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J. V. B. Wells

Publications and source records attributed to J. V. B. Wells.

67 records · Page 4Linked to original sources
USGS1955

Floods of April 1952 in the Missouri River basin

The floods of April 1952 in the Milk River basin, along the Missouri River from the mouth of the Little Missouri River to the mouth of the Kansas River, and for scattered tributaries of the Missouri River in North and South Dakota were the greatest ever observed. The damage amounted to an estimated $179 million. The outstanding featur6 of the floods was the extraordinary peak discharge generated in the Missouri River at and downstream from Bismarck, N. Dak., on April 6 when a large ice jam upstream from the city was suddenly released. Inflow from flooding tributaries maintained the peak discharge at approximately the same magnitude in the transit of the flood across South Dakota; downstream from Yankton, S. Dak., attenuation of the peak discharge was continuous because of natural storage in the wide flood plains. The outstanding characteristic of floods in the Milk River basin was their duration--the flood crested at Havre, Mont., on April 3 and at Nashua, Mont.. on April 18. The floods were caused by an abnormally heavy accumulation of snow that was converted into runoff in a few days of very warm weather at the end of March. The heaviest water content of the snow pack at breakup was in a narrow arc extending through Aberdeen, S. Dak., Pierre, S. Dak.. and northwestward toward the southwest corner of North Dakota. The water content in part of this concentrated cover exceeded 6 inches. The winter of 1951-52, which followed a wet cold fall that made the ground impervious, was one of the most severe ever experienced in South Dakota and northern Montana. Depths of snow and low temperatures combined to produce, at the end of March, one of the heaviest snow covers in the history of the Great Plains. The Missouri River ice was intact upstream from Chamberlain, S. Dak., at the end of March, and the breakup of the ice with inflow of local runoff was one of the spectacular features of the flood. Runoff from the Yellowstone River combining with the flood pouring from the Little Missouri River caused the Missouri River to crest at an all-time high at Elbowoods, N. Dak., on April 4. As this crest moved downstream to Bismarck, its intensity was increased by the alternate storing and release of ice jams plus the inflow from the Knife River. The crest discharge of 500,000 cfs came at Bismarck at 6 p. m. on April 6. following a very sharp rise from 80,000 cfs at 11 a.m. Overflow occurred along the Missouri River from Elbowoods to the mouth with high damage to cities. farmland, and installations located in the flood plain. Cleanup and repair operations following the flood continued for many weeks. Few of the flooded farms produced a crop during 1952. This report presents detailed records of stage and discharge for the flood period on the Missouri River and tributaries from Fort Peck. Mont., to the mouth. Information on damages and river stages collected by other agencies is also presented.

Missouri River Basin↗
USGS1955

Floods of 1952 in the basins of the upper Mississippi River and Red River of the North

The flood of April 1952 on the Mississippi River between the Minnesota and Des Moines Rivers established many record-high stages. In the Minnesota River basin, the floods of April 1952 exceeded those of 1951 in many locations but generally were smaller than those of 1881. The timing of flows on the Mississippi and Minnesota Rivers was favorable for the highest possible peak flow at and downstream from St. Paul. Below the Wisconsin River, the 1951 and 1952 floods on the Mississippi River were of approximately equal size. The experiences gained in fighting the flood of 1951 proved valuable in preventing much flood damage in 1952. Because the floods generally moved slowly, few lives were lost, and there was ample time for construction of emergency levees. Many urban areas flooded in 1951 were not damaged by floods of equal or greater size in 1952. The total flood damage in the Mississippi River basin above Keokuk, Iowa, was estimated by the Corps of Engineers to be $19,376,000. Snow surveys made during mid-March did not show conclusively that major floods were to be expected. The snow surveys showed small areas of high water content at the headwaters of both the Mississippi and Minnesota Rivers and above-normal snow cover over most of the upper Mississippi River basin. Heavy snowfall occurred over most of Minnesota, especially in the southern part, on March 22-23, 1952. Cold weather delayed the breakup until a period when more rapid melt was probable. These factors definitely set the stage for the floods. A rapid rise in temperature at the end of March and early April started the melting of the snow. Because the topsoil had been frozen when wet during the preceding fall, very little of the snowmelt was absorbed by the ground. Runoff in southeastern Minnesota occurred earliest and with greatest rapidity; the Root River crested at Rushford on March 31. Runoff in the Minnesota River basin occurred later and at a slower rate. Floods on the Red River of the North and its tributaries above Fargo occurred during April 1952 and were due to the same factors that caused flooding in the Minnesota River basin. Because the snow cover was light in the drainage basin north of (below) Fargo, flooding was serious for only that part of the basin at and upstream from Fargo. The 1952 flood on Red River of the North at Fargo was the greatest since 1897, and flood damage for the basin was heaviest in the urban area of Fargo-Moorhead. The 1952 floods in the upper Mississippi basin occurred 1 year after the greatest floods known in the area since 1881. The 1952 stages and discharges on the Mississippi River from St. Paul to the Wisconsin River slightly exceeded those of 1951; below the Wisconsin River, the stages and discharges of the 2 years were about equal. The similarity in the hydrographs of the 1951 and 1952 floods along the Mississippi River between McGregor and Keokuk, Iowa, is interesting and revealing. Forecasts of the 1952 flood events were accurate and timely, owing to the experience gained in 1951. The flood crests on the upper Mississippi and the Missouri Rivers nearly coincided at St. Louis. Because the Missouri crest reached St. Louis about 2 days before the Mississippi crest, the peak discharge at St. Louis was not exceptional.

Water Supply Paper↗
USGS1954

Floods of November-December 1950 in western Nevada

Record-breaking floods in the Walker, Carson, and Truckee River basins during November and December 1950 resulted from a rapid sequence of storms and unseasonably high temperatures that melted most of the early snow cover. During the period November 13 to December 8, 1950, total precipitation ranged from about 5 inches at the foot of the Sierra Nevada in Nevada to about 30 inches at the crest in California, near the California-Nevada State line. About half of this total occurred during the period November 16-21. The resulting floods were the greatest in more than 50 years of record. The highest discharge occurred on Truckee River where the greatest damage potential exists?in the urban area of Reno and Sparks. Notable rates of discharge were 19,900 cfs, or 36.1 cfs per square mile, from 551 square miles in Truckee River at Reno, Nev.; 7,010 cfs, or 212 cfs per square mile, from 33 square miles in Little Truckee River near Hobart Mills, Calif.; and 3,570 cfs, or 119 cfs per square mile, from 30 square miles in East Fork Carson River near Markleeville, Calif. The estimate of damages compiled by the Corps of Engineers total $4,360,000 for the area; $1,982,000 of this was for Reno. Two deaths were reported. The American Red Cross assisted about 200 persons, at an expenditure of about $7,500. Federal aid for city and county rehabilitation in Nevada totaled $75,000. This report contains records of stage and discharge at 20 gaging stations and contents of 2 reservoirs, and a summary of peak discharges at 23 points within or adjacent to the flood area. The report contains also a discussion of the storms and floods, a section on meteorology prepared by the Weather Bureau, and a brief discussion of previous floods.

Water Supply Paper↗