UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOK J. A. Krug, Secretary GEOLOGICAL SURVEY W. E. Wrather, Director Water-Supply Paper 968 CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE HYDROLOGY OF THE UNITED STATES 1944 This copy is PUBLIC PROPERTY and is not to be removed from the official files. PRIVATE POSSESSION IS UNUWFUL (& 3* &»? ?oi. 2. pp. 380, Sec. 749) UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE WASHINGTON : 1949 CONTENTS [The letters in parentheses preceding the titles are those used to designate the papers for sepa*ate publication] Page (A) Flood runoff in the Willamette Valley, Oregon, by M. D. Brands (published in November 1947)________________________________ 1 (B) Floods of the Puyallup and Chehalis River Basins, Washington, by I. E. Anderson (published in February 1948)____________________ 61 (C) Topographic characteristics of drainage basins, by W. B. Lar ^bein and others (published in December 1947)_--__-__-_-__-_____-__- 125 (D) Ground-water exploration in the Natchitoches area, Louisiana, by J. C. Maher and P. H. Jones (published in August 1949)_________ 159 ILLUSTRATIONS Page PLATE 1. Contour map of the Puyallup River Basin showing river-meas­ urement and climatologic stations-_____________________ 70 2. Topographic map of Little Androscoggin River Basin above South Paris, Maine________________________________In pocket 3. Geologic cross sections in the Natchitoches area, Louisiana. In pocket FIGURE 1. Map showing relation of Willamette Valley to the rest of western Oregon_____________________________________ 4 2. Contour map of Willamette Valley______________________ 6 3. Isohyetal map of Willamette Valley showing mean annual precipitation, in inches.______________________________ 8 4. Monthly precipitation, in inches, at representative cities in the Willamette Valley______________________________ 10 5. Mean annual runoff, in inches, of selected streams in Oregon__ 11 6. Hydrographs of discharge of selected floods for Willamette River at Salem______________________________________ 14 7. Annual flood-frequency curve for the Willamette River at Salem for period 1895-1916 and 1928-38.______________ 17 8. Isohyetal map of western Oregon showing precipitation, in inches, for storm period November 16-30, 1909________ 19 9. Isohyetal map of western Oregon showing precipitation, in inches, for storm period December 30, 1922, to January 12, 1923-_--__-_--_._____-_-__-_-______,__________-__-_ 20 10. Isohyetal map of western Oregon showing precipitation, in inches, for storm period February 15-28, 1927_________ 21 11. Hydrograph of discharge at gaging station on Wilson River near Tillamook, December 1933-___-_--____-__-_--____ 25 m IV CONTENTS Page FIGURE 12. Hydrograph of inflow into the channels of the Villamette River Basin and hydrograph of discharge at Salem for the flood of December 1922 to January 1923-_____________ 29 13. Relative areas of snow-fed tributaries and valley floor in Willamette River Basin above Salem _____________________ 33 14. Curve showng mean width of water surface for Springfield- Albany reach_________________________________________ 36 15. Curve showing mean width of water surface for Albany- Salem reach __________________________________________ 37 . 16. Map showing rainfall and temperature stations used for unit- hydrograph and snow-fed tributary studies _______________ 44 17. Hydrographs of valley-floor discharge associated vdth unit storms of December 1935 and March 1936________________ 45 18. Distribution graph of valley-floor discharge at Salem based on 8-hour unit time____________________________________ 46 19. Hydrographs of valley-floor discharge at Salem for flood of January 1936-__-------___-_-_----___--_______________ 47 20. Hydrographs of valley-floor discharge at Salem for flood of April 1937-_____---------_---_------__-_-__--_________ 48 21. Hydrographs of valley-floor discharge at Salem for flood of December 1937 to January 1938_______________________ 49 22. Hydrographs of valley-floor discharge at Salem for flood of March 1938___________^_______________________________ 50 23. Temperature lapse with altitude at 3 stations in the Cascade Mountains-..------___________________________________ 52 24. Hydrographs of discharge from valley-floor and snow-fed tribu­ taries with mean temperatures of snow areas______________ 53 25. Relation between temperature and maximum discharge from snow-fed tributaries____________________________________ 54 26. Discharges of the snow-fed tributaries during floods of January 1936, April 1937, December 1937 to January 1938, and March 1938_______________-___-_-____---__-__-________ 56 27. Map of western Washington showing basins investigated and- cities, streams, and other physical features mentioned in the text._____-_________-____-__-----_____-_-___________ 62 28. Map of western Washington showing mean annual precipita­ tion.