THE FLOODS of MARCH 1936 Part 1
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If you do jno*-Be <l this report after it has served your purpose, please return it to the Geolocical -"" Survey, using the official mailing label at the end UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR THE FLOODS OF MARCH 1936 Part 1. NEW ENGLAND RIVERS Prepared in cooperation withihe FEDERAL EMERGENCY ADMINISTRATION OF PUBLIC WORKS GEOLOGICAL SURVEY WATER-SUPPLY PAPER 798 UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR Harold L. Ickes, Secretary GEOLOGICAL SURVEY W. C. Mendenhall, Director Water-Supply Paper 798 THS^LOODS OF MARCH 1936 PART 1. NEW ENGLAND RIVERS NATHAN C. GROVER Chief Hydraulic Engineer Prepared in cooperation with the FEDERAL EMERGENCY ADMINISTRATION OF PUBLIC WORKS UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE WASHINGTON : 1937 For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, Washington, D. C. Price 70 cents CONTENTS Page Abstract............................................................. 1 Introduction......................................................... 2 Authorization........................................................ 5 Administration and personnel......................................... 5 Acknowledgments...................................................... 6 General features of the storms....................................... 7 Floods of the New England rivers....................................o 12 Meteorologic and hydrologic conditions............................... 25 Precipitation records............................................ 25 General f>!-................................................... 25 Distr<* '-utlon of rainfall..................................... 33 Snow...."......................................................... 47 General...................................................... 47 Water content................................................ 49 Snow surveys................................................. 50 Depth observations....................................... 50 Water-content surveys.................................... 62 Temperature...................................................... 62 Frost in the ground.............................................. 64 Maine........................................................ 65 Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Vermont.................... 67 Connecticut.................................................. 68 Determination of flood discharges.................................... 70 General disc^sion............................................... 70 Extension of rating curves for river-measurement stations........ 71 Computation of flow over dams.................................... 73 Computation of flow from slope-area observations................. 74 Computation of flow through contracted openings.................. 77 Stages and discharges at river-measurement stations during the flood period............................................................. 77 Explanation of data.............................................. 78 Penobscot River Basin............................................ 87 West Branch of Penobscot River at Millinocket, Maine......... 87 Penobscot River at West Enfield, Maine....................... 88 Piscataquis River near Dover-Foxcroft, Maine................. 89 Piscataquis River at Medford, Maine.......................... 90 Sebec Lake at Sebec, Maine................................... 91 Sebec River at Sebec, Maine.................................. 92 Pleasant River near Milo, Maine.............................. 93 Damariscotta River Basin......................................... 94 Damariscotta Lake at Damariscotta Mills, Maine............... 94 Kennebec River Basin............................................. 95 Brassua Lake near Rockwood, Maine............................ 95 Moosehead Lake at east outlet, Maine......................... 96 Kennebec River at Moosehead, Maine........................... 97 Eennebec River at The Forks, Maine........................... 98 Wyman Pond near BIngham, Maine............................... 99 Eennebec River at Wyman Dam, Maine........................... 100 Eennebe c River at Bingham, Maine............................. 1O1 Eennebec River at Waterville, Maine.......................... 102 Second Eokadjo Lake near Eokadjo, Maine...................... 103 First Eokadjo Lake near Eokadjo, Maine....................... 104 Lake Moxie near The Forks, Maine............................. 105 Dead River Pond at Dead River Dam, Maine..................... 106 Dead River at The Forks, Maine............................... 107 Spencer Lake at Spencer Lake outlet, Maine................... 108 Austin Stream at Bingham, Maine.............................. 109 Carrabassett River near North Anson, Maine................... 