>50)-100 

07/05 (>50)-100 

07/05 (>50)-100 

07/25 10- 50 

07/01 > 100 

07/29 > 100 

07/31 > 100 

08/01 > 100 

08/06 10- 50 

08/07 10- 50 

`°23 .74 '059,400 

31 .27 55,100 

24.33 54,000 

930.56 9400,000 

'18.70 1072,900 

940.80 9469,000 

'027.29 ' 0130,000 

9 30 .23 9483,000 

'022.73 '0140,000 

9 38 .0 69625,000 

'°28 .86 '°313,000 

928.20 9549,000 

' 029.22 `°276,000 

35 .0 69,100 

28 .22 18,000 

24 .29 57,000 

25 .7 95,000 

39 .5 180,000 

29.32 37,700 

34.84 70,600 

28.50 22,900 

21 .96 31,900 

932.82 97 10,000 

`°31 .85 `°334,000 

935.50 9 892,000 

'035.79 ' 0549,000 

43.23 -1,300 '000 

43.32 6 1,350,000 

45.14 61 375,000 

Missouri River at Kansas 485,200 48.87 8541,000 

City, Mo. 

Missouri River at 487,200 31 .15 '600,000 

Waverly, Mo. 

Grand River near 

Gallatin, Mo. 

Elk Creek near Decatur 

City, Iowa. 

Thompson River at 

Davis City, Iowa . 

Thompson River at 

Trenton, Mo. 

Grand River near 

Sumner, Mo. 

Chariton River near 

Chariton, Iowa. 

South Fork Chariton River 

near Promise City, Iowa. 

Chariton River at Novinger, 

Mo. 

Chariton River near 

Prarie Hill, Mo. 

Missouri River at 

Boonville, Mo . 

Missouri River at 

Hermann, mo. 

Mississippi River at 

St . Louis, Mo. 

Mississippi River at 

Chester, 111 . 

Mississippi River at 

At Thebes, 111 . 

2,250 41.5 '89,900 

52.5 29 .10 '21,500 

701 20.53 30,300 

1,670 23 .00 56,000 

6,880 2 42 .14 150,000 

182 22.37 14,200 

168 25 .30 19,500 

1,370 25.71 21,500 

1,870 21 .93 31,500 

501,700 36.97 '750,000 

524,200 36.97 8750,000 

697,000 49.58 1,080,000 

708,600 49.59 950,000 

713,200 45.50 975,000 

'Peak discharge for 1993 exceeds the previous maximum known discharge . 'Gage at different site and datum . 

'Backwater. 'Peak discharge for 1993 exceeds the previous maximum known regulated discharge.


'Date of maximum discharge. Maximum stage was on different date. 'Before regulation .


'Gage at different site and same datum. `After regulation .


'Gage at different datum . "About .


'Estimated . "Estimated, includes bypass flow caused by ice jam upstream from site.


14 Flood Discharges in the Upper Mississippi River Basin, 1993 -U .s . G .P .O . 1993-342-38 9 :80023