FCDMC ALERT SYSTEM
ANNUAL PRECIPITATION REPORT
WATER YEAR 1993
PREFACE
This publication presents precipitation data collected by the Flood Control District of Maricopa County's automated rain gauge network. This telemetered network is located primarily througout Maricopa County, Arizona with additional gauges in Yavapai, Pinal, Gila, and La Paz Counties.
This precipitation data contained in this report was collected, compiled, and edited by the Special Projects Branch of the Hydrology Division. Data includes daily, monthly, and annual totals for 138 stations. Information contained herein is as accurate and complete as possible within the limitations of real-time data collection technology currently available. Wherever possible, footnotes have been included to identify questionable data. Reliance upon the accuracy, reliability, and authority of this information is solely the responsibility of the user.
Additional copies of this report, and a companion volume "Storm Report - January 1993", may be purchased from:
Flood Control District of Maricopa County
2801 W. Durango St.
Phoenix, AZ 85009
(602) 506-1501
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Preface i
Contents ii
Introduction iii
Precipitation Gauge Location Map iv
Precipitation Gauge ID Numbers and Descriptors (Table I) v
Precipitation Gauges Installed during Water Year 1993 (Table II) vi
Precipitation Data
Annual Totals for All Stations (Table III) 1
Group 1: Lower Gila / Centennial Daily / Monthly Totals 4
Group 2: Upper Centennial Daily / Monthly Totals 10
Group 3: Lower Hassayampa Daily / Monthly Totals 16
Group 4: Middle Hassayampa Daily / Monthly Totals 22
Group 5: Upper Hassayampa Daily / Monthly Totals 28
Group 6: McMicken [Agua Fria 1] 34
Group 7: Circle City [Agua Fria 2] 40
Group 8: Adobe / New River [Agua Fria 3] 46
Group 9: Lake Pleasant [Agua Fria 4] 52
Group 10: Upper Agua Fria [Agua Fria 5] 58
Group 11: Lower Verde River 64
Group 12: Salt River South [Cave Creek / Salt 1] 70
Group 13: Indian Bend Wash [Cave Creek / Salt 2] 76
Group 14: Phoenix Metro 1 [Cave Creek / Salt 3] 82
Group 15: Phoenix Metro 2 [Cave Creek / Salt 4] 88
Group 16: Az Canal Diversion Channel [Cave Creek / Salt 5] 94
Group 17: Upper Cave Creek [Cave Creek / Salt 6] 100
Group 18: South Mountain [Gila / Queen Creek 1] 106
Group 19: East Maricopa Floodway [Gila / Queen Creek 2] 112
Group 20: East Valley Structures [Gila / Queen Creek 3] 118
Group 21: Superstition Mountains [Gila / Queen Creek 4] 124
Group 22: Lower Waterman Wash 130
Group 23: Upper Waterman Wash 136
Group 24: Sauceda Wash 142
INTRODUCTION
The following paragraphs describe the arrangement, collection, and compilation of precipitation data in this report.
1. Precipitation data collected from individual gauging sites is arranged in groups of four to eight, generally within the same watershed or affecting runoff at a particular wash or river. As listed in the Table of Contents, each group has a name, and may be followed by the name of a larger watershed which encompasses several groups. Data is tabulated within these groups by month, based on the "1993 Water Year" which begins Oct. 1st, 1992 and ends on Sep. 30th, 1993.
2. The unit of measurement for daily precipitation totals provided in this report is inches. Monthly and annual totals are provided in inches and millimeters.
3. All of the data in this report has been reviewed and edited in an attempt to provide the most accurate data possible. A blank or blanks within the data set is an indication that data was either lost due to hardware, software, or a radio problem, or that the gauge had not yet been installed. Table II (Page vi) lists the gauges installed during Water Year 1993 and their installation dates. Where possible, inaccurate data is flagged with a footnote describing the time the gauge was down, whether or not rain fell during that time, and whether or not monthly and annual totals were affected.
4. An index of gauge names, numbers, locations, and other descriptors is included as Table I (page v).
5. Additional or more detailed precipitation data in hard copy or computer disk format is available for the gauges listed in this report. Contact the Flood Control District, Hydrology Division, Special Projects Branch at (602) 506-1501.
