Inebec River Basin, Maine
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[L, Quality of Water, 21 jply and Irrigation Paper No. 198 Series^ M, General Hydrographic Investigations. 23 k N, Water Power, 13 DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR UNITED STATES GEOLOGICAL SURVEY CHARLES D. WALCOTT, DIRECTOR WATER RESOURCES OF THE INEBEC RIVER BASIN, MAINE BY H. K. BARROWS WITH A SECTION ON THE QUALITY OF KENNEBEC RIVER WATER BY GEORGE C. WHIPPLE WASHINGTON GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE 1907 [ L, Quality of Water, 21 Water-Supply and Irrigation Paper No, 198 Series \ M, General Hydrographic Investigations, 23 [ N, Water Power, 13 DEPAKTMENT OF THE INTERIOR UNITED STATES GEOLOGICAL SURVEY CHARLES D. WALCOTT. DIRECTOR WATER RESOURCES OF THE KENNEBEC RIVER BASIN, MAINE BY H. K. BARROWS WITH A SECTION ON THE QUALITY OF KENNEBEC RIVER WATER BY GEORGE 0. WHIPPLE Water Resources BraaA, eolo^lcal Survey, ox 3106, Capit Oklahoma City, Okk. WASHINGTON G O V E K N M E N T PRINTING OFFICE 1907 CONTENTS. Page. Introduction _______________ _______ ________________- 1 General description of basin____ _ _ __ _ __. ____ _________ 2 Physical characteristics.,.. ______ _, _______ _____ ____________ 2 Geology, by George Otis Smith______ ___ __ _________ __________ 4 Drainage ________________ _ __________________________ 9 Forest conditions ____________ ____________________________ 15 Population and industries_______________________________________ 15 Transportation facilities_____________________ _________________ 16 Precipitation ________________________________ ______________________ 16 Snow storage and water equivalent____-___________ ______ __ ________ 23 Stream flow______________________________________ 24 Sources of information_______________ __________________________ 24 Field methods.___________________________________________ 25 Office methods.._________________ __ __ _ _ _____ __________________ 27 Definitions _____________________________________ 28 Explanation of tables________________ ___ ____ ___________________ 29 Accuracy of determinations______ _____________________________ 30 Use of data______________________ ____________________ 32 Location of stations.-____________________ ________________________ 33 Kennebec River at The Forks.. ________ ________ _____ _ ____ 33 Kennebec River near North Auson,_______ _ ___________________ 41 Kennebec River at \Vaterville________________ _____ ___ __________ 48 Moose River near Rock wood___________________________ 59 Miscellaneous measurements in Moose River basi.i_______ ________ 64 Roach River at Roach River______________________ _______ 64 Moosehead Lake..___________________ ___ ______ _ _____ 70 Dead River near The Forks________ _______ __ _________ ______ 76 Carrabassett River at North Anson_____.___ __ _____________________ 81 Sandy River near Madison_______________ _______________________ 86 Messalonskee Stream at YVaterville___ ________________________ 90 Cobbosseecontee Stream at Gardiner_____________________________ 93 Relation of run-off to precipitation_________________________________ 106 Kennebec River at Waterville________________________________ 106 Cobbosseecontee Stream at Gardiner__________________________ 110 Evaporation __________________________________________ 113 Floods on Kennebec River_____ __ ___ __ _______________ ___________ 115 Flood of 1832_______________________ ________ ____________ 115 Flood of December, 1901__ ____ __ .____ _ __ ________ 116 Weather conditions________ __ ________ ____ ________________ 116 Run-off____________________ _________________ 117 Maximum discharge______________ ______________________ 118 Comparative heights of floods________ ________ ____________________ 119 m IV CONTENTS. 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Low-water conditions____________________________ 120 Keunebec River__________________________________________ 120 Tributaries of Kenuebee River__ _______-___-__-__ _^___-____ 121 Water power_______________ _________________________________ 121 Developed water powers____. ____________ _____________________ 121 Kennebec River__________________________-___________-_-_ 122 Dead River_________________________________ 123 Carrabassett River_____---_____________ __________________ 123 Sandy River_________ ____________ _____________ 124 Sebasticook River __________________-___--_-__-_--__-_______ 124 Messalonskee Stream _______-______-___-____-_-____ -__-___ 125 Cobbosseecontee Stream __________ ___--______-__-__-_____-____ 126 Undeveloped water powers__ _--___ ____________________________ 126 General considerations _-__ ___________________________________ 126 Kennebec River ___ _______ _______________!_____________ 127 Moose River____-____.