Gauge Description:

Flow in Horseshoe Bend is a combination of spill from Reddinger, now posted by Edison as   San Joaquin River Above Willow Creek-Spill and the flow in Willow Creek.   Willow Creek often contributes 100 cfs or so early in the season,  but decreases to almost nothing by summertime. Willow can contributes huge amounts during some big winter rainstorms. Click on the "Show List" button and you can see flows for some other river reaches in the basin as well as reservoir elevations. See also Dreamflows for this flow and many other rivers.

There is a staff gauge behind a rock at the downstream side of the mouth of Willow Creek. The staff measures increments of 500 cfs, up to 5000 cfs.   As of 2010 the staff gauge is reading very high and was a few inches underwater at 4000 cfs.

Horseshoe Bend will occasionally have flows in the winter and early in the Spring from low elevation runoff. It will also receive any spill from Mammoth Pool, which usually occurs if the Snow pack in the basin is 100%. The probability increases as the snow pack rises above 100%. Depending on weather patterns, spill can sometimes occur with less snow pack.

If the SCE links above do not work go to:  http://www.sce.com/PowerandEnvironment/PowerGeneration/BigCreekHydro/  to see if you can track down the correct pages.   Seems like the url of the actual data sometimes changes.

Edison Big Creek Office:  893-5611   If the online gauges are down, you can report that problem here and the secretary will usually find out the flow for you. 

This USGS pdf schematic of the dams, diversions and gauges is helpful for understanding the plumbing system in this basin.

Willow Creek now has several gauges that measure stage.   These can be handy to corroborate flow info at the Edison gauge; Willow Creek at Mouth.
Willow Creek below Manzanita Dam
Willow Creek at Rex Ranch