6. Note on data compilation: Automatic rain gauges in this network measure rainfall depth in 1mm increments. The base station computer uses the equation 1mm = 1/25.4 or 0.03937 inches to convert millimeters to inches. As a result, daily totals may sum to a slightly different total than the reported monthly total (which is more accurate than the sum of the daily totals) because of rounding errors. Along the same lines, the annual totals reported in Table III may not match exactly the sum of the monthly totals, but are considered more accurate.
7. Note on the accuracy of monthly and annual totals: Because the automatic gauges were designed for flood warning first and data collection second, there is some inherent error associated with their use. Tipping buckets collect rainfall in 1mm increments before sending a signal and dumping the accumulated rainfall. Because evaporation often drys the bucket between storms, the measurement error probably averages out to be 0.05 mm (_0.02 in) times the number of rainfall events during the period of interest (month or year). It is also conceivable that during times of low evaporation and/or short times between storms that the bucket could be partially or nearly full at the start of a rainstorm.
Maricopa County ALERT System
Precip 1 : Lower Gila / Centennial
DeviceID 5000 5050 5100 5110 5120
24 hour precipitation totals in inches
10/31/92 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
10/30/92 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
10/29/92 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
10/28/92 0.00 0.00 0.00 ____ 0.00
10/27/92 0.00 0.00 0.00 ____ 0.00
10/26/92 0.00 0.00 0.00 ____ 0.00
10/25/92 0.00 0.00 0.00 ____ 0.00
10/24/92 0.04 0.00 0.28 0.12(1) 0.00
10/23/92 0.00 0.00 0.00 ____ 0.00
10/22/92 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
10/21/92 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
10/20/92 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
10/19/92 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
10/18/92 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
10/17/92 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
10/16/92 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
10/15/92 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
10/14/92 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
10/13/92 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
10/12/92 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
10/11/92 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
10/10/92 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
10/09/92 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
10/08/92 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
10/07/92 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
10/06/92 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
10/05/92 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
10/04/92 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
10/03/92 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
10/02/92 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
10/01/92 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
TOTALS: 0.04 0.00 0.28 0.12 0.00
(mm): (1) (0) (7) (3) (0)
(1) Gage down from 10/22 14:07 (0) to 10/29 16:53 (3): assigned rainfall to 10/24.
Maricopa County ALERT System
Precip 2 : Upper Centennial
DeviceID 5130 5170 5180 5190
24 hour precipitation totals in inches
10/31/92 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
10/30/92 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
10/29/92 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
10/28/92 0.04 0.04 0.00 0.00
10/27/92 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
10/26/92 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
10/25/92 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
10/24/92 0.12 0.16 0.12 0.20
10/23/92 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
10/22/92 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
10/21/92 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
10/20/92 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
10/19/92 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
10/18/92 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
10/17/92 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
10/16/92 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
10/15/92 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
10/14/92 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
10/13/92 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
10/12/92 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
10/11/92 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
10/10/92 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
10/09/92 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
10/08/92 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
10/07/92 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
10/06/92 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
10/05/92 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
10/04/92 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
10/03/92 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
10/02/92 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
10/01/92 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
TOTALS: 0.16 0.20 0.12 0.20
(mm): (4) (5) (3) (5)
Maricopa County ALERT System
Precip 3 : Lower Hassayampa
DeviceID 5200 5215 5220
24 hour precipitation totals in inches
10/31/92 0.00 0.00 0.00
10/30/92 0.00 0.00 0.00
10/29/92 0.00 0.00 0.00
10/28/92 0.04 0.00 0.00
10/27/92 0.00 0.00 0.00
10/26/92 0.00 0.00 0.00
10/25/92 0.00 0.00 0.00
10/24/92 0.12 0.24 0.00
10/23/92 0.00 0.00 0.00
10/22/92 0.00 0.00 0.00
10/21/92 0.00 0.00 0.00
10/20/92 0.00 0.00 0.00
10/19/92 0.00 0.00 0.00
10/18/92 0.00 0.00 0.00
10/17/92 0.00 0.00 0.00
10/16/92 0.00 0.00 0.00
10/15/92 0.00 0.00 0.00
10/14/92 0.00 0.00 0.00
10/13/92 0.00 0.00 0.00
10/12/92 0.00 0.00 0.00
10/11/92 0.00 0.00 0.00
10/10/92 0.00 0.00 0.00
10/09/92 0.00 0.00 0.00
10/08/92 0.00 0.00 0.00
10/07/92 0.00 0.00 0.00
10/06/92 0.00 0.00 0.00
10/05/92 0.00 0.00 0.00
10/04/92 0.00 0.00 0.00
10/03/92 0.00 0.00 0.00
10/02/92 0.00 0.00 0.00
10/01/92 0.00 0.00 0.00
TOTALS: 0.16 0.24 0.00
(mm): (4) (6) (0)
Maricopa County ALERT System
Precip 4 : Middle Hassayampa
DeviceID 5230 5245 5260 5275 5290 5305
24 hour precipitation totals in inches
10/31/92 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.04 0.00
10/30/92 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
10/29/92 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
