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Sugar Creek Watershed Study - Council Creek

USGS Gage 07163000 - Council Creek near Stillwater, Oklahoma

To summarize, the bankfull stage remained constant at 8.0 feet (1500 cubic feet/sec (cfs)) for 40 years due to the concrete weir, which controlled base elevation. From 1974 to 1982, the bankfull gage height decreased 1.7 feet to a gage height of 6.3 feet. In November of 1982, the gage was moved off the concrete weir, 200 feet downstream. Gage height for 1500 cfs at the new location was 13.8 feet, but the stage for 1500 cfs decreased 0.9 feet in 9 years.

Assumptions about the Cross Section Survey

The cross section located approximately (~) 2200 feet above the concrete weir is in a pooled section due to the weir. On February 28, 1997, a survey was performed to tie the cross section and water surfaces in with the 828.28 gage datum and the concrete weir. On February 28, after recent rains, the water surface in the cross section corresponded with the weir height of 10.1 feet, however the water surface on October 29, 1996 was 0.8 feet below the concrete weir, or at 9.3 feet above gage datum, in which very little flow (< 1cfs) was occurring.

To compute bankfull area, one other assumption is made: The cross sectional area below the 9.3 foot gage datum is approximately 79 square feet, and is considered ineffective flow area. Bankfull height in the cross section is 13.5 feet above the gage datum, which corresponds to a cross sectional area of 270 feet. This results in 191 square feet of active bankfull flow area. Mean depth was computed by dividing the 270 sq. ft by the top width of 55.8 feet to give 4.84 feet. Applying Rosgen's Stream Classification System, the stream reach can be classified as a B6c: the entrenchment ratio is 1.6, width to mean depth ratio is 11.5 and the overall sinuosity for the main channel is 1.4. The computation of Manning's roughness coefficient is 0.045, using the main channel slope, which agrees with the average n value for a B6 reach.

The cross section is above a 1.4 square mile tributary, so these bankfull dimensions correspond to a drainage area of 29.6 sq. miles rather than 31.0.

Graph of Council Creek in Stillwater - Survey Resluts
Click Image for Larger View (17 KB)

Graph of Council Creek in Stillwater - Survey Resluts
Click Image for Larger View (22 KB)



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