DTIC ADA445643: Rainfall, Streamflow, and Peak Stage Data Collected at the Murfreesboro, Tennessee, Gaging Network, March 1989 Through July 1992

75 Pages·3 MB·English

by  Defense Technical Information Center

Open-File Report 92-482
RAINFALL, STREAMFLOW, AND PEAK STAGE
DATA COLLECTED AT THE MURFREESBORO,
TENNESSEE, GAGING NETWORK, MARCH
1989 THROUGH JULY 1992
Prepared by the
U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY
in cooperation with the
CITY OF MURFREESBORO, TENNESSEE
Report Documentation Page Form Approved
OMB No. 0704-0188
Public reporting burden for the collection of information is estimated to average 1 hour per response, including the time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources, gathering and
maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing the collection of information. Send comments regarding this burden estimate or any other aspect of this collection of information,
including suggestions for reducing this burden, to Washington Headquarters Services, Directorate for Information Operations and Reports, 1215 Jefferson Davis Highway, Suite 1204, Arlington
VA 22202-4302. Respondents should be aware that notwithstanding any other provision of law, no person shall be subject to a penalty for failing to comply with a collection of information if it

does not display a currently valid OMB control number.
1. REPORT DATE 2. REPORT TYPE 3. DATES COVERED
1992 N/A -
4. TITLE AND SUBTITLE 5a. CONTRACT NUMBER
Rainfall, Streamflow, and Peak Stage Data Collected at the
5b. GRANT NUMBER
Murfreesboro, Tennessee, Gaging Network, March 1989 Through July
1992 5c. PROGRAM ELEMENT NUMBER
6. AUTHOR(S) 5d. PROJECT NUMBER
5e. TASK NUMBER
5f. WORK UNIT NUMBER
7. PERFORMING ORGANIZATION NAME(S) AND ADDRESS(ES) 8. PERFORMING ORGANIZATION
U.S. Department of the Interior 1849 C Street, NW Washington, DC REPORT NUMBER
20240
9. SPONSORING/MONITORING AGENCY NAME(S) AND ADDRESS(ES) 10. SPONSOR/MONITOR’S ACRONYM(S)
11. SPONSOR/MONITOR’S REPORT
NUMBER(S)
12. DISTRIBUTION/AVAILABILITY STATEMENT
Approved for public release, distribution unlimited
13. SUPPLEMENTARY NOTES
14. ABSTRACT
15. SUBJECT TERMS
16. SECURITY CLASSIFICATION OF: 17. LIMITATION OF 18. NUMBER 19a. NAME OF
ABSTRACT OF PAGES RESPONSIBLE PERSON

