The Flat Creek streamgage below Jenkins is owned by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and funded in cooperation with the Missouri Department of Natural Resources. Stage (water-surface elevation) measurements are made and recorded at 15-minute intervals and transmitted to the USGS office every hour. Stage and streamflow values are displayed in near real-time.
Flat Creek is a stream originating near Cassville in the Missouri Ozark Highlands, flowing east into the James River in Stone County (MDC). The creek is named for the comparatively flat topography surrounding Cassville and the stream (Bell).
The streamgage is located at Lower Flat Creek Public Access on State Highway EE below Jenkins in Barry County and consists of a shelter, a data collection platform, an electronic pressure transducer to measure stage, a crest stage gage (Figure 5) to automatically record crest height during high water events and a wire weight gage used to manually verify electronic measurements. Learn how a USGS streamgage works.
Streamgage Information
- Streamgage Drainage Area: 274 square miles
- 10-Digit Hydrologic Unit Code: 1101000204
- Area of HUC10 Basin: 326 square miles
- Gage Location: 36°45'02", -93°37'06" (NAD27) (Barry County)
- Gage Datum: 973 feet above NAVD88
USGS Tools
- Average Discharge (cubic feet per second): May 4, 2007 to present
- Observation Gage Height (feet): Oct. 1, 2010 to present
- Peak: Gage Height, Discharge (feet, cubic feet per second) 25.96, 35,500 (April 29, 2017)
The Flat Creek below Jenkins streamgage webpage is maintained by USGS. Users are able to create graphs and tables utilizing the recorded parameters, which can be customized to show current and historical observations, daily data, daily statistics, monthly statistics, annual statistics, peak streamflow and field measurements for any time frame within the period of record. A location map and Water-Year Summary are also available. Customize your own data output online.
Why is the Flat Creek Streamgage below Jenkins Important?
The streamgage provides recreational users in the area, surrounding landowners and the public with accurate stream height data. This stream can be used for floating even during cold months when bald eagles frequent the river bluffs (Whitewater), but floaters should monitor stream height and discharge for adequate flow before a trip. The Water Resources Center uses data from this streamgage for flood, drought and water supply studies.
In the area, people can enjoy:
- Fishing and Trout fishing
- Bird-watching
- Hiking
- Camping
- Hunting
- Boating and Floating
For more information about recreation activities located within the basin, contact the Missouri Department of Conservation.
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Figure 3. Channel detail.
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Figure 4. Lower Flat Creek Public Access.
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Figure 5. Crest Stage gage.
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Figure 6. Site profile.
1 References Cited
Bell, Margaret E. "Place Names In The Southwest Border Counties Of Missouri." M.A. thesis., University of Missouri-Columbia, 1933.