Publication Summary

To develop a baseline record of late-summer flow conditions for future water-quality and water-quantity investigations, a reconnaissance study was undertaken in the Fisher Creek/Carpenter Creek subbasin of the lower Skagit watershed. A synoptic flow survey (also known as a seepage run) was conducted on September 21, 2000, concentrating on 11 stations within the lower elevation portions of the drainage basin.

To develop a baseline record of late-summer flow conditions for future water-quality and water-quantity investigations, a reconnaissance study was undertaken in the Fisher Creek/Carpenter Creek subbasin of the lower Skagit watershed. A synoptic flow survey (also known as a seepage run) was conducted on September 21, 2000, concentrating on 11 stations within the lower elevation portions of the drainage basin.

Total discharge for the drainage area on the day of measurement was estimated to be less than 3 cubic feet per second. The bulk of the discharge measured during this period is assumed to be derived from groundwater baseflow contributions. The limited late-summer baseflows are consistent with the low permeability character of the basin′s subsurface geology.

Due to the low-flow conditions encountered during the survey period, the discharge estimates calculated for the individual stations have a large error range, preventing defensible conclusions regarding seepage gains or losses along the Carpenter Creek mainstem.

Link to EIM data for User Study ID FISHCARP