Water Flow in the Bighorn River at Kane, Wyoming

Downstream view from the Bighorn River monitoring site at Kane, Wyoming. This site is within Yellowtail Wildlife Management Area and east of Lovell, Wyoming. The Bighorn Mountains are in the background. April 2019.

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The U.S. Geological Survey operates two gaging stations on the Bighorn River; one station is located on the Bighorn River at Kane, Wyoming (USGS 06279500), and the other is on the Bighorn River near Fort Smith, Montana (USGS 06287800 Bighorn River near St. Xavier). The Bighorn River at Kane, Wyoming, has a mostly natural hydrograph with flows from several large tributaries. The upper reaches of the Bighorn River are regulated by operations of the Boysen Reservoir project near Shoshoni, Wyoming. Boysen Reservoir is formed by Boysen Dam, an earth-fill dam that was constructed between 1947 and 1952 at the mouth of Wind River Canyon. The dam and much of the associated Boysen Reservoir are located on the Wind River Reservation in Central Wyoming.

The hydrograph for the Bighorn River at Kane, Wyoming, is generally highest in the spring with the months of April through June coinciding with the melt-off of snow at higher elevations within the watershed. Average annual peak flows between 1930 and 2019 are 10,596 cfs occurring on June 11 (day 162 of the year). Peak flows in 2019 were higher (12,200 cfs) than the long-term average at this location. Minimum annual daily flows over this same period of record averaged 657 cfs. The minimum recorded flow in 2019 was 954 cfs and it occurred on August 18.

The extended flow record available for this location supports evaluations of recent or decadal change. Flows in the 2010s (2010 to 2019 averages) were like flows recorded in the 1930s, but on average considerably higher than those documented in the early 2000s (2000 to 2009). Although some flows within the most recent decade (2010 to 2019) were particularly low (2012, 2013), calendar year 2017 average daily flows were the highest in the 90-year time series.

USGS Bighorn River at Kane, Wyoming, Gage (USGS 06279500) Water Data

Long-term summary of average daily discharge (in cfs) at the Bighorn River at Kane, Wyoming (USGS Gage 06279500). River flows are presented by day of year where day 1 is January 1st. The period of record summarized for this gage extends from 1930 to 2019. The black, dotted line shows average daily flows for the period of record. The gray, dashed lines are the 25th and 75th percentiles of daily flows.

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Decadal summary of average daily discharge (in cfs) at the Bighorn River at Kane, Wyoming (USGS 06279500). River flows are presented by day of year where day 1 is January 1st. The period of record summarized for this gage extends from 1930-2019. Mean daily discharge for each decade is shown where the decade is summarized by the starting year and includes the following nine years (e.g., 2000s = 2000–2009).

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