110 Sandy River near Mercer, Maine............................... Ill Sebasticook River near Pittsfield, Maine..................... 112 Cobbosseecontee Lake near Manchester, Maine.................. 113 Cobbosseecontee Stream at Gardiner, Maine.................... 114 Androscoggin River Basin......................................... 115 Rangeley Lake at Oquossoc, Maine............................. 115 Mooselookmeguntic Lake at Upper Dam, Maine................... 116 Upper and Lower Richardson Lakes at Middledam, Maine......... 117 Umbagog Lake at Errol Dam, N. H.............................. 118 Androscoggin River at Errol Dam, N. H........................ 119 Androscoggin River near Gorham, N. H......................... 120 Androscoggin River at Rumford, Maine......................... 121 Gulf Island Pond near Lewiston, Maine........................ 122 III IV CONTENTS Stages and discharges at river-measurement stations durins^die -flood period Continued. ^ "- -. Androscoggin River Basin -Continued. '" Androscoggin River at Gulf Island Dam, near Lewiston, Maine.. 123 Androscoggin River near Auburn, Maine........................ 124 Kennebago Lake at Kennebago, Maine........................... 125 Aziscohos Lake at Aziscohos Bam, Maine....................... 126 Magalloway River at Aziscohos Dam, Maine..................... 126 Swift River near Roxbury, Maine.............................. 127 Little Androscoggin River near South Paris, Maine............ 128 Thompson Lake at Oxford, Maine............................... 129 Presumpscot River Basin.......................................... 130 Sebago Lake near North Windham, Maine........................ 130 Presumpscot River at outlet of Sebago Lake, Maineri*.......... 131 Brandy Pond and Long Lake near Songo Lock, Maine..../..-.«.... 132 Wood Pond near Brldgton, Maine............................... 133 Saco River Basin................................................. 134 Saco River near Conway, N. H................................. 134 Saco River at Cornish, Maine................................. 135 Saco River at West Buxton, Maine............................. 136 Kezar Lake near Lovell, Maine................................ 137 Ossipee Lake at Effingham Falls, N. H........................ 138 Ossipee River at Cornish, Maine.............................. 139 Balch Pond near North Shaplelgh, Maine....................... 140 Mousam River Basin............................................... 141 Housam Lake at Emery Hills, Maine............................ 141 Piscataqua River Basin........................................... 141 Great East Pond above Milton Mills, N. H..........";.......... 141 Wilson Pond above Milton Mills, N. H......................... 142 Horns Pond at Milton Mills, N. H............................. 143 Three Ponds at Milton Mills, N. H............................ 144 Salmon Falls River near South Lebanon, Maine................. 145 Lovell Lake at Sanbomville, N. H............................ 146 Lamprey River near Newmarket, N. H........................... 147 Oyster River near Durham, N. H............................... 148 Merrimack River Basin............................................ 149 East Branch of Pemigewasset River near Lincoln, N. H......... 149 Pemlgewasset River at Plymouth, N. H......................... 150 Pemigewasset River at Bristol, N. H.......................... 151 Merrimack River at Franklin Junction, N. H................... 152 Merrimack River at Garvins Falls, N. H....................... 153 Merrimack River at Manchester, N. H.......................... 154 Merrimack River below Concord River, at Lowell, Mass......... 155 Merrimack Elver at Lawrence, Mass............................ 156 Bakers River near Rumney, N. H............................... 157 Smith River near Bristol, N. H............................... 158 Lake Winnipesaukee outlet at Lakeport, N. H.................. 159 Contoocook River at Penacook, N. H........................... 160 North Branch of Contoocook River near Antrim, N. H........... 161 Blackwater River near Webster, N. H.......................... 162 Suncook River at North Chichester, N. H...................... 163 Souhegan River at Merrimack, N. H............................ 164 North Nashua River near Leominster, Mass..................... 165 Nashua River at East Pepperell, Mass......................... 166 South Branch of Nashua River at Clinton, Mass................ 167 Asnebumskit Brook above outlets of Pine Hill and Kendall Res ervoirs, near Eagleville, Mass............................. 168 Sudbury River at Framingham Center, Mass..................... 169 Lake Cochituate outlet at Cochituate, Mass................... 170 Ipswich River Basin.............................................. 171 Ipswich River near Ipswich, Mass............................. 171