PUB2782

Water Resources Program

fact sheet

Missouri Geological Survey

Director: Carey Bridges, RG

The South Fork Saline Creek streamgage near Perryville, MO, 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.

South Fork Saline Creek in Perry County Missouri’s Ozark Highlands, flows into the Mississippi River. The creek was named for its relative location to Saline Creek, itself being named for several salt springs discovered by the early French and Spanish pioneers (Hamlett, Zimmer).

The streamgage is located at the State Highway T bridge over South Fork Saline Creek three miles west of Perryville in Perry County and consists of a shelter, a data collection platform, an electronic pressure transducer to measure the river stage, a crest stage gage (100 feet downstream) 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: 55.3 square miles
  • 10-Digit Hydrologic Unit Code: 0714010501
  • Area of HUC10 Basin: 396 square miles
  • Gage Location: 37°44'13", -89°55'42" (Perry County)
  • Gage Datum: 444.97 feet above NGVD29

USGS Tools

  • Average Discharge (cubic feet per second): June 10, 1998 to present
  • Observation Gage Height (feet): April 5, 2007 to present
  • Peak: Gage Height, Discharge (feet, cubic feet per second) 19.13, 18,700 (April 3, 1999)

The South Fork Saline Creek near Perryville 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 also are available. Customize your own data output online.  

Why is the South Fork Saline Creek Streamgage near Perryville Important?

The streamgage provides recreational users in the area, surrounding landowners and the public with accurate stream height data. The Water Resources Center uses discharge data from this streamgage for flood, drought and water supply studies.

In the area, people can enjoy:

  • Bird-watching 
  • Hunting
  • Camping
  • Fishing
  • Hiking

For more information about recreation activities located within the basin, contact the Missouri Department of Conservation.
 
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Figure 3. Site profile.     
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Figure 4. Channel detail.
 
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Figure 5. Wire weight gage.
 

1    References Cited
Hamlett, Mayme L. "Place Names Of Six Southeast Counties Of Missouri." M.A. thesis., University of Missouri-Columbia, 1938.

Zimmer, Gertrude M. "Place Names Of Five Southeast Counties Of Missouri." M.A. thesis., University of Missouri-Columbia, 1944.

Nothing in this document may be used to implement any enforcement action or levy any penalty unless promulgated by rule under chapter 536 or authorized by statute.

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