UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR Harold L. Ickes, Secretary GEOLOGICAL SURVEY W. C. Mendenhall, Director Water-Supply Paper 869 FLOOD OF AUGUST 1935 dtf MUSKINGUM RIVER o O z < 5 BY i ;> ^, C. V. YOUNGQUIST AND W. B. WITH SECTIONS ON THE ASSOCIATES METEOROLOGY AND HYDROLOOT ^ ;j . » BY * V WALDO E. SMITH AND A. K. SHOWALTEK 2. Prepared in cooperation with the * ^* FEDERAL EMERGENCY ADMINISTRAflCg^ OF PUBLIC WORKS ' -o j; UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE WASHINGTON : 1941 jFor sale by the Superintendent of Documents, Washington, D. G. - * * « Price 40 cents (paper) CONTENTS Pag« Abstract---.--_-_-__-__-___--______.-__-_---_---_-__-_--_-__-.-_._ I Introduction.______________________________________________________ 1 Administration and personnel---_______--_-_____-__--____________-__ 3 Acknowledgments ________-________-----_--__--__-_________________ 3 Geography _ ____________________________________________________ 6 Topography, drainage, and transportation________________________ 6 Rainfall...--_---.-__-------.-_--------__..---_-----------_---- 7 Population, industry, and mineral resources_---_-__--_________--__ 8 Flood control-___-_-___-__-_-__-____-_--_-_-__--_--__.____--_- S General features of the flood-_______________________________________ 9 Damage.-__-_______--____-__--__--__-_-____--_______-____--__ IT Meteorologic and hydrologic conditions, by Waldo E. Smith____________ 19 General features of the storm.___-____-__________---_____--__--_ 19 Records of precipitation._______________________________________ 21 Antecedent rainfall.___________________________________________ 29 Meteorology of the storm, by Albert K. Showaiter.--_---___-__________ 29 Records of flood stage and flood discharge.____-___-_________-____....__ 31 Flood discharge-____________-__-___----____--_____________..___ 32 Tuscarawas River at Clinton..-___--_-___-_________.____--__ 33 Tuscarawas River near Dover_-_____________________._______ 34 Tuscarawas River at Newcomerstown________________________ 36 Muskingum River at Dresden_-_____-_______________________ 38 Muskingum River at McConnelsville---__-_--_____-_______-__ 39 Sandy Creek at Sandyville._________________________________ 41 Nimishillen Creek at North Industry_-.___-_-____________-___ 42 Sugar Creek at Strasburg____-_____-____________________.___ 43 Stillwater Creek at Uhrichsville._-_-_____-_-_________-__-___ 44 Black Fork at Loudonville----------_----____--__--___-_-_-_ 45 Mohican River at Greer-_____-__---___-______________.,____ 46 Walhonding River at Pomerene____-_________..______..___.__ 47 Clear Fork at Newville______-----___-___-___-____..___-_- 48 Jerome Fork at Jeromeville-__---_--_-_--_--________._______ 49 Lake Fork near Loudonville________________________.________ 50 Kokosing River near Millwood______________________________ 51 Killbuck Creek at Killbuck_________-_-____-_-_-________ 53 Wills Creek at Birds Run_______________________________ 54 Licking River at Toboso--_-----------_-_--_----_______--___ 55 Salt Creek near Chandlersville_-__---__-_-_._____________-__ 56 Supplementary records of flood discharge.___.__..__.._________-.__ 57 Muskingum River at Coshocton_____________________._______ 58 McGuire Creek at Leesville dam site, near Leesville_._.________ 59 Conotton Creek near New Cumberland.._____________________ 59 Indian Fork at Atwood dam site, near Atwood._______________ 60 Stillwater Creek at Piedmont dam site, at Piedmont-__.____.__ 60 Stillwater Creek at Tippecanoe._____________________________ 60 Brushy Fork near Tippecanoe___--_____-___________-____--__ 61 Records of stage at locks and dams on the Muskingum River------- 61 in IV CONTENTS Page Summary of flood discharges.________________________________________ 70 Rainfall and run-off studies._________________________________________ 73 General features________________________________________________ 73 Discussion of results. __________--__---__-_--___-___-..--____-__- 78 August l-5___-.-_.-----__---_-_------_---_-_-_..-----__..- 78 August 6-8------------.-----------------------..---------- 80 August 9-11-.------.____--_--_--_. --___-----_-..____-__--_ 88 Channel storage studies_____.________________________________________ 89 Flood crest stages-___--___--____-_______-_. _-___-_____-..--________ 94 Records of other floods_-__-______________-_. _________-_-..________-_ 99 Other summer storms and floods________ _______ j-__-..___.______ 103 Storm and flood of March 1913___.____. ._------____..-__-._____ 107 Floods on Muskingum River___--__-__-_.._________-__..-____.____ 109 Index._--...-___-___-________________-__-_--____----.-__-_.__-- 117 ILLUSTRATIONS Page PLATE 1. Map of Muskingum River Basin__________________________ 10 2. Isohyetal map of Muskingum River E asin showing total rainfall, in inches, August 6-7._._______. ____-___-__--_-__-_____ 10 3. A, Walhonding River at mouth of Killbuck Creek; B, U. S. Highway 40 at Crooked Creek, a mile west of Cambridge..-- 18 4. A, Sugar Creek Falls Bridge on U. £. Route 250, August 9; B, Tuscarawas River near its mouth, looking north during flood. 