Full text of "Water resources of New England. Drainage basin data and problems."

of New ENciiA^g

PUBLICATION • N9 51
DECEMBBR1- 1937

NEW -EMGlAMD REGIONAL
PLANNING • COMMISSION

NATIONAL RESOURCES COMMITTEE
REGION . .-. J . ONE

2IOO FEDERAL BUILDING
BOSTON MASSACHUSETTS

llllllllllllllllll

^.- I . I

J -b- V I J \ i

.1.1

MAP N2 I I

NOTE
AREAS WITHOUT CONTOURS IN
MAIWE MIW HAMPSHIRE AND VERMONT
ARE AREAS FOR WHICH F1NALSHEET5
HAD MOT BEEN ISSUED BY THE
U.S GEO LOGICAL SURVEY UP TO
AUGUST 1937.

NEW ENGLAND
WATER RESOURCES

TOPOGRAPHY

JUNE 50 1937

^^^ 200 FOOT CONTOURS
PRINCIPAL RIVERS

m GENERAL RlVtRS
5HOWM DRAIM AT LEAST
100 SQUARE MILES.

-- PRINCIPAL WATERSHEDS

O 10 20 30 40 50

MILES

NEWINGIAND REGIONAL PLWISINGCOMMISSIOH

NATIONAi.RE50URCE5 C30MM1TTIX DISTRICT N^i
eiOO rEDERAL BU I LOmo BOSTO>{ MASSACHIUHTS

WATEH RESOUECES OF NEW ENGLAND
Draina|g:e Basin Data and Problems

NEW ENGLAND REGIONAL PLANNING COMinSSION
December 1, 1337

Prepared by the Drainage Basin Committees
for Maine and for Central New England

with, the cooperation of

National Resoijxces Committee, Region One
2100 Federal Building, Boston, Massachusetts

Mimeographed by

National Resources Committee, Region One
Boston, Massachusetts

June 1, 193s

NATIONAL RES QUE CSS COMIJITTE-E

FIELD OFFICE

2100 Federal Building

Boston, Massachusetts

June 30, 1933

Hon. Harold L. I ekes

Chairman, National Sesources Committee

North Interior Building

Washington, D. 0.

Dear Sir,

As Chairman of the Nev/ England Regional Planning Commission and of the Maine
and Central New England Drainage Basin Committees, I have the honor to
transmit to yoti herewith our Report - lATEH HESO'iJECES of NEW ENJLAIID.

I comraend this Report to your especial attention "because it is not merely
a revision of the Water Resiources Report (New England section) of December,
1936 - it is more than that. Not only is the material of the I936 Report
brought ixp to date, but during the calendar year of 1937 careful research
was continued and data never before available in printed form has been com-
piled. The present Report can safely be said to be the nearer.t to a complete
appraisal of the wa,ter resources of New England that has ever been given to
the public.

We have been fortunate in having on our staff during the period of gathering,
analysing and compiling data several technicians whose ability as e>ajerts
in the various water problems has made for accuracy and comprehensiveness
in the mtmuscript. Following the compilation of the report, it was sub-
mitted for criticism by the members of the Drain.age Basin Committees, the
members of the New England Regional Planning Comrdssion, and various experts
of State and Federal Deriartnents. Their criticisms were then incorporated
in this final version.

The highest use we can wish to be made of our Report is that it shall serve
as a reliable so-orce of information and guidance for whatever agencies may
share in the duty of developing to the best advantage the WATER RESOURCES
of LIEW ENGLAND.

Very trtily yours.

Victor M. Cutter
Chairman

IvIEMSEES 0¥ JOINT STATE - PEDERA.L MS I II COMvil TTEES

I. i/iAIlE DRA.INAGE EASINS

State and Local Representatives

Maine

Bryant L. Hopkins, Hydraulic Engineer, Waterville.

David E. Moiaton, Attorney, Portlan'^'. Water District, Portland.

Hew Hampshire

llajor John Jacohson, Jr., Chairman, Water Resources Board, Concord

Members, Water Resources Committee, New England Regional Planning;: Com .
Sidney S. Anthony, Engineer and Superintendent, Aug-asta Water

District, Augusta, Me.
James M. Bryne, H^'draulic Engineer, Do-'aariscotta, Me.
Perry H. Merrill, St^te Forester, Montpelier, Vt.
0. Perry Sarle, Consulting Engineer, Providence, R.I.
George C. Shedd, Consulting Engineer, wlanchester, N. H.
Philip Shutler, Associate Consultant, State Planning Board,

Montpelier, Vt.
Gen. Sanford H. Wadhams , Director, State Water Commission,

Hartford, Conn.
Arthur D. Weston, Chief Engineer, State Dept. of Public Health,

Boston, J'/iass.

Federal Representativeg

Robert H. Barclay, Regional Director, Federal Power Commission,

New York City, N. Y.
C. E. Eehre, Director, Northeastern Forest Experiment Station.

U. S. Forest Service, New -Haven, Conn.
B. L. Hadley, Supervisor, Acadia National Park, U. S. Park Service,

Bar Harbor, Lie.
Lt. Col. A. K. B. Lyman, District Engineer, Corps of Engineers,

Boston, Mass.
A. P. Miller, Sanitary Engineer,' U. S. Public Health Service,

New York -Cl-ty, N. Y.
II. R. Stackpolo, District Engineer, U. _£.. Geological Survey,
■ Augusta, Me.

Water 'Consultant

H. K. Barrows, S Beacon St., Boston, Mass.

Regional Cliairman

Victor M. Cutter, National Resources Committee, Region One,
2100 Federal Building, Boston, Mass.

Regional. Counselor

Joseph T. Woodruff , -National Resources Committee, Region One,
2100 Federal Building, Boston, Mass.

MEMBERS OF JOINT STATE - FEDERAL BASIN COMITTEES

II. CENTRAL NEW ENGLAND DRAINAGE BASINS

State and Local Representatives

New Hampshire

Frederick P. Clark, Planning Director, State Planning and

Development Commission, Concord, N. H.
Major John Jacobson, Jr., Chairman, Water Resources Board,

Concord, N. H.
Capt. James ::. Langley, Chairman, State Planning and

Development Commission, Concord, N. H.

Vermont

Ralph E. Flanders, State Planning Board, Springfield.
Louis B. Puffer, prof, of Civil Engineering, University of
Vermont, Burlington.

Massachusett s

Arthur W. Dean, Chief Engineer, State Planning Board, Boston.
Elisabeth M. Herlihy, Chairman, State Planning Board, Boston.

Rhode Island

John H. Cady, Consultant, State Planning Board, Providence.

Connecticut

Warren J. Scott, Sanitary Engineer, State Department of Health,

Hartford.
Alfred H, Terry, Consiilting Engineer, Hartford.

New Yo.rK

Edward H. Sargent, Chief Engineer, Hudson I^-Sver Regulating
District, Albany.

Members, Water Resources Committee, New E^^gland Regional Planning Com .
Sidney S. Anthony, Engineer and Superintendent, Augusta Water

District, Augusta, Me.
H. K. Barrows, Consulting Engineer, Boston, Mass.
James L. Bryne, Hydraulic Engineer, Damariscotta, Me.
Perry H. Merrill, State Forester, Montpelier, Vt.
0. Perry Sarle, Consulting Engineer, Providence, K. I.
George C. Shedd, Consulting Engineer, Manchester, N. H.
Philip Shutler, Associate Consultant, State Planning Board,

Montpelier, Vt.
Gen. Sanford H. Wadharas, Director, State Water Commission,

Hartford, Conn.
Arthur D. Weston, Chief Engineer, State Dept. of Public Health,

Boston, Mass,

vii

Federal Representatives

Robert H. Barclay, Regional Director, Federal Power Commission,

New York City.
C. E. Behre, Director, Northeastern Forest Experiment Station,

U. S. Forest Service, New Haven, Conn.
B. L. Hadley, Supervisor, Acadia National Park, National Park

Service, Bar Harbor, Me.
H. B. Kinnison, District Engineer, U. S. Geological Survey,

Boston, Mass.
Lt. Col. A. K. B. Lyman, District Engineer, U. S. Corps of Engineers

Boston, Mass.
A. P. Miller, Sanitary Engineer, IT. S. Public Health Service,

New York City.

Water Consultant

H. T. Critchlow, 28 West State St., Trenton, N. J.

Regional Cha irman

Victor k. Cutter, National Resources Committee, Region One,
2100 iederal Building, Boston, Mass.

Regional Coi in nei o£

Joseph T. Woodruff, National Resources Committee, Region One,
2100 Federal Building, Boston, Mass.

LIST OF INDIVIDUALS OTHEE THAN COMITTEE METERS
ASSISTING IN REVISION OF WATER RESOURCES REPORT

I. MAINE DRAINAGE BASINS

Emerich Jony, Regional Office, Federal Power Commission, New York City.
Kenneth L. Roberts, Northeastern Forest Experiment Station,

U. S. Forest Service, New Haven, Conn.
Bertrand E. Smith, Regional Director, U. S. Biological Survey, Portland, Me.
Capt. James H. Stratton, Boston Office, U. S. Corps of Engineers.

Dr. Elmer W. Campbell, Director, Division of Sanitary Engineering,

Dept, of Health and Welfare, Augusta, Me,
Frederick P. Clark, Planning Director, State Planning and Development

Commission, Concord, N. H.
Dr. Charles D. Howard, Chemist, State Board of Health, Concord, N. H.
Capt. James H. Langley, Chairman-., State Planning and Development

Commission, Concord, N, H,
William A. Liddell, formerly Principal Assistant to the Water Consultant,

Region One, National Resources Committee.
Alfred Mulliken, formerly Associate Consultant, Maine State Planning

Board, Augusta, Me.
Howard H. Potter, Hydraulic Engineer, Public Utilities Commission,^

Augusta, Me.
Dr. H. B. Peirson, State Entomologist, Augusta, Me.

II. CENTRAL NEW ENGLAND DRAINAGE BASINS

B. L. Bigwood, District Engineer, U. S. Geological Survey, Hartford, Conn.
Lt. Col. J. S. Bragdon, District Engineer, U. S. Corps of Engineers,

Providence, R. I.
Emerich Jony, Regional Office, Federal Power Com.risflion, New York City.
Kenneth L. Roberts, Northeastern Forest Experiment Station, U. S. Forest

Service, New Haven, Conn.
Bertrand E. Smith, Regional Director, U. S. Biological Survey, Portland, Me.
Capt. James K. Stratton, Regional Office, Corps of Engineers, Boston, Mass.
Capt. R. A. York, Regional Office, Corps of Engineers, Providence, R. I.

F. Perry Close, formerly Director, State Planning Board, Hartford, Conn.

Elmer Coburn, Project Manager, State Planning Project, Hartford, Conn.

Dr. Charles Dalton, M.D. , Secretary and Executive Officer, State Department

of Public Health, Burlington, Vt.
Richard K. Hale, Associate Commissioner, State Department of Public Works,

Boston, Mass.
Dr. Charles D. Howard, Chemist, State Board of Health, Concord, N. H.
William A. Liddell, formerly Principal Assistant to the Water Resources
Consultant^ National Resources Committee, Region One,

TABLE OP CONTENTS

Page

Introduction 1

Tatle I - Summary of Pertinent Information 5

Table II - Watersheds and Stream Gaging Stations 6

Map #2 - Watersheds and Gaging Stations 7

Map #3 ~ Average Annual Temperatiu-es 9

Map #U - Average Anniial Precipitation 11

Map #5 - Mean Annual Stream Plow I3

Map #6 - Di.stribution 01 Population I5

Map #7 •• Population Growth I7

Key Map - Maine Eiver Basins 20

Maine River Baoins 21

St. Jolm Pasin 29

St. Croix Basin 3g

Eastern Maine Coastal Easius 43

Penobscoi Basin 50

Central Maine Coastal Bacins 63

Kennehec Basin gg

Androscoggin Ba&in gl

Presunpscot Basin 92

Saco Basin 99

Piscataqua. Basin lOg

Maine-New Hampshire Coastal Basins II5

Key Map - Merrimack Basin ll+Ij.

Merrimack Basin II15

Key Map - Massachusetts Coastal Basins 19g

Massachusetts Coastal Basins 199

Key Map - Thanes-Blacks tone-Taunton Basins 232

Thames-Blackstone-Taunton Basins 233

Thames River Basin 2^-1

Elackstone River Basin . . . ' 256

Taunton River Ba.sin 2o2

Narragansett Bay-Eastern Connecticut Coastal Basins 276

Key Map - Connecticut Basin 3O2

Connecticut Basin '. 3O3

Key Map - Hoasatonic Hudson Basins 372

Housatonic Basin 373

"ffestern Connecticut Coastal Basins .... 392

Hudson River Tributaries . 399

Key Map - St. Lawrence Tributaries • • . hzk

St. Lav?renoe Tributaries !+25

Sources of Information I165

TABLES AND MAPS

Maine Merr. Mass. C. T-P-T Conn. H-H St. Law
Basins Basin Basins Basins Basin Basins Tribs.

Table III - Stream Flow

Records

121

185

219

283

353

U09

U5U

Table I? - Domestic and

Industrial Wastes

12)4

1S.7

220

289

356

411

U55

Table V - Water Suoply

Systems

129'

190

223

292

360

i+lU

Il5S

Table VI - Existing Water

Power

lit

■ 195

229

29s

368

U20

ktk

Table VII - Existing Storage

196

299

3b9

1+21

Map VIII- Sewage and Pollu-

tion

155

207

235

315

381

U33

Map IX - Water Supply

161

211

237

319

385

U37

MaiD X - Miscellaneous

Projects

175

215

239

3^7

329

kkl

PROFILES

Pai

1 - Penobscot River . . '

2 - Kennebec River

3 - Androscoggin River

k - Saco River

5 - Merrimack River

6 - Thames River

7 - Connecticut River (two parts)

8 - Otter Creek

9 - Winooski River

10 - Lamoille River

11 - Missisquoi River ......

CHARTS

1
2

5
6
7
8
9

10
11
12

Hydrographs :

Hydro graphs :

Hydrograpns :

Hydrographs :

Hydro graph:

Record of Annual Maxiraom

Maximum Flows by Months:

St. Jolin and St. Croix rivers

Union and Machias rivers

Penobscot, Kennebec and Androscoggin rivers
Piscataqua, Saco and Presumpscot rivers . .

Merrimack River

Flow: Merrimack River

Merrimack River

Flood Hydrograph, 1927: Merrimack River , .
Flood Hydrograph, 1935: Merrimack River . .
Hydrographs: Thames, Slacks tone and Taunton

Hydrograph: Connocticut River .' .'

Flood Hydrograph, 1927: Connecticut River .
Flood Hydrograph, 193°: Connocticut River
Hydrographs: Housatonic and Hudson rivers
Hydrographs: St. Lavirronce Tributaries . . .

35
35
51

?^
11+7
165
165
169
171
2I+9
305
329
333
375
U29

IITTRODrJCTlOW

Study of the Water Heson.rces of New England is an important
phase in the formulation of a Regional Plan for this great
area involving six states — covering more than sixty
thousand square miles.

Tne Basic Regional Plan for New England includes:

1. A plan for a coordinated system of all forms
of transportation;

2. A plan for the conservation and development
of water resources;

3. A program for land utilization according to
modern methods and pructices;

4. A program for conservation of forests and
wild] ife;

5. A program for development of recreational
facilities, includirig, among others, inter-
state reservations, parkways, foot and
hridle trails;

6. A draft of the legislation necessary to
effective exec^xtion of the plans formulated;

7. Economic, social, anS related studies dealing
with such subjects, like po-oulation, industry,
and housing, as are essential to the formula-
tion of the "basic Regional Plan.

Three of the most important river systems of New Enrland —
the Connecticut, Merrimack anr^ Blackstone — have in their
drainage basins more than 31.P-fo of the populati-jn of the
region, 30.4^ of the manufactn.ring, and a large percentage
of the productive agricultural land. They constitute the
source of 51.2^ of the wattr power generated in New England.
Through these same valleys are transported millions of
dollars' worth of the products of agriculture and industry -
raw materials and finished goods — on main line railroads
and highways. The bottom lands of the major streams in
the region are at once those areas through which the very
lifsblood of the region flows, and in which the very life
of the region exists. Water is basically essential to
life. Being precio\is, its use should be understood and
conserved so that it will be of th^ highest benefit to
those whom it serves. The flow of water knows no political
boundaries, no state lines. Those who live and work on
the lower reaches of a great river basin are entitled to
the use of the normal flow of the :7ater unimpaired as to
quantity and quality. There is no special right of a
people on the unper reaches of a river to pollute the
water that is to flow past the peopD.e on the banks below.
Industry that uses water for procesring has a right to
have clean water for its nur;'-i03es, and in turn has an
obligation to return that water to the streanj in fit
condition for use by a neighbor industry doTmstream.

In this region where recreation and the allied industries
that fui-nish accessories to recreation have assijuied so gr-^at
importance, the recreational values lying dormant in the great
stream areas and on the ocean and lake shores of New England
should be recognized and reclaimed. In the three major inter-
state stream valleys alone, a high degree of pollution has
rendered great stretches of the rivers and their barJcs unde-
sirable for human habitation, much less for any type of recre-
ational use. In all the major valleys floods have cost hun-
dreds of millions of dollars in property, soil, and time lost.
The gradual control of these floods through construction of
detention, flood control, water supply or power reservoirs on
the upper reaches of the streams, through removal of channel
obstructions, and through building of dykes and levees, and
the control of erosion through intelligent planting and har-
vesting of timber and other crops, constitute a problem of-
fering a CHALLENGE TO THE FORESIGHT OE THE NET7 EIJGLAKI) PEOPLE
AlID TO THEIR ABILITY TO COOPERATE ON MATTERS OP COlvCvION ECONOMIC
AND SOCIAL INTEREST.

That the determination of the best social and economic uses of
the water resources of New England is a regional problem is ob-
vious; similarly, no plan for construction of reservoirs can
be made that does not influence the location or relocation of
some form of transportation service, some kind of property use
in which there is an economic interest, — farms, industries,
dairies, or homes. The compact settlement of New England, plus
the interrelation of the flow lines of industry, transportation,
trade and recreation with the flow lines of water, increases
the complexity of this regional problem.

Shortly after the formation of the New England Regional Planning
Commission, the Chairman appointed a Water Resources Committee
to indicate the basic information needed and to formulate the
water policy of the Commission. This Committee (by way of co-
operating with the P.W.A. state engineers) examined and classi-
fied Public Works projects relating to water resources; recom-
mended a modified form of the bill submitted by Representative
William M. Citron of Connecticut which provides for Fed-:.-ral
enabling legislation to permit the forming of interstate
compacts; drew up forms for interstate compacts for the develop-
ment of water resources in the Connecticut, Merrimack and
Blackstone Rivers basins; drafted a plan of proced.ure for
conducting investigations in the Connecticut River valley.
The Commission has prepared a bibliography of interstate water
resources information, and has made it available to State
health engineers and others concerned with water resources
problems.

Long before the flood of I936 the Conuission had prepared
River Basin Maps and studies and had assembled bibliographies
of available material that had been compiled from time to time
by many competent authorities on various phases of water problems.

Before the Commission made its studies of the Connecticut, Merri-
mack and Blackstone Valleys, only the Army Engineers had treated
the problems of interstate streams as hasin problems. The "3O8"
Reports submitted to Congress by the Secretary of War were the
only comprehensive studies of the major interstate streams in
New England. However, the recommendations of these reports
dealt only with flood control and navigation yroble;ns, and in-
cluded only those potential developments of an interstate
nature which the Army Engineers considered of sufficient im-
portance to be carried out by the Federal G-overnment.

Data and studies of basic importance have been assembled by
the Geological £-arvey, the Weather Bureau, and by numerous
private and semi-public agencies. This material has been di-
gested and correlated, and with the cooperation of the Water
Resources Committee a program for the assenbly of needed in-
formation has bean drafted. This sar:e schedule has been of
use in setting up, with trie cooperation of the W.P.A. , data-
collecting projects in several states.

Floods causing fully $100,000,000 damage struck Few England in
March, I930. The Commission, through news releases and public
addresses by the Chairman and Consultant, immediately called
public attention to the regional character of the control
problem, and was ready "vTith s'.iggested for.as for interstate
compacts, as prenared by the TTater Resources Counittee of the
Nev/ England Regional Planning Commission in Ai^-gust, 1935' By
June, 1936 all four states on the Connecticut River had created
agencies for the purpose of a;^reeing on a form of compact for
the control of floods ar.d the allocation of costs. On March ?,
1937 Secretary of War Woodring and General Markhan, Chief of
the Army Engineers, called the- Governors of Hew Hanpshire, Ver-
mont, Massacnusetts and Connecticut together at Hartford,
Connecticut, and urged them to cone to an early conclusion on
an interstate agreement. On March I6 — but eight days after
the Hartford conference — the compact connittee* came to an
agreement.

On July 6, 1937 representatives of Kew Hampshire, Vermont, Massa-
chusetts and Connecticut met in the State House in Boston,
signed the coupacts for both the Connecticut and Merrimack
Rivers and forwarded the seme to Congress for ratification-
Resolutions for Congressional ratification were approved by the
Commei-ce Committee of the Senate and by the Flood Control Cod-
raittee of the House, but had not been acted upon by Congress up
to December 1, 1537 •

The New England Regional Planning Commission and its Water Re-
sources Conmittes and Staff have, we believe, stimulated and
aroused public interest in and understanding of the comprehensive
and regional character of water problems in New England; have
instigated the collection of existing and needed information on
the subject; and have brought together, for a determination of

* See foot note on following page.

regional policy, the representatives of the several states at
a stage early enough to have had an important effect on the
dispatch with which interstate compacts were completed and
ratified by the respective legislatiires.

The making of a plan for the Kew England region is a long-term
effort involving the collection and interpretation by competent
authorities of a vast amount of data on all interrelated sub-
jects and, what is even more important, involving the cooperation
of local, state, and Federal agencies with private business,
industrial, and transportation agencies.

The accomplishments of the Kew '_agland EC:^ional Planning Com-
mission have been made possible by the cooperation of the
several State Planning Boards through their Chairmen. By con-
tinuously studying the needs of the Region in the light of
changing social and economic conditions, and by constantly
balancing these needs in terras of a comprehensive plan, there
has been prepared a long-term, yet flexible, plan for the
Region. This process sho-old be followed consistently and
continually. Such a plan, \?ith revision and approval by
representatives of all the states, can record at any given
time the best coordinated judgment of authorities on specific
problems in many fields. Tlius, there can always be a PlaJi
for New England. The degree to which it is effective is the
degree to which it is understood and the extent of the coop-
eration which is achieved in its constant interpretation and
modification.

The following report on the ^ater Resources of New England is
an important addition to the data on one phase of the New Eng-
land Regional Plan. These data and the proposals contained in
this report are being studied in connection with the data on
and proposals for the solution of recreational, transportation,
industrial, social and economic problems. Thus they contribute
to the refinement and improvement of the PLAN FOR NEW ENc^LAlTO.

*New Hampshire: Major John Jacobson, Jr., Chairman Water Re-
sources Board
Richard S. Holmgren, Chief Engineer, Water Re-
sources Board
Robert ¥. Upton, Attorney

Vermont: Ralph E. Flanders, Chairman, Flood Compact Board
Walter S. Pent on. Attorney
Philip Shutler, Associate Consultant, State
Planning Board

Massachusetts: Elisabeth M. Herlihy, Chairman, State Planning
Board
William F. Callahan, Commissioner of Public Works
Pa\il A. Dever, Attorney General.

Connecticut: Edward J. Daly, Attorney General
James A. lie-*? lands , Engineer
Sanford H. Wadhams , Director, State Water
Commission

^11

^ S

i I s
^11 ^"

s s

I SI

" 8 S

S 55 -5

g. 3

O rH O

I I g

^ s

TABLE II

TATEH SiffiDS AND STREAM GAGING STATIONS

TO ACCOMPAinr MAP #2

St. John E. Basin

1. S-.. John R., Fort Kent, Ke.

2. Allagash H. , Allagash, Me.

3. Fish E. , Fort Kent, lie.

4. Aroostook R. , Tashburn. Me.
St. Croix R. Basin

5. St. Croix fl. , Vanceboro, Me.

6. St. Croix E., Baile/vil]e. lie.

7. Grand Lake Stream, Grand Lake
Strean:, I,;e.

Machias R. Basin

8. Machias R. , Whitneyville, Me.

9. E. Machias E. , E. liachiac, Ke.
Union R. Basin

10. W. Branch Union E. , Amherst, V.e,
Penobscot R. Basin

11. W. Branch Penobscot E. , Cilli-
nocket. Me.

12. W. Branch Penobscot R. , Kedway, Me,

13. Penobscot E. , W. Enfield, Me.
Branch Penobscot H. , Grind-

14.

Me.

15.

16.

Mattawamkeag E. , Mattawainkeag, He.

Piscataquis B. , Foxcrof t , Me.
17. Piscataquis R. , H^dford, Me.
IS. Sebec E. , Sebec, He.

19. Pleasant R. , Milo, Me.

20. Passadumlceag R. , Lowell, Me.
Kennebec R. Basin

21. Moosehe.nd L., east outlet, ,Me.

22. Kennebec R. , Moosehead, He.
The Forks, Ke.
Bingham, Me.
Waterville, Me.

26. Dead E. , The Forks, Me.

27. Austin Stream, Bin^ara, Me.

28. Carrabassett E. , N. Anson, Me.

29. Sandy R., Mercer, Me.

30. Sebasticook E., Pittsfield, Me.

31. Cobbosseeco..lee Stream, Gardiner, Mi
Androscoggin E. Basin

32. Androscogfin R. , Gorham, N.H.

33. Androscoggin E. , Humfo

34. Androscoggin E. , Auburn, Me

35. Magalloway R. , Aziscohos Daj

36. Swift E. , EoxDury, Me.

37. Little Androscoggin R. ,
So. Paris, Me.

Pre sump scot E. Basin

23. Kennebec E.

24. Kennebec R.

25. Kennebec E.

Me.

East Br., Peicigewasset R.
Lincoln, N.H.

Pemigewasset E. , Plymouth, N.
f^errimack E. . Franklin Jnc,,

4. Merrimack R. , Manchester, N.H.

5. Merrimack E. , Lawrence, Mass.

6. Bakers E. , Euirney, N.H.

7. Smith E., Bristol, N.H.

8. L. Winnipesaukee, Lakeport, N.H.

9. Contoocook E. , Penacook, N.H.

10. N. Branch Contoocook E., Antrim, N.H

11. Blackwater R. , Contoocook, N.H.

12. Suncook E. , No. Chichfister, N.H.

13. Souhegan R. , (->rrimack, N.H.

14. So. Branch Nashua R. , Clinton, Mass.

15. Sudbiiry R. , Framingham Cen. , Mass.

16. L. Gochituate , Cochituate, Mass.

: MASSACHTTSETTS COASTAL BASINS

Ipswich E. Basin ■
L. Ipswich E. , Ips-vich, Mass.

Charles E. Basin

D THAtres-BUCKSTONE-TA'TCTON BASIHS
Taunton R. Basi n

I. Taunton E. State Farm. Mass.
■A. Wading R. , Norton, Mass.

Blackatone B. Basin
3. BlacAstone E., Worcester, Mass.
■1. Blackstone E. , Woonsocket, E. I.

Thames R. Basin

5. Willimantic R. , So. Coventry, Conn.

6. Shetucket E. , Willimantic, Conn.

7. Hop E. , Columbia, Conn.

8. Natchaug R. , Willimantic, Conn.

9. QuinebaugH. , Quinebaug, Conn.

10. Qjilnebaug R. , Putnam, Conn.

II. Ciuinebaug R. , Jewett City, Conn.

12. Moosup R. , Moosup, Conn.

13. Yantic E. , Yuntic, Conn.

E CONNECTICUT BASIN

38. Presumpscot E. , Sebago L.

, Me.

Saco H. Basin

39. Saco E. , Conway, N.K.

40. Saco E. , Cornish, Me.

10.

41. Saco R., W. Buxton, Me.

11.

42. Ossipee R. , Cornish, Me.

12.

Piscataqua E. Basin

13.

43. Salmon Falls E. , Lebanon,

Me.

14.
15.
16.

B H2EEIMACK BASIN

17,

Conn.

E. , No. Stratford, f

Conn.

R. , Waterford, Vt.

Conn.

E. , So. Newbury, Vt.

Conn.

E., White Riv. June

Conn.

E., Turners Falls,

Conn.

R. , Montague City,

Conn.

R. , 'Ihompsonville,

passu

mpsic E., PassumpsK

Moose

E. , St. Johnsbury,

:, yt.
vt.

White E., Bethel, Vt.

White E. , W. Hartford, Vt.

Mascoma E. , Mascoma, N. K.

Ottauquechee E. , No. Hartland.Vt.

Sugar E. , W.Claremont, N. H.

Black R., N.Springfield, Vt.

West E. , Newfane, Vt.

Ashuelot R., Gilsum, N. H.

AshuBlot E., Hinsdale, N. H.

Otter Brook, Keene, N. H.

So. Branch Ashuelot E. , Webb, N.

Millers River, Winchendon, Mass.

Millers R. , Erving, Ma<;s.

Sip Pond Brook, Winchendon, Mass.

Priest Brook, Winchendon, Uass.
E. Branch, Tully E. , Athol, Mass.
Moss Brook, Wendell Depot, Mass.
DeerfieldR. , Charleir.ont , Mass.
Ware E, Cold Brook, Xass.
7are E. , Gibbs Crossing, Mass.
Cl-.ic'bpee R. , Bircham Bend, Mass.
Swift E. , West Ware, Mass.
Quaboag E. , W. Erimfield, Mass.
Westfield R. , Knightville, Mass.
WestfieldE. , Westfield, Mass.
Middle Br., Westfield E. , Goss
Heights, Mass.

Westfield Little E. .Westfield, Mass.
Scantic E. , Broad Brook, Conn.
Farmington E. , New Boston, Mass.
Farmington R. , Eiverton, Conn.
Farmington E. , Tariffville, Conn.
Burlington Br. .Burlington, Conn.
Hockanum E. , E. Hartford, Conn.
Salmon S. , E. Hampton, Conn.

F HOUSATONIC-HUDSOH BASINS
Quinnipiac R. Basin

1. Quinnipiac R. .Wallingford, Conn.
Housatonic R. Basin

2. Housatonic E. . Gr.Earrington, Mass

3. Housatonic E. , Falls Village, Conn

4. Housatonic E. , Stevenson, Conn.

5. Ten Mile E. , Gaylordsville, Conn.

6. Still R. , Lanesville, Conn.

7. Shepaug E. , Eoxbury, Conn.

B. Pomperaug E. , Southbury, Conn,

9. Naugatuck E. , Thomaston, Conn.

10. Naugatuck E., Naugatuck, Conn.

11. Leadnine Br., Thomaston, Conn.
Saugatuck E. Basin

12. Saujatuck E. , Westport, Conn.
Hudson R. Basin

Arlington, Vt.

Kill

13. Batt

14. Koosic E., Adams, Mass.

15. Hoosic E. , Eagle Bridge, N. Y.

16. N. Branch Hoosic E. , N.Adams, Mass.

17. WaUoomsac E. , N.Bennington, Vt.

Lawrence E.

1. L. Champlain, Burlington, Vt.

2. Poultney R., Fair Haven, Vt.

3. Otter Creek. Center Ritland, V

4. Otter Creek, Middlebury, Vt.

5. Winooski R. , Montoelier, Vt.

6. Tinooski R. , Essex Junction, 7

7. Dog R., Northfield, Vt.

8. Mad E. , M^retown.Vt.

9. Lamoille E. , Johnson, Vt.

10. Lamoille E., Milton, Vt.

11. Missisquoi E. , No. Troy, Vt.

12. Missisquoi E. , Eichford, Vt.

13. Lake Memphremagog, Newport, ^^t

14. Clyde R., Newport, Vt.

~1 ||MAP Ns 3'

MEW ENGLAND
WATER RESOURCES

Average Annual
Temperatures

— ' IbOTMERMS

• WEATHER BUREAU (REGULAR STA)

® WCATHEB BUREAU (SUBSTATION)

.-s^n^-V^^ ^

y^i'. . \ NLW ENGLAND-REGIONAL- PLANNING-COMA\I5SION

'\ y^^' \ NATIONAL RESOURCES COMMITTEE DISTRICT NO 1

-V "^ ■ 2100 FEDBRAJv BUILDING BOSTON-MASSACHUSETTS

./■.•■'.■f:-V-.S

• A.

'/ '

r-'

K-

MA.INE Ri;^R BASINS

lilA.Il'IE EIVER BASINS

This region comprises the entire state cf ivlaine and that portion of ITew
Hampshire which lies to the east of the Merrimack Kiver Basin. The head-
waters of several of the streams extend either into Hew Har.pshire or Can-
ada. The drainage tasins considered se^^arately in this section are the
St. John, St. Croix, Eastern Maine Coastal, Penohscot, Central Maine
Coastal, Kennebec, Androscoggin, Presumpscot, Saco, Piscataqua and Maine-
New Hampshire Coastal. 'The St. John and St. Croix watersheds are inter-
national, and the Androscoggin, Saco and Fiscataqna are interstate streams.

The area to the north and west of a line running northeast from the White
MoTintains to Mt. Katahdin and thence north to the St. John Kiver is an ex-
tensive plateau region with an altitude approximately 1000 feet ahove sea
level. From this imaginary line the land slopes toward the coast in an
easterly and southerly direction. The topography of this coastal slope is
extremely irregular, being characterized by many hills, valleys, ponds and
lakes. The shore line is very uneven, as is borne out by the fact that the
coastline of Maine consists of about 2500 miles of tidal shore while the
air-line distance is about 250 miles.

The shore to the south of Portland, Maine, is in general sandy and there
are numerous extensive beaches which stretch along the distance from Port-
land Harbor to the mouth of the Hampton River in New Hampshire. Eastward
from Portland Harbor, the shore becomes increasingly rocky and rugged. The
unusual tidal range, averaging 20 feet, which occurs along the northeast
coast, coupled with the many good sized bays in this sector, has suggested
the possibility of d.-veloping tidal power in this locality.