-..,.-.-.. _______________________________________ 64 29. Mean annual altitude-precipitation relation for the southern slope of the Olympic Mountains and for the southern and western slopes of Mount Rainier_ _______________________ 68 30. Graphs of discharge for the valley part of the Puyallip River as computed by two methods.__________________________ 93 31. Climatologic and discharge data pertaining to the Puyallup River above Puyallup, Wash., for flood of December 1933__ 94 32. Climatologic and discharge data pertaining to the Puyallup River above Puyallup, Wash., for flood of January 1934____ 95 33. Climatologic and discharge data pertaining to the Puyallup River above Puyallup, Wash., for flood of Decemb^i^Janu­ ary 1937-38___--____-----____-----_-----_____________ 96 34. Climatologic and discharge data pertaining to the Puyallup River above Puyallup, Wash., for flood of April 193°__ _ _ _ _ 97 CONTENTS V Page FIGURE 35. Altitude-precipitation and altitude-maximum temperature relations for the Puyallup River Basin _ __________________ 98 36. Altitude-precipitation relations for the Puyallup River Basin__ 99 37. Comparison between precipitation and associated direct runoff in the Puyallup River Basin for selected flood periods. _____ 105 38. Daily discharge of streams draining Mount Rainier during flood of December 1933_ ___----____--___-__-___-_______ 106 39. Daily discharge of streams draining Mount Rainier during flood of January 1934___-____-_-_-__--_____--__---_-___ 107 40. Daily discharge of streams draining Mount Rainier during flood of December-January 1937-38_____________________ 108 41. Daily discharge of streams draining Mount Rainier during flood of April 1938--------------_______________________ 109 42. Map of the Chehalis River Basin above Grand Mound_ ______ 112 43. Graph of discharge for the valley part of the Puyallup River Basin and the Chehalis River for flood of December 5-16, 1933---_-------__-------------------_------_------_-_ 117 44. Graph of discharge for the valley part of the Puyallup River Basin and the Chehalis River for flood of December 17-31, 1933.----_-__---__--------.---------------__________ 118 45. Graph of discharge for the valley part of the Puyallup River Basin and the Chehalis River for flood of January 1934_ _ __ 119 46. Graph of discharge for the valley part of the Puyallup River Basin and the Chehalis River for flood of December-January 1937-38._____________________________________________ 120 47. Graph of discharge for the valley part of the Puyallup River and the Chehalis River for flood of April 1938___________ 121 48. Hydrographs of two streams in New Jersey during flood of June 1938_________--_---------_-----_-_-----------__- 129 49. Relation between area of drainage basin and Sal. ___________ 136 50. Variation of computed slope of tributary streams with number of subareas, West River at Newfane, Vt__________________ 139 51. Typical hypsometric curves of drainage basins __--_____-____ 140 52. Graph showing general variation in stream slopes and altitude in relation to size of drainage basin______________________ 143 53. Map showing location of wells in the Natchitoches area, Louisi- ana______ ____________________________________________ 161 54. Sketch map showing topography at Natchitoches, Louisi?.na__ 168 55. Structural map of Natchitoches area contoured on top cf the Wilcox formation______________________________________ 170 UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR J. A. Krug, Secretary GEOLOGICAL SURVEY W. E. Wrather, Director Water-Supply Paper 968-A FLOOD- RUNOFF IN THE WILLAMETTE VALLEY, OREG. BY M. D. BRANDS Contribations to the hydrology of the United States, 1944 (Pages 1-60) UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE WASHINGTON : 1947 .For eale by the Superintendent of Do^nientB, U. S. Government Printing Office, Washington 25. D. C. v Price 15 cents CONTENTS Abstract_________-____--_____.-______.. Introduction. ______..___-_-_-___-______.. Acknowledgments. _____-___-_._______-. Topography. __________________________ Climate- ______________________________ History of floods prior to 1861 ___________ Major floods of record________________ Storms and floods of 1909, 1923, and 1927. General analysis____________________ Flood of January 1923 _______________ Unit-hydrograph analysis of floods________ General features_____________________ Channel-storage adjustments.________ Unit-hydrograph studies.____ _ _______ Snow-fed tributaries____________-_-___-- Conclusions... __________________________ Index _________________________________ ILLUSTRATIONS FJGUBE 1. Map showing relation of Willamette Valley to the rest of western Oregon______________________________________ 2. Contour map of Willamette Valley\_______________________