Buffalo Creek near Wheeling, IL




Study Reach.--The channel reach is a meandering and dredged channel. The study reach, about 1950 ft long, is located between the Childerly Park pedestrian bridge and the Elmhurst Road bridge, as shown in the quadrangle map on the top left. Ten surveyed cross sections (surveyed by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, in April and May 2003) are available for describing the channel geometries. The channel alignment, approximate variations in channel width and bank conditions, and locations of surveyed cross sections are shown in the aerial photograph on the top right. Four representative cross sections at river station (RS) 16410, 16146, 15616, and 15363 are plotted above.

Gage Location.--Lat 42°09’06”, long 87°57’26”, in NE1/4 NW1/4 sec.4, T.42N., R11E., Cook County. Hydrologic Unit 07120004. On the left bank at the downstream side of the bridge on Short Aptakisic Road, 1.0 mi downstream from an unnamed tributary, 2.5 mi west of Wheeling, and at mile 5.0. The USGS streamgage station number is 05528500.

Drainage Area.--19.6 sq mi.

Gage Datum and Elevations of Reference Points.--Gage datum is 658.60 ft. Reference points (RP-N) for n-value studies are listed below. All elevations are referenced to NGVD29.

RP-N1: chiseled mark on the bevel of the downstream side of the concrete bridge on Elmhurst Road, 2 ft streamward of the left downstream bridge abutment, painted black; elevation = 655.379 ft. 
RP-N2: chiseled mark on the bevel of the upstream side of the concrete bridge on Elmhurst Road, 2 ft. streamward of the left upstream bridge abutment, painted black; elevation = 655.304. 
RP-N3: nail in a disk on the streamward side of a 24” diameter tree on the right bank at the location of cross-section “156+40”; elevation = 651.898 ft. 
RP-N4: nail in a disk on the downstream side of a 14” diameter tree on the right bank at the location of cross-section “156+40”. This is an alternate tape-down point if RP-N3 is inaccessible due to high water; elevation = 653.665 ft. 
RP-N5: nail in a disk on the downstream side of an 8” diameter tree on the left bank near the location of cross-section “161+60”, on the upstream side of the bend in the stream, upstream of the apartment complex on the left side of channel; elevation = 653.346 ft. 
RP-N6: nail in a disk in the upstream side of a 10”-12” diameter tree, more landward and ~ 5 ft downstream from RP-N5. This is an alternate tape-down point if RP-N5 is inaccessible due to high water; elevation = 655.902 ft. 
RP-N7: two file-marks on the upper horizontal angle bracket rung, center of the downstream side of the Childerly Park footbridge, painted black; elevation = 659.642 ft.	 

Stage, Discharge Measurements, and Computed n-Values.--Water-surface elevations were measured from the RP-Ns before and after each discharge measurement. Discharges were measured using the standard current-meter method. The computed n-values are listed in the following table. Whenever possible, the computed n-values are associated with a photograph taken at the time of the measurement. The photographs are arranged from low to high discharge in order to illustrate the contributing factors of n-values at a particular discharge.

Date of Observation Discharge (ft3/s) Average Cross Section Area (ft2) Hydraulic Radius (ft) Mean Velocity (ft/s) Slope (ft/ft) Coefficient of Roughness n
9/19/2001 256.0 85.4 2.71 3.01 0.001400 0.032


Description of Channel.--This channel is dredged. Cross sections of the study reach are trapezoidal in shape. The channel meanders mildly. The bed materials consist of silt, gravel and rocks. Bottom width of the channel is about 20 ft with an average top width of approximately 50 ft. The left bank is mostly covered with grass, whereas the right bank is heavily covered with willows and other brush. The banks are about 10 ft high and begin to overtop into the flood plain at a stage of about 4 ft.

Floods.--Maximum discharge, 887 ft3/s on July 22, 1982, gage height, 7.94 ft.

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Page Last Modified: February 4, 2013