The total area of th- r^^gion is about 34,900 square miles, of which 32,600
square miles are in Maine ind 2300 square miles are in Ne--; Hampshire. For-
est growth covers between 70 and 80*?, of the area, located principally in
the northern two-thirds of the rf.'^ion. There are more than 1400 rivers and
streams and more than 2200 ponds ;::nd l-kes with v/ater surfaces comprising
close to 1500 square miles. The result of the addition of artificial stor-
age to this existing natural storage has b^en to give a. high development of
storage per square mile.

Floods on the Maine rivers occur for the m.ost part in the spring and are
occasioned by heavy rainfall and melting sno\7. Up to March 1936, flood
flows had not been excessive cjid. no flood prior to that date had catased
damages in excess of $500,000. Damages were confined principally to
bridges and other structures which impeded the flow of the stream. The
damages from the 1936 flood totaled nearly $8,000,000.

The water power of Maine constitutes one of its most valued resources. It
is estimated that over 1,000,000 horsepower are available for economic de-
velopment, and of this amount over 675^000 horsepower are at present devel-
oped by installations of over 100 horsepower capacity.

A peculiar fratur^' of the ro'7r^r f;it'i..:j.tion in this r-^^ion Ib that the I'r.ine
str-tutes fort id the tx^ort-.tion of -my oo".7er. Ibis limits the expansion of
public utility cor.'panif-^s. In ■ n v.vr-rage yi^ar th-^re is a surplus of second-
ary power for v.-!- ich th^re is r. la.tively little d. r,; J.d -.7ithin the sti-.to of
Maine, prime poY/ar hein^ at present the only powc::r vhich finds a market.
The limitation irposed ty the Maine Statute has an important retarding in-
fluence on the d^-'elopm-'nt of pot'-ntial po-;*^.r sit.-'n on Jviine rivers.

rhe I'ugfed coastline of '.'aire, •ffith its inn^irr.f ratle hu-.-s and hartors, af-
fords excellent navigation op-iortunities. Ovrr 100 miles of navigable tide-
■vater rivers are used for '7atf="r-borne coinr:erce. Present facilities are,
in gr-neral, adequate for tTie accommodation of vessels although some improve-
ments, such as construction of br'^ulcjaters and df^epening of channels aj.d
anchorages, are nreded.

l>Ii,unerous low-lying marshlands along the coast tafford ideal mosquito breed-
ing places. The attractivenens of many of thes^^ treas for recreational use
is lessened by the presence of this pest. From this point of view, drain-
age of sv/amps and m.arshes */ould, in ma.ny casas, be desirable. Ho'/ever,
drainage of these lands would be detrimental to wildlife conservation in
that it would destroy the natural habitat and shelter for fish, gane amd
Wi:.terfowl. 0-7ing to this conflict of interests, the drainage problem in-
volves the relative values of reclamation and wildlife protection.

Hecreaticn draws anmially into this, region a volume of business exceeding
$100,000,000. This business is scattered through all parts of the area,
with m.ost intensive concentrations in the coastal, mountain and inland lake
regions, a^creational services stand clearly as the highest social and
economic activities possible in many of t^ese coastal, lak:e and mountain
areas.

Pollution from untreated domestic sewage and industrial wastes presents a
problem which is becoming increasingly imoortent in its relation to the
use of rivers and lakes for recreationa-l pxirposes. The rivers are so
large in proportion to the population and industrial developments along
their banks that they can absorb without deleterious results most of the
sewage and trade wasteg. The moderately-sized cities and towns along the
rivers do not, as a rule, contribute sewage in amounts sufficiently large
to overburden the diluting capacity of the rivers; and it is in only a few
localities that nuisances are found. However, with the growing population
density in various industrial centers, the point is being approached where
objectionable sanitary conditions will result. Of all the rivers in Kaine .
the Androscoggin presents the most urgent oroblem.

With respect to public water sup-olies the present needs of the region are
mostly of local significance. The m.any la.kes and ponds scattered through-
out the area afford adequate surface sources, and in most s^-ctions under-
ground water can be easily obtained. Lf^ss than a dozen communities where
there are as many as 200 houses are without public supply systems. In
nvimerous cases establishad systems need o'xtv^nsions and improvements, and in
a few cases the locatinn of new or supplementary sources of supply wjl] be-
come necessary if ncpulation growth continues.

ST. JOHN BASIN

gea'eeal description

The St. John Kiver Basin, the largest tet-.-een the St. Lawrence and the Sus-
quehanna, has a total rlrainage area of 26,000 square miles, of which ahout
7200 square miles cover the entire northern section of the state of Maine.
The river rises in the mountainous region between Maine and Canada, and,
from the junction of the northwest and southwest branches, where the river
first takes its name, tc the junction with the St. Francis Kiver, a distance
of about 90 miles, its generally northeast course lies wholly -.vithin the
state of Maine, although a portion of its tributary drainage is in Canada.
Eastward from the mcuth of the St. Francis Eiver almost to Grand Falls, New
Brunswick, a distance of about 70 miles, the river forms the international
boundary line between the United States and Canada.

At a point about three miles above Grand Falls the river leaves the interna-
tional boundary and flews southeasterly through New Brunswick for about 200
miles, entering the Bay of Fimdy at St. John. The total length of the river
is about 450 niles, of which about 160 miles is in the United States.

The St. John basin is predominantly a plateau region, sloping gradually
northeastward. More than two- thirds of the area is 1000 feet or more in el-
evation, while only a small portion, along the A.roostook Eiver, has an alti-
tude of less than 500 feet. In the eastern portion of the basin, the terrain
is comparatively level in the floor of the river valley, but gradually becomes
hilly and undulating, and finally merges into flat country I ordering the
Aroostook Eiver. Above the mouths of the St. Francis and the Allagash Elvers
the basin is diversified by highlands.

Clays and slates are found throughout 75-^ of the basin, the prevailing rocks
in the eastern part of the area being limestone and slate, with patches of
granite, coarse rock and sandstone. The overburden is corn-nosed of glacial
drift and clays. The whole region has the characteristics of glaciated

topography.

Over 75^,i of the St. John basin is under a heavy forest cover, of which soft
woods are the predominant type. Little virgin timber remains, but lumbtring,
particularly for pulp wood, is still the most iir.port.-int industry in the valley,
Timber cut in the more remote portions is driven down the str'^ams and tribu-
taries to mills along the main river. Ten r,ercent of the total area is crop
land, located in the towns a].ong the Aroostook Eiver a.nd the international
portion of the St. John.

The annual precipitation ranges from about 31 inches at Konlton to over 36
inches at Van Buren. These amo'-ints are somewhat less than occur in other
parts of New England. The precipitation of the summer and early fall ex-
ceeds that occurring during other parts of the year. The temperature varies
considerably according to the distance from the ocean. The average winter
temperature is from 5° to 15° -md the summer temperature from 60° to 55°.
The growing season is usually between 90 and 1^0 days.

30,

The three principal l»Iaine tributaries to the St. John are the Allagash, Fish,
and Aroostook Rivers. The Allagash rises in the laJces of northern Piscataquis
County and flows north a distance of about 80 miles through wild uninhabited
country to the St. Jolin, which it enters about 10 miles upstream from.. the. in-
ternational boundary. The natural drainage area of the Allagash is about l490
sq;aare miles, but the runoff from the 2^0 square miles of this area which drain
into Chamberlain and Telos Lakes has been diverted to the East Branch of the
Penobscot River.

The Fish Riyer rises in central ^iroostook County £:jid follows an irregular ■
co-orse through many lakes, the largest of which is Eagle Lake, to its conflu-
ence with the St. John River at jTort Kent on the Canadian border. The area
drained by the Fish River compristjs about Z^O sq'ojire miles of largely wooded
country.

The Aroostook River rises in north central Maine and winds through a compara-
tively level country for about 120 miles in a generally northeast direction
to the Canadian border cuid then east about five miles to join the St. John
River. About 235O square miles of the drainage area is in Maine.

Discharge records are kept by the U. S. Geological Survey in co-operj,tion
with the state of Maine at four gaging stations on the St. John and its
tributaries. Detailed data for these stations can be found in the U. S.
Geological Survey Fa.ter Supply -t^apers, Part I — North Atlantic Slope Basins.
The figures in Table III-A are summarized from unpublished records in the
office of the District Eiigineer at Augusta and from the published Papers of
the Stirvey.

The hydrograph on Chart 1 shows the average monthly runoff during the last
10 years at Fort Kent on the St. John !River. The average runoff over a ten-
year period from the drainage area of 569O square miles at this station is
1.7^ cubic feet per second per sqiiare mile.

HUMAN OCCUPAUCY

Population The Maine portion of the watershed had a population of only
80,000 in 1930* This meant that one-fourth of tne state area contained only
one-tenth of the total state population. Three-fourths of the basin is un-
inhabited, but the northeastern .aroostook potato-growing region has a popu-
lation density of about 30 per square mile. Between 1920 and I93O the popu-
lation, nine-tenths of which is rural, increased about "J fa, or twice as fast
as the state as a whole.

The region contains only four towns of ^000 to 10,000 population - Caribou,
Presque Isle, Fort Fairfield and Koulton - all important trading centers in
the potato-growing area. Van Buren (pop. U72I) .•:md Fort Kent (pop. U726) and
Madawaska (pop. 3533), all located on ,tiie St. Joim River, are the only other
towns with more than 2560 inhabitants.

The rate of population, increase for this basin between I9OO and 193*^ was about
1+5^, three times that for the entire state. The rate fell, however, from 23^
between I9OO and I9IO to 7.«J between I92O and I93O. Relative changes of town
populations for this period are shown on map 7-A. These trends and the agri-
cultural possibilities of the region indicate a much higher rate of increase
for the future here than elsewhere in the state.

Af-ri culture Chitside of the wilderness region rural territory comprises 14
towns and plantations with populations ■bet\7een 1000 and 2500, and many hamlets
and farming dirtricts. The foundation of farming in Aroostook County is its
potato crop, which ajrjounts to over four-fifths of the state crop and atout
one-eighth of the crop of the entire country. Its value in 1933 was nearly
$25,000,000 - about half as much as the value of Maine's pulp and. paper
products. The average value of farm land in this section is double that of
land in the state as a vrhoLe. The potato industry gives emrjloyment to about
50^ of the workers engaged in farming in all of Maine and accounts for the
relatively large population and the prosperity of Aroostook County.

Agricultural development depends on success in growing and marketing the po-
tato crop. Continued improvement in marketing methods is important on ac-
coujit of severe competition from the West

Industry . Aside from a limited amount of manufacturing in which forest
products are utiliz-Bd, there is very little manufacturing, the total produc-
tion value for 193? being less than $6,000,000. Most of the plants are lo-
cated on the St. John Eiver. Remotnness from sources of supplies of materi-
als other than timber, as vrell as from markets, precliides any extensive
industrial development excopt In the prod:j.ction of pulpv,-ood and lumber.

As there are no large undeveloped water poTrers, there are no special induce-
ments for manufacturers to locate at sites along these rivers rather than on
rivers in southern Maine.

Mining Mining enterprises, once active, are very lir.ited ?nd consist of
the extraction of small amounts of lime for fertilizer.

Lumbering Although a cor.oaratively small industry, luribering is at present
important on account of the volume of spruce that is cut for pulpwood. Also
a large amount of timber, principally spruce, is taken out and floated to
mills located rjong the, principal rivers. To roet the needs of log driving,
conservation of prater is regarded as a vital problem.

Recreation The vast wilderness in this watershed offers exceptional op-
portunities for canoeing, fishing, and hunting of large and small gajne. Fa-
cilities for visitors are available in numerous sporting csunps located on the
many lakes ^uid streams. On account of its comparative remoteness this section
is not visited by so many vacationists as the more southerly parts of Maine,
but it is probable that improved transportation conditions will lead to in-
creased tise of its recreational resources.

Transportation Water transportation is practically confined to the flota-
tion of pulpwood and lotrs to mills 6n the St. John Eiver and tributaries. Be-
cause lumbering is the all-iir/portant industry of the region, sufficient flow-
age for driving logs down-strean to points of use is a vital question and takes
precedence over any other feature of' river development.

The settled northeast soction of the basin is served by one state and one
Federal Highway nj.nning north and south which connect with Bangor and other
points in Maine as well rs with Canadian routes along the northern and eastern
boundaries. Tl^e poor condition of some of the secondary roads and- the lack
of farm-to-market roads are handicaps, especially to commercial trucking.

Railroad transportation is provided ty the Bangor and Aroostook E. B. con-
necting Houlton and points north with Bani-~;or. Connections to New Br^inswick
points are provided by branches of the Canadian Pacific Railway running to
Houlton and up the St. John River to Presque Isle. There is urgent need in
the interest of agriculture and trade for improved railroad service and
lower rates.

Scheduled air service has recently been established from Bangor, through
Houlton to Presque Isle and Caribou. Landing fields now in operation in
these towns are used also to a considerable extent for non-scheduled flying.

WATER USE AND CONTROL

Pollution Above the confluence of the i^llagash and St. John*Eivers the
Ma.ine portion of the St. John basin is virtually iininhabited, as most of the
30,000 people living in the watershed occupy the lands to the east. The
largest town. Caribou, has a population of 7248, and only seven other tovms
have populations exceeding 2000.

Pollution conditions of the rivr hfive not been intensively studied and con-
sequently there is little information available either in Maine or Canada,
Any complete appraisal of sanitary conditions in the St. John basin must be
made on an international basis. The information now available indicates that
the condition is not serious except with respect to the curtailment of fish
life in the main strearas. Although it is uncertain -whether a river investi-
gation v/ould disclose conditions the cost of corrrotion of which would be
justified, nevertheless there is nefd for the col'' action of additional data.

Table IV-A, shows that ?ort Kent (pop. 4726), Van B-iren (pop. 4721), and Ash-
land (pop. 2198) are the largest towns 7/ithout sewer systems.

Only t-.7o communities treat their seT7age. Presque Isle, on the Aroostook
River, has the most moriern disposal works in the state. Washburn, a short
distance upstream from Presque Isle, also treats its sewage, but by anti-
quated methods. Houlton (pop. 5365) discho-rges raw sewage to the Mediixnn^'eag
River, which joins the St. John at Woodstock, New Brunswick. If consideration
could be given to the provision of partial treatment of Houlton' s sewage it
would constitute an importiJit step in a program of abatement of industrial
pollution.

The largest single aanrce of industrial pollution is the waste from the pulp
and paper mills at Madawaska. There are c\ number of starch factories in the
basin, four of them in Fort Fairfield, the wastes from which have a decided
affinity for oxygen and are therefore deleterious to the abundant fish life
in this region; also the discharge of raw or partially treated domestic
sewage into the lakes and ponds of this area is detrimental not only to fish
life but to general sanitation as well.

Water Supply Many of the larger communities in the basin are served by
semi-public T/ater supplies drawn mostly from surface sources; in a few cases
the water is chlorinated. Towns com.prising 53-% of the basin population have
supplies. These towns are listed in Table V-A.

The popiilations of the larger comnunitifis rhicn do not have supplies are:

Ashland

219s

Monticello

IU67

Eagle Lake '

17 SO

2t. Francis

1367

St. ^i^atha

1596

Maple ton

1283

Prenchvilld

1525

Walla^rass

IIU5

The census figures do not indicate the population increase durin^^ tht summer
due to vacationists. The towns listed above mi-^ht well contemplate the con-
struction of water systems for protection of the public health and prevention
of fire. Tliere is ample opportunity for developing new siirface and ground
water supplies, altho-ugh the terrain in the settled regions is flat.

Various industria]. processes, particularly paper manufacture, present vjater
supply problems which must be recognized in any summary of conditions in the
St. John basin.

Flood Control Flood flov/s on the St. John have not been high nor have
flood losses been great. The low flood damage is due to the fact that there
are few structures within the flood plains, ^rne L'arch, 13ji6, flow was the
largest on record at Washb'orn on the Aroostook River, but at the other three
gaging stations in the basin the maximum flows occurred in 1933- Tlie dis-
charge in May, I923, may have exceeded the 1933 •'^nd 193^ flows as it did on
the rivers to the' south, but no records are available for that year.

Most of the area has not been topographically mapped, and only approximate in-
formation is available regarding the possibilities for storage. A report of
the International Commission suggested that in many cases dams be raised and
indicated what stor.age increase might be obtained th6r2by. Table IX-A shows
the pos:jible additional amounts of storage for the several lakes and ponds on
the tributaries of :he St. John River as /^civen in that report.

This river is more usef-.il for 10c.--driving than for any other purpose and con-
sequently, in any consideration of development, affecting regulation and con-
trol of stream flow on the river, precedence eho-cild be given to this use. For
more than a cent^ary Maine rivers have been intensively used for the transpor-
tation of logs from the forests to the saw and pulp mills. Many improvements
and devices have been established to facilitate this important commercial use
of the river. Hov/ever, its rocky channel and numerous shallov;s j^a-ke log driv-
ing difficult and haz.^rdous. Development of storage would improve conditions
by increasing the stream flow d'oring the log driving season; hence fut\u-e
storage developments would be of benefit to log driving as well as to power
and to flood control.

rov/er Although the upper two-thirds of the St. John basin is high plateau,
the slope of the river is, with few exceptions, comparatively uniform, so
that there are few sites on the main river where "development of water power
would be feasible. The same is true, to a lesser degree, on the tributaries.
The total developed and undeveloped power in the St. John basin, as given in
the 1928 report of the Maine Public Utility Commission, is 5^1650 horsepower.

According to the U. S. Geological Siirvey's •unpublished liGt of Water Powers
in Maine, only 1290 horsepower are at present developed. This is developed
by the Caribou 7/ater, Light and Power Company, at Caribou, on the A.-.'Oostook
River, with a wheel installation of lOUO horsepower, and by a small mill at
Houlton, on the south branch of ttie Meduxnekeag River, with an installed
capacity of 25O horsepower.

In the upper St. John, above the mouthof the Allagash, the slope of the river
is fairly uniform, averaging about 5 or 6 feet per mile. In this area there
are but few opportunities for storage, vliich fact, coupled with the small
amount of fall, raalies the available power of little consequence.

About 360 feet of fall occm' in the Allagash River in the 77 miles below
Chamberlain Lake. Between Churchill and Long Lakes, a distance of about
6 miles, there is a fall of approximately 100 feet, and between Long Lake
and Round Pond, a distance of 10 miles, there is a fall of UO feet. The
extensive fall in the Allagash, together with its fine storage facilities,
affords the best opportunities foi' power development to be found on any of the
tributaries of the St. Johji River.

The possibilities for storage on Fish River are adequate to enable good regu-
lation of the flow in the river and hance to make available a considerable
increase in prime power at the sites between Sagle Lake and the river's mouth,
in which distance of 12 miles a fall of 80 feet occurs.

The St. Francis and Madawaska Rivers offer small possibilities for power
development but there are in these basins good storage facilities which would
benefit sites on the main river btlow.

The fact that so large a proportion of the available power is still unde-
veloped is due in no small measure to the physical and economic character-
istics of the region. Sparsely inhabited, and remotely situated with
respect to markets and sources of raw materials, the demand for power in
this region is very small. Furthermore, there is little rural electrifica-
tion in this section. Any increased demand for power in the Aroostook re-
gion is met at present by plants located on the rivers to the south, because
the extension of transmission lines to this northern area has proved more
economical than the construction of new plants within the basin. Although
the supply of electrical pov/er in the St. John vall-^y is adequate for present
needs, it might be possible to ootain power more economically by redeveloping
some of the existing sites.

Any heav;>' increase in demand for power in this area will be due either to
an influx of manufacturing plants or to a marked extension of rural electri-
fication. Here, too, the location of this area with respect to markets
and sources of raw materials makes improbable any significant increase in
industrial development. Furthermore, without an appreciable reduction in
rates, it is unlikely that rural electrification in this area will become
extensive. In view of the unpromising future for increased power require-
ments, additional water p0T;er installationK on this river are not anticipated.

MONTHLY HYDROGRAPHS FOR. REPRESENTATIVE STATIONS
MAINE RIVERS

19 27 r 1928 I 1923 I "|S30 I 1931 I IsiaZ I 1933 I 'ysSX~\ TsSS I I93C

ST. JOHN RIVER AT VAN BEUREM,MA1WE
Drainag e oraa 1^0270 sq.m i

1933 1 1934-

MONTHLY HYDROGRAPHS- FOR REPRESENTATIVE STATIONS
MAINE RIVERS

MAXIMUH>I

MACHIA5 RIVER AT WHITNEYVILLE.MAINE
Drainaqe arsa m^gSaq^mi.

PERIOD OP YEA-RS

Erosion Over half the area in Maine whioh has suffered the loss of from
one-fourth to three-fourths of the topnoil lies in Aroostook County. Practi-
cally all of these 600,000 acres are drained hy the St John, although a
small section in the vicinity of Island Falls is drained ty the Penobscot.
Moderate sheet erosion is active, and extensive areas have been attached by
occasional ^illius. Corrective practices, now being applied in some locali-
ties, must eventually extond to nearly al] the potato farms in the Aroostook
region.

tJavigation The navigable waters of the St. John lie wholly in Canada, and
are not sufficiently affected by conditions obtaining in the Maine portion of
the basin to vrarrant consideration of them in this reDort, •

Drainage The scattered locations where artificial drainage is desirable are
almost wholly restricted to those where in.proveri.ents are needed to reduce
local mosquito nuisances. Nowhere is the n^iisance so great as to demand im-
mediate action.

Recreation The rocreationist or sportsman who prefers a gen-

uinely wild, and uninhabited forest region finds satisfaction in the streams
comprising the headwaters of the St. John system. This wild area extends
over approximately 5000 square miles of the basin. There are only two prac-
tical means of visiting and exploring the section ' — the canoe and the pon-
toon-oquipped aeronlane. S'nortsmen, in recent seasons, have made a steadily
increasing use of the aeroplane to reach the lakes and ponds sprinkling the
forested regions of the St. John watershed. The Maine Forest Service and the
Deuartment of Inland Fisheries and Gam.e have acquired planes for efficient and
prompt adniinistration of their duties in thr- extensive Maine wildla-^ds, of
which the St. John drains about one- third. Although the- aeroplane has opened
a practical means of transportation for the hurried or lazy individual who
wishes to enjoy the wilderness, the adventurous still, pole and paddle canoes.
The famous Allagash River canoe trip, 145 miles long, and the St. John River
trip, 201 miles, demand inigged self-sufficiency but return in full measure
natural beauty and sport. While hotels and sporting camps have exploited the
Aroostook and Fish River valleys, they have thus far penetrated the upper St.
Jolin for only a few miles above the St. Frincis River.

D-Ae to low population density of the St. John, most of the wildlife and recrea-
tional assets of the basin have escaped destruction. The outstanding problem
is how to safeguard these assets and at the same time to encourage reasonable
recreational, agricultural and industrial expansion.

ST. CROIX 5... -3 IN

&ENBRAL EESCRIFTIOIT

The St. Croix Eiver is foriped "by the junction of the tipper St. Croix, or
East Branch, and the West Branch. The East Branch flows out of the Chiput-
neticook Lake system in a southerly direction to Calais, at the head of
tidewater. The West Branch ris^s in the Grand Lakes system, in west central
Washington County, and flows easterly for 25 miles, meeting the East Branch
about 20 miles above Calais. The total drainage above Calais is about 1470
square miles, of which 1050 square miles are in Maine. The total length of
the waterway, including both tranches, is 100 miles. The length of the basin
is about 60 miles; its breadth 50 miles.

The basin is generally 1ot7 in elev.'.ition .ind comparatively level, except for
some rolling eoimtry along the northern divide. Numerous lakes throu.ghout the
watershed have a total area of 136 square miles, or more than 13^ of the drain
nge area in Maine .

The bedrock is principally granite and limestone. The only soils of agricul-
tural value are silt-loams and clays along the lower reaches of the river, the
overburden of the remainder of the area being stony soil. Less than 10^ of
the area is in pasture or crop land, the remainder being heavily wooded or
cut over.

The precipitation in the St. Croix basin averages about 41 inches yearly, with
slightly less rainfall in the spring and early summer than during the rest of
the year. The average winter temperature is from 16° to 20°, and the summer
average about 65°.

There are no large tributaries to the St. Croix Eiver other than the East
Branch and West Branch mentioned above, which unite to form the main river.
The East Branch has a drainage area in Maine and' Canada of 644 square miles,
50 square miles of which are water area. The West Branch drains 674 square
miles, of which 85 square miles are water area. The average fall of the
river between the lake outli,->ts and tidewater at C-lais is about 7 feet per
mile, much of which is concentrr;.ted at a fex: ooints.

Discharge records are kept at three stations by the U. S. Geological Survey
in cooperation with the state of Maine. Detailed data for these gaging sta-
tions can be found in the U. s. Geological FJurvey Water Supply Papers, Fart I
—North Atlantic Slope Basins. The figures in Table III-A aro summarized
from ^inpnbl:.shed records in the office of t}.e District Engineer at Aneusta
and also from the published papers of the Survey.

The hydrograph on Chart ] shows th.e average montl-ly runoff during the past
10 years at Baileyville, M-iine. The average n^noff from the drainage area
of 1320 squ-u-e miles, over a ten-year period, is ] .56 cubic feet per second
per square mile.

HITMMT OCCUPANCY

Population In 1930 that portion of the St. Croix Basin lying in Maine had
a population of approximately IP^.QOO 'iJid an avera-je density of about 12 per
square mile. With the exception of Cnlais, the principal town, with a popu-
lation of 5,470, there is no urhan population; the only othfir r.izable town
is Baileyville, with 2017 inhabitants. Ihe rein;:ining inhabitants are found
in a few small villages alon^ the lower river and in scattered farm and
forest locations.

The loss or ,e;ain of population by towns between 1920 and 1930 is indicated on
Map 7. Of 24 towns 14 lost in this TDeriod, the total net decline for the
watershed being 1000 inhabitants. No towns gained consistently between 1900
and 1930. As tlie villages depend principally on snsall manufacturing enter-
prises for their existence, there will probably be a further decline in the
number of inhabitants unless there is a revival of manufacturing.

Agriculture The basin contains about 350 farms, comprising less than 10^
i^f the total area, and located for the most part in the soiithern section.
The average value of farm land in the basin is considerably below the state
average, and farm revenue for- the entire basin totals about $350,000 per year.
Dairy products and blueberries are the urincipal sources of farm income.

Industry Tiie limited amount of manufacturing is confined to that of pulp
and paper, lumber products and shoes. There are also two small plants where
farm and sea products are canned. In all, only about 1000 people are em-
ployed in these industries.

No expansion of manufacturing is likely unless general conditions justify the
building of new plants or the re-building of existing plants. This is a re-
mote possibility because the region is so far from population centers.

Mining There are granite quarries in Calais and in one other town, and
one lime quarry. The volume of production is small.

Lumbering Lumbering is an important activity, the chief product being
pulpwood. Tl^ere are also prodiaced ceciar ties and pine, spruce and hardwood
logs, the output in 1934 amounting to about 1,500,00':^ board feet. -lardwood
products are generally 3xport^?d and the softwood are used locally.

Fishing The canning of sea food is car^-ied on on a small scale, giving
employment to less than 200 people. Aside from this activity, fishing is of
little importance due to lack of accessible markets.

Recreation Tho St. Croix basin includes the. main portion of the Grand
Lake Stream region, the second largest wildlife, area in New England. Moose,
bear, deer, waterfowl, trout, bass, salmon and pickerel abound In this famous
hunting and fishing '-round. A few sporting euros cater to the public but
there is very little development for other recreational activities. This is
probably due to the fact that it lies so near the seashore rei-orts of ^ew Pruns
wick and of the Penobseot Bay region.

?v ajisport3.tion Tiie St. Croix River is navigable from its outlet in Passa-
maquoddy Bay to Calais. The channel depth, 9 feet at mean low water, accom-
modates comraernial vessels. The moderate volume of traffic is principally
in pulpwood and coal.

A trunk highway crosses the basin throu^^h Calais and the settled areas to
the northern section and provides the chief mediuiQ of contact with outside
points. This, with connecting public aiid private roads, is adequate to
meet present requirements, but redevelopment nas been recommended as desir-
able in anticipation of future needs-
Railway transportation in the basin is provided by a line of the Maine Central
from Bangor runnin,:,: alon,;^ the coast to Calais and by the main line of the
Elaine Central from B-angor to the Provinces which crosses the St. Croix River
at Vanceboro.

There is no scheduD-sd air transportation in this basin and only one landing
field, at C^ilais. An airway development has been suggested, howe\-er, from
Bangor through Calais to thi, maritime provinces. Due to the semi-wilderness
character of the terrain and to the many Itikes in the area, planes on floats
would normally be preferable to land planes.

WATER USE AND CON-fROL

Pollution Baileyville and Calais are the only communities in the basin
that laave pop-ulations of more than 200.0. These two communities are the
principal sources of domestic and industrial pollution, and the pulp and
paper industry at Baileyville makes that town the largest single contributor
of manufacturing waste.

Little is known of the details of pollution problems on the Maine side. Any
complete study of this river should take into account the volume and char-
acter of wastes discharged in the Canadian portion of the watershed as well
as in the Maine portion.

If recreational developmerts become extensive, the sanitary conditions of the
lakes may require investigation. The preservation of the existing fish hab-
itats in Grand Lake stream and other waters is important, and precautions
shoiild be taken to guard against all pollution which is detrimental to fish
life.

Water Sup Jly The two largest comra-unities , Calais and Baileyville, con-
taining GOfo of the basin population, have water supply systems. Baileyville
utilizes the St. Croix, after filtration and chlorination, while Calais has
ground water sonorces. The four largest towns vathout supplies are Princeton
(pop. 915) Waite (pop.713) Vanceboro (pop.713) and Robbinston (pop. 583). In
general, the water supply needs in this basin are not urgent, but if ■ they do
become so, it will be poLi£,ible to develop new groijnd and surface sources.

Flood Control The relatively large natural storage in the basin reduces
materially the flood hazard on the St. Croix Hiver. At the lower end of the
river the banks are s\iff iciently high to keep flood discharges within the
channel. The flood of I923, which caused damage on streams to the south and
west, caused very little damage on the St. Croix, the peak discharge at Wood-
land amounting to only IJ ,'[ c.f.s./s.m. In I936 there were no severe flood
conditions on the river.

The lack of good storage sites, the impracticability of raising water levels
in the lakes and ponds, and the comparative freedoai from flood damages com-
bine to make unnecessary any flood control measures for the St. Croix Hiver.

Power The St. Croix River has been developed for power for aore tlian a
century. In the early dayr. the installations were confined to several small
privileges in the lower part of the river, whereas present developments in
Maine iitilize 124 feet of head and have a total installed caoacity of 26,760
horsepower. House Docuiaent #6^3, yist Congress, 3rd Session gives 5O3O horse-
power for installations on the Canadian side of the river under a total head
of 50 feet. Present demands for power are' fully met by the existing develop-
ments.

The principal Ivlaine developments on the St. Croix Hiver are those at Woodland
and Grand Falls. At the former site. 13,200 horsepov/er are developed under a
head of kf feet; at Grand Falls, the wheel capacity is 12,950 horsepower, with
a head of ^9 feet; at Mill Town there is a third development which amounts to
only 610 horsepower.

According to the Army Engineers' Report, 519 feet of head, most of which is
on the Canadian side, can still be utilized with wheel installations of some-
thing over 22,000 horsepower. On the Araerican side, the sites which have
present economic possibilities are at Mill Town, Earing aiid a point between Big-
Lake and Grand Lake on the West Branch. The first two are the most valuable.
At the Mill Town site, a redevelopment might be made to produce l4,bS5 horse-
power ^Ojo of the tine and 265O horsepovTcr 90^ of the time. Redevelopment at
Baring would produce power increase of only I9OO horsepower on a 50^ time
basis, and lOUO on a S^'^i time basis. The installation between Big Lake and
Grand Lake on the West Branch would utilize a head of 80 feet and woiild de-
velop 21S0 horsepower on a 50-;;^ time basis and 1220 horsepower on a 90^ tine
bas i s .

The basin is well supplied v.-ith lakes and ponds whose combined area is about
136 square miles, or 9«25/5 of the total basin. The larger lakes, controlled
by dans at the outlets, have a combined storage of about 585,000 acre-feet.
As only about I/3 of the drainage area lies below the outlets of the lakes
and ponds, correspondingly, only about I/3 of the runoff reaches the streams
directly, with the result that the r^onoff from the ojrea is considerably
retarded.

There is littlf; opportunity to increase the existing storage by raising lake
levels because their shore;., are so flat. Any increase in lake storage would
result in extensive flov;agu over adjacent lands and woiild undoubtedly prove
costly.

Navigation The river is naviga'blL=' in the ik niles of tidal portion below
Calais. At Calais the project depth at nean low water is 12 feet at the
lower steanboat wharf and 9 feet froci that point -apstreair. to the International
bridge. The mean tidal range of 20 feet is an important factor in naintaining
an average navigation season of about nine months.

Traffic on this estiiary, during 1935. is reported oy the Chief of Engineers
to have been 17, 72^ tons, of which nearly one-third consisted of fertilizing
materials. Probably most of these materials were bound for the Aroostook
potato region just north of the St. Croix basin.

Srosion The portion of the basin lying in Maine has no erosion problems
except in that area along the stream between Paring and Calais.

Drainage The basin is characterized by swamps and bogs which stabilize
stream flow, shelter native and migratory wildlife, and support wood prodiic-
ing stands of spruce, fir, cedar and tamarack. Extensive drainage uould not
only be detrimental to the botannical ar.d zoological life now occupying the
wet lands but wo'old also be of quiestionable economic value. In certain lo-
cations near settlements, drainage to abate the mosquito nuisance is desir-
able, although the municipalities are not now able to finance such under-
takings.