19 5. Hourly precipitation at recording rain gages August 1-10__---_ 26 6. Surface weather chart of the United States, 8 p. m. August 6, 1935.-.-_-___.-__.____.._____-____-______--.-_-_-____. 30 7. Surface weather chart of the United States, 8 a. m. August 7, 1935______-_-_-______________-_-_____-_-__-.___-___-__ 30 8. A, Confluence of Tuscarawas and Walhonding Rivers during flood; B, Muskingum River at Zanesville during flood, show­ ing turbulence produced by Dam 10-____--__-.._-_--__-__ 74 FIGURE 1. Hydrographs of discharge at river-measurement stations in upper Muskingum River Basin, August 1-15-.-..__________ 4 2. Hydrographs of discharge at river-measurement stations in lower Muskingum River Basin, August 1-15.______________ 5 3. Stages reached by flood of August 1935 and knosvn previous floods at Coshocton____-__-__--__-___-___---.._-_-_-_--_ 12 4. Monthly distribution of 38 floods at Coshocton__- ._-___-____ 13 5. Time of crest, August 7, 8, 9, in relation to distance from Marietta.- _ _________-______-_-____--_--_---.--_-______ 14 6. Isohyetal map of Muskingum River Basin showing total rain­ fall, in inches, July 20-30___--_---__-,------------------ 27 7. Isohyetal map of Muskingum River Basin showing total rain­ fall, in inches, July 31 to August 5_-_.___---_---_--_.---- 28 8. Map showing location of flood-discharge determinations in the Muskingum River Basin, August 1935____________________ 70 9. Discharge hydrograph of Kokosing River near Millwood, July 31 to August 15, showing method of analysis used in deter­ mining direct run-off associated with each storm period. _ _ _ 76 CONTENTS y Page FIGUBE 1ft Graphical comparison of rainfall and associated direct run-off, August 1-5, as given in table n_______._-___-_-_-__-___- 78 11. Graph of daily mean discharge, Killbuck Creek at Killbuck, July 15 to August 31, showing estimated base flow________- 80 12. Graphical comparison of rainfall and associated direct run-off, August 6-8, as given in table 11 _________________________ 81 13. Analysis of rainfall and run-off, Killbuck Creek Basin above Killbuck, August 6-8____-__-_-______.__-_-__-____---_ 82 14. Analysis of rainfall and run-off, Nimishillen Creek Basin above North Industry, August 6-8____-_-_-___-_--_--_--___-_ 84 15. Analysis of rainfall and run-off, Sandy Creek Basin above Sandyville, August 6-8___________-____--__--___-------_ 85 16. Relation of ratio between maximum 24-hour run-off and total direct run-off associated with rains of August 6-8 to drainage area___--________.________________-____-_--_-_-----_ 87 17. Graphical comparison of rainfall and associated direct run-off, August 9-11, as given in table 11_______-__________-----_ 88 18. Channel storage at indicated rates of discharge in relation to drainage area above gaging stations in Muskingum River Basin.________--_________-_________-_______----_--_ 90 19. Storage in Muskingum River between Dresden and McConnels- ville in relation to discharge____-_-__________------------ 92 20. Profile of maximum crest stages on Tuscarawas River during floods of August 1935 and March 1913-.-_______----- 100 21. Profile of maximum crest stages on Muskingum River during floods of August 1935 and March 1913.________________ 101 22. Profile of maximum crest stages on Mohican and Walhonding Rivers during floods of August 1935 and March 1913 -- 102 23. Map of Muskingum River Basin showing lines of equal pre­ cipitation, July 3-5, 1935_-_----------_----------------- 105 TABLES Page TABLE 1. Drainage areas and capacities of flood-control reservoirs of Mus­ kingum Watershed Conservancy District._________________ 9 2. Depth of average 1-day rainfall in relation to areal extent for notable storms in eastern United States, 1889-1935___-_---_ 10 3. Hourly rainfall, in inches, August 6-7_______________________ 20 4. Times of beginning and ending of storm rainfall at nonrecording rain gages, August 6-7________________________-_ ________ 20 5. Daily precipitation in inches, July 20 to August 11, 1935__--_- 22 6. Extraordinary 1-day summer rainfalls of record in or near Mus­ kingum River Basin_ ___________________________________ 24 7. Gage height, in feet, on Muskingum River at Locks 1-11 during August 1935___-________--_______--____-___-__--------- 62 8. Altitude of zero of lock gages and crests of dams on Muskingum River.________________________________________________ 69 9. Summary of flood discharges in Muskingum River Basin. _____ 71 10. Summary of flood stages in Muskingum River____________--_- 73 11. Rainfall and associated direct run-off of flood of August 1935. _ 74 Vj CONTENTS Page TABLE 12. Channel storage in selected drainage areas in Muskingum River Basin at indicated rates of flow _____-___--_-_--__-_____ 91 13. Summary of channel storage characteristics of selected river reaches in Muskingum River Basin. _____________________ 94 14. Flood creststages, August 1935___-_---_--___-__--__--____- 94 15. Streams for whic hunpublished data on flood crest stages are available.________________---__---__--__-__---__---_-_ 99 16. Summary of maximum stages and discharges during flood of March 1913.__-__.______-_______________________ 108 17.