Water-Supply and Irrigation Paper No. 165 Series P, Hydrographic Progress Reports, 41 DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR UNITED STATES GEOLOGICAL SUKVEY CHARLES D. WALCOTT, DIRECTOR REPORT OF PROGRESS OF STREAM MEASUREMENTS FOR THE CALENDAR YEAR 1905 PREPARED UNDER THE DIRECTION OF F. H. NEWELL PART I. Atlantic Coast of New England Drainage BY H. K. BARROWS and JOHN C. HOYT WASHINGTON GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE 1906 Water-Supply and Irrigation Paper No. 165 Series P, Hydrographic Progress Reports, 41 DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR UNITED STATES GEOLOGICAL SURVEY CHARLES D. WALCOTT, DIRECTOR REPORT PROGRESS OF STREAM MEASUREMENTS THE CALENDAR YEAR 1905 PREPARED UNDER THE DIRECTION OF F. H. NEWELL PART I. Atlantic Coast of New England Drainage BY- H. K. BAKKOWS and JOHN C. HOYT WASHINGTON GOVERNMENT FEINTING OFFICE 1906 CONTENTS. Page. Introduction........................-...-..._..................--......-- 7 Organization and scope of work........................................ 7 Definitions........................................................... , 9 Explanation of tables................................................. 10 Convenient equivalents ............................................... 11 Field methods of measuring stream flow ............................... 12 Office methods of computing run-off ................................... 16 Cooperation and acknowledgments..................................... 18 St. John River drainage basin............................................. 19 Description of basin .................................................. 19 St. John River at Fort Kent, Me ...................................... 21 Fish River at Wallagrass, Me ......................................... 21 Aroostook River at Fort Fairfield, Me ................................. 24 St. Croix River drainage basin ............................................ 27 Description of basin .................................................. 27 St. Croix River at Spragues Falls, near Baring, Me ..................... 28 Machias River drainage basin ............................................. 30 Description of basin .................................................. 30 Machias River near Whitiieyville, Me ................................. 30 Penobscot River drainage basin ........................................... 32 Description of basin .................................................. 32 Penobscot River at Millinocket, Me ................................... 33 Penobscot River at West Enfield, Me .................................. 35 East Branch Penobscot River at Grindstone, Me........................ 38 Mattawamkeag River at Mattawamkeag, Me ........................... 41 Piscataquis River near Foxcroft, Me................................... 44 Cold Stream at Enfield, Me ........................................... 46 Phillips Lake and outlets in Holden and Dedham, Me .................. 48 Kennebec River drainage basin............................................ 51 Description of basin .................................................. 51 Kennebec River at The Forks, Me..................................... 53 Kennebec River near North Anson, Me................................ 56 Kennebec River at Waterville, Me .................................... 58 Moose River near Rockwood, Me...................................... 60 Miscellaneous discharge measurements in Moose River basin ............ 63 Roach River at Roach River, Me ...................................... 63 Dead River near The Forks, Me........................................ 66 Carrabassett River at North Anson, Me................................ 68 Sandy River near Madison, Me........................................ 71 Messalonskee River at Waterville, Me .......... v ..................... 72 Cobbosseecontee River at Gardiner, Me................................ 73 CONTENTS. Androscoggin River drainage basin..... .................................... 75 Description of basin .................................................. 75 Androscoggin River at Errol dam, N. H ........"....................... 76 Androscoggin River at Gorham, N. H ................................. 76 Androscoggin River at Shelburne, N. H ..____...-.._-.-_-.-.--._.---.. 76 Androscoggiu River at Rumford Falls, Me ............................. 80 Androscoggin River at Dixfield, Me........-...-...-....-....--......-. 82 Presumpscot River drainage basin -._..._.---.---_.-.___..-.--...--....---. 85 Description of basin .................................................. 85 Presumpscot River at outlet of Sebago Lake, Me........................ 85 Saco River drainage basin................................................. 87 Description of basin .................................................. 