The collection of hydrologic data by the U.S. Geological Survey in the Mountain Creek watershed began on March 9, 1925, with the establishment of a stream-gaging station located about 2.5 miles upstream from the present site of Mountain Creek Lake Dam. The stream-gaging station was discontinued on July 5, 1933. Daily streamflow records obtained at this site are published in the annual series of Geological Survey water supply papers beginning in 1925. Monthly and yearly summaries are published in Water-Supply Paper 1312.
In October 1960, the Geological Survey resumed collection of hydrologic data in the Mountain Creek watershed by establishing three stream gaging stations and one reservoir-content station. The data-collection sites are on Mountain Creek near Cedar Hill (station 08049600), Walnut Creek near Mansfield (station 08049700), Mountain Creek at Grand Prairie (station 08050100), and Mountain Creek Lake near Grand Prairie (station 08050050; fig. 1). In October 1970, the Geological Survey assumed operation of the stage station Mountain Creek near Duncanville (station 08049900; fig. 1). Since 1974 water-quality data has been collected at varying periodic intervals at the sites near Cedar Hill, near Duncanville, and Mountain Creek Lake since 1969. These water-quality data collection stations are shown on figure 1.