Recreation Present recreational trends do not indicate a.clearcut
probability of expansion except in the field of sports. Construction of
fisn-ways on the lower St. Croix would reopen a natural travel route for At-
lantic salmon and other fish. The entire western section of the basin lies
within the authorized purchase unit of the G-rand Lake National Forest, and
when this area has been acquired it will be, tmder the administration of the
U. S. Forest Service, devoted to forestry, wildlife preservation, and wilder-
ness recreation.

'EASTEEN MAINE COASTAL BASIN

GENERAL DESCRIPTION .

The Eastern Maine coastal basin comprises the area drained by several small
coastal streams between the St. Croix and Penobscot basins. The largest of
these streams are the Machias and Union Rivers. The district is about 100
miles long, extending inland for a maximum distance of about 60 miles. The
total area is about 2550 square miles, Sfo of which is water area.

The land is, in general, low and of irregular topography, with occasional
hills about 1000 feet in altituc'e. The principal rock is granite and gneiss,
with many local deposits of metallic pyrites. The soils in this coastal
basin are chiefly sand and gravel and not well suited to agriculture. Less
than 10^ of the area is cleared farm land; the major portion is covered with
virgin or 'cut-over soft \70ods.

The northeast coast provicles natural tidal basins, with a total area of about
37 square miles, which are adapted to the development of power by harnessing
the tide, the rise and fall of which averages about 20 feet.

The annual precipitation, averaging about 42 inches, varies from 38 to 48
inches, the greater amount occurring in the southwest part of the basin. The
average winter temperature is 24° on the coast and about 18° near the head-
waters. The summer temperature averages SB'' at the eastern end of the basin
and 65° at the western end.

The Machias basin, one of the three principal river. basins in this area, is
about 50 miles long and 18 miles wide. The watershed area is about 495 square
miles. The basin hap numerous small ponds tmd lakes, whose total area amounts
to 25 square miles, or 5."i of the basin area. The Machias river rises in the
Machias Lake system and flows southeasterly for about 50 miles before reach-
ing tidewater at Mr^chias, at the head of Machias Bay. The river runs through
undeveloped forest for practically its entire course.

The East Machias River basin adjoins the Mac;hias basin on the northeast. The
river has its headwaters a short distance to the southeast of Grand Lake, in
the St. Croix system. Its course is nearly parallel to that of the Machias.
The river flows into Machias Bay at East Machias, three miles east of the
mouth of the Machias River. The area drained by the river is iibout 280 square
miles. Among the numerous lakes in the river system are Crawford, Hadley and
Gardner Lakes.

The Union River basin, adjoining the lower portion of the Penobscot basin, is
about 40 miles long and 18 wide. The river is formed at a point about 15 miles
above its mouth by the confluence of the East and West branches, which are,
respectively, 25 and 35 miles long. Tlie river drains an area of 496 square
miles including some 54 square miles of lake and pond area which represents
10.0^ of the basin area, a percentage exceeded nowhere .in Maine except by the
13.1^ water area on the Prer.iimpscot River, Th,e Union river is tidal from
Ellsworth to Blua Hill Bay. ' .

Discharge records of the Machias and East Machias Rivers are kept ty the
U. S. Geological Survey in cooperation with the state of Maine. Detailed
data for these stations can be found in the IT. S. Geolof'ical S-arvey Water
Su-oply Papers, Part I — North Atlantic Slope Basins. Tahle III-A contains
certain data for these stations as summarized from unpublished records in
the office of the District Engineer at Augusta and from the published Papers
of the Survey.

The ?iydrograph on Chart 2 shows the av.-rage monthly runoff at Whitneyville
over a period of 10 years. The average monthly runoff for this period is
2.14 cubic feet per square mile from a drainage area of 465 square miles.

HUMAN OCCTJPANCY

Population The population of these coastal basins in 1930 was approxi-
mately 50,000, about 3000 less than in 1920. The population density in
this disttmctively rural and wilderness section is only about 20 per square
mile. The settled areas comprise only the coast, the eastern section bord-
ering Passamaquoddy Bay and the western section adjacent to Penobscot Bay.

The five sizable communities of the region range from 2000 to 4500 in popu-
lation; of these, Bar Harbor is the largest because of its importance as a
summer resort. Among the remaining towns, under 2000, many of them are
hamlets with less than 100 population, and some arc- act\ially uninhabited.

The population of the two coionties in which this district lies has 'dropped
in almost every decade since 1890. In the decade between 1920 and 1930
Washington County lost almost 10^, while in the same period Maine as a
whole gained nearly 4^. The gains and losses of towns are shown on Map 7.
Of the eight largest towns, six declined in population between 1920 and
1930, and the only two that gained, Bar Harbor and Mt. Desert, owed their
increase to the fact that they are primarily summer resorts. Unless pres-
ent indu.s tries are expanded or new ones established, it is probable that
this area will continue to lose population.

Agriculture Only a fifth of the land in these basins is in farms; of
the total farm area, three-fourths is pasture and woodlot, and less than
one-fourth is in crops. The soil is low in fertility and generally un-
suited to the production of tilled crops. The average value of farm land
is about two-thirds that of farmland in the state as a whole. Although
there is a limited amount of general farming, the principal source of rev-
enue in the eastern area is the blueberry crop, which accounts for all or
the greater part of farm incomes. Tliis industry has develoiDed rapidly in
the last fifteen years. The woodlot is the only other important source of
cash income derived from farming.

Basic conditions for farming are so unfavorable that parts of this region
constitute a problem area. One of the reasons for this condition is that
lumbering was originally the principal activity, with incidental farming on
a subsistence basis. When the lumber supply was exhausted there was a de-
cided decrease in population, and the farmers were left with no near-by
market for their products. The result has been a continuo\is decline in farm
activities and in the prosperity of the entire region.

The improvement in agricultural conditions is apparently dependent on the
degree to which farraers adopt such procedures as may he recommended on the
hasis of the survey of rural conditions made in 1935,

Industry Industrial -.vork in these basins is confined to lumhering, stone-
quarrying and the operation of canneries. The canning of blueberries and
sea foods is probably the most important activity and the principal source
of industrial income.

Mining The principal product is granite, which is quarried in several
locations. The existence of a silver-lead-nyrites belt in this section hag
led to the spasmodic operation of several mines, principally for the ex-
traction of lead, but none of these mines has been developed to the point
of successful commercial production. There is little likelihood that pro-
duction will ever become commercially successful, although the apparent
value of mineral deposits is such as to warrant further investigation.

Lumbering A large part of this territory is wild forest, primarily spruce,
fir, white pine ;'Jid hardwoods. The principal product is pulpwood, with a
comparatively small amount of white pine and cedar logs. Production is
limited, however, as conditions are not favorable for the establishment of
pulp mills, and the cuttings have to be taken out over the road to the near-
est mills. Lack of suitable tr/msportation facilities and difficulty in
regulating and combining the output of small operations to meet market re-
quirements are problems which must be solved before there can be any material
increase in the volume of production.

Fishing Fishing was once an important activity, at many points along the
coast, particularly at Eastport and Lubec. Canning factories for smelt,
herring and other fish products have been successfully operated, but due to
competition and other factors the market has declined and therefore the lo-
cal canning industry has suffered.

The fishing industry is dependant on- the development of a larger market for
the products of can-series, as the remoteness of the region from large markets
practically precludes trade in fresh fish in' competition with more central
ports. ■

Recreation The wildlands of the basin, extending into the Grand Lake
Stream region, attract and, if properly administered, will continue to draw
many sportsmen. Some of the more accessible inland waters have- been selected
as summer home sites, but the most intensive recreational use is concen-
trated along the ocean front in the western portion of the draina^te area,
particularly on Mo-int Desert Island and Penobscot Bay. In the eastern part
of the drainage area there are few summer homes, and summer week-end visitors
are not many because of the distance from' population centers. Since the
eastern coast scenery is especially attractive an increase in recreational
use will undoiibtedly follow the improvement of transportation facilities*

Transportation The coast line' from Penobscot Bay frastward to Passamaquoddy
Bay at the Canadian bordeir has many inlets and harbors. Bar Harbor, on
Frenchman's Bay,- can accommodate vessels of moderate draft, while the Bay
itself is deep enough and has adequate anchorage for deep sea craft. It is
used extensively for yachting by the large sujnmer- colony on Mt. Desert.

On Pn,ssamaquoddy Bay, Eastport Har'oor can accommodate deep draft vessels and
Lubec, another fishing port, is open to smaller craft. Both ports are seri-
ously handicapped "by 'the unusually hi^^h tiden of the hay, which averaie;e ahout
18 feet.

Through Machias harfcor and river, Machias is accessihle from the ocean to
commercial vessels. The channel in the four-mile stretch of Union river
between Ellsworth and Blue Hill Bay has not been maintained. The remaining
streams are small and not navigable by commercial craft.

The coastal towns and the more thickly settled areas at the western and
eastern ends of the district are served by a major state highway and im-
proved feeder roads. Another highway crosses the northern part of these
basins, and is connected with the coastal section by a few local roads. The
system apparently meets the requirements of the sparse local population, but
improvement of the main coastal route east of the Union Siver is necessary
to the expansion of recreational activity in the area.

The coastal section of this area is traversed by the line of the Maine Cen-
tral Eailroad from Bangor to Eastport and Calais. From Ellsworth a branch
line rans down to Mt. Ler.ert Ferry to serve the Ear Harbor region.

Daring the vacation season regular air transport service is maintained at the
Bar Harbor airport, at present the only landing field in the area. As air
travel from Bangor to Calais and the Maritime provinces increases, additional
emergency landing fields will be needed along this route.

WATER USE AND CONTROL

Pollution The northern part of this area, adjoining the western boundary
of the St. Croix basin, lies in the sparsely populated Grand Lake Stream
wildlands. The population pattern closely follows the coast in a band ten -
to fifteen miles wide. Several communities have local sewerage problems,
viz., Lubec, Machias, Bar Harbor, Mount Desert, Northeast Harbor, and Ells-
worth. Pollution concentrations are infrequent since the discharge of both
domestic and industrial wastes is distributed along more than 200 miles of
ocean front. Conditions in a few localities need improvement, but financial
stresses cause the industries and municipalities to postpone serious consid-
eration of corrective m.easures.

Throughout the unsettled inland section, fish and game have already proven
to be of distinct recreational value. Maintaining the inland waters' present
sanitary condition will conserve this value and will attract summer residents.

Water Su-oply More than 25 public supply systems serve the coastal and
inland communities in this area; over half of these rely upon lake or pond
sources and nearly one-third draw upon springs. The existing sources of sup-
ply clearly illustrate the adequacy of surface and ground water through the
entire basin. Several large communities of 300 houses or less — Jonesport and
Deer Isle are the larfi-est — should eventually install public supply systems.
The delay has been primarily for financial reasons .

Flood Ccntrol No flood problems of inrortajice are to te found in this
area. In the Machias hasin the forests, lakes and ponds prevent quick run-
off so that extreir.s floods are rare. Few economic sites are available for
storage reservoirs. The property along the river is of insufficient value
to justify the cost of protection. The populated areasof the towns along
the river are, in general, located on high ground and away from the river,
so that very little dajuage results during freshet flows.

In the Union River valley natural conditions minimize flood hazards, and
present storage is effpctive in retarding the flood r^anoff. Owing to the
small amount of damage from previous floods and the lack of economical
storage reservoir sites, measures for flood control would not be feasible.

Power Existing power dev. lopments are to be found on several of the
streams in this area. Their total installed capacities amount to 15,714
horsepower, the largest installation being at Ellsworth on the Union River,
where the nheel capacity is 11,220 horsepower.

On the Machias River less them one-fifth of the potential power of the river
has been developed, and the existing installations are either at or close to
tidewater. The largest installation is that of the Bangor Hydro- Electric
Compan,y, at Machias, which has an installed capacity of 410 horsepower. There
are two other plants on the Machias River: one at Machias, with an instal-
lation of 162 horsepower: the other at Wliitneyville, with an installation of
330 horsepower.

The most promising undeveloped sites on the Machias are at Great Falls and
Holmes Falls, where heads of 20 feet and 40 feet respectively could be devel-
oped. The corresponding wheel canacities would be 1000 horsepower and 1390
horsepower. Owing to the small market for power in the valley and the dis-
tance from outside markets, the improvement of this river will undoubtedly
be delayed for some time.

As the lake and pond storage is mostly in the upper part of the Machias basin,
the greater portion of the river receives the benefits of stream regulation.
Of the 55 lakes and ponds in this system, the most important are controlled
by damn at their outlots. The total water storage is estimated to be 77,000
acre- feet.

At East Machias, on the East Machias Rivor, the Bangor -lydro-Electric Com-
pany has an automatic hydro-electric plant with a capacity of 1700 horsepower.

The principal development on the *Jnion River is at Ellsworth, where the
Bangor Hydro-Electric Company has an installation of 11,220 horsepower, de-
veloped under a head of 60 feet. The only other development of over 100
horsepower capacity on this river is at Ellsworth Falls, where 30O horse-
power are developed for manufacturing purposes. Both of these plants are
located clo.3e to tidewater. Small plants totalling 270 horsepower capacity
are located on the tributaries.

The upper portion of the river has never been developed, although there are
possibilities for additional small developments which would total about
5000 horsepower. These sites are, however, so scattered along the river
that it will be some time before there is any economic justification for
their development.

There are n-umerous lakes and ponds in the Union River oasin, the largest of
which are located in the lower portion of the watershed. The total area of
lakes and ponds is about 5U square miles or 10.9^ of the total basin area
of 496 square miles. These water bodies, most of which are regulated by-
dams or sluices at their outlets, provide an estimated storage of about
55,000 acre-feet. In 1922, lU4,000 acre-feet of additional storage was
developed by the construction of a dain near Brimmers Bridge, a short dis-
tance above Ellsworth.

The Passamaquoddy tidal development project is located near Eastport, at the
northeastern extremity of this area. Plans call for power generation by the
use of a high level pool, about 37 square miles in area, in Cobscook Bay,
and by the construction of a series of dams, a filling gate structure, navi-
gation lock and power house. The tidal basin would be kept at or near high
tide level and power generated at times when the available head (or dif-
ference between basin and sea level) exceeded about 51' feet. There would be
two daily periods of about 5 houi's and 25 minutes, or a total of nearly 11
hours daily, when no power would be generated. It is proposed in these
periods to supply auxiliary power from a Diesel engine plant or perhaps from
some utility system, if available.

The proposed initial installation of five units totalling 62,500 kilowatts
under a 20-ft. head, but about 30,000 kilowatts under the average available
head of about 12 feet, is estimated to cost about $38,000,000 and to be
capable of producing about 2bl million kilowatt-hours yearly of primary
power costing about 0.92^ per kilowatt-hour at stritchboard.

A 10-Uiiit plant is estimated to cost about $51, 70^1,000 and to be capable ■ of
producing about 5O8 million kilowatt-hours yearly of primary power at a cost
of 0.73^ per kilowatt-houx at switchboard; a 20-unit plant would cost about
$81,000,000 and would produce about 276 million kilowatt-hours of primary
energy at about 0.69(2^ per kilowatt-hour at s'.vitchboard.

The hydro plant would liave, of itself, no prinary pov/er, and reliance ?/ould
have to be placed on auxiliary power. Since no narket existed, it was pro-
posed to develop industrial plants for the manufacture of aluminum and of
stainless steel to nalce use of the power.

The U. S. Sngineers corimenced the construction of this project in 1935 with
an initial allotment of $10,000,000. The amount was later reduced to
$7,000,000. Yfork on the building of dams progressed for about a year but
was stopped in the summer of I936, due to the failure of Congress to approp-
riate funds for carrying on the work. The plant which had been set up by
the Army Engineers was demobilized, and the facilities at the project were
turned over to the National Youth Administration.

favi nation

^+9

There are three waterways in this section for which the Far

Department Engineers record traffic :-

Waterway

Lubec Channel (l)
Bar Harbor (2)
Stonington

1935

Traffic

Tons

12.^37
11,768

Ug,rJ+U

Chief
Commodity

Fish
Coal
Granite

Controlling Depth
Feet

0-12

(1) Additional 7.876 tons, cargoes in transit

(2) Passenger traffic nvunbered 6000

The broken coast has many other nat'oral harbors used by fishermen and rec-
reationists. Corea Harbor in the town of Couldsboro, 12 miles east of Bar
Harbor, has been investigated and the Chief of Engineers' Report of I936
states that fionds could be profitably expended in deepening the anchorage
basin. Several other waterways .in this area havt; been investigated, or
soon will be. In general, where the current use v;as not judged great
enough to warrant present improvement, regional investigation niust be made
to determine whether improvements are necessary in view of prospects of
later use.

Erosion Occasional gullies indicate erosive action along the banks of
mtmy 6f the small rivers and estuaries in this region. The gullying is ac-
companied by slight sheet erosion.

Drainage Extensive drainage of coastal marshes would destroy their value
as natural habitats for waterfowl and other wildlife. It is, however, nec-
essary in order to abate the mosquito nuisance in the marshes near settle-
ments. Seeking to preserve beneficial marshes, local authorities propose
limited drainage where the mosquito nuisance is severe. The State Entomol-
ogist has suggested that in the Mount Desert Island vicinity approximately
1200 acres be drained, S50 acres in Couldsboro and 32O in Southwest Harbor,
but nowhere else in thi's coastal basin have projects been recommended for
immediate consideration. Drainage may later prove to be of value in re-
claiming lands for blueberry cxilturo.

Recreation Although water resources in the eastern Maine coastal basin
are vitally linked with the present and future rr.creational activities, the
major recreational problems do not fall in the T/ater resources category, ex-
cept in the case of fish welfare and water transportation.

PENOBSCOT BASIH

&ENEBAL DS5CRIPTI0N

The renobscot, the largest of the Maine basins, has a drainage area of 3570
square miles, more than 25fJ of the area of the entire state. Of all the
New England rivers, only the Connecticut has a larger drainage area. The
area of the Penobscot exceeds that of the Kennebec, the third largest, by
over 2500 square miles. The basin is about 160 miles long, extending north
and south, and has a maximum width of aboiit 115 miles.

The headwaters of the ri^rer lie in the mountainous region near the Canadian
bo-ondary, the ragion from which flow also the headwaters of the Kennebec and
St. John Hivers. The main river is formed by the junction of the West
Branch and East Branch at Medway, 101 miles above the mouth of the river,
and 74 miles above the head of tidewater at Bangor. The total distance from
the extreme headwaters of the East Branch near the Canadian border_ to the
nouth of the river at Castine is nearly 250 miles. The coiirse of the river
from Medway to Bangor takes a generally southerly direction.

The general elevation of the bafjin is somewhat lesF than that of the Kennebec,
and its topogranhy is fairly uniform, being much less rugged than the moun-
tainous basins of the Kennebec and Androscoggin. Below Bangor, the country
is hilly, with mountains of low elevation. Above Bangor, the topography be-
comes undulating and, in the region of the headv/aters, the co^mtry is broken
with lakes, swjimps, hills and detached mountains. Mt . ICatahdin, the highest
pe.ak in Maine, with an elevation of 5267 feet, lies between the East and West
Branches. The num.erous lakes in this basin have a total area of 407 square
m.ilcs, 4,8^0 of the total drainage area.

The rock formation is chiefly shale, folate .nnd schists, with some granite
formation a,nd occasional c'eDosits of iron and lead pyrite. The soils are
mostly sand and gravel, v/ith silt-loam and clay predominating in the agri-
cultural lands along the lower reachos of the main river.

About 90f^ of the basin is forest land, much of which has been cut over for
pulp wood. Less than 5fo of the total area is in farr. crop land. In the
lower part of the basin and in the Piscataq\iis valley there is extensive
cultivation. The northeastern corner of the basin, along the Bangor-
Aroostook Railway, is in the Aroostook potato district. The areas to the
north and west of Hillinocket are forest wilderness.

The mean annual rainfall varies from 37", at the western rim of the basin,
to 43" near the mouth of the river, with the average for the basin being
about 39". The average f?ummer temperature is 60° on the western rim and 65^
near the coast, and the winter temtieratnre varies for these localities be-
tween 12° and 22°.

Important tributaries to the Penobscot are the East and West Branches, the
Mattawamkeag, and the Piscataquis Eivers.

The East Branch rises in northern Piscataquis County and flows east and south
about 75 miles to its confluence with the West Branch, at Medway, falling
about 800 feet along its course below Chamberlain Lake, at the headwaters.
Its drainage area of 1130 square miles includes 2-iO square miles from which
the runoff has been diverted from the Allagash, Chamberlain and Telos Lake
district of the St. John basin to increase the flow in the East Branch avail-
able for logging operations. The V7at'-^rshed of the East Branch is mostly
wooded and has slightly over 5fo water area.

The West Branch, formed near the Canadian boundary by the union of two small
streams, known as the North and South branches, flows in a generally north-
easterly direction in its upper portion, but after passing through Chesuncook
Lake, its course for the remainder of the distance is southeast. Its length
is about 100 miles. Numerous large lakes are in this basin, including Chesun-
cook Lake (Ripogenus Reservoir), Twin Lakes and Millinocket Lake. The water
area of all the lakes and ponds amounts to over Q^i of the basin area of 2100
square miles. The drop in the river below Seboomook Lake, at headwaters, is
nearly 800 feet. 'The steepest fall occurs a short distance below Chesuncook
Lake, where the river drops 214 feet in 2.4 miles.

The Mattawamkeag Eiver rises in southern Aroostook and northern Washington
Counties and flows south-^est about 50 miles to its junction with the Penob-
scot at Mattawamkeag, abou.t 12 m.iles below Medway. The principal lake in
this area is Easkahegan Lake with a water area of 16.4 square miles. The
water area of the several lakes is slightly less than 2-% of the entire basin
area.

The Piscataquis River rises just south of Moosehead Lake and flows very nearly
due east for 75 miles to its junction with the Penobscot at West Enfield.
Schoodic and Sebec Lakes are the largest lakes in this basin, each with a.
water area of 10.9 square miles. These, together with several smaller lakes,
comprise 2.Z'i of the basin area of 1500 square miles.

At num.erous stations on the rivers of the Penobscot system discharge records
are kept by the U. S. Geological Survey in cooperation with the state of Maine.
Detailed data for these stations can be foiind in the V. S. Geological Survey
Water Supply Papers, Part I - North Atlantic Slope Basins. The figures in
Table III-A are sumniarized from unpublished records in the office of the Dis-
trict Engineer at Augixsta and from the published Papers of the Survey.

The hydrograph on Chart 3 shows the average monthly runoff during the past
15 years at West Enfield on the Penobscot River. The average runoff from the
drainage area of 6600 square miles above West Enfield is 1.77 cubic feet per
second per souare mile.

hTP..^AN OCCUPANCY

Population The population of the Penobscot Basin in 1930 was 113,000, a gcin
of only 1000 over 1920. In the northwestern section, the average density is
less than 5 people per square mile; in the more thickly settled southern and
eastern regions, including the ]_ower part of the Aroostook farming area, the
average density is about 30 per square mile. Most of the population is in the
lower Penobscot river vallev.

'The largest and most important manufacturing and trading center in the basin
is Bangor, with a popnlation of 28,749. The other towns of more than 2500
popu.lation are:

Old Town

7266

Brewer

6329

Millinocket

5830

Dover-Foxcroft

3750

Orono

3338

Lincoln .

2970

Milo

2912

The rural population constitutes a'oout tv70- thirds of the total.

Bet'.veen 1900 and 1930 the po-oulation increase in Penohscot and Piscataquis
counties, which form the greater part of the basin, was slightly greater than
the 15.^ gain in Maine as a whole. In the last decade of that period, how-,
ever, the increase in the bacin was less than Ifo, one-fourth the state rate.
Map 7 shows that many towns lost population in the period and that those
which had the greatest gains lie for the most part along the main river. In
vie':? of past tronds and of a predict^Kl growth of luss than 10^ for the entire
state in the next twenty-five years, only a mioderate increase in this area
may be e.^oected.

Agriculture Farm Itind covers a small portion, one-eifhth, of the water-
shed, and only two-thirds of that area is tilled Ifind and pasture, the re-
mainder being woodland. Its value per acre (land ;.nd buildings, 1935 valua-
tion) is about $23 as against the state average value of $30. The average *
size of a farm is about 125 acres. Livestock ...nd forest products form im-
portant sources of farm income.

Both farm population and the number of farms increased between 1930 and 1935.
This trend, common to all New Englf-nd, is probably due to the decline in
manufacturing activity. There is no indication that there will be further
increase in farming activity. There ;.ire a number of rural problem areas on
the borders of forest land, and these have been recommended as subject for
further study.

Industry 'Forests are the basis of industrial development in the watershed.
Although the production of timber has drooped to a relatively small amount,
forest and water resources are the most valuable assets of the region. Fulp
and paper mills and wood-using industries along the Penobscot, particularly
at Bangor, em.ploy over half of the 8000 industrial workers of the basin.
There are also various small industries, including manufactorioa of textiles,
shoes and machinery. In 1933 the value of products r.:anufactured in the basin,
of which pulp and paper formed the greater part, was about 15;5 of the total
value in the state.

The rate of decrease in tho value of manufactured products in this basin be-
tween 1929 and 1933 was somewhat greater than the rate in the entire state.
This may be accounted for by the fact that the pulp and paper industries suf-
fered a severe decline in that period because of competition from outside
sources in the production of newsprint. Recovery will be largely dependent on
improvemont of conditions in the paoer industry. Changes involving the man-
ufacture of finer grades of -oaper than newsprint are being made by some mills.

Mining Iron sulphide nnd lead-pyrite are found in the central part of the
basin. The most successful raining venture Mas that carried on by the Katahdin
Iron Works during the middle of the last century. There are a few small lime,
granite and slate quarries nov.- in operation. On the "basis of general surveys
it is believed that further investigation of the mineralized areas of the
northern section of the basin is justified.

Lumbering Intensive lumbering has for more than a century been the most
influential factor in the development of the Penobscot basin. Bangor, the
center of the industry, at one time claimed to be the world's largest lumber
export point. In the past enormous quantities of forest products have been
procured from this area. With the depletion of virgin forests and competition
from other regions the production of long logs for lumber has steadily de-
clined in this basin and in the entire state, until now aboiit three-fourths of
the timber cut in the Penobscot area is pulpwood. The assessed value of piilp
and paper mills along the Penobscot in 1954 was about $5,500,000; of the saw
mills and lumber, about $1,000,000.

The status of Maine forests and the conditions in the lumber industry indi-
cate that pulpwood will for some time continue to be the principal forest
product. The extensive areas of sprice and fir along waterways suitable for
log driving have led to, and will continue to justify heavy investment in
pulp and paper mills. Increased liimber production will depend on the estab-
lishment of more industries manufacturing wood products and on the adoption
of modern competitive methods of production and marketing.

Fishing There are no commercial fishing resources in the Penobscot Basin.

Recreation The Penobscot Basin links nearly all types of Maine's recrea-
tional attractions. The westerly and northerly tributaries drain a part of
the northwestern Maine plateau commonly referred, to as "big woods," while the
easterly tributaries rise in that part of the wildland region known as Grand
Lakes District. Finally the river empties into Penobscot Bay, renowned for
its attractive rugged shares and picturesque islands.

In the extensive forest lands of the basin, the water surface of lakes and
ponds aggregates over 400 square miles. The diversified recreational possi-
bilities of the basin — hunting and fishing, canoeing, mountain climbing, camp-
ing, and touring depend directly upon its water resources.

Transportation The Penobscot 5iver, navigable for the 2'' miles from Penob-
scot Bay to Bangor, has a controlling channel depth of 14 feet at mean low
water, a depth sufficient to meet present traffic needs. Above Bangor on the
main river and on the tributaries water transportation is limited to the
floating of logs to saw mills and pulp mills. This is a major function of the
waterways and an indispensalbe feature of the logging industry. The mainten-
ance of stream conditions suitable for log driving has involved h;">avy invest-
ment and is regarded as the prime factor in the development of water resources.

The principal cities and towns of the lower basin are interconnected by an
adequate highway network. Except for the main route to the Aroostook region,
the northern portion of the watershed is '?ithout roads other than those pri-
vately built for lumbering operations.

The main line of the Meine Central Railroad from Bangor to the Maritime
Provinces ttxtis up the Penobscot valley and thence to Vanceboro in the St,
Croix hasin. The Penohscot basin is also crossed from north to south by the
Bangor and Aroostook Railroad And from east to west by the line of the Cana-
dian Pacific Bailway which connectf; St. John and Montreal. Between Ma.tta-
wamkeag and i/anceboro, the latter line operates on the Maine Central tracks.

Scheduled air transport service is now provided the year round from Boston to
Bangor, and from there to Millinocket and Aroostook Coionty points. Ir. summer
this service is extended to include Bar Harbor, Operation on the Trans-Canada
airway, which crosses this bnsin approximately along the line, of the Canadian
Pacific Railway, is scheduled for the near future.. Development of airways
from Bangor to Moosehead Lake has been suggested by the Maine State Planning
Board. Existing landing fields are located at Bangor, Brownville and Milli-
nocket.

MTEF. USE AND CONTROL

Pollution A population of about 10,000 discharges sewage into the river
at Millinocket, East Millinocket ,- Lincoln, Howland, Old Town and O.rono, while
nearly 35,000 people in Bangor and Brewer add to the domestic wastes in the
Penobscot at the head of tidewater. Probably the most deleterious industrial
wastes entering the river are from pulp and paper mills, of which nine employ
3500 persons, although eight woolen mills with 1300 'Torkers, four fertilizer
plants, and fifteen creamery, ice cream or pasteurization plants discharge
wastes which contaminate the river.

In a sfudy of Maine rivers made in 19.30 bacterial concentration was ■shOTrri tn be
about 1000 per 100 cc in the Penobscot from Millinocket to Old Town. From
here to below tidewater there was a substantial increase. Pollution is so
great as to make necessary filtration of the water supplies for Millinocket,
Old Town ;\nd Bangor. The 1930 study shows that in a stretch of the river be-
low Millinocket the discharge of untreated pulp and paper wastes reduces the
dissolved oxygen content nnd destroys the -olankton (a source of fish food) so
that fish life is endangered, .The importance of the fishing grounds tribu-
tary to the main stream is such tha.t the effect of mixed wastes on fish food,
life and migration is so serious as to require remedial measures. The points
at which domestic and industrial wastes em.pty into the river are listed in
Table IV-A.

There is a point at which it is no longer economical to. purify water for
potable use; this point has apparently been reached with reference to the
river near Bangor. The remedy is purification of domestic and industrial
wastes before discharge into the .river at Orono and Old Town; the treatment of
Bangor sewage is also desirable. Partial treatment of industrial wastes
above Old Town is needed to redbace the biochemical oxygen demand.

Public health and industrial authorities, althougli fully aware of the sani-
tary problem, have believed it untimely to press correction measures, in
view of the inability of local industries' and municipalities to assume large
financial responsibilities.

Although the treatment of polluting matter places a financial iD-urden on muni-
cipalities and industry, reco,,;nition must be made of the direct income de-
rived from the transient population which uses these areas for various recre-
ational purposes. Since this use will continue only so long as the natural
advantages are unimpaired, considerable financial outlay is warranted.

The first attack upon the Penobscot pollution problem should be a complete
sanitary survey of the principal streams, lakes and ponds. After collecting
information concerning the degree amd sources of contamination throughout the
basin, it will be necessary to select practical methods of reducing pollution
to the lowest degree economically justifiable.

W ater Supply The to?ns served by organized water systems contain 51^ of
the total basin poptdation of 155,500. The majority of these systems are
serai-public; have surface water sources; and employ sand filtration or chlor-
ination, or a combination of both. Bangor, with a population of 2S,7^9 gets
its drinking water from the polluted Penobscot River and hence is forced to
subject the water to thoroijgh treatment. The bacterial load on the pirrifi-
cation plant is high on account of the enormous quantity of organic industrial
waste which must be removed. The next largest supply, that of the Penobscot
Water Company, serves Brewer, Orono and Veazie. It is taken from Chemo Pond
and is physically unsatisfactory because of periodical high color and taste.
Old Town uses filtered and chlorinated water taker from the lower reaches of
the Penobscot P.iver.

The larger to\7ns not supiplied from a central source are listed as follows:

Howland I605 Corinth 931

Hermon 120U Orland 891

Orrington II67 Carmel 2S1

Enfield II3S Exeter 773

Some two dozen communities warrant attention in addition to those listed
above. New supplies can be developed as needed from ground and surface
sources in the basin. Table V-A gives the water supply statistics for the
basin.

Flood Control Floods in this basin are caused principally by the com-
bination of heavy rainfall and melting snow. About 55^ of the floods of
high discharge peaks and practically all of the highest peaks on the river
have occurred in March, April or May. The flood of I936, with a peak of
123,000 cubic feet per second at West Enfield, was second only to the
flood of May, I923, when there was recorded a peak flow of 153,000 cubic
feet per second, equivalent to a unit discharge of 23. 18 cubic feet per
second per square mile.

The flood of 1936 caused an appraised damage of $369,000 and the flood of
1923 caused an estimated damage of $1,300,000. The Engineers estimated
the probable aiuiual damage on the river to be about $55,000.

Over most of its len.^th the river has been confined to its coiirse during the
past floods, by reason of its steep banks. There is, however, frequent over-
flow of the banks in lov/ sections, but the damages here have been small be-
cause so much of the land flooded is forest-covered and swamp area.

Ice jams often cause the water to back up to such heights that it overflows
the banks. Hiis jamming is usually caused by bridge piers and other struc-
tures which interfere with the flow of the river.

A number of flood reservoir sites have been investigated by the Engineers,
but no recommendations are available as to whethf-r or not these sites are
feasible, ^n view of the low annual damage the probabilities are that there
is no immediate need for flood control reservoiru.

As is tr-ae on other rivers in Iviaine, even though the economic feasibility of
flood control reservoirs cannot be established at present, it would be well
for communities along the river to remove obstructions which cause ice jams
and build future structures higher than the previously observed high water
levels.