87 Saco River near Center Conway, N. H................................. 87 Merrimac River drainage basin............................................ 90 Description of basin ................................................... 90 Merrimac River at Franklin Junction, N. H............................ 91 Merrimac River at Garvins Falls, N. H................................ 93 Merrimac River at Lawrence, Mass....:.............--................ 95 Pemigewasset River at Plymouth, N. H................................ 98 Contoocook River at West Hopkinton, N. H........................... 101 Suncook River at East Pembroke, N. H................................ 103 Sudbury River at Framingham and Lake Cochituate at Cochituate, Mass. 104 South Branch Nashua River at Clinton, Mass.............. ........... 108 Blackstone River drainage basin........................................... 109 Description of basin ........................................... ....... 109 Blackstone River near Woonsocket, R. I............................... 109 Thames River drainage basin.............................................. 110 Description of basin .................................................. 110 Shetucket River near Willimantic, Conn................................ Ill Connecticut River drainage basin.......................................... 113 Description of basin ................................................. 113 Connecticut River near Orford, N. H.................................. 115 Connecticut River at Sunderland, Mass ................................ 118 Connecticut River at Hartford, Conn .................................. 121 Israel River (above South Branch) near Jefferson Highlands, N. H...... 123 Israel River (below South Branch) near Jefferson Highlands, N. H...... 125 Ammoiioosuc River at Bretton Woods, N. H........................... 128 Zealand River near Twin Mountain, N. H.............................. 130 Little River near Twin Mountain, N. H.......................... ...... 132 White River at Sharon, Vt............................................ 133 Ashuelot River at Winchester, N. H................................... 133 Deerfield River at Deerfield, Mass ..................................... 134 Ware River near Ware, Mass.......................................... 136 Ware River at Gilbertville, Mass .......................... ........... 139 Quaboag River at West Warren, Mass.................................. 139 Swift River at West Ware, Mass....................................... 140 Westfield River at Russell, Mass....................................... 140 Westfield Little River near Blandford, Mass........-........---..--.... 142 Salmon River at Leesville, Conn........................................ 144 Housatonic River drainage basin .................,......--...-----..-.--.. 145 Description of basin ....'.........--........-.-..--..-. .-....-...-... 145 Housatonic River at Gaylordsville, Conn............................... 145 Index.,.................."............................................... 149 ILLUSTRATIONS. Page. PLATE I. Map of the United States, showing location of principal gaging sta­ tions maintained during 1905 .................................. 8 Fia. 1. Cable station, showing section of river, car, gage, etc................ 14 2. Discharge, area, and mean-velocity curves for South Fork Skykomish River near Index, Wash......................................... 17 5 PROGRESS REPORT OF STREAM MEASUREMENTS FOR THE CALENDAR YEAR 1905. PART I. By H. K. BARROWS and JOHN C. HOYT. INTRODUCTION. ORGANIZATION AND SCOPE OF WORK. The hydrographic work of the United States Geological Survey includes the col­ lection of facts concerning and the study of conditions 'affecting the behavior of water from the time it reaches the earth as rain or snow until it joins the oceans or great navigable rivers. These investigations became a distinct feature of the work of the Survey in the fall of 1888, when an instruction camp was established at Embudo, N. Mex. The first specific appropriation for gaging streams was made by the act of August 18, 1894, which contained an item of $12,500 "for gauging the streams and determining the water supply of the United States, including the investigation of underground currents and artesian wells in the arid and semiarid sections." (Stat. L., vol. 28, p. 398.) Since that time the appropriations have been gradually increased, as shown by the following table: Annual appropriations for hydrographic surveys for the fiscal years ending June 30, 1895 to 1906. 1895 ......................... $12, 500 1901 ......................... $100,000 1896......................... 20, 000 1902 ......................... 100, 000 1897 ......................... 50,000 1903 ......................... 200, 000