If 700 do not need this report after it has served your purpose, please retnrn ft to the Geological Survey, using the official mailing label at the end UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR* THE FLOODS OF MARCH 1936 PART 3. POTOMAC, JAMES, AND UPPER OHIO RIVERS Prepared in cooperation with the FEDERAL EMERGENCY ADMINISTRATION OF PUBLIC WORKS GEOLOGICAL SURVEY WATER-SUPPLY PAPER 800 UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR Harold L. Ickes, Secretary GEOLOGICAL SURVEY W. C. Mendenhall, Director Water-Supply Paper 800 THE FLOODS OF MARCH 1936 PART 3. POTOMAC, JAMES, AND UPPER OHIO RIVERS NATHAN C. GROVER, Chief Hydraulic Engineer With a section on the WEATHER ASSOCIATED WITH THE FLOODS OF MARCH 1936 By STEPHEN LICHTBLAU, U. S. Weather Bureau Prepared in cooperation with the FEDERAL EMERGENCY ADMINISTRATION OF PUBLIC WORKS UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE WASHINGTON : 1937 For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, Washington, D. C. -------- Price 45 cents CONTENTS Abstract............................................................ i Introduction........................................................ 2 Authorization....................................................... 5 Administration and personnel........................................ 5 Acknowledgments..................................................... 6 General features of the storms...................................... 8 Weather associated with the floods of March 1936, by Stephen Lichtblau......................................................... 12 Floods of the Potomac, James, and upper Ohio Rivers................. 32 Meteorologic and hydrologic conditions.............................. 41 Precipitation records........................................... 42 General..................................................... 42 Distribution of rainfall.................................... 42 Snow............................................................ 59 General..................................................... 59 Observations of snow depth.................................. 65 Temperature..................................................... 72 Frost in the ground............................................. 74 Determination of flood discharges................................... 75 General discussion.............................................. 75 Extension of rating curves for river-measurement stations....... 77 Computation of flow over dams................................... 78 Computation of flow from slope-area observations................ 80 Computation of flow through contracted openings................. 83 Stages and discharges at river-measurement stations during the flood period...................................................... 83 Explanation of data............................................. 84 Potomac River Basin............................................. 96 North Branch of Potomac River at Bloomington, Md............ 96 North Branch of Potomac River near Cumberland, Md........... 97 Potomac River at Hancock, Md................................ 98 Potomac River at Shepherdstown, W. Va....................... 99 Potomac River at Point of Rocks, Md......................... 100 Potomac River near Washington, D. C......................... 101 Savage River at Bloomington, Md............................. 102 Georges Creek at Franklin, Md............................... 103 Wills Creek near Cumberland, Md............................. 104 Evitts Creek near Bedford Valley, Pa........................ 105 South Branch of Potomac River near Petersburg, W. Va........ 106 South Branch of Potomac River near Springfield, W. Va....... 107 Cacapon River near Great Cacapon, W. Va..................... 108 Licking Creek near Sylvan, Pa............................... 109 Conococheague Creek at Fairview, Md......................... 110 Antietam Creek near Sharpsburg, Md.......................... Ill North River near Burketown, Va.............................. 112 South Fork of Shenandoah River near Lynnwood, Va............ 113 South Fork of Shenandoah River at Front Royal, Va........... 114 Shenandoah River at Millville, W. Va........................ 115 Middle River near Grottoes, Va.............................. 116 South River at Waynesboro, Va............................... 117 South River at Harriston, Va................................ 118 North Fork of Shenandoah River at Cootes Store, Va.......... 119 North Fork of Shenandoah River near Strasburg, Va........... 120 Passage Creek at Buckton, Va................................ 121 Monocacy River at Jug Bridge, near Frederick, Md............ 122 Owens Creek at Lahtz, Md.................................... 123 Linganore Creek near Frederick, Md.......................... 124 Goose Creek near Leesburg, Va............................... 125 Seneca Creek at Dawsonville, Md............................. 126 Difficult Run near Great Falls, Va.......................... 127 Rock Creek at Sherrill Drive, Washington, D. C.............. 128 Rappahannock River Basin....................... 