USGS Streamgage 06469500
Pipestem Creek near Buchanan, ND
Pipestem Creek near Buchanan, ND is USGS streamgage 06469500 in North Dakota, monitoring river discharge in hydrologic subbasin 10160002. It sits on the Pipestem Creek, alongside 1 other gauge Rivermatics tracks on the same river. It drains a watershed of about 719 square miles. Discharge records at this site go back to 1950. Typical flow runs near 6.5 cfs in July and 44.4 cfs in April, with the higher of the two arriving in April. Rivermatics issues a daily machine-learned flow outlook for this gauge, reaching 14 days ahead.
View live conditions & forecast →
Gauge details
- State
- North Dakota
- Drainage area
- 719 sq mi
- Gauge elevation
- 1,471 ft
- Subbasin (HUC-8)
- 10160002
- Coordinates
- 47.06639, -98.91861
- USGS site number
- 06469500
- Records begin
- 1950-03-01 (76 years)
- Rivermatics forecast
- 14-day flow outlook
14-day flow forecast
Based on observations through for Pipestem Creek near Buchanan, ND. Each day carries a median estimate and the band the model expects the flow to fall within — not a single number to plan against. Forecasts are re-issued daily; see the live screen for the current outlook.
| Date | Low p10 | Expected p50 | High p90 | Range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1.9 | 2.2 | 2.5 | ||
| 1.8 | 2.1 | 2.4 | ||
| 1.7 | 2.1 | 2.4 | ||
| 1.7 | 2.1 | 2.8 | ||
| 1.6 | 2.1 | 2.8 | ||
| 1.5 | 2.1 | 2.9 | ||
| 1.5 | 2 | 2.8 | ||
| 1.4 | 1.9 | 2.8 | ||
| 1.3 | 1.9 | 2.7 | ||
| 1.2 | 1.8 | 2.7 | ||
| 1.2 | 1.8 | 2.7 | ||
| 1.1 | 1.7 | 2.6 | ||
| 1.1 | 1.7 | 2.6 | ||
| 1.1 | 1.7 | 2.7 |
All values in cubic feet per second (cfs). Estimates only — do not use them for navigation or for any safety, rescue, or emergency decision.
Typical flow by month
Long-term daily discharge percentiles from the USGS record (up to 77 years of data), averaged within each month. These describe the historical normal range — they are not a forecast and not today's reading.
| Month | Low p10 | Typical p50 | High p90 | Range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 0 | 0 | 4.1 | |
| February | 0 | 0 | 7 | |
| March | 0 | 6.1 | 222.1 | |
| April | 3.9 | 44.4 | 475.3 | |
| May | 2.4 | 17.1 | 339.1 | |
| June | 0.6 | 13.2 | 251 | |
| July | 0.2 | 6.5 | 81.2 | |
| August | 0 | 1 | 58.8 | |
| September | 0 | 0.8 | 39 | |
| October | 0.1 | 0.8 | 25 | |
| November | 0.2 | 1.1 | 18.6 | |
| December | 0 | 0.4 | 8.5 |
All values in cubic feet per second (cfs).
Common questions
- When does Pipestem Creek near Buchanan, ND normally run highest?
- April, on the long-term record. The median daily flow that month is about 44.4 cfs, against 0 cfs in January, the lowest month. These are historical normals for the date, not a forecast and not today's reading.
- What is a normal flow for Pipestem Creek near Buchanan, ND?
- It depends on the month. In January, half of days historically fall near 0 cfs, with the middle 80% of days between 0 and 4.1 cfs. The month-by-month table on this page gives the full range.
- How long has Pipestem Creek near Buchanan, ND been measured?
- Discharge records at USGS site 06469500 begin in 1950, about 76 years, covering roughly 1,980 days of published daily values. The long record is what makes the monthly percentiles on this page meaningful.
- Is there a flow forecast for Pipestem Creek near Buchanan, ND?
- Yes. Rivermatics trains a machine-learned model — a temporal-fusion transformer — on this basin's observed flows, weather, and snowpack, and issues a daily flow outlook reaching 14 days ahead: a median estimate inside a confidence band, not a single number to bet on. Every forecast is scored against days the model never trained on, and that track record is published on the live gauge screen. Open live conditions to see the current outlook.
- Where is Pipestem Creek near Buchanan, ND?
- The gauge sits at 47.06639, -98.91861, in North Dakota, in hydrologic subbasin 10160002, at an elevation of about 1,471 feet, draining roughly 719 square miles.
- Can I use Pipestem Creek near Buchanan, ND data for flood or safety decisions?
- No. Rivermatics provides estimates, not guarantees, and the readings and forecasts here may be delayed, inaccurate, or wrong. Do not use them for navigation or for any safety, rescue, or emergency decision. Check the National Weather Service and USGS directly, and use your own judgment.
Upstream and downstream on the Pipestem Creek
Every gauge Rivermatics tracks on this river, ordered by drainage area — upstream first. See the Pipestem Creek in full.
- Pipestem Creek near Pingree, ND 658 sq mi
- Pipestem Creek near Buchanan, ND this page