__ ________ _________---___-_____-_ 128 Roach River_______________________________-____ 128 Moxie Stream___________________________________-___ 128 Dead River _______________________________________ 128 Pleasant Pond Stream ___________________________ 129 Pierce Pond outlet____________________________________ 129 Carrabassett River _________________________________ 130 Sandy River______________________________________ 130 Sebasticook River _______________________________ 130 Messalonskee Stream _______________________________________ 130 Weber Pond outlet - -_____-_______._____________________ 130 Cobbosseecontee Stream __________________________________ 130 Water storage _____________________-___________-__-_--__-:._______ 131 General considerations ___________________ ________________________ 131 Storage in Kennebec headwaters________________________________ 132 Moosehead Lake __----_--_-__-__-_--__-____________________ 132 Moose River Basin________________________________________ 133 Brassua Lake ____________ ________________ _____________ 133 Long Pond________ ___ _ __ ____.__ _______ _____ 134 Wood and Atteaii poi.ds__________________________________ 135 Holeb Pond_______________________________ _______ 136 Roach River Basin___________ __ _ __ _______ _____________ 137 Lower Roach Pond____ _________________________________ 137 Middle Roach Pond___. _________________________ 137 Summary ______________________ _ ___. __________ _-__ 138 Storage below Moosehead Lake____-_______-__-____________ ______ 138 Moxie Pond_-L_ ---_ - - ____ ___-_--____.____-_____ 138 Pierce Pond_________--__--_____-___-____-_____________ 139 Dead River basin__________________________ -___--_________ 139 Flagstaff Lake_________________________________"____ 139 West Carry Pond___________ _ _______________________ 140 Spring Lake_____________ ____________________________ 140 Dead River dam___________ _____________________________ 140 Spencer ponds________ -- _____________________________ 141 Spencer Stream darn_____ _______________________________ 141 Upper Dead River ___________ ___________________________ 141 Summary ________________________________________ __ 141 Effect of present storage on flo\v_________________________________ 145 CONTENTS. V Page. Water storage Continued. Water available in Kennebec headwaters_ ____________ 148 General discussion_________________ __ _________________ 148 Discussion of mass curves________________________ 153 Application of results of "mass curve'' computation-_________ 158 Conclusions __________________________________________ 161 Log driving and lumbering___________________________ ____ 162 General statement. ____________________________________ 162 Time of driving______________________________________ 163 Water used in driving______________________________ 163 Quantities of logs driven, and cost of dnving____________ __________ 164 Improvements in log-driving facilities________________ _ 166 QUALITY OF KENNEBEC RIVER WATER, BY GEORGE C. WHIPPLE____________ 167 Introduction _______________________________________________ 167 Water examinations _____________ _________________ ________ 168 Turbidity _____________!__________________ ____ _________ 168 Color _______________________________________________ 170 Odor ____________________________________________ 172 Results of examinations__________________________________ 172 Chemical constituents__ ________ ___________________ 181 Microscopic organisms________________________________ 184 Bacteria _________________________ -___________ 186 Effect of tides on quality of water below Augusta____________________ 186 Pollution _______________________________________ 188 Source and character _________________________________________ 188 Effects of pollution - ___ _______________ ___ _____ 195 Turbidity ___________________________ _____ __ 196 Color __________________________________________ 196 Odor ______________________________ _____ _ 196 Chemical constituents-_ ______ _ _____ __________ 197 Bacteria __ __ _ _ _________.__________-. _______________ 197 Typhoid-fever epidemic of 1902-3________________________________ 198 Introduction __________________ __ ______ 198 General account ________________________________________ 200 Typhoid fever in Waterville____ ____________ _______ 201 General account__________________________________________ 201 Origin of epidemic in Waterville____ ______ 205 Typhoid fever in Augusta__ _______________________________ 207 Previous history of typhoid fever in Augusta__ ______ __ 207 Typhoid fever at Richmond_____________________________ 211 Deaths from typhoid, 1892-1903______ _____________ _____ 211 GAZETTEER OF RIVERS. LAKES, AND PONDS, by B. D. Woon__________ 212 Index ______________________________.________ _ 229 ILLUSTRATIONS. Page. PLATE I. Map of Kennebec drainage basin, showing gaging and rainfall stations and river and lake surveys^_______________ 2 II. A, Cable gaging station on Moose River at Rockwood, Me.; B, Raft, pan,