Penobscot River Basin Maine
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR UNITED STATES GEOLOGICAL SURVEY GEORGE OTIS SMITH, DIBECTOR WATER-SUPPLY PAPER 279 WATER RESOURCES OF THE PENOBSCOT RIVER BASIN MAINE BY H. K. BARROWS AND C. C. BABB PREPARED IN COOPERATION WITH THE MAINE STATE SURVEY COMMISSION WASHINGTON GOVERNMENT FEINTING OFFICE 1912 CONTENTS. Page. Introduction.............................................................. 7 General features of the basin............................................... 8 Topography and drainage............................................. 8 Geology, by E. S. Bastin............................................... 11 Forests.............................................................. 13 Population........................................................... 13 Industries ........................................................... 13 Transportation lines................................................... 14 Precipitation......................................................... 16 Stream flow.............................................................. 27 Field methods of measuring flow........................................ 27 Office methods of computing and studying discharge and run-off.......... 29 Accuracy and reliability of field data and comparative results ............ 30 Use of the data........................................................ 31 Explanation of tables................................................. 31 Definition of terms................................................... 32 Location of stations.................................................... 33 West Branch of Penobscot River at Millinocket......................... 33 Penobscot River at West Enfield....................................... 42 Penobscot River at Sunkhaze Rips ..................................... 55 East Branch of Penobscot River at Grindstone.......................... 56 Mattawamkeag River at Mattawamkeag ................................ 68 Piscataquis River near Foxcroft....................................... 80 Cold Stream at Enfield................................................ 91 Kenduskeag Stream near Bangor...................................... 96 Phillips Lake and outlets in Holden and Dedham....................... 99 Miscellaneous measurements in Penobscot River drainage basin.......... 110 Relation of run-off to precipitation.......................................... 110 Evaporation.............................................................. 113 Summary of observations ............................................. 124 Floods on Penobscot River................................................. 129 Floods at Bangor.......................................... r.......... 129 Flood of September 26 to 29, 1909...................................... 132 Low-water conditions..................................................... 136 Water power............................................................. 140 Developed water powers.............................................. 140 Main stream ..................................................... 140 Piscataquis River................................................ 143 Sebec River...................................................... 145 Pleasant River................................................... 145 Summary........................................................ 145 Undeveloped water powers.............................................. 145 Fall available..................................................... 145 Penobscot River.................................................. 146 Bangor to Old town ............................................ 146 Oldtownto Shad Pond........................................ 147 3 4 CONTENTS. Water power Continued. Undeveloped water powers Continued. Page. West Branch of Penobscot River above Ambejejus Lake ............ 148 East Branch of Penobscot River.................................... 152 Medway to Grand Lake....................................... 152 Webster Brook and East Branch of Penobscot River............ 156 Mattawamkeag River.............................................. 158 Piscataquis River. ............................................. 161 Sebec River ..................................................... 163 Pleasant River................................................... 164 Passadumkeag River.............................................. 165 Water storage............................................................ 166 Natural facilities...................................................... 166 Storage on West Branch of Penobscot River ............................ 166 General conditions................................................ 166 Twin Lake system................................................ 167 Ripogenus Lake................................................. 169 Chesuncook Lake.................................................. 170 Caucomgomuc Lake............................................... 171 Umbazooksus Lake............................................... 172 Storage on East Branch of Penobscot River............................ 172 General conditions ................................................ 172 Grand and Second Grand lakes...................................... 173 Webster Lake..................................................... ] 74 Telos Lake and Round Pond....................................... 175 Chamberlain Lake................................................ 176 Allagash Lake.................................................... 177 Storage on Mattawamkeag River....................................... 178 Baskahegan Lake.................................................. 178 Mattawamkeag Lake.............................................. 179 Pleasant Lake.................................................... 180 Storage on Piscataquis River........................................... 181 Schoodic Lake.................................................... 181 Seboeis Lake and Northwest Pond................................. 183 Endless Lake.................................................... 184 Lower Ebeemee Lake.............................................. 185 Sebec Lake...................................................... 186 Silver Lake...................................................... 187 Houston Pond.................................................... 187 Additional storage basins............................................... 188 Cold Stream Pond................................................ 188 Nicatous Lake.................................................... 188 Pushaw Lake..................................................... 188 Phillips Lake..................................................... 189 Summary of storage.................................................... 189 Lake areas........................................................... 190 Effect of present storage on flow........................................... 191 Base data............................................................ 191 Water available on West Branch of Penobscot River...................... 194 Mass curve for West Branch at Millinocket......................... 194 Application of results of mass-curve computation................... 199 Water available on other tributaries of Penobscot River................. 200 Water available from storage.......................................... 202 CONTENTS. 5 Effect of present storage on flow Continued. Page. Summary of effect of storage on flow................................... 207 Lessening amount of water used for log driving....................... 209 Effect of storage on navigation...................................... 210 Conclusions........................................................... 210 Log driving and lumbering................................................ 211 Need of conserving forests............................................. 211" Method of driving. ................................................... 211 Time of driving....................................................... 212 Water used in driving................................................. 213 Quantities of logs driven and cost of driving............................ 213 Improvements in log-driving facilities.................................. 219 Gazetteer of rivers, lakes, and ponds....................................... 221 Index.....................I.............................................. 281 ILLUSTRATIONS. Page. PLATE I. Map of State of Maine. ......................................... 8 II. Millinocket mill of Great Northern Paper Co ..................... 14 III. Twenty-one million feet of logs at Millinocket mill of Great Northern Paper Co..................................................... 16 IV. Discharge area and mean velocity curves of Mattawamkeag River at Mattawamkeag. ........................................... 28 V. A, Quakish Lake dam, Great Northern Paper Co.; B, Grinder room in mill of Great Northern Paper Co. at Millinocket ............. 34 VI. A, Penobscot River at West Enfield gaging station; B, Penobscot River at West Enfield, looking upstream from highway bridge, Feb. 8, 1906. ................................................ 42 , VII. A, Evaporation station at Soldier Pond; view of raft, floating pan, etc. ; B, Nicatous Falls on Passadumkeag Stream. ................ 114 VIII. Penobscot River; plan and profile from Bangor to North Twin Lake . 146 I.. North Twin dam at outlet of North Twin Lake, West Branch of Penobscot River; A, Upstream view; B, Downstream view. ..... 168