a. REPORT b. ABSTRACT c. THIS PAGE SAR 74
unclassified unclassified unclassified
Standard Form 298 (Rev. 8-98)
Prescribed by ANSI Std Z39-18
Cover photograph
Bushman Creek at Pitts Lane Ford near Compton, Tennessee, December 2, 1991. View is
from downstream right abutment looking at culvert. (Photograph by George S. Outlaw,
U.S. Geological Survey)
RAINFALL, STREAMFLOW, AND PEAK
STAGE DATA COLLECTED AT THE
MURFREESBORO, TENNESSEE,
GAGING NETWORK, MARCH
1989 THROUGH JULY 1992
By George S. Outlaw, David E. Butner, Ronald L.
Kemp, Aaron T. Oaks, and G. Scott Adams
U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY
Open-File Report 92-482
Prepared in cooperation with the
CITY OF MURFREESBORO, TENNESSEE
Nashville, Tennessee
1992
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE IliTERlOR
MANUEL LUJAN, Jr., Secretary
U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY
Dallas L. Peck, Director
For additional information write to: Copies of this report can be purchased from:
District Chief U.S. Geological Survey
U.S. Geological Survey Books and Open-File Reports Section
810 Broadway, Suite 500 Federal Center
Nashville, Tennessee 37203 Box 25425
Denver, Colorado 80225
CONTENTS
Page
Abstract .................................................. 1
Introduction ................................................ 1
Description of data ........................................... 3
Location of gages ............................................ 3
Appendix ................................................. 63
FIGURE
1. Location of gages in the Murfreesboro gaging network . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
TABLES
1. Station number and name, type of gage, and date of installation
for gages in the Murfreesboro gaging network . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
2. Daily rainfall amounts at Double Springs Branch at Double Springs
(rain gage number 1 on map) for 1989, 1990, 1991, and 1992 . . . . . . . . . . 6
3. Daily rainfall amounts at Double Springs Branch overflow at
Murfreesboro (rain gage number 15 on map) for 1989,
1990,1991, and 1992 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
4. Daily rainfall amounts at Bear Branch at Murfreesboro
(rain gage number 31 on map) for 1989, 1990, 1991, and 1992 . . . . . . . . . . 14
5. Daily rainfall amounts at Bear Branch near Lascassas (rain gage
number 34 on map) for 1989, 1990, 1991, and 1992 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
6. Daily rainfall amounts at County Farm ram gage near
Murfreesboro (rain gage number 35 on map) for 1990,
1991, and 1992 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
7. Daily rainfall amounts at Jackson rain gage near Murfreesboro
(rain gage number 36 on map) for 1990, 1991, and 1992 . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
8. Daily rainfall amounts at Armory rain gage at Murfreesboro
(rain gage number 37 on map) for 1990, 1991, and 1992 . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
9. Daily rainfall amounts at Ellis rain gage near Dillton (rain
gage number 38 on map) for 1990, 1991, and 1992 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
. . .
Ill
Page
10. Daily rainfall amounts at Lytle Creek at Sanbyrn Drive at
Murfieesboro (rain gage number 44 on map) for 1990,
1991, and 1992 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . , . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
11. Daily rainfall amounts at Sinking Creek near Murfreesboro
(rain gage number 62 on map) for 1990, 1991, and 1992 . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
12. Daily mean discharge at Bushman Creek at Pitts Lane Ford
near Compton (continuous-record streamflow gage
number 24 on map) for 1989, 1990, 1991, and 1992 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
13. Daily mean discharge at Lytle Creek at Sanbyrn Drive at
Murfreesboro (continuous-record streamflow gage
number 44 on map) for 1990, 1991, and 1992 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
14. Selected peak discharges and peak stage elevations at
Double Springs Branch at Double Springs (partial-record
streamflow gage number 1 on map), 1989-92 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
15. Selected peak discharges and peak stage elevations at
Bear Branch at Murfreesboro (partial-record streamflow
gage number 31 on map), 1989-92 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
16. Selected peak discharges and peak stage elevations at
Bear Branch near Lascassas (partial-record streamflow
gage number 34 on map), 1989-92 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
17. Selected peak discharges and peak stage elevations at
Sinking Creek near Murfreesboro (partial-record
streamflow gage number 62 on map), 1990-92 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
18. Peak stage elevations at crest stage gages in the
Murfreesboro gaging network, 1989-92 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
CONVERSION FACTORS AND VERTICAL DATUM
Multiply EY To obtain
inch (in.) 2.54 centimeter
foot (ft) 0.3048 meter