Pov;er The estimated available power on the Penobscot and its tributaries,
amounting to 377>063 horsepower, exceeds that on the Androscoggin by 7^ aJid
that on the Kennebec by S5«* Fully 135,000 horsepower is developed at exist-
ing plants of 100 horsepower capacity or more, most of which are located in
the middle and lower portions of the basin. The largest total developed
power on any one stream is that on the West Branch, in the amount of 85,638
horsepower. Here is the largest individual installation in the basin, the
Millinocket plant of the Great Northern Paper Company,- with 42,500 horse-
power capacity. On the main river. Ul,ir9 horsepower are developed and on
the tributaries, other than the West Branch, 8,351 horsepower.

The existing power of the Penobscot basin is developed almost entirely for
pulp and paper manufact-'ore nhd for public utilities. Four-fifths of the
public utility power in the Basin is controlled by the Bangor Hydro-Electric
Company, which is interconnected VK-ith power systems in adjacent districts.

Although there is still much undeveloped power on the rivers, particularly on
the main river and on the- East and West Branches, there is at present small
demand for additional power. Many of the undeveloped sites would be too small
for economic liydroelectric power installations, and the larger sites are too
far from markets to make their development economically feasible.

Possibilities exist for increasing the power a,t partially developed sites and
at sites where present installations are more or less obsolete. However, any
increase in the power output at these sites will undoubtedly be deferred until
the economic situation requires it.

The present developments of 1000 horsepower or over on the main river and the
tributaries as listed in the office- of the U. S. G. S. District Engineer at
Augusta as of January 1, 19'7. are given below:--

13A3-\ Vas NV

2 S $

31M 3AO<aV i33J Nl N011VA3Ta

EXISTING PLAUTS ON PENOBSCOT RIVES. OF 1000 OR OVEB INSTALLED CiPACITY

River

Penotscot River
Penotscot River
Stillv/ater Branch
Stillwater Branch
Penotscot River
Penobscot River
Penobscot River
Penobscot River
West Branch
West Branch
West Branch
West Branch
T-7in Lakes
Piscataquis River
Sebec River

Location

Wheel Capacity

or Plant

H, P.

Bangor

2,U60

Veazie

S.kGl

Orono

■ 3.500

Stillwater

2,660

G-reat Works

9.658

Nekonegan

2,170

Milford

7.000

West Enfield

4,900

Medway

5,000

East Millinocket

9,sgs

Dolby

12,900

Millinocket

i+2,500

North Twin Da'n

9.350

Rowland

3,000

Sebec

1,338

These plants account for 130,785 horsepower; in addition, U3I3 horsepower is
developed at I5 plants with installations ran^in.^ from 100 to 85O horsepower.

Tiie undeveloped power is estinated at 2Ul,965' Of the possible sites the
following were described by the U. S. Arny Engineers in House Document #652,
71st Congress, 3rd Session as those having the iriost economic promise: —

PO^ffiR AT UNDEVELOPED SITES

Drainage

Head

Wheel capacity (HP)

Flow Available

Flow available

Location

Area-Sq.Mi.

Ft.

50^5 of tine

90f. of time

Basin Mills

7.710

11,380

6,880

Marsh Island

7,430

10,200

6.150

Gilaan Palls on

7,380

1,580

1,130

Stillwater Branch

Spencer Rapids

7.150

15.090

9.100

Mohawk Rapids

5,oUo

8.500

5,1^0

Five Islands

U,s6o

7,960

i+,6Uo

Mattaseunk

3,300

16,020

9.660

Total

70,1460

U2,7C0

The existing storage, on the Penobscot River above Bangor amounts to about
1,926,000 acre-feet, a voluxie 50^ greater than is available on any other
river in the state. The lakes and ponds containing this storage have a total
water surface of U07 square miles, or 5-2^ of the drainage area above tide-
water. Three-fourths of the storage, or 1,500,000 acre-feet, is on the East
and West Branches.

Gi2

The moot important r. toru,i7' dPVPloMmento are on the West Brannh. The Ripo-
i«;pnuB and Twin Lalcer. reeervoire, which contain a little over a nillion acre-
fuot, benefit lnotallation» of R|t,000 horsupower on the West Branch
!\m\ Ul.OOO horoepower on tlie main river. This combined power represents
'H^t. of the total install at lono in the watershed.

0;'portunitieB for additional storage lip in raisin,-; the water levels of ex-
iiitin^' IfikoH and ponds. Since the shores of most of these are xindeveloped,
the ruBiiltin^^ flowa^e of adjacent l/.indE would not cause serious dama.'^e.

The followin^-^ uxiinmarization of oxistin,; and possible storage, by basins, is
taken from House Document ifG^P., 'list Congrosa, 3rd Sesrion: —

Bauin

Kar.t Brmoh
Wi'tit Brancii
Main River
Mattawamlvotv^ River
riscataquis River
r,"..osadumkeag River

Total

StoraiiTiG
Existin,e:
in 19^6
Acre -Feet

211,

, coo

1,.?S0,

, 000

iH,

, 000

89,

,000

217,

, 000

ll"?.

,000

1,920,000

Entimatod
PoDsible
Incroace
Acre-Feet

130,000

39,000

11^1,000

399,000
i^i7,ooo

Gk , 000
1,000,000

Eetim^ited
Posrible

Total
Acre-Feet

3UI.OOO
1,319,000
165,000
U 88, 000
l|7U,000
179.000

r}, 926, 000.

N avi fiat ion Kie mean tiikil rant^e of I3 feet in the Penobscot at Bangor aids
in the maintenance of a navi";ation season which avera^jes nine months out of
each year. In 1935 traffic consisted of 11,73^ pascon^yers and baO,U26 tons
of freif^ht. Petroleum products constituto-'d the principal items of commerce.
Since no dred.j'iin^^ has boeu done since 1913i there is need of mainten.ance work
in the near fu.turo to preserve the existing:; channel, but there appears to be
no need for expansion of t'ue oxii'.tiiii" n;ivipat ion facilities at prer.ent.

Erosion Exco,.>t for a large sheet erosion area in the Patten-Island Falls
district, the basin has no erosion problems except along the lower reaches of
the fenobscot. Moderate sheet erosion has occurred over an area of one to
two hundred sqiviro miles, princi^^^lly in the vicinity of Bangor and along
tributary river bottom lands.

Drainais:o The settlements of the Penobscot basin are concentratod in areas
relatively free from bogs or swamps. In certain locations, however, the mos-
quito nuisance mi;y wai'r>ant drainage of small areas to secure greater freedom
from the pest. Throughout the thinly populated portions of the watershed
drainage would seriously accelerate nm-off, and disturb wildlife and forest
types, causing damages greater than the benefits gtvined. Extensive di^ainago
can bo undert;Ucen only when complete knowled^'-re of potential and desirable
liind uses has been assembled.

Recreation Except along the main streams, the chief recreational iiroblens
most of which are closely related to water resources, are conservation of
existing assets and the eneouragonent of their ur.e. In investigation of
the water bodies and streana there must be continual consideration of the
present and future opportuiiities for recreation and wildlifo uses.

CENTRAL MAIirS COASTAL BASINS

GENEBAL DESCRIPTION

The coastal region lying between Penobncot Bay and the mouth of the Kt-nnehec
Elver is drained by a number of small otreamc!, of which the two largest are
the Sheepscot and the St. George Rivers. Each of thene drains about one-
third of the total area of 850 sq.uare miles.

The region is hilly with altitudes ranging from cea level to 900 feet eleva^-
tion in the northern portion. Near Camden, on Penobscot Bay, there is a
group of moujitains which have an extreme altitude of 1350 feet. The area is
dotted with lakes, ponds and swamps.

The bedrock within the basin is chiefly granite, felsite and quartzite. The
noil is generally clay or silt-loam and has .been used extensively for agri-
culture in the past. Nearly 40^ of the region is in cleared farm land, the
remaining 60^. being in scattered woodlands, mostly on farms or summer estates.

The average rainfall over this coastal area is 44 to 46 inches, fairly evenly
distributed throughout the year. The average temperature is about 66° in the
summer and about 23^ in winter.

The Shcepscot River rises in the extreme northwost portion of the basin near
Freedom and Albion and flows a little west of south for 30 miles to tidewater
at Wiscasset. It drains an area of 238 square miles.

The St. George River rises in the extreme northern portion of the basin and
flows south for 50 miles before reaching tidewater. Below Thomaston, the
river is a tidal estuary for a distance of 10 miles. The area drained by the
river is 225 square miles.

Other rivers in the region are the Medomak, Damariscotta, Passagassawakoag,
Megunticook and Goose Rivers.

No stream flow records are kept on the streams in this basin.

HUMAI^ OCCUPANCY

Population This group of coastal basins extending from the Penobscot to
the Kennebec River contained in 1330 about 56,000 inhabitants, practically the
same number as in 1920. In contrast to the adjoining Kennebec Basin, which
has a large wilderness area and a density of only 25 per square mile, this
coast region has a density of about 6C per square mile. A large influjc of
visitors adds materially to the population in summer.

Small villages and scattered populations predominate; in fact, only throe
towns have more than 2500 inhabitants:

Rockland

9075

Belfast

4993

Camden

3606

These three communities are primarily. trading centers for the surrounding
territory, although they have a few manufaetnring plants.

There was practicallj'- no oopulation growth "between 1920 and 1930. Of the
larger towns, Camden and Rockland increased in size and Bplfast showed a
slight decrease. The majority of communities lost population consistently
in each decade tatween 1900 and 1930. Future growth will prohatly be in the
larger towns and '7ill "be governed by the amotmt of manufacturing and by the
extent of the summer rer.idont and tourist trade. The latter has a marked in-
fluence on many of the coastal communities and snoplies a large part of the
tax revenue.

Agriculture The size of the average farm in this district is slightly
less than the state average of 119 seres, and the acreage value is about
three-fourths that for the entire state. The soil is of poor quality and
the northern section of the basin is classed as a n.iral problem area. Al-
though in general crop farming is not successful, poultry raising is a wide-
spread and gainful occupation. It constitutes the source of over one-third
of the total fa,rm revenue; likewise, dairy and woodlot products account for
appreciable parts of farm income.

Soil conditions and loc^vtion confine most of the agricultural development to
raising livestock, especially poultry. Western competition has forced the
adoption of scientific methods in poultry farming in this coastal region,
and, because the region has such easy a.cc'-'ss to Boston, the largest New En^
land market, it is like?y that poultry raising will continue to be its most
profitable farming activity.

Industry This section is not active industrially. The few small manu-
facturing plants include among their products liuiiber, textiles, shoes, canned
fish and vegetables. At Rockland there is a lime plant and at Thomaston the
lai-gest cement mill in Hew England. Several of the coast towns have ship-
yards for the mianufacture of small pleasure boats. The total number of in-
dustrial wage earners in 1933 was abo'\t 2100, and the value of man^ifactured
products about $7,000,000.

The best opportunities for growth in the teanufactnring field apuear to lie in
industries using native raw materials. The lime products industry, an out-
standing example, is suitably located v/ith respect to basic materials and
water transportation. Tho canning of sea foods, 'vhich is now active on a
limited scale, has possibilities for expansion, as have, to a lesser degree,,
the wood-using industries.

Mining • The mining operations of this region have been at times the most
successful in Maine. Extensive lime deposits near Rockland supply material
for a lime plant and for the Thomaston cement plant. There are also in this
vicinity granite quarries that were once very active. These quarries consti-
tute a valuable asset because of their location on the coast where water
transportation is easily available, but their future success will depend up-
on the demands of the construction indiistry.

Ltunbering Although over half of this area is wooded, it contains no wild
lands or extensive forests. Along the coast there is spnice and fir, and in-
land, hardwood growth with some white pine. There is some long-log produc-
tion, principally at portable mills,. and also a little pulpwood. Timber is
taken out over the road as the streams are too small for log driving.

The general character of the woodland of this section precludes any substan-
tial development in lumbering. Operations of moderate size for' the produc-
tion of pulpwood and long logs will probably be maintained, and farm woodlots
will continue to be a so-urce of cash income.

Fishing Shipbuilding and fishing were the original industries on this
Coast, and the latter is still important. Shell fish are taken in large
quantities and canned at local factories, but most other fresh fish are
shipped to eastern markets.

Ready access to the Boston market and availability of large supplies of fish
are elements favorable to the growth of the fishing industry. Local can-
neries now furnish employment for many inhabitants, and efforts are being
made by state autnorities to expand this industry by reaching a greater buy-
ing public through advertising.

Recreation Wildlife and fish, n-omerous in this coastal basin, include
such species as moose, deer, fox, and various types of water fowl and game
fish. The recreational industry is the outst':.ndi:-.g seasonal business and,
through larg'^ nu-nbers of visitors, contributeo satst'.intially to the economic
life cf this region. The oxt_-ii'^-' ve tii-1 reaches, tuo.t break up the shore
line provide excellent coastal scenery and ideal settings for aquatic sports.
Inland rt^creation and wildlife areas, nov, being developed at Camden by the
National Park Service and at Montville end Liberty by the Resettlement Ad-
ministration, offer exceptional attractions to summer residents and tourists.
The Camden p.rea is an admirc-ble site for a state park, while the lake and
semi-mountainous area in Montville and Liberty is good for hunting and fishing.

Tra nspQi" ^.■3.-^. j on With the exception of tidal e"tuaries, there are no navi-
gable v•.'.^p'"■^ys in this coastal area. There are many fine harbors, particu-
larly those at Eoothbay Earbor, Rockland, Belfast and Searsport, which ac-
commodate coastwise passenger and freight vessels of moderate size. Sears-
port handles the greatest amount of traffic, 521,124 tons in 1935; Rockland,
ranking second, handled l62,96l tons. Coal is tne principal commodity of
coastwise commerce.

The most important centers of this coastal section, Rockland, Camden, Belfast,
lie on the Atlantic Coast Highvi^ay, bj- which they are linked to Bangor on the
north and to Portland on the south. A network of secondary roads branches
from this major highway to coastal and inland points. Improvement in design
and location of tiie Coastal Highway has been recommendea by the Maine State
Planning Board and the New England Regional Planning Commission.

Eailroad service is jjrovided in the so-athern section of this area by a
branch of the iviaine Central Railroad ruaining fron Brianswick to Rockland,
and additional service by a line running frora Belfast to the main line be-
tween Portland and Sanger. Frei'^ht service from Searsport to Bangor and
Aroostook Co-onty points is maintained by the Bangor and Aroostook Railroad.
Highway bus service is maintained on U. S. Route #1 from Bath to Bangor .and
on a secondary route frow Rockland to AugUF.ta.

The airport at Rockland is the only landing field in the area. By reason
of the irregular coast line with its many sheltered harbors the region is
adapted to seaplane operations, facilities for whicn are provided at Rock-
land and Boothbay Harbor. From Rockland regular seaplane service is furn-
ished to the Penobscot Bay isloxids d\iring the surauer vacation season.

W ATSR USE AED CONTROL

Pollution The half-dozen raimicipalities exceeding 2000 population in
this basin adjoin bays or tidal estuaries into which they discharge their
domestic sewage. The trade wastes from these communities, although widely
distributed, add to the load imposed upon the coastal waters in a region
which boasts of, and to a great degree subsists upon, the large volume of
its recreational business. Tlie sewage systems at Rockland and Yarmouth are
known to be inadequate. Inland communities discharge their domestic and
industrial wastes into itkes and streams which are in some instances too
small for adcqiiate dilution. This practice in waste disposal undermines the
recreational values, but careful investigation will be required to determine
where such losses arc safficiently great to warrant the installation of treat-
ment plants. Consideration should be given to a survey of the coastal pollu-
tion conditions and thoir probable effect on recreational uses.

Water Supply With few exceptions the domestic and industrial water sup-
plies are adeqvuate for prenent needs. There are, hov,'ever, several small
coast communities, of which Tenants Harbor, with about 3OO houses, is the
largest where there are no public v<ater supplies. Such deficiencies are due
to lack of funds rather th'ai to lack of available sources of supply. The
established public supp.ly systems in the basin niuabor more than two dozen
and serve all concentrated communities of over 3OO houses. For over half the
communities lalres or ponds ar^^ the sources of supply, while most of the rest
depend on ground water soui-ces.

Flood Contro l The streams are so small that no great damag'e results from
freshet conditions. Local improvements at points where the flow of streams
is restricted would be the most feasible method of preventing the inconven-
iences and minor losses occasioned by extreme high water.

Power Little opportunity exists for water power development on the
streams of this area because their drainage areas are snail and their
slopes gradual. At present there are I5 plants v/ith a total installed
capacity of J,kl& horsepower. The individual installations range from 100
to 700 horsepoT/er; the largest is the Damariscotta Mills plant at the out-
let of Damariscotta Lake. The Goose River, with installations of 65O and
223 horsepower at Belfast, produces the greatest total power of any of these
coastal streams. Three plants at Cauden on the Meg^onticook River have a
combined wheel capacity of 67^ horsepower.

About 50.000 acre-feet of storage are at present availatle on the Goose,
Megunticook, St. George, Danariscotta and Sheepscot Rivers. The I912 re-
port of the Maine State Water Storage Commission listed a possible increase
in storage of 120,000 acre-feet, ovt5r half of which would be on the St.
George and Sheepscot Rivers.

About 2000 horsepower has been estimated as possible for new power develop-
ments, but it is not likely that such develooments will be made in the near
future.

Navigation The tidal estuaries in this stretch of the Maine coast be-
tween the Kennebec and Penobscot rivers are, in general, adequate to meet
the needs of navigation for trade and pleasiire. Channel improvements have
been made on the Medomak River at Waldoboro and on thfe St. George River at
Thomaston. No further improvements in navigation facilities appear to be
necessary.

Erosion Erosion conditions are similar to those along the eastern Maine
coast, but erosion itself has reached a more advanced stage. Although erosion
creates serious land use problems, it has little effect on water resources
problems.

Drainage Consideration has been given to the conflicting factors that
affect the desirability of draining swamp areas in the Central Maine Coastal
basin. The mosquito pest spoils the attractiveness of any area for recrea-
tional use. Coastal marshes provide ideal breeding sites for mosquitoes
but, on the other hand, they shelter fish, game and waterfowl, which consti-
tute a definite recreational asset. Recognizing this paradox, state author-
ities are disposed to proceed cautiously by draining only those marshes ad-
joining settlements where abatement of the mosquito nuisance will Justify
disruption of aquatic and semi-aquatic wildlife. The only drainage project
recommended in this region at present is that on the 200 acres along the
Damariscotta River in Newcastle.

Recreation The probable lowering of recreational values by water pollution
assumes first place among the water resources problems of the area. Although
pollution is not yet, and probably never will be, sufficiently concentrated
to menace health, it is already a serious threat to the recreational industry
because i.t kills fish life and destroys the aesthetic charm of the whole re-
gion. The second problem arises from the fact that tne changing of water
levels would, T;ith few exceptions, prove to be deleterious to wildlife and
recreational values.

KEm^BBEC BASIN

GEITERAL DESCRIPTION . .

The Kennebec 'basin, the third largest in Maine, has a drainage area of 597O
square miles, extending north and south about I50 miles, east and west SO
miles. A 60-mile stretch of the oasin divide constitutes the boundary line
between Maine and the Province of Quebec.

The headwaters are in .the high plateau of northwestern Maine, about 2000 feet
above see. level. These headwaters are tributary to Moosehead, the largest
lake in New England, The main river flows out of Moosehead and follows a
southerly course of 120 miles to Augusta at tne head of tidewater; from here
it continues, as a tidal river, kk miles to Merrymeeting Bay, where it is
joined by the Androscoggin River. The combined waters empty into the Atlan-
tic Ocean at a point about 25 miles east of Portland.

In its upper half the Kennebec basin has a generally high altitude, with
n-umerous penis of 3OOO to UOOO feet. In the lower half the topography be-
comes hilly and rolling. Lakes and ponds abotuid in the basin, aggregating a
water surface of over 3OO square miles, niore than a third of v/hich is ac-
counted for by Moosehead La^•:e.

The rock formation is mostly granite, with some sedimentary^ deposits, such as
slate and sandstone. The whole area is typically of glacial origin, as char-
acterized by its irregular topography and the overburden of glacial sand and
gravel with some sand^?- loams and clay. Little of the area has good agricul-
tural soil. About 12^ of the area is in cleared land and S^^l in woodland,
from much of T;hich the trees have been removed for wood pulp.

The average rainfall in th-.- northern part of the basin is about 36 inches,
with the summer precipitation exceeding slightly that of the winter. At the
lower end of the basin the tmnual rainfall is about kG inches, well distrib-
uted throughout the year. Por the basin as a whole tho annual rainfall av-
erages about UO inches. Sijmmer temperatures vary with the latitude, ranging
from 66° to 61°. The winter average temperatiire is from 2^° to 13°.

The principal trioutario-s are the Moose, Dead, Sandy and Sebasticook Rivers.

Moose River, the principal feeder to Moosehead Lake, drains the northern por-
tion of the Kennebec basin. Its drainage area at a point about 3 miles above
Moosehead Lake is 7O8 square miles. Between its source and Moosehead Lake it
flows through four largo bodies of water — Attean Pond, T7ood Pond, Long Pond
a.nd Brassua Lake. The combined water surface area of these ponds and la.ke6
is 27. U sqioare miles. At the outlet of Moosehead Lake the drainage area is
I2H0 square miles, .and above this point the total v/ater surface is I55 square
miles, or 12-3-^ of the total ar^-^a.

Dead River rises in the northwestern part of the basin just south of the
headvraters of the Moose River and flows easterly through rugged country to
join Kennebec at The Forks, about 25 miles below the outlet of Moosehead
Lake. Its drainage area of 878 square miles includes 19 square miles of
water surface. Spencer Pond, the largest single water body, has an area of
2.6 squa.re miles.

Sandy River rises in the Blue Mountains a few miles east of the Rangeley
Lakes, the headwaters of the Androscoggin. The river flows southeast for
about 30 miles and then northeast for 20 miles, joining the Kennebec at
Skowhegan, above which point the drainage area is 644 square miles. The
principal water bodies in the Sandy River system are the Chesterville Ponds
and Wilton Pond, which have a combined water surface of 3.3 square miles.
The total lake and pond surface is about 6 square miles.

The Sebasticook River, the largest eastern tributary of the Kennebec, rises
in the east central part of the basin south of the Piscataquis River in the
Penobscot basin. Flowing south and southwest to join the Kennebec just be-
low Waterville, this tributary drains an area of 975 square miles. The sev-
eral lakes and ponds in the system, including Sebasticook Lake, China Lake,
Moose Pond and Twenty-five Mile Pond, have a total water area of 36 square
miles.

Other smaller tributaries which join the Kennebec from, the west are:
Carrabassett River, which drains an area of 340 square miles before entering
the main river at North Anson; Messalonskee Stream, which enters the Kenne-
bec at Waterville after draining an area of 205 square miles, 15^ of which is
water area; Cobbossecontee River, which enters the Kennebec at Gardiner, be-
low the head of tidewater, after draining 220 square miles, nearly 10/S of
which is water surface.

The U. S. Geological Survey in cooperation with the state of Maine records
stream flow at several points on the main river pnd its various tributaries.
Detailed data for these stations can be found in the U. S. Geological Survey
Water Su,pply Papers, Part I - Ilorth Atlantic Slope Basins. The fig^ares in
Table III-A are sumn.arized from \inpublished records in the office of the
District Engineer at Augusta and from the published Papers of the Survey.

The hydrograph on Chart 3 shows the average monthly runoff during the past
15 years at Waterville, on the Kennebec. O-'-er this period the average yearly
runoff from the drainage area of 4270 square miles was 1.66 cubic feet per
second per square mile.

HITMAU OCCUPANCY

Population The population of the Kennebec basin in 1930 was 150,000,
about one-fifth of the total population of Maine. This represents a gain of
about 2.5^ over 1920, slightly less than that of the entire state. The
average density of the entire area is only 25 per square mile, although
there is a greater concentration than this in the lower part of the basin.

The two principal cities a.re Augiista, the state capital, with a population of
17,198, and Waterville, 15,454. Abo\it two-fifths of the entire population is
classed as urhan. Cities and to^ms of over 5000 'inhabitants are:

Augiista 17,193

'Tatorville 15,454

Bath 9,110

Skowhegan ■ 6,433

Gardiner 5,609

Fairfield 5,132

Tl-iere are eight towns of bet-.7een 2500 -'.nd 5000 copulation .

Of the fourteen townr having over 2500 pO'-ulation only three showed a loss
"bet-Jeen 19i^0 and 1930. The heaviest loss was in Bath, where the population
decreased by Z8fo. Wiis was due to the fact that fne ship building industry,
on which the town depends for its existence, was inactive during tVat ten-
year period. .In the last fev? years there has been a renewal of that industry
and a corresponding increase in popu.lation.

Population gains in general were in towns along the lower main river and its
tributary, the S'''basticooi':. (See Map 7.) Losses occurred in mrny outlying
towns, particularly along tho westarn border of the basin. Trends will
probably be governed by the condition of the principal industries. If pres-
ent indications are borne out there will be a slow growth of the industrial
communities in the coming decade. ■ . !

Agriculture Agriculture is "Widely practiced in the lower part of the
basin. The valley farmland is rather fertile,' although less so than in some
parts of the state, as is indicated by the average acre value of $29.00 (land
■ and buildings, 1930) in contrast to the s''"atp average value of $42.00. Farm
income is derived principally from dairy and poultry products, fiold a.nd
orchard crops, and woodlot products. The latter account for about 12fr of the
total farm re^J'eme, which' :. '.mount e^^ in 1970 to apiiroxiniately $11,000,000.

Farming in this basin i? r.rndica-npad by Ipck of noar-by marketr,, so essential
to the specialized farming which is a feature of the agricultural trend. When
there were large' lumber commu.nities along th«. edges of the forest lands, the
soil, poor as it was, firoduced enough food to meet the demands of these local
markets. Today thene sections are rural problem areag because of the decline
in the local d.emand and the inadequacy of means of tran:5portation to distant
markets. The only evidences of change in the fnrming situation lie in the
tendency to abandon farms in tho nroblem areas --ind thi trend toward special-
ization of crops in areas that are suited to farming.

Industry The principal mrnu-facturing centers - Augusta, Waterville and
Bath - are on the main river. In 1933 the entire region produced about
$43,000,000 worth of m.-in^ifactures, about one-fifth of thr state production.
Textiles, boots and shoes, pulp r.nd paper, canned vegetables and lumber are
the chief products. Augusta has diversified industries in addition to its
principal line. — textiles and shoes; it is also an important trading center.
Waterville, primarily a ppper manufacturing city, is also a trading center.
Bath, near the mouth of the rivtr, is a ship-building town the prosperity of
which varies with the activity of that industry.

Between 1929 and 19?3 the decrease in the value of manufactured products in
this region and in the state as a whole was ahout the same. Future progress
will depend largely upon the degree of activity of the principal industries.
There is, however, a tendency toward diversification of manufacturing, which
contributes to industrial st.ability and which is being encouraged by state
and local development agencies.

Mining Slate quarries in the northern -oart of the basin are now in opera-
tion, but granite quarries, once active, are now worked but little. At one
time tin was commercially mined near Winslow. Since there are no known tin
deposits elsewhere in the United States, it is possible that resumption of
mining at this point would be profitable.

Lumbering The northern half of the basin comprises a large part of the
extensive spruce and fir lands of the state. The Kennebec and its tributaries
provide means for floating logs from this area to mills located down stream. As
tJiese mills are within easy reach of markets by rail or water, lumbering in
this basin is carried on to better advantage than in those basins farther east.
The timber ait, principally pulpwood, amounted in 1933 'to about 12,500,000
board feet; in the following year to about 30,000,000 feet. In addition to
pulp and paper mills there are several wood-using industries, including spool
mills and box factories, in the lower part of the basin.

As the principal forest product in the Ktnnebec basin is pulpwood, the lumber-
ing industry is dependent largely upon activity in the field of paper manu-
facture. There is, however, enough lumber and water power to justify the es-
tablishment of more wood-using industries than are now in the area.

Recreation Hunters, fishermr-n, tourists and summer residents flock to all
parts of the Kennebec watershed. Fishing and hunting are lode-stones for manjj
while others are attracted by varied scenery, clean bathing beaches and good
boating.

Transportation Tlie Kennebec River is navigable to Augusta, 44 m.iles from
the mouth. The controlling depth is 11 ft. at low water. On the main river
above Augusta and on the tributaries water transportation is confined to log
driving, an indispensable phase of the lumber industry.

'The lower two-thirds of the basin is covered with a network of primary and
secondary highways sufficient in number to meet local needs, but recommenda-
tions have been made for improvement of certain major routes to facilitate
the growth of the recreation industry. Chief among these are a transverse
route from Lewiston to Bangor and a river valley route from Augusta to Jack-
man and the Quebec border. In the wilderness section roads are few, but thus
far have been sufficient to meet the requirements of the area. An additional
recreational asset to the Kennebec basin would be realized by the constnac-
tion of a parkway already recommended by the Maine Planning Board and the New
England Regional Planning Commission. This parkway would enter Maine in the
Rangeley Lakes section, follow the Dead River branch of the Kennebec, pass
south of Moosehead Lake and continue into the Katahdin section of the Penobscot
basin.

South of the wilderness section ample railway transportation is provided by the
Maine Central Railroad. The extreme northern part of the basin is crossed by
the main line of the Canadian Pacific from Quebec and Montreal to the Mari-
time Provinces.

The lov»'er end of the basin is travertsed by the Boston-Bangor airway. Regu-
lar transport service over this route is provided cy the Boston and Maine
Airways with scheduled stops at Augiista and Waterville. The projected route
of the Canadian airway fron Montreal to the Maritime Provinces crosses the
upper end of the basin. An airway froni Waterville to Greenville has been
suggested as desirable in. the interests of the Moosehead Lake recreation
area. Airports and Icmdind-; fields are located at Aiigusta, Waterville, Farm-
inp-ton, Skowhegan, Pittsfield, Greenville and Jackman.

WATER USE Am CONTR OL

Pollution Domestic wastes from ten commimi ties that had a total popula-
tion of over 64,000 people in 1930 are introduced into the main stream or
into the tributaries near their outlets. The largest commtmities are Tfater-
ville and Augusta, with populations of 15,45^ and 17,193 respectively. Trade
wastes from approximately 5U plants enter streams of the Kennebec basin. Of
these plants, twenty-three textile mills, with 6,000 employees, and seven
pulp and paper mills, with 2100 employees, are the principal sources of trade
wastes.

In 1930 the Maine pulp and paper companies financed a survey of pollution
conditions in the Keiinebec from Madison to South Gardiner. Distinct sewage
pollution was shown by the bacterial count of tho river, and by the fact that
dissolved oxj'gen content was less than 5 P^^ts per million at all points in
the upper, river. In the tidal waters, at South. Gardiner, the dissolved
orygev. content of the water was about 3 parts per million, the minimum de-
serabie for fish life. In general, the results of the investigation showed
a rise and fall in the niimbor of bacteria due to the alternate discharge of
raw sewage and destruction" of bacteria along the co-orse of the river.

One of the v,'orst sources of pollution in the main river would be eliminated
by the establishment of se\/age treatment works at Waterville. Purification
of domestic sewage, together witxx partial treatment of industrial wastes,
would relieve the load or the \7ater purification plant at Richmond, v.'hich
draws its watef supply from the river.

Commercial and sport fishing in the tidal portion of the Kennebec are now
impossible. Although almost no desirable species of fish now occupy the
river, it is uncertain whether the economic loss incident to the lack of
commercial and sport fish is as great as the expense of devices and pro-
cedures required to make possible their return.

Local sanitary experts state- that (1) the dilution capacity of this stream
is probably not at present strained to a point seriously threatening the
public health; (2) the ocular nuisance is restricted to a few feet around
each outfall; (3) when the ocular nuisance is so restricted, local citizens
do not recognize any threat to the public health; (U) the debt structure of
nearly all Kennebec basin municipalities renders impractical the assumption
of community liability for the installation of treatment plants, althoiigh
there is little doubt that future citizens will insist upon stream purifica-
tion.

Commendable progress would be gained by an impartial, technical survey to
determine: the degree and distribution of ')Ollution; the relative signifi-
cance of the various outfalls of domestic and trade wastes; the maximum
permissible pollution; the identity of those commiinities and industries
which can, individually or together, most economically install treatment
plants; the feasibility of methods of refining trade waste; the practicabil-
ity of deriving by-products from industrial waste; and the social or economic
benefits which may reasonably be anticipated from stream purification. The
survey should give special attention to the recreation interests and their
future expansion, which means that particular study should be made of the
pertinent summer conditions in lakes, ponds, and adjoining coastal sections
in addition to the conditions in effect throughout the year along the streams
in the basin.

Water Supply There is an abund,ant supply of surface and ground water in
this basin. No communities of over 500 population are without public water
supplies. Of the thirty-four water supply systems in the basin, nearly two-
thirds rely upon lake or pond sources, and about half have chlorination plants.

The largest supply is that of the Kennebec Water District, which supplies
chlorinated water from China Lake to Waterville, Fairfield and Winslow. Aug-
usta uses water from Carleton and, Winthrop Ponds after subjecting it to chlor-
ine and corrective lime treatment. The Richmond supply, taken from the lower
reaches of the main river, is filtered and chlorinated.

Control of pollution in the Kennebec River is desirable, not only from the
standpoint of public health, but also because paper mills and other industries
require quantities of pure water for manufacturing processes. The sanitary
survey previously recommended could readily and properly include the collec-
tion of data necessary in selecting sources of supply for public water sys-
tems and for the industries which demand large volumes of clean water. The
possible expansion of communities and the resultant increase in their water
supply needs should also be considered in this STirvey.

Flood Control The large amount of natural storage at the headwaters, the
numerous flat areas along the river, the absence of stepp river slopes, and
the heavy timber growth in the upper portion of the basin — all combine to
protect the Kennebec River from extrem.e floods.

Moosehead Lake, with its high degree of storage reg-alation, is the principal
flood-reducing factor. The highest runoff in the basin occurs between Moose-
head Lake and the Forks, where the steep slope of the river and of the coun-
try drained by the river aggravates flood conditions. Moxie Lake effectively
controls the 89 square miles above its outlet. Below Bingham the river has
low flood characteristics due to the numerous lakes and ponds in this section
and to its moderately sloping topography.

