WATER APPROPRIATION FROM KINGS RIVER. 



267 



THE FLOW OF KINGS RIVER. 



Most of the precipitation in the watershed of Kings River is snow. This does 

 not ordinarily melt rapidly until in the warm months of spring. Now and then a 

 warm winter rain overlaps the snow belt, and its volume, added to by the melting 

 snow, produces freshets in the river. These are generally of short duration, and 

 may occur at an}' time in December, January, Februarj-, or March. When the 

 warm weather of spring sets in, the melting snow keeps the river at a protracted 

 high stage generally during April, May, and June, sometimes much later. The 

 maximum flow of the river is not infrequently 20,000 to 40,000 cubic feet per second, 

 and in times of excessive rainfall, as in 1861-62 and 1867-68, it no doubt far exceeds 

 this amount. The low-water stage is reached in September and October, and gener- 

 ally extends into November and December. The river, after seasons of about normal, 

 or less than nonnal, rainfall, carries about 200 to 300 cubic feet per second at its low- 

 water stages. 



Gagings which may stand as close approximations of the flow of the river have 

 been made as follows: 



Discharge of Kings River. 



Place. 



Base of foothills, above all canals , 



Do 



Do 



Do 



Near Kingsburg, between Centerrille Bottoms and the upper group 

 of canals. 



Do 



Do 



Do 



Do 



Do 



Do ; 



Do 



Do 



Do 



Do 



Do 



Do 



Do 



Do i 



Do ; 



Do 1 



Do j 



Red Mountain, above all the canals 



Do 



Do 



Do 



Do 



Do 



Do 



Do 



Do 



Do 



Date. 



Discharge. 



.\uthority. 



June 

 July 

 June 

 Nov. 

 Jan. 



Nov. 

 Aug. 

 Jan. 

 Mar. 

 Dec. 

 Apr. 

 Feb. 

 Apr. 

 June 

 July 

 Sept. 

 Nov. 

 Dee. 

 Apr. 

 May 

 July 

 Aug. 

 Sept. 

 Nov. 

 Apr. 

 June 

 Nov. 

 Feb. 

 Apr. 

 June 

 July 

 Sept. 



24, 1881 

 26,1881 

 20,1882 

 19,188.3 

 19,1882 



22,1883 

 15,1885 

 10, 1895 

 23,1895 



2,1895 

 11, 18% 

 11,1897 



6,1897 



3,1897 

 17, 1897 

 10, 1897 



3, 1897 



23. 1897 

 21,1898 



28. 1898 

 26. 189S 

 30, 1898 



3,1895 



24. 1895 



12. 1896 



12. 1896 

 1,1896 



13. 1897 

 5, 1897 

 1, 1897 



15,1897 

 9,1897 



Cutric/eet 

 per second. 



6,050 



1,820 



366 



266 



S9 



119 

 158 

 1,830 

 500 

 356 

 1,833 

 905 

 828 

 5,959 

 503 

 221 

 465 

 522 

 1,658 

 1.026 

 305 j 

 94 ! 

 624 I 

 248: 

 1,748 ' 

 15,941 

 401 

 1,021 I 

 2,071 I 

 8,838 

 3,313 j 

 295 



State engineer. 

 Do. 

 Do. 

 Do. 

 Do. 



Do. 

 Do. 

 U. S. Geological Survey. 

 Do. 

 Do. 

 Do. 

 Do. 

 Do. 

 Do. 

 Do. 

 Do. 

 Do. 

 Do. 

 Do. 

 Do. 

 Do. 

 Do. 

 Do. 

 Do. 

 Do. 

 Do. 

 Do. 

 Do. 

 Do. 

 Do. 

 Do. 

 Do. 