129 Rappahannock River at Kellys Ford, Va....................... 129 Rapidan River near Culpeper, Va............................. 130 York River Basin......................... 131 North Anna River near Doswell, Va........................... 131 South Anna River near Ashland, Va........................... 132 James River Basin.................... 133 Jackson River at Falling Spring, Va......................... 133 James River at Lick Run, Va...................... 134 James River at Buchanan, Va................................. 135 III IV CONTENTS Stages and discharges at river-measurement stations during the flood period Continued. James River Basin 'Continued. Page James River at Holcombs Rock, Va............................ 136 James River at Bent Creek, Va............................... 137 James River at Scottsville, Va.............................. 138 James River at Cartersville, Va............................. 139 James River near Richmond, Va............................... 140 Dunlap Creek near Covington, Va............................. 141 Potts Creek near Covington, Va.............................. 142 Cowpasture River near Clifton Forge, Va..................... 143 Craig Creek at Parr, Va..................................... 144 Johns Creek at Newcastle, Va................................ 145 Catawba Creek near Fincastle, Va............................ 146 Calfpasture River at Goshen, Va............................. 147 North River at Rockbridge Baths, Va......................... 148 North River near Lexington, Va.............................. 149 Kerrs Creek near Lexington, Va.............................. 150 Tye River at Roseland, Va................................... 151 Hardware River near Scottsvllle, Va......................... 152 Rivanna River at Palmyra, Va................................ 153 Appomattox River at Farmville, Va........................... 154 Appomattox River at Mattoax, Va............................. 155 Appomattox River near Petersburg, Va........................ 156 Roanoke River Basin............................................. 157 Roanoke River near Clover, Va............................... 157 Ohio River Basin................................................ 158 Allegheny River at Larabee, Pa.............................. 158 Allegheny River at Red House, N. Y.......................... 159 Allegheny River at Franklin, Pa............................. 160 Allegheny River at Barkers Landing, Pa...................... 161 Ohio River at Pittsburgh, Pa................................ 162 Ohio River at Sewickley, Pa................................. 163 Ohio River at Wheeling, W. Va............................... 164 Ohio River at Pomeroy, Ohio................................. 165 Ohio River at Huntington, W. Va............................. 166 Ohio River at Cincinnati, Ohio.............................. 167 Ohio River at Ashland, Ky................................... 168 Ohio River at Louisville, Ky................................ 168 Ohio River at Cannelton, Ind................................ 169 Ohio River at Golconda, 111................................. 169 Ohio River at Metropolis, 111............................... 170 Chadakoin River at Falconer, N. Y........................... 171 Clarion River near Piney, Pa................................ 171 Redbank Creek at St. Charles, Pa............................ 172 Mahoning Creek near Dayton, Pa.............................. 173 Crooked Creek near Ford City, Pa............................ 174 Stony Creek at Johnstown, Pa................................ 175 Quemahoning Reservoir near Hollsopple, Pa................... 176 Kiskiminetas River at Avonmore, Pa.......................... 177 Blacklick Creek at Blacklick, Pa............................ 178 Loyalhanna Creek at New Alexandria, Pa...................... 179 Tygart River near Dailey, W. Va............................. 180 Tygart River at Belington, W. Va............................ 181 Tygart River at Fetterman, W. Va............................ 182 Monongahela River at Morgantown, W. Va...................... 183 Monongahela River at Charleroi, Pa.......................... 184 Buckhannon River at Hall, W. Va............................. 185 West Fork River at Butcherville, W. Va...................... 186 West Fork River at Clarksburg, W. Va........................ 187 West Fork River at Enterprise, W. Va........................ 188 Buffalo Creek at Barrackville, W. Va.......................