10/28/92 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.08 0.04
10/27/92 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.04 0.00 0.00
10/26/92 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
10/25/92 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
10/24/92 0.04 0.04 0.00 0.39 0.12 0.12
10/23/92 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
10/22/92 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
10/21/92 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
10/20/92 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
10/19/92 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
10/18/92 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
10/17/92 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
10/16/92 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
10/15/92 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
10/14/92 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
10/13/92 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
10/12/92 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
10/11/92 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
10/10/92 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
10/09/92 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
10/08/92 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
10/07/92 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
10/06/92 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
10/05/92 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
10/04/92 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
10/03/92 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
10/02/92 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
10/01/92 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
TOTALS: 0.04 0.04 0.00 0.43 0.24 0.16
(mm): (1) (1) (0) (11) (6) (4)
Maricopa County ALERT System
Precip 5 : Upper Hassayampa
DeviceID 5320 5335 5340 5350 5365 5380
24 hour precipitation totals in inches
10/31/92 0.00 0.04 0.20 0.12 0.04(1) 0.16
10/30/92 0.00 0.04 0.16 0.00 0.00 0.08
10/29/92 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
10/28/92 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.24 0.20 0.39
10/27/92 0.00 0.04 0.04 0.00 0.00 0.00
10/26/92 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
10/25/92 0.00 0.00 0.04 0.00 0.00 0.00
10/24/92 0.00 0.04 0.00 0.24 0.39 0.00
10/23/92 0.00 0.08 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
10/22/92 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
10/21/92 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
10/20/92 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
10/19/92 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
10/18/92 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
10/17/92 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
10/16/92 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
10/15/92 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
10/14/92 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
10/13/92 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
10/12/92 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
10/11/92 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
10/10/92 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
10/09/92 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
10/08/92 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
10/07/92 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
10/06/92 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
10/05/92 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
10/04/92 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
10/03/92 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
10/02/92 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
10/01/92 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
TOTALS: 0.00 0.24 0.43 0.59 0.59 0.63
(mm): (0) (6) (11) (15) (15) (16)
(1) Gage down from 10/30 21:17 (16) to 11/01 22:04 (17): assigned rainfall to 10/31.
Maricopa County ALERT System
Precip 6 : McMicken [AF1]
DeviceID 5400 5415 5430 5435 5445 5450
24 hour precipitation totals in inches
10/31/92 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
10/30/92 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
10/29/92 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
10/28/92 0.00 0.00 0.04 0.00 0.00 0.04
10/27/92 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
10/26/92 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
10/25/92 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
10/24/92 0.00 0.00 0.20 0.00 0.00 0.04
10/23/92 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
10/22/92 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
10/21/92 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
10/20/92 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
10/19/92 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
10/18/92 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
10/17/92 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
10/16/92 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
10/15/92 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
10/14/92 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
10/13/92 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
10/12/92 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
10/11/92 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
10/10/92 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
10/09/92 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
10/08/92 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
10/07/92 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
10/06/92 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
10/05/92 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
10/04/92 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
10/03/92 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
10/02/92 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
10/01/92 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
TOTALS: 0.00 0.00 0.24 0.00 0.00 0.08
(mm): (0) (0) (6) (0) (0) (2)
Maricopa County ALERT System
Precip 7 : Circle City [AF2]
DeviceID 5455 5460 5475 5490 5505 5510 5520
24 hour precipitation totals in inches
10/31/92 0.00 0.00 0.00 ____(1) 0.00 0.00 0.00
10/30/92 0.00 0.00 0.00 ____ 0.00 0.00 0.00
10/29/92 0.00 0.00 0.00 ____ 0.00 0.00 0.00
10/28/92 0.00 0.00 0.20 0.08 0.04 0.00 0.00
10/27/92 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
10/26/92 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
10/25/92 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00