Although by far the most serious flood to date from the standpoint of monetary
losses, the 1936 flood was not the highest on record, for the peak flow of
December, 1901 was 156,300 cubic feet per second as against 154,000 cubic feet
per second for the peak flow in March, 1936. The highest floods recorded at the
Waterville gaging station are as follows:

Maximum Runoff ■

Discharge C?. S. per

Date C.F.S. Sq.Mi.

M^ay IS32 lUO.OOO** 32. S

March 1896 113,000* 26.0

December I9OI 156,800* 36.6

May 1923 135,000* 31. U

March I936 15U,000* ,31.6

*Pe.ak: dischargn.
**Unofficial

The estimated damages in I936 amountu'd to $1,631, 000. divided between direct
damages of $1,356,000 and indirect damages of $275,000.

The Army Enr^ineers have recently made a survey of th.^ Kennebec River under
authority of the Committee on Cororaerce of the United States Senate and have
investigated 27 sites, of which the five where development for flood control
co\ild be accomplished with the greatest economy are:

Elevation

Runoff

Drainage

Spillway

Capacity

Equivalent

Site

River

nrea

. (Sa.Mi.)

Crest (Ft.)

(Acre-Feet)

(Inches)

Long Falls

Dead River

521

ll^u.O*

223,000

Anson

Carrabassett

3UI

405.0

130,000

7.15

Stark

Sandy River

625

255.0

170,000

5.1

Moose Pond

Sebasticook

212

26^^.0

105,000

9.3

Pittsfield

Sebasticook

323

I85.O

113,000

5.?

*Plood control only: fo:* alternative combined power and flood control
project, spillway elevation would be 115*+; power storage elevation limit,
IIU5.

All five sites were studied by the Army Engineers to determine possibilities
for combined storage for power and flood control purposes, the power storage
to be provided by reservoir capacities from the bottom of the dam to a sat-
isfactory elevation, .and the flood control storage to be provided in a
definitely reserved portion of the reservoir.

Only one of the 5 reservoirs considered, that at Long Falls on the Dead
River, showed attractive possibilities for combined flood and power storage.
Operation of storage for best prime flow at the dam site, as well as down-
stream from the site, cane under consideration. The secondary power was

IS NV31N 7AOQV 111A Nl NOIXVA313

S 5

not investigated, as it has no value in Maine. There are 325 feet of de-
veloped head below the site, of which 3I2 feet are utilized by installations
of s-officient capacity to benefit froa increased low flow.

The development of the other four reservoirs for combined power and flood
control wo\ild not be so desirable as their development for flood control
alone, according to the findin£;s of the Anny Engineers. Nevertheless,
these reservoirs, if developed primarily for flood control, could be so
operated as to afford incidental benefits to power developments downstream.
The approximate amount of the increased primary power output which would
result from the operation of the four reservoirs would be lU,SOO,000
kw.-hrs. If only the Anson and Stai'k Reservoirs were developed the in-
creased annual primary output would be 10 million kw.-hrs.

Power The Kenjiebec River is one of the great potential sources of
power in New England. Of the estimated available capacity of 376,567
horsepower on the main river and tributaries, loG.SOO horsepower are
at present developed. Between the outlet, of Moosehead Lake and the head
of tidewater, at Augusta, the river falls 1C26 feet. The uppermost
development on the main river is the WjTnan plant of the Central Maine
Power Company, at Bingham, about 76 miles above jiugusta. Along this
76-mile stretch there are I3 installations which utilize a total fall of
325 feet obtained at 9 dams. The total power developed amounts to
139, 7U6 horsepower. The Wyman plant, the largest in Maine, has a present
installed capacity of 68,000 horsepower, (ultimately 102,000 h.p.) under
a head of I35 feet. In March, I936 the dam at Fairfield was partially
destroyed by flood, so that the two plants utilizing the 12-foot head
at this point and developing 36U horse jower are at present not in ijse.
The 1650 horsepower plant at Benton Falls on the Sebasticook wa? destroyed
in March, I936. A 2g-foot dam at Solon was formerly used to develop UOOO
horsepower, but at present the site is unused. This 28-foot head is not
included in the total of 325 feet mentioned above.

Numerous small plants located on the tributaries have a total installed
capacity of 2l,05U horsepower, under heads ranging from' 8 feet to 215
feet. On Messalonskee Stream k plants of the Central Maine Power Company
develop 10,150 horsepovrer, half of the total power on the tributaries.

Public utilities develop about two-thirds of the total power of the basin;
textile, pulp and paper, and lumber mills account for. the other third.
The division between these two classes of use is shown in Table VI-A.

The present developments of 1000 horsepower or over on the main river and
the tributaries, as listed by the Aug^ista Office of the U. S. Geological
Survey, January 1, 1937, are as follows:

River

Kennebec Eiver
Kennebec Eiver
Kennebec River
Kennebec Eiver
Kennebec Eiver
Kennebec Eiver
Kennebec Eiver
Kennebec Eiver
Kennebec River
Messalonskee Stream
Messalonskee Stream
Messalonskee Stream
Messalonskee Stream
Sebasticook River
Sebasticook River
Cobbosseecontee Stream
Cobbosseecontee Stream

Location

Wheel Capacity

or Plant

H. P.

Augusta

3,032

Aug,usta

4,307

Waterville

10,560

Winslow

5,916

Shawmut

7,200

Weston

17,350

Madison

14,030

Madison

8,170

Wyman

68,000

Waterville

2,100

Waterville

1,250

Rice Eit)s

2,800

Oakland

4,000

Fort Halifax

1,700

Burnham

1,735

Copsecook Mill

1,000

Gardiner

1,300

154,450

Tliese plants account for 154,450 horsepower; the remaining 6350 horsepower
is developed at 32 plants having installations ranging from 100 to 500 horse-
power.

The m.ajority of the undevslope<? power available on the main river is in that
portion of the river between Bingham and the outlet of Moosehead Lake; it
amounts to about 110,440 horsepower, on a 60^^ of the time basis. Below
Bingham, the 60^ power amounts to about 39,000 horsepower. Table VII-A
gives the estimated installed capacities at several of the undeveloped sites
on the main river, using an assiuned turbine efficiency of 80 per cent. There
is an additional 51,640 horsepower available on the tributaries, but it is
unlikely that much of this will be developed in the near future because of
the distance to a suitable market. The potential power sites on Dead Eiver
give greatest promise of development, because if a storage reservoir were
built at Long Palls on that river it could be used to regulate stream flow
over 413 feet of undeveloped head.

The U. S. Army Engineers have considered the power possibilities on this
river in connection with their flood control investigations. An installa-
tion at the Long Palls site has been studied in conjunction with the reser-
voir. The head which could be utilized here would be 81 feet; the installed
capacity, about 11,000 horseDOwer.

The present natural storage amo-onts to 932,000 acre-feet; the water area,
about 300 sqToare miles, or 5^ of the watershed. Moosehead Lake, with a
capacity of 5^2,000 acjre-feet and a water surface area of II7 square miles,
controls the runoff from an area of I2U0 sq\iare miles, or 22^ of the total
basin. One inch of runoff from this entire area raises the water level of
Moosehead less than one foot.

The drainage areas, water areas and capacities of the principal existing
storage reservoirs are as follows:

Drainage

Water Surf-

Capacity

Lake or Pond

Area-Sq.Mi.

ace - Sq. Mi.

Acre-Feet

Moosehead Lake

1240

117.0

51+2,000

Bras sua Lake

702

15.1

206,000

Wood and Attean Ponds

320

7.2

8,000

Long Pond

520

5.0

lU.UOO

Roach Ponds

117

. 8.0

29,000

Moxie Ponds.

3.0

16,100

Pierce Pond

■ 18

2.3

1U,300

Additional available storage in the basin, as reported in the 1st Annual Re-
port (1920) of the Maine Water Power Commission, amounted to 508,700 acre-feet.
(Of that amount 206,000 acre-feet have since been developed in Brassua Lake.)
It was estimated that this additional storage would increase the power available
50^ of the time at existing plants by more than 60,000,000 kilowatt -hours a
year. Tables VIII-A and IX-A summarize information on existing storage and
potential storage, respectively.

Navigation The total navigable distance on the Kennebec thro-ugh Merry-
meeting Bay to Augusta is kk miles. The project depth at mean low water is
16 feet to Gardiner and 11 feet from there to Augusta. The traffic in 1935,
most of which was in coal, totalled 166,976 tons. Considerable shoaling has
occurred suid the desirability and extent of work required to restore project
depths is being investigated.

Erosion Effects of sheet erosion are in evidence throughout the inhabited
portions of the main river valley. As yet these effects are, with minor ex-
ceptions, slight; nevertheless, erosive action is steadily destroying fertile
river valley soils.

Drainage An extensive tidal estuary receiving the flow of the Kennebec and
Androscoggin Rivers bears two names locally — Merrymeetipg Bay and Kennebec
River — the applications of which are vague and tend to be interchangeable.
The shores of this estuary are largely salt-marsh and flats which afford food
and shelter for migratory birds as well as for native wildlife. In the vicinity
of settlements the marsh land, a prolific breeding place of mosquitoes, con-
stitutes a public nuisance. Drainage will abate the nuisance, but if too ex-
tensively applied will obliterate the very characteristics that now make the
marsh a natural stopping place of migratory birds. Therefore, a balance of
benefits must be secured wherein small swamp areas adjoining settlements may
be drained to reduce the local mosquito nuisance but the larger part of the
marshlajid left in a condition favorable to wildlife.

The Maine State Entomologist has suggested that approximately 2000 acres of
marsh lying in three coastal to'jms near the outlet of the estuary he drained
for the benefit of permanent and summer residents. Since the area under
consideration represents less thtin one-tenth of the marsh land in the vicin-
ity, and since its proximity to communities reduces its attractiveness to
wildlife, it is probable that drainage of these 2000 acres will not appreci-
ably reduce the wildlife benefits now enjoyed.

The characteristically sharp slope of the basin above the estuary reduces
swamp areas to land pockets or lake, pond and stream shores. All swamps and
marshes shelter wildlife, and only in small, scattered localities does the
mosquito nuisance jiistify artificial drainage.

Recreation Depreciation of recreational attractions in the

Kennebec basin will caiise depletion of the summer settlements; by the same
token, preservation of water resources will tend to increa.se the number of
hunters, fishermen, and vacationists who come to this region where water is
the chief recreational asset. The water assets are so varied that it is
easy to affect one adversely when striving to correct another. Specifically,
development to effect complete mosquito control in the Merr -/meeting Bay dis-
trict would destroy one of the largest gathering -olaces for migratory birds
in Hew England. The Merr;'/meeting Bay bird problem has been reviewed by the
National Biological Survey, particularly in reference to the damage done to
feed grounds by silt deposited during the March, 1935 flood.

The absence of desirable fish species in the lower Kennebec could be cor-
rected, but the procedure would probably cost more than it is worth. Re-
construction of fishways and stream purification may prove practical at a
future date. Abundant fish life still exists in the tributary streams and
water bodies; hence, water control developments should avoid any fluctua-
tions in water level which are detrimental to fish. It is kno'.7n that on
reservoirs which are drawn down during the bird-nesting season, waterfowl
nests are stranded and the eggs or chicks abandoned. Also it is believed
that deer have migrated when the reservoirs upon which they relied were
drained until boggy sh'-.res were exposed, or until the water became stagnant.

The absence of intensive recreational development along the attractive shores
of the Kennebec above the mouth of the Androscoggin is not easily explained,
but the situation is probably not due to stream pollution.

It seems unwise to indicate recreation and wildlife problems beyond recom-
mending restricted drainage in Merrymeeting Bay. For other parts of the
Kennebec basin all^ proposals should be thoroughly reviewed by recreation and
wildlife authorities prior to final approval.

ANDEOSCOGGIN BASIN

GENEBAL DE5CRIFTICN

The Androscoggin River tasin is the third largest interstate drainage tasin
in New England, teing exceeded in area ty the Connecticut and Merrimack
basins only. Its total area is 3470 square miles; of this total. New Hamp-
shire contains 695 square miles and Maine 2775 square miles. The long axis
of the basin is about 110 miles, while the short is about 55 miles. The
headwaters of the Androscoggin lie near the intersection of the Canadian, New
Hampshire and Maine boundaries and drain into Umbagog Lake on the boundary
between New Hampshire and Maine. The Androscoggin flows out of the New Hamp-
shire side of Umbagog Lake; follows a southerly course for about 35 miles
to Gorham; turns abruptly east and, after flowing in this direction about 20
miles, crosses the state line; ftontinues easterly to Bethel and then south-
easterly to Brunswick, at the head of tidewater; and finally enters Merry-
meeting Bay, '.There it joins the Kennebec. The length of the river from Um-
bagog Lake to Merrym.eeting Bay ir, about 170 miles, of v/hich nearly 120 miles
are in Maine. If the tributaries above Umbagog Lake are counted, the total
length of the main river and its principal headwater feeder is 200 miles.

The general level of the basin is the highest of any on the Atlantic seaboard.
The headwaters rise in rough, mountainous country with land elevations aver-
aging about 3000 feet above sea level. From, the rugged upper area the topog-
raphy graduates into a somewhat irregular and, near the mouth, comparatively
low and rolling terrain. Of the 1243 feet offal], in the river between Umba-
gog Lake and tidewater, 800 feet occur between the Lake and the foot of Rum-
ford Falls in a little over half the length of the river. The 1913 report
of the State Water Commission listed 195 bodies of water as tributary to the
Androscoggin. The total water area is 143 square miles, or 4.1^^ of the
drainage area. Mooselookmegijntic Lake, with 26.0 square miles of water sur-
face, is the largest body of V7ater in the basin.

The principal rock formation is granite, with nn ovf-rburdfn of glacial ss^id and
gravel. Nearly 85^ of the basin area is woodland, of which a large percent-
age has been cut over. The crop land, fou.nd mostly along the lower half of
the river valley, accounts for about 7^o of the '.vatershed area.

The average annual precipitation varies from 33 inches, near the source, to
40 inches in the lower sections. In the northern part of the basin, summer
and fall have slightly higher rainfall than the other seasons, but near the
mouth the monthly distribution is uniform. The summer temperature averages
from 63° to 66° and the winter from 24° to 31°, both -averages varying with
the altitudes.

The most important tributaries of the Androscoggin are- the Magalloway Biver
and the Rangeley Lakes system, the two headwater systems which unite to form
the main river.

The Magalloway drains the Parraacnenee Lake syctem in the uppermost part of
the basin. It has a length of about 3O miles and drains about U5O square
miles before joining the Androscoggin at the outlet of Umbagog LaJce. Sawyer,
or Aziscohos Lake, an artificial reservoir, is the largest water body in the
Magalloway river system. It is about Ik miles long, has a water area of
10,5 square miles, and controls about 233 square miles of drainage.

The Rangeley Lakes system, which includes Kennebago, Rangeley, Mooselook-
meguntic, Richardson and Urabajog Lakes and their tributary streams, drains
the rugged and largely ■'ondeveloped comitry of northwestern Maine. The drain-
age area -of the lake system is about 635 square miles, of which fO square
miles, or 11^, is water area.

Discharge records at gaging stations on the main river and some tributaries
are kept by the U. S. Geological Survey with the cooperation of the state of
Maine. Detailed data for these stations can be found in the U. S. Geological
S-iTvey's Water Supply Papers, Part I - North Atlantic Slope Basins. In Table
III-A are given summarized data for these stations, obtained from unpublished
records of the District Engineer at Augusta and from the published papers of
the survey.

The' hydrograph on Chart 3 shows the average monthly runoff at Humf ord during
the past 15 years. 'The average runoff from, the drainage area of 209O square
miles above Rumford is 1.6b cubic feet per second per square mile.

HUllAN OGCUPAHCY

Populatio n The Androscoggin basin had a population in 193'^' °^ lU5,000 —
nearly lOfo more than in I92O. There is a considerable variation in the dis-
tribution of the pop^ilation: the average density for Orford county, in the
north, is 21 per square mile, while that for Androscoggin coiuity, in the
southern industrialized section, is I55 per square mile. The basin popula-
tion, including 22,000 people in New Hampshire, is equal to l&f. of the popu-
lation of the State of Maine.

The twelve cities and tOT,-nS of more than 25CO population have three-fourths
of the inhabitants of the watershed. The. 1930 population of these communi-
ties was:

Lewiston, Me. , 3^,3^5

A'^hiirn, Me, lc,571

Berlin, N. H. ' 20,012

Rumford, Lie. ' 10,340

Brui-iswick, Me. 7,604

Mexico, Me. 4,767

Lisbon, Me. .4,002

Paris, Me. 3,76l

Livermore Falls, Me. 3,l48

Norv/ay, Me. 3,l45

Jay, Me. 3.106

Gorham, N. H, 2,763

Nearly tho-thirds of the population of the basin is classed as urban.

The industrialized character of this region accounted for the lOfo increase in
population between 19:30 and 1930 in contrast to that of less than 4^ in the en-
tire state of Maine. Practically the entire gain occurred in towns having over
2500 population, of which only two, Lisbon and Jay, lost in this period. The
communities which gained are located for the most part along the main river, as
shown in Map 7. Coirimunities that lost population lie along the edges of the
forest areas and near the borders of the basin. On account of its manufactur-
ing activities this section of the state will probably continue to grow more
rapidly than will Maine as a whole.

Agriculture Ivlost of the farm land in the basin lies along the main streams
in the southern part of the watershed. Parts of it are above the state average
in fertility, as indicated by the value per acre. Other portions, especially
in Oxford county, are rocky and unsuitable for tillage. The total value of
agricultural products was, in 1930, approximately $9,000,000. The principal
sources of farm income are poultry and dairy products, field and orchard crops.
This region has the advantages of large local markets and excellent transporta-
tion facilities to outside points.

It is likely that the local market factor will enable farming activities to
keep pace with industrial growth in the basin. Access to outside markets such
as Portland and Boston will probably encourage a continuance of specialized
farming, particularly in the dairy and poultry lines. This watershed, in common
with others in Maine, has certain rural problem areas along the wilderness
borders.

Industry The value of products manufactured in the Androscoggin valley in
1933 amounted to about 40% of the Maine total. Textiles, centered in Lewiston,
boots and shoes in Auburn, and pulp and paper in Berlin and Romford constitute
the principal manufactures in the basin.

Industrial growth will be governed largely by the general conditions in the
shoe, textile and paper industries, and by labor conditions. The water re-
sources for power and manufacturing purposes, the timber supply, and transpor-
tation facilities offer advantages that should attract new industries in the
future.

Mining Granite qn;i.rries, at one time quite active, are still operated, but
with limited output. Tnere are also mica and lime deposits but production in
recent years has been of small volume.

Lumbering Liunbering has been a very active industry, due to the vast supply
of timber and pulp-wood, mainly spruce auid fir, in the northern part of the
basin. There are also large quantities of hardwood in the central part of the
watershed and white pine in the nouthf^rn section. The timber cut in the Maine
portion of the basin for 1937-1934 av'-raged about 100,000,000 board feet per
year, of which about 8Qfo was pulpwood. This cut was heavier than that of either
the Penobscot or the Kennebec watersheds. In addition, there was substantial
prodjiction in Coos count;'', in Sew Hampshire. Although there is a moderate a-
mount of manufacturing in wood-iising industries, the bulk of the timber is used
for pulpwood, and the degree of future developm.ent in the lumbering industry
will depend to a great extent upon the condition of the pulp and paper industry.

Recreation Summer homes and iiotels are scattered throughout the entire
basin. Of the many sportin^; and recreation centers in this tasin Rangeley
Lakes and PoLand Spring are probably the best known. Bsating and bathing in
the main streams are handicapped by pollutiqn and by the continuous fluctua-
tion of water levels incident to water power prod^iction. The tributary streams
and lakes shelter many species of fish and attract many vacationists.

Transportation In common witn other rivers of Maine, transportation on the
Androstxggin River is confined to log driving. Brunswick, only 5 niles above
the Kennebec River channel, is at the head of tidewater. In 1S31 and I916 the
Array Engineers investigated the possibility of extending navigation from Merry-
meeting Bay to Brvmswick, and reported that the cost of such a project would
greatly exceed the benefits.

The southern half of the basin has a highway system adequate to meet present
needs. The northern half, largely wilderness, has sufficient roads to provide
access to lake properties and settlements. A trunk highway extends along the
Androscoggin River from the lower valley through Ruraford and west into New
Hampshire. Traffic into and across the lower part of the basin is so great as
to demand construction of an improved trunk highway in this section, and such
a highway has been recommended by the Maine State Planning Board and the New
England Regional Planning Commission.

The southern part of the basin is served by the main line and branches of the
Maine Central Railroad and by the line of the Grand Trunk Railroad from Port-
land to Montreal. A branch of the Boston and Maine Railroad runs from Berlin,
N. H. to Fnitefield in the Connecticut Valley. The railroads formerly pene-
trating the Rangeley LaJres region have been abandoned and replaced by bus lines.

No regularly scheduled air transport service is provided at any point in this
basin. Airways from Portland to Rangeley and from TTaterville along the Andros-
coggin valley to Whitefield, N. H. , Montpelier and Barre , Vermont, have been
suggested. There are landing fields at Auburn-, Bethel and Berlin.

WATER USE AND CONTROL

Pollution Of the .major Maine rivers, the Androscoggin needs first considera-
tion in a prograiD for pollution abatement. There are I3O, 000 persons living in
the Androscoggin valley, concentrated in the several cities and towns along the
river. These points of concentrated population are also industrial centers, and
neither the domestic sewage nor the industrial v/astes receive treatment before
being discharged into the river. Elsewhere in Maine higher concentrations of
population may exist but in no one place is the total number of persons affected
so great as on the Androscoggin. The principal sources of domestic pollution
are Berlin and Gorham, New Hampshire; Rumford and Mexico, Maine; Livernore Falls
and Jay, Maine. Paper mills are located at each of these points, except Lewis -
ton-Auburn, where there are several textile and shoe plants. The Maine section
of the basin contains thirty-four boot and shoe plants, twelve pulp and paper
mills, and fourteen textile factories, employing altogether nearly 19,000
workers.

In 1930 a river survey, financed by the Maine pulp and paper companies, covered
the stream to the New Hampshire line. The samples talcen near the state line
contained four parts per million of dissolved oxygen, the bare minimum neces-
sary to support fish life; it was found that even heavier pollution existed at

Auburn and Lewiston. Between Lewiston and Brunswick the river falls approxi-
mately 100 feet, and the attendant aeration of the water offsets the effect of
wastes entering the river between these points. The Androscoggin basin as a
whole carries a greater pollution load per square mile of drainage area than
any other Maine stream, with the possible exception of the Presumpscot,

Because of the low oxygen content and the lack of adequate fishways, the main
stream of the Androscoggin system is practically devoid of desirable fish
species. This situation does not present so important a problem, in the minds
of public health officials, as the insanitary condition of the river at Lew-
iston — Auburn. However, the financial conditions of these two cities prevent
immediate assumption of responsibility for providing proper treatment of their
domestic wastes which, introduced directly into the river, materially accentu-
ate the local sanitarj' hazard. Nor are the industrial concerns of the valley
able to Tondertake proper refinement of their trade wastes.

Since New Hampshire contains 20^ of the drainage basin and introduces wastes
into the river, the pollution problem requires interstate cooperative action.
The 1930 survey points out the necessity for more detailed information on
sanitary conditions, so that reduction of pollution to the practical minimum
can be achieved intelligently and economically. The amo-ionts chargeable to
pollution for destruction of residential, industrial and recreational assets,
the proper means of financing and operating sanitary control, as well as the
legislation necessary to facilitate interstate cooperation on pollution problem:
— all require thorough investigation. Special attention should be given to
recreation and wildlife because these assets, potentially great, have thus far
suffered the most from pollution.

Water Supply Abundant surface and ground water is available in the Andros-
coggin ba-sin, and all concentrated communities are served by adequate public
water supplies. Although the basin has a fairly high pop-ulation density, so
that water supply developments are numerous, nevertheless, ample opportunities
for new surface and ground v/ater supply development exist. In New Hampshire,
Be^rlin (pop. 20, 018) is served by a public surface supply which receives
chlorination, Gorham, Errol and Randolph also have organized water supply
systems. Milan is the only town of any size in the New Hampshire portion of
the Androscoggin basin without a v;ater supply system.

Twenty-four communities in the Androscoggin valley in Maine have water supply
systems, the sources of which are divided about eq-orilly among lakes and ponds,
wells and springs, and small tributary streams. No municipalities tal-:e water
directly f^om the main river. The largest cities, Lewiston and Auburn, use
chlorinated water, taken from Auburn Lake. The one filtration plant in the
basin is located at Mechanic Falls.

The paper mills scattered along the Androscoggin in New Hampshire and Maine
vitally affect the social and industrial well-being of the valley. These mills
require large quantities of clean water for their manufacturing processes.
Thus any survey of water supply needs should give ccireful consideration not
only to present and future public water uses, but also to industrial uses of
large volumes of pure water.

Flood Control The flood hazard in the Androscoggin valley occurs between
Errol, New Hampshire and Brunswick, Maine, in which stretch of river the drain-
age area is controlled to only a small degree. Above Errol there is excellent
control which is effective for points downstream. The effectiveness of this
control diminishes directly as the tributary drainage area increases.

Between Errol and Rumford the tributaries have a quick: runoff which causes
peaking of the flov.- and results in the overflowing of the intervale land. Like
conditions prevail between Rumford and Livermore Falls.

Floods are usually caused by hea^/y rain ,and the quick melting of snow. In March
1936 the peak flow at Auburn reached 135,CC0 cubic feet per second, and the
damages suffered from this flood amounted to $U, 392,000 divided between direct
losses of $2,756,000 and indirect losses of $l,63b,OC'0, Most of the loss was
incurred in Maine, that in New Hampshire being only $l60,000.

Previous high floods have been recorded in IS96, 1923 and 1927- The floods of
IS96 and 1923, both spring floods, caused comparatively little damage; that of
1927, a November flood, resulted in losses at Berlin and Gorham, New Hampshire
of $350,000 to $UOC,000, exclusive of damages to railways. The peak at Auburn
was, however, 60,000 cubic feet per second, less than in I096 or I923.

Much of the flooding and resultant damage in heavy spring freshets is due to
ice- jams. This jamming is aggravated by bridge abutments and piers and other
obstructions in the river, r/hich are thus often responsible for excessive da^i-
age. If flood losses are to be reduced, it is highly desirable that in the
future bridges be built with ample water ways and that highways be located
above flood levels.

In the investigations made by the U. S. Army Engineers in 193^ of flood control
sites on the Androscoggin River, the four most favorable sites having possible
value for flood control were:

Reservoir Site Drriiiiage Area Reservoir Capacity Runoff
(Sq.Mi.) (Acre-feet) Inches

Oxford 231 92,000 7.5

Buckfield I56 6I.OOO 7.3

Dixfield 125 1+0,300 6.0

Rumford 965 295.000 5-7

TOTAL- lU,077 502,300

The Army Engineers' preliminary analysis of the annual charges of these
reservoirs and the annual flood benefits shows that the flood benefits would
be only half to two-thirds of the total annual costs.

Power The Androscoggin River has been developed more highly than any other
river in Maine, Irirgely because of the steepness of the river slope, the large
amount of storage, aiid the demand for power created by the textile and pulp and
paper plants along the river. Of the approximately 353,000 horsepower avail-
able on this river, 2U6, 1^169 horsepower are at present developed. This is U5^
as much as the total installed capacity in all Maine.

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Of the total power developed in the Androscoggin basin, over three-quarters,
or 185,619 horsepower, is in Maine, with 179,023 horsepower on the main river
and 6596 horsepower on the tributaries. In the New Hampshire portion of the
basin 60,850 horsepower is developed, all on the twelve-mile stretch of the
main river between Berlin and Shelburne, The total heads utilized on the
main river in the two states are: New Hampshire, 291 feet; Maine, 484 feet.
Three hundred thirty-three feet of head are developed on the tributaries.

Between 1910 nnd 1928, the installed capacity was increased from 123,455 to
242,831 horsepower, an average annual increase of 6632 horsepower; since 1928
net increase has amounted to only 3633 horsepower. This reduced rate of
growth has been due in general to tiie economic depression, and in particular
to the withdrawal of the textile industry from this area. The installation,
in 1932, of a 68,000 horsepower plant on the Kennebec River at Bingham has un-
doubtedly contributed to the falling-off of power development on the Andros-
coggin.

According to unpublished data in the Augusta office of the U.g.G.S. the exist-
ing plants with wheel capacities of over 1000 horsepower are as follows;

River

In Maine

Androscoggin River
Androscoggin River
Androsco5::^.in River
Androscoggin River
Androscoggin River
Androscoggin River
Androscoggin River
■Androscoggin River
Androscoggin River
Androscoggin River
Androscoggin River
Androscoggin River
Androscoggin River
Ajidroscoggin River
Androscoggin River

Little Androscoggin I

Location or Plant

Wheel Capacity - H.P.

:iver

Brunswick

1932

Brunswick

4200

Brunswick

6000

above Brunswick

3084

Lisbon Falls

1489

Le^iston

23,666

Deer Rips

16,150

Gulf Island

27,000

Liverniore Falls

10.800

Chisholm

9426

Jay

3500

Riley

6963

Rumford

4669

Rumford

14,744

Rumford Falls

39,000

Mechanic Falls

1907

In New Hampshire

Androscoggin River

-\ndroscoggin River

Androscoggin River

Shelburne 3000

Shelburne 4900

Gorham 2700

Gorham . 6000

Cascade Mill(Berlin) 10,300

Cross Plant (Berlin) 4750

Glen Mill No.5(Perlin) 4000

Glen Mill B (Berlin) 4600

Glen Mill C (Berlin) 5100

^averside (Berlin) 15,000

These 26 installations have a total of 240,380 horsepower, of which 179,530 is
in Maine and 60,850 in New Hampshire. The remaining 6089 horsepower is devel-
oped at plants with installed capacities ranging from 120 to 900 horsepower.

The largest development on the Androscoggin in that of the Oxford Paper Com-
pany at Rumford Falls, where 39,000 horsepower is developed under a head of
92 feet; the second largest is the Central Maine Power Company's Gulf Island
plant, above Lewiston, which has a wheel installation of 27.000 horsepower
utilizing a head of 50 feet.

The best power sites on the main stream have already been developed, but in-
vestigations have revealed possibilities for developing 10U,577 additional
horsepower on the main river and its tributaries. Of this amount 9U,760 would
be on the main river, with 62,870 in Maine and 31,890 in New Hampshire. The
sixteen undeveloped sites on the main river which are most promising are
listed below:

Undeveloped horse-

Drainage Area

Head

power for flow

Location Sq. Mi.

Feet
11+

60fo of time

Donovan Rips 329O

k^-(0

Ran Island Rips 2640

5920

East Peru 23 50

5320

Dixfield 2210

U28O

Rumford to Bear River ISUO

3^70

Bethel Rips I7OO

Uoco

Pleasant River to Giltad I67O

1+930

Gilead I6U0

U660

(Maine — New Hampshire line)

Shelburne

1550

2790

Peabody Rips

If^lO

3620

Puis if er Rips

lUoo

5880

Below Pontoocook Dam

1250

8250

Above Pontoocook Dam

12^0

22UO

Mollidgewock Rips

1220

2920

Errol Dam and Rips

1100

3300

(New Hampshire-

-Maine

line)

Urabagog Lake to Pond-
in-river

520

150

Total

In view of the static market for power in this basin during the last few years
it is doubtful if new privileges will be developed in the immediate future. ;.
additional power is needed, there is greater likelihood of the redevelopment
and improvement of existing plants.

The storage on the Androscoggin River is highly developed and is operated with
little waste. The draiiKigo area above the daia at Errol, aaounting to IO95
square miles, is well controlled by storage reservoirs v/hose normal capacity i
678,500 acre-feet and which can be increased to 759, CCO acre-feet. Additional
storage of 103,500 acre-feet is obtainable in this area, and if added would
raise the total of storage above Errol to SbO.OOO acre-feet.

Between Errol and Rumford very little storage is added, the total above Rum-
ford being 62S,COO acre-feet, only about 10,000 acre-feet more than that above
Errol. Between Rumford and Brunswick, the increase in storage is S7,000 acre-
feet, making the storage capacity above Brunswick 11^,000 acre-feet.

The best site for new storage is below the confluence of the Swift Diamond and
Dead Diamond Rivers. A reservoir here would impound about 90,CC0 acre-feet
of water.

The U. S. Army Engineers, in connection with their flood control investigations
on the Androscoggin River,, carried out during 1936. found that a combined devel-
opment for power and flood control at Rumford would be practicable. The flood
control storage at this reservoir would be 23^,000 acre-feet, and power storage
would be 297,000 acre-feet; with a head of 33 feet, an installation of about
15,000 horsepower could be made. A reservoir at this site would furnish
storage for installations below the site now developing a total head of USU
feet. An additional 7I feet of undeveloped head below the site would be
benefitted by this storage.

The other sites investigated by the Army Engineers, in addition to that at
Rumford, were at Dixfield, Buckfield and Oxford, v.-here it was found that there
could be developed reservoirs of 41,300 acre-feet, 6l,000 acre-feet and 92,000
acre-feet capacity respectively.

Navigation There is no water-borne commerce on the river, not even to
Brunswick, at the head of tidewater, about 3 miles upstream from Merrymeeting
Bay. Thus far there has not been enough' demsuid to justify the expense of
providing navigation facilities.

Erosion Erosion occurs on many small areas throughout the basin, frequently
on good farm lands. As in the Kennebec basin, the attendant problems are not
serious, since only two areas exhibit moderate or severe conditions.

Drainage The characteristically sharp slope of the basin above the estuary
reduces swamp areas to land pockets or lake, pond and stream shores. All the
swamps and marshes shelter wildlife, but only in small, scattered localities
does the local mosquito nuisance justify artificial drainage.