mile (mi) 1.609 kilometer
cubic foot per second (f131s) 0.0283 cubic meter per second
square mile (mi’) 2.590 square kilometer
Sea level: In this report “sea level” refers to the National Geodetic Vertical Datum of 1929-a geodetic
datum derived from a general adjustment of the first-order level nets of both the United States and
Canada, formerly called Sea Level Datum of 1929.
iV
RAINFALL, STREAMFLOW, AND PEAK STAGE
DATA COLLECTED AT THE MURFREESBORO,
TENNESSEE, GAGING NETWORK, ^
MARCH 1989 THROUGH JULY 1992
By George S. Outlaw, David E. Butner, Ronald L. Kemp,
Aaron T. Oaks, and G. Scott Adams
ABSTRACT
Rainfall, stage, and streamflow data in the Murfreesboro area, Middle Tennessee, were collected from
March 1989 through July 1992 from a network of 68 gaging stations. The network consists of 10 tipping-bucket
rain gages, 2 continuous-record streamflow gages, 4 partial-record flood hydrograph gages, and 72 crest-stage
gages. Data collected by the gages includes 5minute time-step rainfall hyetographs, 15-minute time-step flood
hydrographs, and peak-stage elevations. Data are stored in a computer data base and are available for many
computer modeling and engineering applications.
INTRODUCTION
In many areas of the United States, urbanization has been shown to increase flooding.
Murfreesboro is a rapidly growing city in Middle Tennessee( fig. 1) where the effects of urbanization,
particularly those effects that relate to flooding, are of concern to city officials. Many parts of the city
have already demonstratedf looding problems.
The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperationw ith the City of Murfreesboro, establisheda network
of gagesi n 1989 and 1990 to collect rainfall, streamflow, and peak-staged ata (fig. 1). The Murfreesboro
gaging network consistso f 10 rain gages,6 streamflow gages, and 72 crest stageg agesl ocated at 68 sites
(table 1 and Appendix). The data from this network may be used to calibrate a variety of hydrologic and
hydraulic computer models and to aid in engineering decisions related to growth in these areas.
The purpose of this report is to summarizet he rainfall, streamflow, and peak-staged ata collected
at the Murfreesboro gaging network during the period 1989-92. The daily rainfall amounts (tables 2-l l),
the daily mean discharges (tables 12 and 13), and the peak discharges (tables 14-17) show when storm
eventsh ave occurred for which rainfall hyetographs and discharge hydrographs are available in the U.S.
Geological Survey computer data base. The report identifies periods of estimated record resulting from
gage malfunctions. Hyetographs and hydrographs are not available for periods of estimated record.
1
862630’ 8618’00’
3s55’45 -
EXPLANATION
” 1 2 MILES
I GAGE AND NUMBER
0 1 2 KILOMETERS 38
Y A RAIN
iJ9 CREST STAGE
Ar PARTIAL-RECORD
STREAMFLOW
A* CONTINUOUS-
STREAMFLOW
Figure l.-- Location of gages in Murfreesboro, Tennessee.
Daily rainfall amounts in inches are given for the rain gagesi n the gaging network (tables 2-l 1).
Tipping-bucket rain gages were used to electronically record the occurrence and time interval of each
0.01 inch of rainfall. These amounts were summed at S-minute intervals for storage in the computer data
base from which hyetographs can be produced.
Two types of gages were used to record streamflow: continuous-record streamflow gages and
partial-record streamflow gages. Continuous-record gagesm onitored the full range of flow occurring in
a stream. Partial-record gages measuredf low above a certain stage. The Murfreesboro gaging network
had two continuous-record streamflow gages and four partial-record streamflow gages. Automatic
instruments recorded the stage (water level) of the stream every 5 minutes. Stage has been converted to
dischargeu sing a stage-discharger elation developedf or each stream. Daily mean discharge in cubic feet
per second is shown for the continuous-record streamflow gages (tables 12 and 13). Selected peak
discharges in cubic feet per second and peak-stagee levations in feet above sea level are given for the
partial-record streamflow gages (tables 14-17).
Point observations of peak stage elevation in feet above sea level are measured with crest-stage
gages. A crest-stageg age is a device that will register the peak stage occurring between inspectionso f
the gage. The date of the peak is not always certain but usually can be determined by comparison with
records from nearby continuous- or partial-record stations or rainfall stations. The gaging network has
60 sites with crest-stageg ages; 12 of these sites have both upstream and downstream gages. Date of gage
inspection and peak-stagee levation are given for each crest-stageg age in the gaging network (table 18).
LOCATION OF GAGES
Detailed location descriptions for each gage in the Murfreesboro gaging network are given in the
Appendix. General locations of gagesa re shown in figure 1. Gagesa re located by latitude and longitude
and are referenced to culverts, bridges, street intersections, and geographic landmarks.
3