Recreation To preserve the social and economic values of recreation, partic-
ular care must be given to such natural factors and assets as fish and game
population, attractive bathing and boating, and general scenic values. Pol-
lution abatement along the main river would increase recreational use of the
river banks and would make possible the ret-urn of desirable fish species.
Nevertheless, the cost involved in such abatement might exceed the financial
assets.

Too often recognition of the close relationship between all water resources and
recreation is slight. Before being undertaken, all water resources improve-
ment projects should be reviewed by authorities qualified to anticipate the
reaction of each improvenent upon recreation and wildlife assets.

PRE SUMP SCOT BASIN

GSMEIUL liB SCRIP TION

The Presumpscot River flows from Sebago Lake so-atheast a distance of
17 miles to Casco Bay, Just north of Portland. The basin is aoout 55
miles long and has a maxirau.ii width of 20 miles. Its drainage area is
615 square miles, U36 sciuare miles of which are above the outlet of
Sebago Lake. Above Sebago Lake the main strefjn, called Crooked P.iver,
drains an area of somewhat less than 200 square miles in a distance of
nearly U5 miles. The v.'a,ter area in the basin is 81 square miles or 13.1^
of the total area, the largest percentage of water area in any Maine
basin. Sebago Lake accounts for U5 square miles of this water surface.

The Presumpscot Basin is rolling except in the southern portion, iivhich .
is comparatively level; the total fall below Sebago Lake is less than
270 feet. The rock formation is mostly granite having a soil cover of
glacial sand and gravel. About 20^ of the dr^^inage area is cleared farm
land, two-thirds of which was harvested in 193^. Ti^e remainder of the
area, except for scattered settlements, is woodland, most of which has
been cut over and is re-seeding to mixed hardwoods and conifers.

The average precipitation in the basin is about U2 inches annually,
fairly evenly distributed throughout the year, and varying only slightly
in the different parts of the basin. Average summer temperature is
about 66° and average winter temperature varies from 20° to 2U°, being
milder near the ocean.

There are no important tributaries to the Presumpscot River other than
the Crooked River mentioned above.

Discharge is recorded at a gaging station at the outlet of Sebago Lake.
The records for this station are summarized in Table III-A.

The hydrograph on Chart U shows the aver?ige monthly runoff during the
past 15 years at Sebago L^ice outlet. The average ro-q:ulated runoff from
the drainage area of U36 square miles above this st,-ition is I.U7 cubic
feet per second per square mile.

mmj^ OCCUPANCY

Population The population of this basin in 1S30 was slightly over

2^,000, exclusive of a small section of Portland which is drained by
the Presumpscot River, but which it is more logical to tre?t when
Portland is discussed as a whole in the Maine-1-Tew Hampshire Coastal
Basin chapter. Hie ponulation was practically stationary from I92O to
193'3. Because there are extensive woodlands in the north, that portion
is thinly inhabited; hence the average density of population in the
basin is only UO per square mile.

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Only three towns have more than 25OC inhabitants - Westbrook, 10,S07,
Ck)rham, 3035i Bridgton, 2659; small portions of these communities lie
in adjacent basins. About a third of the population is in small vil-
lages or on farms, mostly in the lower part of the basin.

The net growth in population between 192O and I93O practically paralleled
that of the adjacent city of Portland, which had an increase of only
about 255. Westbrook, however, increased lU^, due apparently to its
activity in manufacturing, past trends indicate that future growth will
be slow ajid will occur in the lower part of the basin.

Agriculture Parm land comprises about two-fifths of the area and of

this about one-fourth is wooded. Farm land value in Cumberland county
is considerably higher than the average for the state. Proximity to
Portland and readj' access to population points outside of the state, in
addition to the market created by the summer population, contribute to
the value of farming interests. The value of farm products in 193*^ was
about $5,000,000, of which the greater part was derived from dairy and
poultry products. Because the land is fertile and the market conditions
favorable, agricultural activity may be expected to increase in the
Presumpscot basin.

Industry Pulp and paper manufacturing is the most important industry,

but there are also several small textile, lumber and miscellaneous manu-
facturing plaJtits in the lower part of the basin. These were originally
■attracted by the water power produced on the main river. The value of
paper and other products manufactured at Westbrook and other points in
1933 was about $7,500,000.

Industrial activity in this region is dependent largely upon the paper
mills, as they employ over half of the industrial workers. Since the
power sites of the river are almost fully developed, and since indus-
tries were originally attracted to the region by the water resources for
power and processing, it is probable that future developments will come
in the field of small establishments for which there is an ample supply
of purchasable power.

Mining The only granite quarry is in Westbrook, and there are no

other commercial mining operations.

Lumbering Much white pine has been cut in the past; but since the

mature grov/th of this species has been depleted, the principal timber
resource is hardwood which supplies several wood-working establishments.
Paper mills located in the region secure their supply of pulpwood from
outside points.

As there is practically no pulpwood in the basin, which is so plentiful
in many Maine watersheds, lumbering will probably be confined to the
cutting of hardwoods for wood-using industries already established.
It is probable also that the present immature growth of white pine will
constitute an important supply of merchantable timber.

Recreation Land used for recreation constitutes a larger proportion

of the Presumpscot watershed than is the case in any other Maine basin.
While the main stream does not now serve intensive recreational purposes.

it could if freed of excesaive pollution. Tne tributary lakes, ponds
and streams all serre recreation and wildlife to some extent. At
practically all of the lakes, the most popular of which is Sebago, fav-
orable transportation facilities have induced a development of summer
colonies which represents a sizeable financial investment.

The h^eadwaters of the Presumpscot system drain a mountainous section
where wildlife abounds and the waters throughout the basin tributary
to the main stream shelter many species of fish. Deer pjid small game
are numerous, while landlocked salmon, brook trout, bass and waterfowl
are also plentiful. The prevalence of such g.?rae in this scenic and
accensible region has {gained for the basin recognition as one of the
most favored recreational districts in the state.

Transportation There is no commercial water tr.ansportation on the

Presumpscot River, nor has the Federal Government ever made nJiy improve-
ments for navigation. Tidewater extends to prestirapscot ?alls, about two
and nne-half miles frora the mouth of the river, A portion of this
section contains p natural six foot channel.

The highways of this basin are nrcimerous and are in general adequate for
the needs of present traffic. Eventually a by-pass in the for:n of a
coastal highway around Portland vd'll probably be needed.

The lower T)ortion o-f the basin is served 'oj the Boston and Maine Rail-
road centering in Portland. A Maine Central line luns the length of
the basin from Portland to North Conway, ITew Ha'np shire. Except in
the upper hilly region there are sufficient railv/ay connections.

There are at present no landing fields in this basin, but sea-plane
facilities are available on Sebaeo Lake.

WATER USE AI'TD CON TROL

Pollution The acute pollution problems of the Presumpscot watershed

originate on the main river, below the outlet of Sebago Lake, This
lake, the source of the largest public water supply system in Maine,
provides water of exceptional quality. The area tributary to the Lalce,
including the Sebago-Kaples-Long Lai^e region, offers unusual recrea-
tional attractions v/hich have accounted for the establishment of about
30 boys' and girls* summer camps. Sanitary conditions here undergo
constant inspection, and at present the generally satisfactory condition
is attested by the purity of Sebago Lake '.vater.

The only significant source of domestic pollution is at Westbrook, where
a system serving about 6OOO people discharges untreated sewage into the
Pre sijunp scot.

Tlrie industries in this -basin employ ap^iroximately 3»200 of which number
three pulp and paper plants account for ISOO, and textile mills for 66c.
The wastes from these -olonts as well as uncollected .domestic sewage from
many of the it: ill villages are continuously entering t?'.e stream without
treatment. Because the stream flow is comparatively small, due

partly to the diversion of water from Sebago Lalce for Portland's water
supply, f p discharfe of 'wastes ^1. ces .-- heavy burden on the river,

Undouhtcdly the cont.-aminated condition of the Presumpscot retards the
local recreational use of the stream, and pollution, augmented by in-
adequate fishways, accounts for the absence of desirable fish species.
The health hazard involved is reduced, however, since the only dense
settlement on the seriously polluted part of the river is the city of
Westbrook,

Although municipalities and industries are aware of the existing un-
sanitary conditions, the expense of installing treatment plants has
delayed action, although there exists a polluted condition which ap-
proaches or exceeds the intensity of that on the Androscoggin River.

A sanitary survey of the Presumpscot would supply necessary technical
data for future improvement of present conditions. The survey should
cover all factors that may influence recreation, wildlife, industry,
or public health.

Wster Supply The surface and ground v/ater supply throughout the

basin is adequate, and all concentrated communities of over lOCO
persons draw upon public supplies. All but five of the supply systems
in the watershed are linked to the Portland Water District System,
which serves nearly all of the basin south of Seba^go Lake as well as
several nearby municipalities on the coast. The Portland ',7ater system
secures exceptionally desirable water from Sebago, its sole source.
This system regularly serves municipalities with a resident population,
in 1930, of over 100,000 — onL3-eighth of the entire population of Maine -
and during the va.cation season it serves many summer colonies in addition.

The primary water supply problem of the presumpscot is the protection
of the Sebago Lake source without imposing unnecessaiT limitations on
recreational growth.

Flood Control The large amount of storage on this river reduces flood

peaJcs to a minimum. There has been little or no dpjnage in the valley
except on the tributaries, and such damage as has occurred has been in-
significant. No opportionity exists for any material increase in storage
except by raising the levels of lakes and ponds and this 'ffould result in
high flowage damages. It may therefore be concluded that additional
measures of flood control on this basin are not econoraicall.y justified.

Power The Presumpscot River is a natural power stream due to the

large amount of storage in the Sebago Lake system and the steep fall
of the river, about 266 feet in 22 miles, or 12.1 feet per mile. The
river is completely developed between Sehago Lake and tidewater, with
9 installations totalling 21,965 horsepower and a total head of 2U9.5
feet.

The only pl.ants with installations of 1000 horsepower or over are on
the main river below Sebago Lake. They are, beginning near the

mouth and going upstream:

Location of Plant Wheel Capacity, H. P.

Smelt Hill lOCO

Cumberland Mills 20U0

Saccarappa 2U45

Mallison Falls 1^30

Little Falls 2100

Gambo Falls 203O

Dundee Palls 5OOO

Great Falls 2920

Eel Weir 3OOO

The remaining developments, with capacities ranging from 100 to 52O horsepow<=r
are on Crooked River, Stevens Brook and the Piscataqua River. The total in-'' '
stallation at these plants is I232 horsepower.

The grand total of the main river and tributary installations amounts to

23,197 horsepower. Most of this power is used for lumber manufactures, only I

USyO horsepower being utilized by hydro-electric plants..

As noted above, an outstanding feature. of this river is its storage. The I9IS
report of the Maine Water Storage Commission lists 69 lakes and ponds in the
watershed, with a combined water surface of 81 square miles, or 13.1^ of the
basin area. Ninety percent of the water surface is provided by the Sebago Lake
system.. The total volume of storage, 321,000 acre-feet, is utilized by the
nine plants on the river.

The development of power on the river has been carried to the economic limit and
no further opportunities for development exist. The remodelling of existing
plants might increase the power output of the river, but sucn increase would
be comparatively small.

Navigation Tide-water extends to Presumpscot Falls, about two and one-half
miles from the mouth of the river. A natural si::-foot ch.annel exists in a
portion of the tide-water section. This tide-water section is now being in-
vestigated to determine if improvement of the channel is warra,nted.

Erosio n Slight sheet erosion with occasional gulliqs occurs in several parts
of the watershed, but moderate sheet erosion is confined to one small area north
of Wastbrook.

Drainage As in the Androscoggin Sasin, swamp areas are confined here to land
pockets or lakes, pond and stream shores. No drainage of these sections is nec-
essary except in a few places where the mosquito nuisance is obnoxious.

Recreation The southern section of the basin mi-ht serve local recreation to
a greater degree than it now does, but to achieve this near the cities of West-
brook and Portland, where it is most needed, would entail not only elimination
of pollution, but also restriction of industrial use of the river. Throughout
the area there is urgent need of preserving 'the balance betvveen sanitation re-
quirements and those of recreation and wildlife.

SAGO BASIN

GEIJEEAL DESCRIPTION

The Saco "basin has a drainage area of 1730 square miles, of which 830 square
miles are in Maine and 900 in New Hampshire. The basin is about 70 miles long
and, at maximum, 45 miles wide. The river rises in the White Mountains and
flows southeast for- a distance of 30 miles to the New Hampshire-Maine boundary
line and thence continues southeast for 30 miles to the head of tidewater at
Siddeford, five miles above its mouth.

The headwaters region is high and rugged, with very steep valley and river
slopes. The topography is rolling in the mid-portion of the basin, and fairly
level near the coast. The river falls rapidly in the' New Hampshire part of
its course, then falls only 173 feet in the first 62. miles below the state
line, and finally drops 221 feet in the 19 miles between Bonny" Eagle Dam and
tidewater.

The general rock formation is granite, with some limestone and schist; the soil
cover is glacial sand and gravel. Much of the area is foresterls nrimarily with
conifers, but in the lower portions of the basin, large areas have been cut
over and are re-seeding to hardwoods. About lOl of the basin, mostly in the
level river valleys and the lowlands near the coast, is in crop or pasture land.

The average annual rainfall ranges from 36 inches near the coast to 46 inches
in the interior and reaches as high as' 32 inches at the sumrnit of, Mt^ Washing-
ton. The rainfall is faii-ly reil dis-ufibiited throughout the year, although it
is slightly greater in s'amirier than in i:he other seasons. The summer temperature
average? about 66° except in the mountains, where it is somewhat lower. Average
winter temperatures vary from 15° to 25°, depending on altitude and latitude.

Ossipee River, the principal tributary, flows out of OsBipee Lake, which is fed
by streams rising in the Sandwich and Ossipee Mountains. Its length, between
Ossipee Lake and its jiinction with the Saco River at Cornish, Maine, is about
20 miles. Ossipee Lake, the largest body of water in the Saco basin, has a
water area of 6.1 square miles and controls 327 of the 455 square miles in the
Ossipee River basin.

Records of stream flow at Center Conway, Cornish, and West Buxton gaging sta-
tions are kept by the TT. S. Geological Survey in cooperation with the states
of Maine and Few Hampshire. These' records are publir,hed in the U. S. Oeclogi-
cal S'lrvey Water S^ipply Papers, Part I - North Atlantic Slope Basins. The
figures in Table IIl-A are summarized from unpubliphed records of the U. S.
Geological S".rvt^y as well as from, the Survey's published Papers.

The hydrograph- on Chart 4 shows the average monthly runoff during the past 15
years at West Buxton on the Saco River. The average runoff from the drainage
area of 1572 square miles at this station is 1.88 cubic feet per second per
square mile.

100

HUMAN OCCUPANCY

PopTilation In 1930 the Saco tasin had a populd^tion of 48,500, about 3^
less than that in 1920. Foiir-fifths of the inhatitants are in Maine. The
average population density of the basin is about 29 per square mile; of the
Maine portion, 45 per square irile; of the New Hampshire portion, 10 per
square mile ,

Only three to^rns in the watershed have over 2500 population: Biddeford
(pop. 17,633), Saco (oop. 7,233), and Conway (pop. 3,217). The first two of
these towns, at the outlet of the Saco River on the Maine coast, account for
half of the entire population of the basin. Of the remaining towns, one,
Buxton, has over 1500; four have between 1000 and 1500 inhabitants: and the
others are small villages.

Population in the 1920-1930 dpcade decreased about 3^ as contrasted to the 4^
gain for the state of Maine. The small decrease at Biddeford was off set by an
equal gain at Saco. Gains and losses of all communities are indicated on
Map 7. The future trend :'?ill probably depend upon the success of manufactur-
ing interests.

Agriculture About one-third of the area is in -farm land, and of this a large
portion is woodland. The soil fertility is not hi^'h, as is inrUcated by an
acreage value slightly under the average for the state of Maine. The value of
agricultural prorlucts, about one-half of which was derived from dairy and
poultry operations, was in 1930 about $3,000,000. Woodlots contributed a small
part of farm revenue. There is no indication of marlred changes in agricult-
ural conditions except possibly a continuing trend toward specialized activ-
ities, such as poultry raising.

Industry Piddeford and Saco, the industrial centers of the region, produce
cotton textiles, textile machinery an.d shoes. Cotton manufacturing gives em.-
ployment to two-thirds of the workers. The value of products manufactured at
Biddeford in 1933 was about $14,000,000.

Labor troubles in Biddeford have at timer, caused apprehension concerning the
continuance of some of the industries. If satisfactory industrial relations
obtain in the future, m,oderate growth in manu.facturing will result.

Mining The only miniif^, operations in thir. basin have been the quarrying
of small amounts of granite in the vicinities of Mollis and Fryeburg.

Lumbe ring Unlike most of th<= Maine river basins, the Saco produces no
pulpwccd. This is s.ccounted for by the fact that it lies in the white pine
rather than the spruce belt. The amo^mt of lumbering carried on is at pres-
ent comparatively small because of the immature growth of the pine stands. In
the lumber industry the trend appears to be towe.rd the development of exist-
ing young forests which will in tim.e produce merchantable pine. The nearness
of the region to wood-usirg m.arkets is a factor favorable to the production
of lumber.

Recreation The territory at headwaters and at the mouth of the river are
the only sections of the basin which have teen intensively developed for rec-
reational use. The New Hairpshire tributaries drain -nrecipitous White Mountain
slopes, while in Maine the tributary scenic lakes lie in hilly terrain. These
characteristics make the region ideal for siimmer homes and children's camps.
At the mouth, of the river, the summer population has occupied nearly all the
ocean front.

In the central part of the watershed, except for scattered lakes and two major
canoe routes, the principal recreation value depends upon wildlife. Nearly
all types of native wildlife except moose and bear are to be found in large
numbers; a fishway at Biddeford facilitates fish migration into the valley
streams.

Transportation Although the Saco Biver ?ias an 3-foot channel at mean low
water to Saco and Biddeford, about five miles from the ocean, commercial trans-
portation is hampered by the fact that the railroad line through these cities
does not connect with the wharves.

The basin is provided with a system of main and secondary roads which meets
most traffic requirements. However, improvement of the main arteries across
the southern end of the basin and those into the upland recreation area is
needed.

The lower end of the basin is crossed at Biddeford and Saco by the main line of
the Boston and Maine Railroad from Boston to Portland. Additional service is
provided by the mountain division of the Maine Central from Portland to St.
Johnsbury, Vermont, and by the Conway branch of the Boston and Maine from
Portsmouth.

Existing landing fields are located at Biddeford, West Baldwin, Freedom and
North Conway. Daring the summer of 1936 there was regiilar v;eek-end air ser-
vice between North Conway and New York, but to date there has been no other
scheduled air service to points in the Saco basin.

WATER T^SE ANI) CONTROL

Pollution The major part of the pollution of the Saco River is caused by
the domestic sewage and industrial waste discharge from the twin cities of
Saco and Biddeford, which have a combined riopulation of 24,800, 73^ of the
population in the Maine section of the basin. In these cities textileplants em-
ploying 3700 persons, and boot and shoe plants employing 80^^ are the chief
sources of the river's industrial pollution. The detrimental effect of this
contamination is felt not only in the immediate vicinity of the two cities
but also, more acutely, at summer resorts along the shore, particularly Bid-
deford Pool, Old Orchard Beach and Prout ' s Neck.

Above Saco and Biddeford pollution problems are minor, and of local signifi-
cance. Both domestic and industrial wastes discharged into the river from
New Hampshire sources are small and probably negligible.

102

Water Supply Surface and ground water supplies are normally abxindant through-
out the drainage area. The nine Maine towns in the basin which are served ty
public systems' include all the communities of over 200 houses. The sources of
supply are evenly divided between springs, wells and streams. The largest
towns, Biddeford and Saco, are served by water taken from the lower reaches of
the Saco River and treated by coagulation, filtration and chlorination. Ex-
tension of established systems, or construction of new ones, will eventually
be required to meet the needs of growing summer colonies. Future surface
supplies in the Maine area may require filtration, because most of the avail-
able watershed areas are developed for agricultural and residential use to
such an extent that the water supplies may be contaminated.

In the New Hampshire portion there are several public surface supplies, none
of which is treated. According to the 193d Report of the State Board of
Health, the quality of the water from the supplies serving Bartlett and

Conway is so \insatisfactory as to make installation of treatment plants

advisable.

There are innumerable sources of pure water supply in the New Hampshire
section of the basin.

Flood Control In the past 60 years therie have been six high floods.
The last four have occurred in the period during which records have been
kept by the U. S. Geological Survey at West Braxton, Uaine. Of these four,
the 193^1 flood, by far the greatest, amounted to 58,200 cubic feet per
second peak discharge and caused damages, as determined by the U. S. Army
Engineer, of $1,610,000, divided between $1,192,000 for direct damages
and $UlS,000 for indirect damages. The principal damage was the destruction
of highway bridges, entailing losses amounting to over $U00,0C0. In-"
dustrial, commercial and public utility losses amounted to another $U00,000.

The 1923 flood was the second largest on record, the maximum discharge being
27,300 cubic feet per second. The 1927 flood which did so much damage on
the Vermont rivers does not fall in the list of the four highest in the
Saco Basin. The I896 flood, the discharge of which is estimated to have
been Uo,000 c.f.s. at Biddeford, was greater than the I923 flood but less
than the 193*^ flood; the resulting damage was well below $500,000. Spring
floods caused by heavy rainfall and melting snow are most likely- to yield
maximum discharges.

From a study of the possibilities of flood control reservoirs in the val-
ley made by the U. S. Army Engineers and reported in House Document #659,
71st Congress, 3rd Session, the Engineers concluded that although flood ■
control reservoirs are the most practicable means of preventing floods,
the possible benefits from a system of such reservoirs T»rould be out of
proportion to the cost of building and maintaining them.

The 1936 investigations by the Army Engineers disclosed that the two
best reservoir sites were above Hiram and at Ossipee Lake, as noted in
the following section^

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105

Power The existing devrlopments on the Saco River have a total installar-
tion of 39,291 horsepower, of which 37,046 horsepower are on the main river
and 2,245 on the tributaries. Between the Maine-New Hampshire houndary and
tidewater 226 of the 394 feet of head available on the main stream are util-
ized. In addition to the existing power, there are 25,430 potential horse-
power in the river system, divided bet'^een 21,740 horsepower on the main
river and 3690 on the tributaries.

The two largest installations are the Bonny Eagle nlant (wheel capacity, 14,400
horsepower) and the West Buxton plant (wheel canacity, 11,160 horsepower).
Both of these plants are used for generating electric power. Ninety-one per
cent of the power, or 35,896 horsepower, is developed by public utilities;
the remainder is used by textiD.e and lumber mills.

The present developments of 1000 horsepower or over, all of 7/hich are on the
main river in Maine, as listed by the TJ. S. Geological Survey as of January 1,
1937, are:

Location of Plant Wheel Capacity, H.P.

Biddeford 1050

Biddeford 1473

Union Falls 1000

Bar Mills 1788

Bar Mills 1275

West Brixton 11,160

Bonny Eagle 14,400

Hiram Falls 3750

The above-named capacities total 35,396 horsepovier. The remaining 3395
horsepower are developed by 11 plants v/ith wheel capacities ranging from 100
to 950 horsepower. The four largest of these 11 are hydro-electric plants
which, together, develop 2325 horsepower.

As the best sites on the river have been utilized, and as there is but a small
amount of storage to provide for low water regulation, there is little likeli-
hood of economical development of additional power. The best opportunities
for obtaining additional power lie in the re-development of existing plants,
as at the Biddeford-Saco site, where the Cumberland County Power and Light
Company, is now constructing a new dam and hydro-electric plant which will de-
velop an average operating head of 44 feet. The capacity of the Kaplan pro-
peller type water wheel which is to be installed will be 9000 horsepower.

Four other sites are listed by the Army Engineers in House Doc. 659, 71st Con-
gress, 3rd Session as being worthy of consideration for development or re-
development:

Location Kead-ft. Horsepower

Re-development

Great Falls 75 5950

106

Losation ; Head-ft. Horsepower

Hew Developments ■

Union Falls 70 10,000

;Limington Falls 21 2,100

High Rips Ik 1,650

It may be feasible to redevelop the Great Falls site, destroyed by fire and
flood in 1936, to produce 2200 horsepower under a head of I7 fe3t.

Although .there are' approximately 120 lakes and ponds tributary to the Saco
system, they are so small that their combined water surface is only U3 square
miles, 2.5^ of the basin area. Ossipee Lake is the largest, with 6.1 square
miles, and Kezar Lake, in Maine, the nest largest, has a water area of 3.9
square miles. The total storage in ■ the basin is about 85,000 acre-feet.

According to Maine Water Storage Commission report (I9I8), about '317,000
acre-feet of additional storage can be obtained, of virhich 229.000 acre-feet
would be -in a reservoir located 2 miles above the town of Hiram.

Investigations have recently been made by the U. S. Army Engineers to determine
the flood storage possibilities in the river. Two sites appeared to offer the
greatest advantages: the one above Hiram (referred to by the Engineers as the
Fryeburg reservoir) and another at Ossipee Lake. The Fryeburg site afforded
the best opportunity for combined storage for pov;er and flood control.

The Engineers estimated that if power storage were provided in the Fryeburg
reservoir, a low water flo~ of 1,220 cubic feet per second could be obtained,
and that this would be capable of producing, annually, approximately 21,000,000
kilowatt-hours of primary energy at a power development just below the dam. The
additional annual outpat of primary energy at the existing downstream plants
would be 17,000,000' kilov.'att-hours", arid if the potential power were developed,
the total output on the ri^^er would be increased by 65.000,000 kilowatt-hours.

Without any power development at the reservoir, the storage would be available
for an increased. low water flow which would produce an additional UU, 000, 000
kilowatt-hours of primary energy annually. Adding to this the potential power
at -undeveloped sites, the- total annual output could "be increased to 87,000,000
kilowatt-hours. One hundred twenty-seven feet of the total 2I3 feet of devel-
oped head beloT/ the situ have sufficient capacity to benefit from increased low
flow. This head includes the re-developed head of kk feet at Biddoford.

If the Fryebiirg reservoir were constructed primarily as a flood control reser-
voir, and the reservoirs were assumed to be half filled at the beginning of
the dry- season, the increased low-water flow of the river at West Buxton v;ould
be as follows: with Fryeburg reservoir alone, 53^ cubic feet per second; with
Ossipee Lake reservoir alone, 23S cubic feet per second; and with both Frye-
burg and Ossipee Lake reservoirs, 6bS cubic feet per second.

The corresponding annual power benefits to existing plants provided by this
incree.sed flow would be: with Fryeburg reservoir alone, 12,000,000 kilowatt-
hours; with Ossipee Lake reservoir alone, 1+, 000, 000 kilowatt-hours; with both
reservoirs, I6, 000,000 kilowatt-hears.

107

Navigation A channel with a project depth of S feet extends 5 or 6 miles up-
stream to the twin cities of Saco and Eiddeford. Traffic, in 1935. amounted
to 20,760 tons of freight, of which petroleum was the largest single item.
Some shoaling has occurred in this channel and restoration of project depths
has been schedviled for the spring of I938. This will probably meet the needs
of water transportation on the Saco River unless, at some future time, the"
railroad line through Biddeford and Saco is connected with the wharves.

Erosion Along the larger streams of the Saco basin there is slight sheet
erosion, usually accompanied by occasional gullying. In two relatively small
areas, near West Buxton and near Biddeford, erosive action has carried away
at least Z'^'^o of the top-soil, but in no parts of the basin may erosion problems
be termed serious.

Drainage The advantage of conserving the wildlife of swamps, bogs and
marshes as- opposed to tlie desirability of eliminating the mosquito pests of
these areas has prompted caution in specifying drainage proposals. In many
localities, it is believed that the reduction of the local mosquito nuisance
will compensate for the loss of wildlife disrupted by limited drainage. In
the cities of Saco and Biddeford, 7*^ a-nd I50 acres, respectively, of salt
marsh have been indicated as areas where drainage is justified because of the
large summer population located in the coastal sections of these municipali-
ties. The effectiveness of these small drainage activities will demonstrate
the limits within which it is feasible to operate large drainage projects.

Recreation The intensive recreational use of the ocecon shore and tributary
headwater areas warrants protection of recognized vacation sites. The effects
of pollution and water levels upon recreational attractiveness should be
thoroughly investigated before measures of sewage disposal, flood control, or
power development are undertaken.

108

PI SCATAQ.UA BASIN

GEl^HAL DESCRIPTION

The Piscataqua River is a tidal estuary extending northwestward from the
ocean for about 12 miles. Into this estuary, or its tidal arm, Great
Bay, flow the Salmon Fplls, Cocheco, Lamprey, and Exeter Rivers, as well
as numerous smaller streams. The Piscataqua and its chief tributary,
the Salmon Falls, constitute the lower 35 miles of the Maine-New Hampshire
boundary line. The other three tributaries named are all in New Hampshire.

The Piscataqua Basin is about U^ miles long, from north to south, and has
a. maximum vddth, east to west, of JiO miles. The total drainage area above
the mouth is l.OjO square miles, of which 2U0 are in Maire and the re-
mainder in New Hampshire. Total water surface, except for large tidal
expanses, is only about l6 square miles, 1.5^ of the total drainage area.

The basin is irregular in the northern portion, and elsev/here low and
rolling. The Salmon Falls River, with a total fall of 56O feet, is by
far the steepest tributary of the four. Rock formation is granite, and
soil covering is mostly glacial sand and gravel. Twenty per cent of
the area is cleared farm land; the remainder of the basin, exclusive of
urban areas, is covered with socond-grov/th forest land.

Mean annual rainfall in the basin is about 39 inches, evenly distributed
throughout the year. Summer temperature averages about 65°, and winter
temperatures vary with proximity to the coast, from 26° to ?0°.

Of the four principal tributaries of the Piscataqua, the Salmon Palls
River drains the largest area, 3U0 square miles. Plowing south along
the state line from source to mouth, the river is about 32 miles long
and drains aji area about the same length and roughly I/3 as wide.

The Cocheco River rises just southeast of Lajce Winnepesaukee, and flows
southeast a distance of about 35 miles, joining the Salmon Falls River
3 miles below Dover to form the Piscataqua. The total area drained by
the Cocheco is about 220 siuare miles.

The Lamprey River rises in northern Rockingham County and flows, first
south, then east, a total of about Uo miles to Great Bay. The area
drained by the L>amprey comorisus about 180 square miles of the most
thinly-settled part of southeastern New Hampshire.

The Exeter River rises about I5 miles east of Manchester, New Hampshire,
and flows east, then north, about 30 miles through comparatively low
country to Great Bay. It drains n total area of somewhat over 10'^
square miles.

During the past 2 years the U. S. Geological Survey has kept discharge
records at a gaging station on the Salmon Falls River near Lebanon,
Maine. Detailed data for the flow at this station may be found in the
U. S. Geological Survey Water Supply Papers, Part I - North Atlantic
Slope Basins. The figures in the Table III-A are summarized from un-
published records in thp office of the District Engineer at Augusta and
from the published papers of the Survey.

109

The hydrograph on Chart U shows the average monthly runoff daring the
past 3 years at Lebanon. The average runoff from the drainage area of
IU7 sciuare miles, over this period, is l.UO cubic feet per second per
square mile.

HITM-AH OCCUFAIICY

Population This basin in I93O had a population of 87,000, practically

the same --^s that in I92O. Nearly three-fourths of the inhabitants are in
New Hampshire. The density is relatively high, about 85 per square mile
as contrasted to 22 in the Saco River basin adjoining. More than 70^ of
the entire populption is in the ten cities and towns of over 2500 people,
viz. :

Portsmouth, N.H.

iU,U95

Dover, " "

13,573

Sanford, Maine

13,392

Hochester, N.H.

1C,2C9

Sc-uersworth, " "

5,680

Exeter, " "

U,g72

Kittery, Maine

U.i^o

?armington, N.H,

2,692

So. Berwick, Maine

2, 650

Newmarket, N.H.

2,511

Only about 20^ of Sanford is in the Piscataqua watershed, the remninder
being in the watershed of the Mousam River, one of the Maine-New H.impshire
coastal group. Portsmouth, an important trading center, is the seaport
of New Hampshire, Portsmouth Navy Yard, "the only navy yard in New
Ha'npshire," is actually in Kittery, Maine on Portsmouth Harbor. Dover,
Sanford, Rochester and Soraersworth are important manufacturing and business
centers.

In the I92C-I93O decade, when popul-^tion increased in M^ine nearly kfo, and
in New Hampshire 5'/, there was almost no increase in population in the
Piscataqua basin. Of the ten towns having over 25Cf> population, only four —
Somersworth, Kittery, South Berwick and Newmarket — decreased; the entire
group of ten towns had a net increase of kfo. Future population changes
will probably be in proportion to the increase or decrease in industrial
activity.

Agriculture Agricultire in this region is largely of a specialized

type, with farms somewhat smaller than the average farm in Maine and New
Hampshire one-third of the total farm revenue is derived from poultry and
about one-fourth from dairying. On account of the fair quality of the
soil in certain sections and the proximity to large markets, the 1930
value of farm land and buildings was $62 per acre in Rockingham County and
$50 in Strafford County. (These two counties include fully three-fourths
of the territory in the Piscataqua basin.) According to the U. S. Census
of Agriculture, the farn revenue in the Piscataqua basin in 1930 was about
$6,000,000.

110

In this region the trend is toward a continuance of specialized farming, es-
pecially poultry production. The raising of fruit and other products that
find a ready market- in the near-ty population centers is becoming an important
part of farm activity.

Industry Industrial activity includes several lines of manufactuj:-ing -
shoes, textiles, wood products and many miscellaneous types. In 1933 *^® value
of products manxLfactured in Strafford County, which includes Dover, Eochester
and Somersworth, was over $21,000,000. Those parts of Rockingham and York
counties within the Piscataqua "br-sin accQxinted for about $12,000,000.

On account of the diversified character of manufactures and the evident trend
toward further diversification, it is probable that a moderate increase in-
manufacturing activity will continue in this basin.

Mining Although the rock structure of most of the basin is granite, com-
paratively little quarrying is carried on. Clay deposits -near Epping have
made that town famous for its brick.- There is, however, no reason to believe
that there will be any increase in mining activities.

Lumbering This region is in the white pine belt, but there is a relatively
small percentage of marketable timber. There are extensive areas of young
growth of both pine and hardwood that assure a substantial supply of raw
material for wood-using industries.

Recreation Along the shores of thfe Piscataqua River aJid Great Bay, as
well as on the shores of the few ponds near the headwaters, summer cottages
are to be found in great numbers. Except on the ocean and ponds the primary
recreational value of the basin lies in wildlife, the -supply of which would
normally be plentiful, because the region is a naturally favorable habitat
for many fish and g.ame species. However, hunters and fishermen from nearby
population centers have reduced the numbers to a point \7here wildlife nay,-
from the recreational stfindpoint, soon cease to be an asset.

Transportation The Piscataqua River pro^jer has not been improved for navi-
gation beyond the railroad bridge at Portsuouth. There is, however, a natural
channel depth of about ten feet frou Portsmouth to the junction of the.Cocheco
and Salmon Falls rivers at the upper end of the tidal estuary and the channels
of the Exeter, Lamprey, and Bellamy Rivers, flowing into Great Bay and thence
into the Piscataqua, as well as that of the Cocheco River, have been improved.

There is a good system of highways in the basin. Nevertheless, the construction
of a new bridge across the Piscata-qua and a by-pass around Portsmouth to elim-
inate traffic congestion on Route U. S.#l is now being considered by an Inter-
state Bridge Commission; and the New England Regional Planning Commission has
recommended construction of a freeway across the eastern part of the basin and
redevelopment of the arterial highway running north from this freeway toward
the White Mountains.

Railway service is provided by two lines of. the Boston and Maine Railroad be-
tween Boston and Portland, one of which crosses the basin through Exeter and '
Dover, and the other through Portsmouth and Kittery. The northern end of the
valley is served by a Boston and Maine line fron Dover through Rochester to
North Conway, New Hampshire.

There is at nresent no schpduled air transportation to or from any point in
this tasin. The municipal landing field in Portsmouth is, however, included
in the designated route of U. S. Civil airway #9 from Boston to Bangor and
Bar Eartor,

WATER USE AND CONTROL

Pollution There are sewer systems in New Hampshire cities sjid towns which
have a total population of 45,250; this is 55^ of the entire population in the
New Hampshire portion of the "basin. Of the eight comm.unities having sewerage
facilities', Dover, which discharges its raw sew€:ge into the Cocheco River, is
the only one without treatment works. One community treats its sewage by
means of an Inhoff tank; two, by septic tanks; 4 by sand filters.

Over half of the population of 11,500 in the Maine portion of the basin lives
along the tidal estuary composing the lower Piscataqua.. Kittery, near the
coast (pop. of 4400), has a se-ver system and discharges untreated se'.7age into
tidewater. The other Maine communities of the basin are without public sewer
systems.

In addition to domestic sewage, the river and tributaries receive large
quantities of industrial wastes from various manufactories, principally
wollen textile plants. While the Maine cities of Berwick and South Berwick
are responsible for pollution from woolen wastes, the larger industrial
centers of Dover, Rochester and Portsmouth contribute a higher degree of
pollution, and it is for these cities that corrective measures should first
be considered,

Water Supply The surface and underground water supply in the basin is .
adequate for existing needs as well as for future supplies. In general, water
taken from surface sources requires treatment before use.

Eleven communities in New Hampshire have water supply systems. Several puri-
fication plants are installed where water is taken from surface sources, and
over one-half of the supplies receive chlorination. Dover and Portsmouth,
the largest communities, use wells as their sources of supply.

Maine communities in the basin derive practically all their y/ater from sur-
face sources, and in all but one instance the water is chlorinated. Lebanon,
with a population of 1143, is the only large community without a public water
supply.

Flood Control The series of ponds in the upper end ef the basin and the
Milton Ponds, midway along the course of the river, provide a retarding in-
fluence on floods. Although these water areas are not laxge in -oroportion
to the basin area, they^ are effective in times of high water.

Owing to the deep narrow valley of the river and the small areas of low
borderland along the river, flood control is not urgently needed in the Salmon
Palls River. The territory drained by the other tributaries is so flat
that runoffs are too slow to assume flood proportions.

112

The flood of I936 was the- highest on record. Near South Lebanon, Maine, there
was recorded a peak discharge of 5,^90 cuhic feet per second, equivalent to a
unit discharge of 37.3 cubic feet per second per square mile. This was much
lower than the unit discharges for the same flood on other New England rivers
of equal size.

The present storage controls only a small part of the total area, and the lake
and pond area is o-nly l.^fo of the total basin area. Great East Pond, the
largest lake, has storage of 20,000 acre-feet in the top ten feet, and its
water surface is about 2^6 square miles. The Milton Ponds have a storage
of about 8,500 acre-feet in the top ten feet and a water area of I.3 square
miles. Bow Lake and Pawtuckaway Pond, ^vith areas of 1.8 and l.U square miles,
respectively, are the only other water bodies of more than a square mile in
area. Although theae lakes and ponds contain relatively small amounts of
storage, their location in the river system is such as to be effective in
retarding flood flov/s.

The Army Engineers found, in the course of -their I936 investigation, that
there is a possibility of increasing the available storage by constructing
two additional reservoirs, at Milton and Berwick. The estimated storage of
the Milton reservoir would be US.OOO acre-feet, and of the Berwick reservoir
from U0,000 to 53,000 acre-feet.

The greater portion of th; flood damage in I936 'occurred below the Milton
site and would have been reduced had there been a reservoir here. It is
estimated by the Ariay Engineers that the Milton reservoir would have re-
duced the 1936 flood peak at Lebanon from 5,500 to 2,U00 cubic feet per
second and would have reduced the flood level by about 5 feet, bringing it
to a point at which no flood damage would have resulted. Even a peak
flow of 8,500 cubic feet per second, occ-urring v/ithout the reservoir, would
have been reduced to a point where no damage wo-uLd have resulted.

The investigations by the Army Engineers revealed that the total flood
damage in the I936 flood did not exceed $8,000.

Flood benefit estimates have not been v/orked out for these reservoirs, but
it is doubtful if their construction can be shown to be economical in view
of the small amount of damage which has occurred on the river during past
floods.

Power The Piscataq-ua P.iver, being tidal, has no power developments; how-
ever, there is a total of 19,135 horsepower installed on the tributaries.
The Salmon Palls River has several steep falls that at one time were devel-
oped for power which was. used tnostly by snail manufacturing establishments.
Present developments have an installed capacity of lU,lU0 horsepower devel-
oped at 10 plants, under -a combined head of 37I feet. The remaining power
of the Piscataqua basin is developed at 6 plants on the Cocheco River and
seven plants on various other tributaries. Hydro-electric plants have
installations totalling S86O horsepower.

So. Berwick, Maine

ISOO

Salmon Falls, N. H.

3000

Great Falls (Lower) N.E.

2UOO

Great Falls (Upper) N.H.

3500

Milton, 11. H.

11+70

Dover, 11. H.

itioo

113

The developments of 1000 horsepower or over on the trilmtaries of the Piscat-
aqua, listea by the U, S. Geological Survey, as of o^an^iary 1, I937, are:

River Location of Pla nt TTheel Capacity H.F.

Salmon Falls River
Salmon Falls River
Salmon Falls River
Salmon Falls River
Salmon Falls River
Cocheco River

The total installed capacity in the r.bove list is 13,570 horsepower. The
remainder of the existing developnents, with capacities between 100 and 800
horsepower, have installations totalling 5.?65 horsepower.

The present demand for pov/cr in the basin can be fully net by these supple-
mented by power from public utility companies located in adjacent basins which
can transmit their power economically to any part of the Piscataoua basin.
In vie?; of this fact, it is doubtful if the development of additional power
on the river will be econonicrdly feasible for some time to come.

There are no extensive storag.:' areas in the basin, and this condition, coupled
vv'ith the small natural discharge of the river, prohibits large power installa-
tions. Any increase in storage will very likely have to be j.iade by raising
the water levels of existing ponds. There are tv/o possible sites where an
increase in storage night be obtained. Great East Pond and Milton Pond, both
on the Salmon Falls River. The raising of water levels here v;ould result in
excessive damage claims, owing to the general use of these lakes and ponds
for su'-oner cottages.

Navigation Portsmouth Harbor, the outlet of the Piscataqua River, carried
in 1935 traffic comprising 8,103 passengers -and 317,^98 tons of freight. Over
half of the freight was coal. The controlling depth of the channel to the
Memorial Bridge at Portsmouth is about J.0 feet. Above this point there is no
commercial navigation and the controlling depths vary greatly.

Erosion Moderate sneet erosion appears in a small area along the river
north of Rochester, and in a larger area near Dover there is moderate sheet
erosion with occasional gullies. In the southeastern part of the basin a
rather large area suffers slight sheet erosion and another area on the Maine
side of the outlet is similarly affected. Slight wind erosion is active
along the river in small areas near Berwick, and Eliot, Maine. These erosion
problems are purely local and are of land use rather than water resources
significance.

Drainage It has been suggested by the Maine State Entomologist that 75^
acres of Kittery salt raa,rshland be drained. Relief from the pest will more
than counterbalance wildlife values lost, provided drainage control is applied
only to areas near settled communities.

ilU

Secreution Great Bay, the tidal arm ox" the Piscataqua, would be of far
greater recreational value than it now is if it were not for the amounts of
waste disc-iarged into it or forced into it by tidal action, and if it were
not for the expauises of mud flats exposed at low tide. To date no practical
plan for controllini; tiir-. water level of Great Bay has been devised.

The only other water-recreation problem in the basin arises from the fact
that lalces and ponds normally well adapted to recreational uses have a
fluctuation of water levels due to their use as power storage reservoirs.
This reduces their recreational value, but thus far, there has not been found
a remedy for this sit-uation. In the 1937 Legislative Session a Water Control
Commission was set up for the purpose of studj'-ing and coping with this problem.

115
IvlAllCE—lTEW HAi^SKIBE COASTAL BASINS

GENEFJ^L DESCEIPTION

The Maine — New Hamshire Coastal Basin covers the small coastal areas lying
tetween the Androscoggin, Presumpscot , Saco, Piscataqua and Merrimack Eivers.
The principal streams in this area are the Koyal, Plennebunk and Mousam Rivers
in Maine, and the Hampton River in New Hampshire. This "basin extends along
the coast for about 100 miles, and inland a maximum distance of 25 miles. A
total area of about 750 square miles is included in these several small coast-
al basins.

The area is a coastal lowland, with generally rolling country, except near the
shore, where the topography is flat and there are numerous sections of swamp
land. The underlying rock is granite, covered with glacial sand and gravel.
The coiatline is irreg'ilar and rocky, with headlands which are typical of the
Maine coast, A large percentage of the coastline, especially south of Port-
land, consists of sandy b'^aches separated by small rocky headlands and often
broken by tidal creeks extending to the tidal marshes inland.

This coastal basin is a moderately important agricultural section, with about
21fo of it in cleared crop or pasture land. Most of the remaining area is in
cut-over woodland, much of it on farms. Aside from tidal estuaries, there is
practically no v/ater area, the total amounting to less than l^i>.

The average annual precipitation is about 43 inches, uniformly distributed
throughout the year. It is somewhat greater in the northeastern portion than
along the New Hampshire coast. The winter temperatures average from 24° to
26°, and the stunmer temperature averages about 66°, the yearly range being
less than that in any other part of Maine except the eastern coastal region.

The Eoyal River drains the greater part of the coastal area lying between the
Androscoggin and Presumpscot Rivers. It is a relatively unimportant river and
has but one site which is developed for power.

The Kennebunk River drains the area immediately south of the Saco basin. The
basin is about 15 miles long, 4 miles wide, and has an area of 38 square miles.
Kennebunk Fond, at the extreme headwaters, and Alewives Pond, about midway
along its course, are the only two ponds in the watershed.

The i:ousam River, the largest of these coastal streams, rises just east of the
headwaters of the Salmon Falls River, and flows southeast, draining an area of
nearly 200 square miles. There is some fall in this river and several water
power plants are located along its course.

The Hampton River, formed by tl:e confluence of several small streo.ms in the
salt marshes back of Hampton Beach, is a tidal arm entering the ocean just
south of the Beach.

No discharge records are kept on any of these rivers.

116

HUMAN OCCUPAI-ICY ,...•■

Population The total 1930 population of these detached coastal areas was
159,000, of which Sofc was in Maine. Pb.e region is the most thickly settled
of all the Maine river tasins, the population density being 186 per square mile.
Nevertheless, there are only five cities and towns of over 2500 population,
the largest and most important of which is Portland. All five are in Maine:

Portland 70,810

South Portland 13,840

Sanford 13,392

Kennebunk 3 , 302

York 2,532

T}:ese communities contain nearly three-fourths of the total population of the
basin; the remainder are in small towns, most of which are on the coast. Port-
land, the largest city in Maine, is the trade and wholesale center for western
Maine, and in some lines of commerce it serves the entire state. Although it
has a number of manufa,cturing establishm.ents, it is essentially a railroad
center, a port of entry, and a distribution point. Because of its importance
in these respects, Portland reflects the commercial and industrial activity of
the entire state. Sanford, l^-icated inland on the Mousam and Great Works
rivers, is an active manufacturing and trading comnunity.

Of the five cities and towns of more than 2500 pooulation, only one lost in
the 1920-1930 decade. Portland has grown in each decade since 1900. It in-
creased only 2fo between 1920 and 1930, in contrast to an increase of 18^ in
the previous decade. South Portland, on the other hand, increased 50/0 be-
tween 1920 and 1930. Most of the smaller towns gained slightly. Trends
indicate a moderate growth in the future; the amount of growth will be in-
fluenced by activities throughout the state, including to a marked degree those
related to the recreational industry.

Agriculture Farms in t'ris basin secure About three-fourths of their rev-
enue from dairy and poultry products. The high \init value of farm land can
be attributed to three factors: (1) the ready market (afforded by nearby
population centers and summer colonies) for dairy and poultry products;
(c) the constant demand for sites for summer homes and estates; (3) the com-
paratively small acreage of farms as contrasted to that of the average farm
elsewhere in Maine and New Ham.pshire. The first two factors point to a
consistent increase in farm land value and tend to confirm the assumption
that specialized farming can continue to be successfully carried on in the
basin.

Industry The region contains a variety of industries - shoe, textile,
lumber, canning and others. Portland is the center of manufacturing activ-
ity, and at present manufacturing space, especially in small units, is at
a oremium in that city. In Portland may be found th(- largest canning
factory in New England. Sanford textile mills are noted for their quick
recovery after a severe decline in activity during. the early part of the
depression. The value of products manufnctured in Portl:md in 1933 was a-
bout $16,000,000.

1^7

IncroLised activity anions squall manufacturing escablisiunents is in evidence in
the vicinity of Portland. New enterprises are attracted ty the general com-
mercial activities of that city, and by its importaiice as a transportation
center.

Mining A limited amount of granite quarrying has been carried on in many
localities, but the amour.t of production is low and relatively loniniportant.

Lumbering Timberlands bearing white and Norway pine and hardwoods are
scattered and limited in area. They contain principally young second growth.
Inambering operations are confined to small saw mills. The woodland tracts are
more important for recreational pTjxposes than their timber production. The
only expansion anticipated in lumbering operations v;ill be that brought about
by maturity of young pine stands scattered throughout the region.

Pishing Commercial fishing, carried on on a small scale at some of the
ports, is of value princi^Dally in connection with the summer trade. The only
change anticipated is in the shell fish industry, which is menaced by pollu-
tion and by inadequfite control of the catch.

Hecreation The coast in these basins is a favorite vacation spot attract-
ing visitors in great numbers from this country and Canada. Recreational use
has been so intensive tha.t property values along the seashore are based wholly
upon that demand, and at some beaches prices now exceed fifteen dollars a front
foot and two thousand dollci-rs an acre. Such values illustrate better than can
general description the extent of recreational development along the New Hamp-
shire .'ind southwestern Maine coast. The inland section also has a s^jramer pop-
ulation, but smaller than that on the coast.

Transportation The many harbors and tidal estuaries in this basin are used
almost entirely by pleasui^e craft. Commercial navigation is confined primarily
to Portland Harbor, one of tue best on the Atlantic coast.

The Atlantic coast highway (U. S. Route #1) traverses the basin, and from it
numerous supplementary highwp^s lead to all the important cities and towns in
the area. The Nev/ England Regional Planning Commission has recommended con-
struction of a freeway a few miles inland from Route fl, so as to relieve
congestion on the existing coastal highway.

Railroad service is provided by the shore routes of the Boston and Main'e and
lilaine Central railroads. In addition, direct service fror; Portland to Montreal
and ether Canadian points is furnished by the Canadian National Rail\7ay.

Scheduled air transport service is maintained from the Portland (Stroudwater)
airport to Boston and to Augusta and other points in northern and eastern
Maine. Landi'ig fields are located at Portland, York, 'S.anf'Ord, Scarboro, and
Brunswick, Maine.

118

WAT3E USE MP CONTROL

Pollution The greatest permanent resident concentrations are in the vicinity
of Portland and Sanford. Portland Harbor receives the untreated domestic
wastes of approximately 80,000 people and the industrial wastes from a hetero-
geneous group of small plants employing ahout 5000 people. Since the harbor
and tidal flats nearly surround thp peninsular which the city occupies, an un-
sightly and unl-.ealthy situation exists, Portland harbor is a part of Casco
Bay, on the islands and shores of which there is intensive recreational devel-
opment. Increase in the polluted harbor conditions tends to reduce property
values. Moreover, it will discourage summer visitors from spending their
vacations in the vicinity.

Sanford, a large inland industrial center, has a population of over 1?,000, a
third of which is employed in industry. The industrial wastes, practically
all from shoe or textile plants, perhaps cause less serious pollution than the
domestic wastes, although no treatment is applied to either before entering

the Mousam River.

Downstream on the Mousam, Kennebunk, with 3000 people, increases the river
pollution load with both types of waste. This stream carries svich a heavy
pollution load in proportion to its size that it constitutes a very real men-
ace to public health in the vicinity and retards expansion of the recrea-
tional communities near its outlet.

In other parts of the basin there are two types of pollution problems. One
is the usual result of intensive occupation by summer residents, namely, con-
tamination of lakes and ponds to such extent that bathin.i^ is unpleasant and
fish life is destroyed. The solution to this problem depends on the carrying
out of local sanitary ordinances.

The second type of problem arises from recreational occupancy of ocean beaches.
In the early years circumstances were such that sewerage was a problem for the
individual. More recently, organized systems have been established in con-
centrated areas and through these systems untreated sewage has been discharged
into the nearest waterway. Tl-ie present volumes of waste have created obnoxious
local situations which will become intensified as settlements become more dense.
The greatest handicap is of an engineering and financial nature because the
installation of intercepting mains is made so difficult by low elevationsand
ledges. Improvement in methods of discharge of domestic waste is needed at
Scarboro, Old Orchard Beach, Kennebunk and Wells.

Old Orchard Beach has the largest concentration of summer peoole and hence
presents the m.ost serious problem. Here the year-round population is 1700,
but the hotels have a capacity of 5000, and at times the overnight population
probably exceeds ?0,000.

Water Supply Most of the communities in this area have public water sup-
lies, the sources of which are divided about equally among lakes, streams and
wells. The largest water supply in Maine is taken from Sebago Lake, in the
Presumpscot basin, by the Portland Water District and distributed to Portland,
Falmouth, Gorham, WindJiam, Westbrook, South Portland and other smaller com-
munities.

119

Although present supplies are adequate, opportunities exist along the coast to
develop additional ground and surface soiirces, when and if they are needed. As
ground water sources along coastal sections are sutject to salt water infiltra-
tion if draT,Ti down exoessively , such sources are generally suitable only for
small supplies.

There are several towns in the area rithout public water supplies. If public
health, fire protection, and general convenience were taken into. acooont, in-
stallation of systems in some of these towns would be economically justified.

?loQd Control Bamages from floods on these streams are negligible. The
land which is occasionally submerged is mpstly pasture or woodland, and no
largu communities are located along the rivers. No general application of
flood prevention measures is warranted.

Fov/er Tlie Mousam River is the only stream in this area which has a fall of
any significance. Tiie total power on the river is U7U9 horsepower, developed
at 2 plants, 6 of which h^ve installation of less than 5OO horsepower. The
largest development is at Old Falls, where the plant of the York Utilities
Company has .an installed capacity of 225O horsepower. The same comp.any has
another plant, called New Dam, where 1000 horsepower are developed.

There is an installation at Yarmuutu, on the Eoyal River, where the wheel
capacity is 219 horsepower.

The Kcnneb-onk River has practically no power possibilities. The fall of the
river is rather steep, averaging 15-^ feet par mile, but the discharge of the
river is too meagre to penait other than extremely small power developments.
House Docu'nent #4S1, 71st Congress, 2nd Session, lists three saw mills on the
river with a total rated horsepower of Q-'* ^^ew power could be developed at
some points on the river, but this power would be so small that it wouJ.d not
be economically feasible.

On a tidal arm near the nouth of the Kennebuni: River there is a tidal grist
mill v/hich is still in operation - one of the few in the country.

N avigation Natural harbors and anchorages are numerous along the coast,
and are used by large miribcrs of fishing and pleasure craft. Portland Harbor
has the greatest amount of conmercial shipping, 2,786,363 tons in 1935* The
chief commodity of freight entering the harbor is coal. During the winter
season cargoes, principally grain, are shipped from Montreal and other Can-
adian points to Portland by rail, and thence by boat out of Portland Harbor
because it is open the year round, while the St. Lawrence is frozen over nearly
half the year. The project depth in Portland harbor is 35 feet in the lower
harbor and 3O feet in the main channel and anchorage basin. There is a 12-foot
channel in Back Gove. The removal of two ledges in the main ship channel is
the navigation improve:.ient most needed.

Various New Hampshire aa'encies have investigated the possibilities of, and
recorai.iended development of Bye Harbor as a yachting center. Contingent on re-
ceiving supplementary federal funds, the state has made available $15^-, 000 for
constructing jetties and dredging the mrbor. There has also been di&cussion
of and support for development of an inland waterway from Hampton River south
to Newburyport Harbor, oossibly to Cape Ann.

120

Erosion There are several localities which have evidence of slight erosion
accompanied by occasional gullying. Moderate sheet erosion occurs infrequent-
ly, and only two small localities, near Scarboro and Brunswick, experience
any notable degree of wind erosion.

"The Desert of Maine," between Freeport and Brunswick, is a rapidly increas-
ing expanse of shifting sand in an area which was actively farmed a few
decades ago. The exact cause of this phenomenon has not thus far been ascer-
tained. '

Drainage Along most of this coastal area there is a continuous frontage
of good beach backed by salt marsh. 'The beach is occupied by summer homes,
hotels and seasonal bursiness establishments. Naturally the large number of
mosquitoes bred in the nearby marshes annoy- the summer people, and serious
consideration has been given to practical methods of control. Marsh drainage
would abate the mosquito nuisance and eliminate the costs of applying oil.
However, because there is no evidence of malaria mosquitoes it is pertinent
to consider the inevitable disruption of biological life that would result from
complete drainage. A conservative procedure would be to restrict immediate
drainage to the marsh land adjoining the large settlements. On the basis of
inaugurating a drainage control program limited, temporarily, 'at least, to the
recognized recreational centers of this basin, 4640 acren of marsh have been
designated by the Maine S^ate Sntomologist in the following municipalities:
Cape Elizabeth, 150 acres; ?';arhcro, 2000 acres; Old Orchard Beach, 540 acres;
Kennebunkport , 550 acres; and 7.ells, 1400 acres. ' ■

Recrca-.inn Recreation seekers sup-ply a large part o;f the in-

ccjie ro'Jized in this section. Eence the primary vvater problems are those
which concern the preservation or improvement of recreational attractions.
It is advisable that any water proposals be thoroughly investigated by quali-
fied recreation and wildlife authorities.

121

■ TABLE III-A'"
SUMMAHY QF STESAI-l FLOW R^COEDS - MAINE BASINS

Location of Station

Drainage Number Discharge in Cubic Feet per Second

Area Years

Square of Max. Min.'. Mean Peak Flow

Miles Record Day Day Annual

St. John Eiver Basin
St. John Eiver
at 7an Bur en, Me.

St. John Eiver he-
low Fish Eiver at
Ft. Kent, Me.

Allagash Eiver
near Allagash, Me.

Fish River near
Ft. Kent, Me.
Aroostook River
at Washburn, Me.

St. Croix River Basin
St. Croix Eiver at
Vanceboro, Me.

St. Croix Eiver

near Baileyville, Me.

Grand Lake Stream

at Grand Lake Stream, Me.

Machias River Basin
Machias E. at
Whitneyville , Me.

East Machias R.' near
East Machias, Me.

Union River Basin

West Branch of Union R.
Amherst, Me.

Penobscot Eiver Basin
West Branch of Penob-
scot R. at Millinocket,

Me.

West' Branch of Penob
scot R. near Medway, Me,

(a) Discontinued in 1938

8270

5690

1250
867

1620-

435

1320

249

20(a-) 133,000 720 .14,100 134,000

10 117,000 9-40 9,900 121,000

5 23,400 131 2,075 23,400

7 10,900 47 1,344 11,000

6 37,000 94 2,570 37,900

8 3,650 21 692 4,010
16 22,900 500 2,060 23,300

8 1,510 11 . 327. 1,520

465 22 11,1^0 10 999 ' 11,100
234 9 3,010 23 482 3,010

139 17 3,450 7 272 3,620

2120

3,066-

23,700 100 3,684 24,100

SIM,IAEY OF STREAM FLOW ESCOKDS - MAINE BASINS

Location of Station

Drainage Num'ber Discharge in Oibic Feet per Seconc

Area Years

Square of Max. Min. Mean Peak Flow

Miles Record Day Day Annual

Penobscot R. Basin (cont.)
Penobscot R. at lest
Enfield, Me. 6600"

East Branch of Penobscot

R. at Grindstone, Me, 1070

Mattawamkeag River at
Mattawamkeag, Me. 1500

Piscataquis River

near Foxcroft, Me. 286

Piscataqi:is River at

Medford, Me. 1170

Sebec River at

Sebec, Me. 344

Pleasant River

near Milo, Me. 322

Passadiimkeag River

at Lowell, Me, 301

Kennebec River Bafein
Moosehead Lake at
"East OiAtlet", Me. 1240

Kennebec River at

Moosehead, Me. 1240

Kennebec River at

The Forks, Me. 1570

Kennebec River at

Bingham, Me. 2710

Kennebec River at

^aterville, Me. 4270

Dead River at

The Forks, Me. 878

Austin Stream at

Bingham, Me. 92

Carrabasset River

near No. Anson, Me, 351

29 • -•-152,000" ■ 1470'- 11,680 " 153,000

33,700 30 1,866 35,100

29 42,800 86 2,749 43,900

32 18,100 5 656 21,700

12 46,400 127 2,257 50,200

12 10,000 2 595 11,400

16 22,200 22 689 24,400

11 5,680 4 494 5,680

40 Lake Lrvels, only, on record

15,400 62 1,813. 13,600

18,000 215 2,516 23,700

8 51,600 318 3,850 55,200

44 151,000 10") 7,081

32 27,600 20 1,381 28,700

5 4,160 4.4 176 5,820

16 20,100 18 678 24,100

123

SUMI'UIEY OF STEEAIvI FLOW HSCOEDS - MAINE BASINS

Location of Station

Drainage Nrnnter Discharg:e in Cutic Feet per Second

Area Years

Square of Max. Min. Mean Peak Flow

Miles Becord Day Day Annual

Kennebec R. Basin (cent.)
Sandy River near
Mercer, Me, 534

Sebasticook River- near
Pittsfield, Me. 593

Cobbossecontee Stream

at Gardiner, Me, 220

Androscoggin River Ba sin
Androscoggin R. at
Srrol Dam, N.H. 1095

Androscoggin R. at

Gorham, N.R. 1590

Androscoggin R. at

Rumford, Me. 2090

Androscoggin R. at

Auburn, Me. 3257

Magalloway H. at

Aziscdhcs Ean, Me. 233

Swift R. near

Roxbury, Me. 95

Little Androscogp:in

near So. Paris, Me. 76

Presumpscot River Basin
Presumpscot R. At Out
let of Sebago Lake, Me. 435

Saco River Pasin

Saco R. near Conway, N.H.

Saco R. at Cornish, Me.

Saco R. at W.Buxton, Me.

Ossipee R. at Cornish, Me,

Piscataqua River Basin
Salmon Falls R. near
Lebanon, Me, 147

8 25,500

15(b) 12,500

7 19,500
44 63 , 300

8 114,000
23 4,660

16 5,740

386

33,900

1300

49,700

1572

27,800

455

16,300

913 33,000

8 14,300 14 938 14,400
46 4,320 13 318 5,020

32 1,785 12,500

958 2,430 19,900

•3,476 74,000.

465 5,670 135,000

492 —
5,4 206 13,000

1 139 6,980 ■

640

40 865 40,600

9.0 2 , 584 51 , 300

121 2,949 58,200

28 843 17,200

5,180

206

5,490

12k

TAiSLE IV

explai;a.tohy notes

Concerning the table of

SELECTED DATA OK DOMESTIC AND INDUSTRIAL WASTES

IN '/RINICIPALITIES HAVING ORGANIZED SEWER SYSTEMS

Coliupn 1. Town or Cit;--. Municipalities, arranged alphabetically,

where available information positively indicated the existence of an
organized sewerage system.

Coliunn 2. Population I93O. Entire population of the civil division as
reported by the 1930 Census.

Column 3. Population Served. Best available estimate of the persons served
by an organized system.

Column h. Discharge in thousand gallons per day. The best available
estimate of the voliirae of sewage discharged.

Column 5. Treatment. Abbreviations, noted below, indicate the type of
treatment applied to the domestic wastes.

Column 6. Chief sources of Industrial Wastes. The industries which com-
monly polD.uto streams are indicated by concise reference to the type of
plant, product or raw material.

— No information available

(P) Partial

(s) Summer resort.

(S) State Institution

(U) College or University

Various Several industries present with none clearly predominant.

Milk Refers to pasteurizing, ice croam and dairy plants.

Fort. Fertilizer factory.

Oil Petrolou'n products; storage or distribution plants.

Gas Illuminating gas manui'acturing plant.

Cannery Includes fish packing.

Im. Imhoff Tank

Sp. Septic Tarik

SF. Sand filtration.

F. Filtration.

CP. Cesspool

SI. Sludge treatment.

AcSl. Activated sludge plant.

A. Aoration.

CI. Chlorin.ation

St. Settling

Sc. Screening (-fine)

Br. Barging sludge to sea.

Sra. Sedimentation

Ir. Irrigation

SOURCES OF DIEOPJvlATION

Unpublished Data, State Planning Boards
Unpublished Data, State Health Departments
Annual Reports, State Health Departments

TABLE IV-A
SELECTED DATA ON DOMESTIC AND INDUSTRIAL WASTES
IN MTTNICIPALITIES HAVING OKGANIZED SEWSS SYSTEMS

ST. JOHN BASIN

Dome

stic Sewage

Discbarge

Industrial

Population-

thous.

Wastes

Town or City-

1930

Served

gal /day

Treatment

Chief Sources

Elaine, Maine

1061

200

none

Caribou

7248

4000

—

none

Fertilizer

Fort Fairfield

5393

2500

—

none

Starch

Fort Kent

4726

2000 ■

—

none

Starch

Houlton '

6865

5000

600

none

Fertilizer

Limestone

1953

800

—

none

Starch

Madawaska

3533

2000

—

none

Paper

Mars Hill

1837

1000

—

none

Starch

Presque Isle

6965

4700

—

Im.Sl.

Starch and
Fertilizer

Isn Buren

4721

2500- ■

none

Starch

Washburn

1974

800

Sp.

—

ST. CROIX BASIN

Baileyville, Maine

2017

1200

none

Paper

Calais

5470

4000

none

—

EASTERN MAINE

COASTAL BASINS

Bar Harbor,, Maine

4485

4000

—

none

Castine

726

1300

—

none

—

Eastport

3466

3500

none

Cannery

Ellsworth

3557

2000

—

none

Milk

Lubec

2994

1000

—

none

Cannery

Machias

1356

600

none

—

Milbridge

1213

300

—

none

Cannery

Stonington

1418

200

none

Cannery

PENOBSCOT BASIN

Bangor, Maine

28749

23000 ■

4000

none

Various

Irewer

6329

5000

— ■

none

Pulp and Paper

Brownville

1910

500

—

none

—

Bucksport

2135

500

—

none

Paper

Dover-Foxcroft

3750

2000

—

none

Woolens

Danforth

1467

500

—

none

Milk

East Millinocket

1593

1600

275

none

Paper

Guilford

1735

500

—

none

Woolens

Lincoln

2970

1500'

—

none

Paper and Woolens

Milford

1203

510 ■

—

none

—

Millinocket

5850

5800

—

none

Paper

Milo

2912

3000

none

—

Old Town

7266

4500

—

none

Paper and Woolens

n-r^no

3338

4000

—

none

Paper

126

PENOBSCOT BASIN (cont'd)

DOIQi

?stic SewPjsre

■Disch^argo

Industrial

Popul

at ion

thous.

Wastes

Town or City

1930

Served

gal/day Tr

•eatraont

Chief Sources

Sangerville, Maine

1225

300

—

none

Woolens

Veazie

568

200

—

none

—

Winterport

1437

700

—

nono

—

CENTRAL MAINE

COASTAL BASIN

Belfast, Maine

4993

3000

none

Fertilizer

Boothbay Harbor

3076

2000

—

none

Cn^mexy

Caffden

3606

3000

none

Woolens

Eo cklMnd

9075

8000

320

none

Milk and Gas

St. George

2108

300,

—

none

—

Searsport

1414

800

—

none

Fertilizer

Thomaston

2214

1500

—

none

Cannery

Waldoboro

2311

1200.

—

none

Cannery

¥i seas set

1186

600

—

none

—

PEE SUivIP SCOT BASIN

Bridgton, Maine

2659

2000

—

none

Woolens

Gorham

3035

100

none

Westbrook

10807

6000

none

Paper and Cotton

KEMIEBEC BASIN

Augusta, Maine

17198

12000

none

Cotton and Paper

Mth

9 lie

7000

—

none

Milk

Benton

1156

175

none

Bing]:iam

1592

500

none

—

Dexter

4063

2000

none

Woolens

Fairfield

5132

2000

none

Woolens and Pulp

Farraingdalo

1044

700

none

Parraington

3500

1800

none

Milk

Gardiner

5609

5000

none

Paper

Hallowell

2675

2000

—

none

Jackman

1099

500

—

none

—

Kingfield

1024

80C

—

none

—

Madi son

3956

3000

—

none

Paper and Woolais

Newport

1731

1000

—

none

Woolens and Llilk

Oakland

2664

1500

none

Woolens and Milk

Pittsfield

2935

2000

375

Sp.

Woolens

Randolph

1377

1250

none

—

Richmond

1964

1000

—

none

Woolens

Skowhegan

6433 ,

4000

none

Woolens and Milk

Waterville

15454

10000

—

none

ViToolens and Cotton

Wilton

3266

1500

none

Woolens

Tinslow

3917

2500

—

none ■

Paper

MDROSCOGGIN BASIN

127

.Domestic SeTOp;e

Tovm or City

Discharge
Population thtma.
1950 Served gal/day Treatment

Berlin, New Hampshire 20016
Gorham 2763

Auburn, Maine

Bethel

Brunswi ck

Canton

Dixfield

Jay

Levis ton

Livermore Falls

Mcchpjiic Falls

Mexi CO

Horwtiy

Paris

Romford

Topshaia

18571

2025
7604
■767
1521
3106

S4943
3148
2033
4767
3145
3761

10340
2111

15000

1000-

7000

500

1000

200

GOOOO

2500

2000
2500
2500
7000
1200

1500

300

SACO BASIN

Dover, Now Hfuiipshire 13573

Durham

Exeter

Farnington

llevjiaarket

Portsmouth

Ro che st er

SomersTvorth

1217

4872
2698
2511
14495
10209
5680

10000

2000 (U)

4000

1000

2500
12000

8000

3000

570

200

224

182-^-

1200

2500

189

none
none

none
none
none
none
none
none
none
none
none
none
none
none
none
none

Bartlett, New Hampshire 1119

300

none

Ossipeo 1230

100

Sp.F,

Biddeford, Maine 17633

15000

none

Limerick 1199

600

none

Pro-scnsfield (Kezar F.) 897

500

—

none

Saco 7233

4000

—

none

PISCATAQUA

.BASIN

no ne

In.

Sp.

Sp.F.

SF.

Industrial

Wastes

Chief Sources

Milk

Cotton and Milk
Tannery

Paper

Cotton and Woolen

Paper

Hiik

Paper
Paioer

Cotton

Woolen and Rayon

Woolens

Cotton

Kitter^-, Main

4400 -1000 — none
MAINB-MW Em.IP SHIRE COASTAL BASIN

Cape Elizabeth, Maine

2376

1900

Falmouth

2041

1500

—

Freeport

2184

500

—

Kennehunk

3302

1000

—

Konnobunkport

1284

1000

—

Old Orchard Beach

1620

1500

—

Pox-tland

70810

50000

10500

none

Sp.

none

uono

CP.

none

Milk
Various

128

Mjmro-TfFTr HAI vIPSHIHE COASTAL BASIN (cont'd)

Discharge

Industrial

POTiul

at ion

thous.

Wastes

Town or City

1930

Served

gal/dajr

Treatment

Chief Sources

SaJifcrd, Maine

13392

10000

—

none

Woolens

South Portland

13840

14000

—

none

Milk

Vfells

2047

500

—

Sp.

—

Yarmouth

2125

1700-

none

Cotton

York

2532

300

—

Sp.

—

Ha-npton, Ne^;7 Hampshire 1507

In.

129

EXPIAN-'.TORY NOTES

concerning tables of the

ORGANIZED 7IATER SUPPLY SYSTEIIS

Colunin 1. Town or city. Mianicipalities, arranged alphabetically, where
available information indicates the existence of an organized
public or semi-public water supply system.

Column 2. Population 1930' Entire population of the civil division as
reported by the I93O census.

Column 3. Population Served. Best available estimate of the persons
served by an organized system (as for the year I936).

Column 4. Consumption in thousand gallons per day. Best available
estimate of the normal daily requirement.

Column 5. Sources of supply. Tiie type of source drawn from is indicated
by symbols:- R. for Reservoir, Pond or Lake; W. for Wells,
either deep or shallow; Spr. for Spring; Str. for Streams.

Column 6. Watershed area in square miles. Best available estimate of
the drainage area upon which the. water supply is dependent.

Coliimn 7. Capacity in millions of gallons. Best available estimate of
the quantity of water stored by, or imjnediately available to,
the municipal supply.

Column 3. Type of Treatment. Available information concerning the
methods used to improve the quality of the water served.

SYivIBOLS

(2), etc. Numerals enclosed in parentheses indicate the number of separate
water supply systems which serve the m:'anicipality. Where there
is only one system no symbol is necessary.

(S) Includes State institution

(T) Includes Suiamer population served

(U) Includes College or School

(s) Provides Summer service only

(a), (b), etc. Letters enclosed in parentheses link civil divisions served
by the same water source :-

In column 3 and k they link municipalities where available in-
formation does not give the niimber served in each town.
In column 5 latter indicates that the civil division imports
water.

In column 6 and 7 letter indicates that the civil division ex-
ports water.

Letters lin]< municipalities within one state and basin;
cross-references between basins or states appear in footnotes.

1-^0

Synibols (continued)

Aeration

Activated carbon

Al.

Alum

Line

AlSl.

.■ilurainuri s^ilphate

MF. ■

Mechanical filter

An.

Aunonia

PF.

Pressure filter

AraSI .

Aramoniuiii suLpnate

pH.

Correction of reaction

AS.

Alua - Soda Ash

KF.

Rapid filter

cc.

Corrosive correction

Soda Ash

CI.

Chlorine

SF.

Slow filter

Co.

Coa,^ju3ation

Sn;.

Sedimentation

CuSl.

Copper sulphite-

SoCl.

Sodiu.a hypochlorite

Filter .

St.

Storage of protective

IR.

Iron reraoval

significance.

SOimCES OF

IlffOHlvIATION

Unpuhlished Datri, State Planning Boards
Unpublished Data, State- Health' Departnents
Annual Reports, State Health Departments
Annual Report?, Public Utilities Qonnisfion:

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TAPLE VI-A
EXISTING UATZR TOWER - UAllJF. BASINS

m. OF CAPACITY OF PUNTS OF C^P.-.Cirf tjsed TOTAL

PLANTS IN FOR CAPACITY

over 1,000 to under Horse-

Maine 10,000 HP. 9,990 HP. 1,000 HP. T^tility Mfg, power

1,040

250

1,040

250

1,290

ST. CROIX

26,150

610

610 26,150 26,760

EASTERN MINE

COASTALS

11,220

1,700

Orange

Machias

ethers

11,220

1,700

2,794 13,962 1,752 15,714

545 210 335 545

902 410 492 902

1,347 13,342 925 14,267

FENCE SCOT 31

Main Stream 9

West Branch 4

Piscataquis 11

Others 7

61,400 69,335

40,809

61,400 14,888
4,338

9,350-

5,013 37,264 98,534 135,798

300 25,481 15,628 41,109

5,000 71,283 76,288

3,283 5,883 1,738 7,621

1,430 900 9,880 10,780

CENTRAL MINE

COASTALS

Megunticook

Others

KEm^BEC

109,

,940

44,510

Main Stream

109,

,940

28,625

Setasticook

3,435

Messalonskee

. 10,150

Cobbossecontee

2,300

Others

3,637 1,650 1,987 3,637

674 674 674

2,963 1,650 1,313 2,963

6,350 107,864 52,936 160,300

1,181 92,867 46,879 139,746

2,363 3,435 2,363 5,798

10,150 ,10.150

898 140 3,058 3,198

1,908 1,272 636 1,908

140

m. OF

PLANTS IN

over
r.K. Me. 10.000 HP

CAPACITY OF PLANTS OF

CAPACITY nSED TOTAL

FOR CAPACITY
1,000 to under Horse-

9.990 HP. 1,000 HP. Utility Mfg, power

ANDROSCOGGIN
Main Stream

Little
Androscoggin

Sabattus
Others

10 31 157,160
10 17 157,160

7
3

83,220 6,089 50,330 196,069 246,469

81,313 1,400 47,782 192,091 239,873

1,907 2,911 2,008 2,310 4,318

868 868 858

910 590 320 910

PEESU!.!PSCOT 14

Main Stream 9

Stevens Brook 3

Others 2

21,965 1,232 4,870 18,327 23,197

21,965 4,350 17,615 21,965

983 520 463 S83

249 249 249

SACO
Main Stream
Others

1 18 25,560 10,336
10 25,560 10,336
18.0

3,395 35,896 3,395 39,291
1,150 34,521 2,525 37,046
2,245 1,375 870 2,245

PISCATAQUA
Main Stream

Great Works

Cocheco

Others

Salmon Pills 10

13,570

5,565

,860

10,275

19,135

12,170

2,090

,930

6,330

14,260

1,235

800

455

1,235

1,400

1,180

130

2,450

2,580

1,060

FJ.INE-NEW
EAl'ylPSHIRE
COASTALS

Mousam

8 3,250 1,499 3,450 1,299 4,749

Plants
GRAND TOTAL
MINE BASINS 219 365,230 275,126

* Canadian power sites are omitted.

36,434 265,346 410.994 676,340

141

TASLE VII-A: EXISTING STORAGE

Drainage

Water

Storage

Area

Surface

Capacity

Equivalent

Sq.Mi.

Acre-

-feet

Inches of Runoff

St. John Kiver

For log driv-

Estimated Total

26,000

ing

only

St. Croix River

East Grand Lake

146

23.7

Spednik Lake

448

22.8

Estimated Total, East

Branch

644

48.

287,

,000 -

8.3

Sysladobsis Lake

9.9

West Grand Lake

220

23.5

Big Lake

—

16.3

Estimated Total, West

Branch

674

82.

293,

,000

8.1

Estimated Total St.Cro

-ix River

1,473

130.

585,

,000

7.3

Eastern Maine Coastal

Basins

Machias River Basin

495

24.6

77,

,000

2.0

Union River Basin

496

46.8

199,

,000

7.7

Other Coastal River

Basins

1,559
2,550

81.4
153.

206,

,000

2.5

Estimated Total

472,

,000

3.5

Fenohscot River
East Branch

Allagash Lake . 96

Chamberlain and Telos Lakes 270

Webster Lake 274

Second and Grand Lakes 470

Est. Total-Grand Lake Outlet 470

Estimated TotalT-East Branch 1,180

West Branch

7.0

30,300

21.3

131,500

5,800

5.6

44,900

36.

213,500

233,000

Canada Falls

460

—

22,900

Seboomook Lal:e

530

8.5

77,800

Caucomgomoc Lake

171

7,0

31,100

Chesuncook Lake

1,410

43.0

688,000

North Twin System

1,630

24.9

378.000

Millinocket Lake

106

13.9

56,000

Estimated Total-West

Branch

2,120

90.

1,280,000

Mattawamkeag River Basin

1,500
1,500

22.

28.

89,000

Piscataquis River Bas

sin

217,000

Passadiomkeag River Basin

383

16.

115,000

Estimated Total (Penobscot Basin)8,937

8.5
3.7

3.5
3.4

11.9

9.9

11.3

1.1

2.7

5.6

4.1

142

Drainage

Water

Storage

storage

Area , ,

Surface

capacity

Equivalent

Sq. Mi. •

Sq. Mi.

Acre-feet

Inches of Runof

Kennebec River

Wood and Attean Ponds,

320

7.8

8,000

Brass-oa Lfike

■ 708 ■

'I5.I

206,000

Roach River Basin

117

8.0

29,000

Mo OS ahead Lal-e

I.2U0

117.0

5^2,000

11.9

Moxie Pond

■3-

16,100

3.8

Pierce Pond

2.3

14,300

14.7

Wyman LaJce

2,710

U.g

199,000

7.C

Sebasticook River Basin

975

13.0

119,000

2.3

Messalonskee River Basin

205

18.0

96,000

8.S

Cofbossecontec River Basin

221

lU.O

46,000

3-9

Estimated Total

■.6.190

1,250,000

4.1

Androscoggin River

Kennesaf'.c i-ake

112

2.7

17,600

2.9

Ran;-.;c;lf;:/ ',ak3

9.3 .

24,300

MooE c-i.-'.'''-CJieg'antic Lake

U05

2b.

194,000

Ricir'/Cson Lake

509

13.1

134,000

.13.6

Sawyox lake

233

II+.6

220,400

17.7

UmbR.f,Of; Lake

1,095

15.0

71,800

Estiriated Total at Errol Dam

.1.095

82.

675,000

11.6

EstiiD-uted Total-Aiidroscoggin R.

J. 510

739.000

4.0

PrsE-ompscot Hiver

Son.-^o Hiv'^r Basin

24U

16.3

76,500

Sebago La2:e

. U36

52.1

252,000

14.1

Estimated Total

727

360,000

Saco Rive r
Com^ay Lake
Mo^se Pond
Ossipee Lake
Pine River Pond

—

2.0

13,100

—

16,300

327

6.1

19,900

9,600

1.1

Estimated Total

1,730

85,000

Piscatagua River

Or eat East Pond

2.6

20,600

Three x'onds (Milton)

112

1.3

q,300

5.0

Bow Lake

. 13

1.8

,11,500

16.5

Pawtuckaway Pond

'1.4

10,800

9.7

Estimated Total

1,030

65,000

1.2

Few Har.p shire Coastal Basj

Estimated Total

750

* Total in Maine only

I'lOTE: ' Storage equivalent, in inches of runoff,
storage above point in question.

9,580^

is computed on a basis of all

1U3

MEREIMACK BASIN

lUU

a - Pemigewasset River
t - Winnipesaukee River
c - Contoocook River
d - Piscataquog River
e - Souhegan River
f - Suncook River

Nashua River
h - Concord River

JV T.O.i-iaur/^

MERRIMACK BASIN

C-El^RAL DESC5IPTI0IT

The Merrimack 3asin, the fifth largi^st in Ne-7 England and, as an inter-
state hasin, surpassed in size by the Connecticut only, comprises an
area of 5000 square miles, 1200 of which are in Massachusetts and 3800
in New Hampshire. The length of the hasin at the longest point is 150
miles, while the width is ahout 50 miles. T)-;e river has its headwaters
in thp "^Thite Mountains in the State of New Hampshire and flows souther-
ly through the central part of that state to a point in Massachusetts
just helow the state line, where it turns abniptly to the east and
flows generally northeast, approximately parallel to. the state boundary
and about four miles south of it for a distance of about 45 miles to
Kewburyport, where it enters the Atlantic Ocean, The total length of
the- main stream is 110 miles, of which the last 22 miles are tidal.

The headwaters region of the river ha.s a nigged topogrnphy characterized
by narrow valleys and steep slopes rising to peaks from 3000 to 5000
feet in altitude. In the eiist central and southeastern portions, the
topography becomes hilly, and rolling country is general. In the
western part of the watershed the topography is irregular, with roll-
ing hills of 1000 to 1200 feet in height. Tjie watershed line is well
defined except in the coastal lowland section, where the divide some-
times becomes indefinite.

The rock structure is almost entirely granite or gneiss covered with
glacial sand and gravel . Large dnimlins are common in the southern
part of the basin. Deposits of a fairly rich sandy loam characterize
the Massachusetts section of the valley.

Twenty per cent of the basin area is in cleared farmland, almost all
of which is found in the bottom lands in New Hampshire or scattered
through the rolling lands in Mascachusetts. There is practically no
virgin timber in the basin, but the upper mountainous portion in the
western and northern part contains areas which are forested with good
second and third growth of spruce and northern hardwoods. Although
formerly the cover was white pine and spruce, m^'ch of the woodland now
standing is mixed hardwood, with scattered stands of coniferous trees.
About 183 square miles, or 3.7^ of the total area, is water surface.
More than half of this area is concentrated in four lakes located in
the headwaters region.

The annual precipitation in the basin F-verages abotit 42 inches, varying
from 37 to 44 inches, with some-vhat higher amounts in the mountains.
The monthly rainfall is fairly uniform in all parts of the basin, al-
though records at the northern stations show a tendency toward heavier
precipitation in the sVimmer and autumn. The average seasonal rainfall
is shown by the records to be 9.9 inches in the winter; 10.2 inches in
the spring; 11.2 inches in the sumiiser; and 10,7 inches in the autiomn.
Temperatures vary considerably in the northern inland portions of the
basin and the southern coastal portions, the winter averages; ranging
from 160 to 26° and the summer ones from 62'? to 63°.

Discharge records are obtained by theU. S. aeological Survey in cooperation
with the states at numerous gaging stations located on the main river and its
tributaries. Detailed data for these stations can he found in the Water Sup-
ply paoers of the U. S. Geological Survey. Tlrie fibres in Table III are sum-
marized from the Survey's various Water Supply papers covering Part I, North
Atlantic Slope Drainage Basins, and from unpublished records for I936 in the
office of the District Engineer at Boston.

Hydrogpaphs showing .the monthly average runoff during the last I5 years of
record are shown on Ch:j.rt 5 for Lowell, Massachusetts; Franklin Junction and
Plymouth, New Hampshire. The 1922 record for, Lowell is a modified Lawrence
record for that year, as the Lowell station was not put into operation until
1923. The mean annual discharge at these three stations, expressed in cubic
feet per second per square mile is: Lowell, I.5O (drainage area, 't-lkzk sq.mi.);
Franklin Junction, 1.81 (drainage area, I510 sq.mi.); and Pljonouth, 2.18
(drainage area, 622 sq.mi.).

Main River and Tributarie s

The main river is formed at Franklin, Kew Hampshire by the confluence of the
Pemigewasset andWinnipesaukee rivers. In addition to these rivers the
principal tributaries are the Contoocook, Suncook, Piscataquog, Souhegan,
Nashua and Concord rivers. Of these the Concord Hiver drains an area lying
wholly in Massachusetts; while the Nashua River drains a large area in central
and northern Massachusetts and, flowing into New Hampshire, discharges into
the main river in tliat state about five miles above the Massacnusetts boundary.
The drainage areas of the principal tributaries are given in the following
table:

TRIBUTARY

PemigeYirasset

Winnipesaulcee.

Contoocook

Piscataquog

Souhegan

SuJicook

Nashua

Concord

The Peraigewasset Riv<:r rises in Echo Lake in Franconir:, Notch at an elevation
of about 2000 feet and flows in a southerly direction about 70 miles to
Franklin, where it joins the Y/innipesaukee River to form the Merrimack. Its
drainage area of IO85 square miles contains the most ragged and least de-
veloped part of the Merrimack Basin. The two largest Lakes in the Pemigewasset
basin are Squam and Nevi^found Lakes, controlling together I50 square miles of
drainage area.

The Winnipesaukee River has its soui-ce at the outlet of Lake Winni-
pesaukee and flof/s for ten miles through a series of enlargements
knovm as Lake Paugus, Lake Opechee, Lake Winnisquam, Lov^er Winnisquam
and Silver Lake to its junction with the Pemigewasset at Franklin.
The aggregate v/ater surface of these six lakes is about 85 square

ENTERS AT

DRA.INAGS AP^ -

Sq. Mi.

Franklin

IOS5

Franklin

U35

Penacook

766

Manchester

214

Merrimack

225

Suncook

252

Nashua

5i5

Lowell

301

1U7

nad*

;i^^

1<^

?1P1

-—0

"^^i

^^0*"

if-

;>?

'Sl

"^J^'ifi

3
3

y*^"^

^^S

"K ■

I^M

t
2

]^^,

~~R<:i;;

B^S

sa^

■B

ff)

Bn^^P

i^§iv

^^li

ff>

"ffi

— X

I
z^

-)
z

:«:

i<
a:

in
5

' .J

Pft

-^^

q!/--

::; ril^iuj

f4J

= 1 ^1

•^

^ 1

S§

iii^

-^/i^

j"^

S^K^

'6,

^ 0^

1^^

^C'v''

J-

_ 0-

swggj?,

ff)

UJ
0.

""^^

1~S

3-^^^

jJ!^

■^^

B^^

^¥

(^^

"^^

«!

™

^W?

«!

tepl^-r-

f^^

-33cr

"^i

-330-

AON

__x-

•--?

Dnv

XTtir

j^^

•onv

xdas

Dnv

Xd3S

ZTTO-

•JUV

«#

■JUV

«3d

c:>

^Bm

^;y^;

•JIdV
93J

AVrt

— —

,""■■

i — * —

^ i-^^^

f^-^i^ ir^-S —

^^mi

f N

i i,

IB t <^l

31 IN

3-avn"

OS -ai

d ON

CD-K

a3ci J

L3^J -

aranc

-3oa

VHDS

149

miles, to which total L:'ke TTinnipesaukpp contributes 72 square miles.
Leake ?innipF;:f;nkFe controls a drainage area of ?60 square miles, v:hich
is about 834 of the draina^^e area of the Winnipesauk'='e Piver.

The Contoocook Eiver drainage area is, with the e-cceiDtion of the Pemi-
gewasset, the largest tributary area of the Merrimack. The river rises
a fe-.-/ miles north of the Massachusetts line and flows north and north-
east about 55 miles to Ponacook where it joins the Merrimack. The most
rugged section of its drainage area of 765 square m.iles, comiposed of
rolling country viith scattered mountains and many small lakes, is in
the north. This portion is drained by the Blackwater Riv^r, an important
tributary of the Contoocook.

The Suncook Eiver rises in S^^ncook ponds a fe:? miles south of Lake
Winnipesaukee and flows soiatheast about thirty miles to the Merrimack
River at Suncook, five miles below Concord. The basin comprises an
area of 252 square miles of rolling country which is predominantly
agricultural.

The Piscataquog Eiver drains an area of about 215 square miles in
northern Hillsborough County. The north and south branches, each
about 15 miles long, unite near Goffstown, 9 miles west of Manchester,
7/here the Pisca,taquog .joins the Merrimack.

The Souhegan River rises a short distance south of the state boundary
line in Northwestern Middlesex County, Massachusetts, and flows north-
easterlv and easterly a distance of 30 miles to its confluence with the
Merrimack River at M^-rrimack, about half way between Manchester and
Nashua. Its drainage area of P25 square miles (of which 5 are in
Massachusetts) has an irregiilar topogranhy and is an agricultural and
wooded country. Included in the basins of the Souhegan and the Nashua
Rivers is the 'x^ashoba Jrait Belt, best known ap-ole and peach region in
New England. The Nashua Eiver basin has an area of 516 square miles,
of which ovpr 30% is in Massachusetts. The north and south branches
unite near Clinton to form the main river, which flows northerly
across the state line and then northeast to its junction '7ith the
Merrimack at Nashua, a total distance of 65 miler;. The waters of the
South Branch are impounded in TYachusett Reservoir, the principal source
of Metropolitan Boston water supply. Thie north branch ris-es in the
irregular hills of northern 'Yorcest'=r County and flows southeast through
the industrial and agricultural region to join tY<=- south branch five
miles b(=low Tachusett Beservoir.

The Concord Eiv^r, the only important tributary of the Merrimack which
is entirely in Massachusetts, drains a predominantly suburban manufr.ctijr-
ing and farming area of about 300 square miles. Formed in east central
Massachusetts by the junction of the Assabet and Sudbury rivers, it
flows northeast about 15 miles into the MerrimacV River at Lowell.

150

HUMAN OCCUPAMCY

Population Of the total 'basin poptdation ofSli^CG (as of I93O) there
are ahout 256,000 in Hew Hampshire and 555,000 iu Massachusetts; over three-
quarters of tne total population is fo'iond in the .southern industrialized
portion of the basin, where the average density is over UOO per square
mile in contrast to about '{0 per square mil.e in the northern area.

The population is nine-tenths urbaji. Cities, and tov/ns of 10,000 or over,
according to the 193'-* census, are as follov^s:

Name

Lowell, Mass.
Lawrence, Mass.
Mancnester, N. H.
Haverhill, Mass.
Fitchburg, Mass.
Nashua, 11. H.
Concord, N. H.
Framingham, Mass.

Population

Name

Population

100 , 23U

Leominster, Ifess.

21,810

85,06s

Methuen, Mass.

21,069

76, S3^

Iferlboro, Mass.

15.527

lis, 710

Newburyp or t , Mas s .

15,08U

i+0,692

Clinton, Mass.

12,817

31.U63

Laconia, N. H.

12,1+71

25,22s

Natick, Mass.

13.589

22,210

Amesbury., Mass.

ii.sg?

On Map 7 are shovm cities end to;vns that gained or lost population between
1920 and 1930- Most of those that gained lie in the southern end of the
basin. The largest industrial cities in this section, hovirever, showed
losses in that period, due principally to the decline in the textile indus-
try. In this group are Lowell, Lawrence, Haverhill, and Fitchburg, in
Massachusetts, and Manchester in Nev; H.'impshire. By 1935 Fitchburg regained
its 1920 population, Haverhill and Lawrence gained over 193^ ^^^ Lowell
showed no further loss. Mijjichester suffered through the inactivity and
final failure, in I936, of the Amoskeag Mfg. Co. ^- its principal industry.
The mill buildings have since been taken over by a local corporation, and
about half the space has been leased to various . industrial enterprises.
Nashua and Concord in Nev/ Hampshire, Framingham and Leominster in Massa-
chusetts, and other smaller industrial centers not entirely dependent on
textile manufacti-iring saowed growth betvreen 1920 and 1?30.

The Merrimack basin gained between I92O and 1930 about Ul.OOO in popiola-
tion, or 5* 3^* ^^ ^^-^ rauu- period there was a ^,fo gain in New Hampshire
as a whole, and 10.4^ in Massachusetts as a whole. In spite of losses in
the large cities in the Massachusetts section, this region of the basin
accounted for most of the growth. Past trends indicate that urban centers
rill gain, and that ia the larger ones the growth will occur in the peri-
pheral areas. On the basis of an estimated population increase of about
7^0 by i960 in the state of New Hfirapshire, and of about 10% in Massachusetts,
only moderate gains in the population of the basin are anticipated. Urban
gains will be reflected in losses in the thinly-settled r^oral regions.

Agriculture The principal agricultural activities are dairying, poultry
raisin'^;;, fruit growing, aiid small-scale general farming. Near the manu-
facturing ccmraunities part-tine faming is widely practiced. The most
productive farm area is in the southern part of the basin, vAere the value
per acre is the highest for farm land anywhere in -Massachusetts.

151

In the northern section values are lower and, except in the river valleys,
land is of such inferior quality that farming is unprofitable. The rural
communities lost heavily in population between I9OO and 1930 due to the at-
traction of industrial opportunities in the larger cities.

Except in the specialized fruit-growing belt and garden truck areas in the
southern section, the possibilities for r-oral development in the basin are
apparently in the field of supplying the needs of visitors seeking recreation
in the northern areas. Any increase in farming will probnbly be on the out-
skirts of manufacturing centers and in the form of specialty and part-time
farming. Many rural coramujiities remote from industrial centers will very
likely continue to lose population. There is a definite need for investigation
to determine the desirability of applying both the preventive measTores of
rural zoning ordinances and the constructive effects of a rural land-use
program if these towns are not to become acute problem areas. A rural land
use zoning enabling bill was introduced into the New Hampshire legislature at
its current session^ was passed by the Senate, but was lost in the House.

Industry The southern part of this region, one of the oldest and most
highly developed industrial sections of New England, contains along the Merri-
mack River and its tributaries important manufacturing cities - Manchester,
Nashua, Lowell, Lawrence, and Haverhill. In addition there are many smaller
manufactTiring cities and towns thro-jghout the basin, especially in its lov/er
peirt. The principal industry in Lowell emd Lawrence is textile manufactui-ing,
and until recently this was true of Manchester, New Hampshire, which contained
the Amoskeag Company, the world's largest textile plant. Shoes, paper and
many other products are manufactured throughout the lower half of the basin.

The decline of manufacturing in this region during the depression resulted
largely from the loss of textile business. This decrease, which began some
years earlier, has continued to date. The outstanding example is that of the
Amoskeag Mfg., Co. in Manchester, which closed permanently in I936, thus
throwing about gOOO people out of work. State and commercial industrial
organizations, however, in both New Hampshire and Massachusetts are studying
the problem of reviving their present industries and establishing new ones,
ajid substantial progress is being made toward recovery. One of the objects
is to broaden the field of manufacturing, which has comprised principally
textiles, pulp and paper and leather products, by introducing diversified
lines in order to establish more stable industrial conditions. On the whole,
there are indications of a slow but definite industrial recovery.

Mining With the exception of a few stone quarries there are no important
mining activities in this watershed.

Lumbering Lumbering operations are on a comparatively small scale and
their special economic importance lies in the revenue derived from woodlot
cuttings. There is also a moderate sjaount of timber cut under supervision
in federal and state reserves in the northern end of the basin.

There are two possible developments in prospect for this region. The first is
through improved methods of utilizing public forest lands and in the management
of private woodlots; the second is through the dedication to scientific sil-
viculture of abandoned farm lajid and land unsuited to agriculture. A land-use
program and rural zoning enabling legislation will be necessary to achieve the
second development.

Eecreation Recreation is an important industry in the northern section.
The lakes of this region, notably Winnipesaukee, attract thousands of sum-
mer visitors, many of whom are prrmanent summer residents. Winter sports
bring another seasonal .infl-iox of outsiders. As a source of income, the
recreation industry is of great economic importance to those of the year-
round inhabitants left stranded by the agricultural and industrial decline
in various sections of this regi'^n.

Transportation Tidewater extends to two miles above Haverhill, which
is about tvi^enty miles up the Merrimack Eiver' from the ocean. A seven- foot
channel provides for water transportation to that city. Coal and petroleum
are the principal items of a traffic that is of only moderate volume.

A network of good highways covers the entire basin except in certain mount-
ainous portions near the Pemigewasset headwaters. However, many of the major
highways are no longer adequate to meet traffic requirements. The State
Planning Boards of New Hampshire and Massachusetts and the New England
Regional Planning Commission have recommended constnaction of modern arteries
across the southern part of the basin between Boston and Gardner; between
Worcester, :'r'.GEnchur;etto f^n.'^ DovcT, New Hampshire; from Boston to White Hivcr
Junction by way of Manchester and Concord; and along the Merrimack Valley
from the Massachusetts - New Hampshire state line to the White Mountain
National Forest.

Due to the density of ponulation in this area, the Merrimack River basin is
covered with a network of railroad lines. Many of the minor branches are
now abandoned, and present trends indicate the discontinuance of service on
many mct-e and the substit\ition of bus lines. Of the through routes in this
basin the following may be considered the most important: Fitchburg divi-
sion from Boston to the west; Concord division from Boston to northern New
Hampshire, Vermont and Canada; Portland division from Boston through Lawrence
to Portland and the Maritime Provinces; New York-to-Maine line through
Worcester, Lowell and Lawrence.

The Merrimack basin is cro:;sed by the airway from. Boston to Burlington,
Vermont and uontreal, with scheduled service and stops :.t Manchester an"d
Coicord, ?»■.' Hampshire. Other through routes which will serve- recreational
areas in Nevi? Hampshire are under consideration. Airways from Concord to
northern points are also being studied. There has been considerable activ-
ity in the use of seaplanes, centering at Lake Winnipesaukee.

While the basin is, in general, well suTJplied with landing fields, there
are a few areas where additional facilities would be desirable, and im-
provement of many of the existing fields is needed.

153

ffATER USE Aim CONTROL

Pollution One of the most serious pollution problems in Hew England is
found in the Merrimack River basin, particularly along the main stem in
Massachusetts. The untreated sewage and large volumes of industrial wastes
from the cities of Lowell, Lawrence and Haverhill and a number of smaller
cities and towns in Massachusetts produce conditions in the river which are
highly objectionable. The worst sanitary conditions are found in the vicinity
of Haverhill, where the combined effects of sewage and foul industrial wastes
brourjht dov/n from the upstream cities result in a critical situation which at
times becomes so serious as to be termed a gross nuisance.

The main river and its tributaries receive untreated sewage from k2 communities
through organized sewer systems discharging directly into the streams. Thirty
of these systems are in Hew Hampshire and 12 in Massachusetts. Of those com-
munities which have systems provided with treatment works, ten are in Massa-
chusetts, and one in New Hampshire (New London). Two of the Massachusetts com-
munities are on the Nashua River and 3 are in the Concord River area. There
will shortly be a third on the Nashua River when the plant at LeOminster is
completed.

The daily discharge from the New Hampshire systems amounts to approximately
10,725,000 gallons. Of this amount, Manchester, Concord and Nashua contribute
over three-quarters, the figures being respectively, 3,700,000, 2,200,000 and
1,750,000 gallons per day. 31,850,000 gallons per day are discharged into the
river or its tributaries by Massachusetts systems, 20,200,000 gallons of which
are untreated and 11,650,000 gallons treated. Lowell, Lawrence and Haverhill
contribute untreated sev/age at the rates of 5,520,000, 5,850,000 and 3,gJ40,000
gallons per day, respectively. The estimated total daily discharge of sewage
and industrial waste from all the cities and towns in Massachusetts bordering
the main stem amounts to 62,000,000 gallons.

Starting with thu Pemigewasset and Winnipesaukee Rivers, most of the tributaries
of the Merrimack River receive pollution in some form. The tributaries of
the Pemigewasset entering above North Woodstock are free from pollution, but
a short distance above North Woodstock considerable pollution is received in
the Pemigewasset itself through the discharges of pulp waste at Lincoln.
Evidence of this discharge is noticeable along the edges of the stream as far
as the intake of the Franklin Water Works, more than fifty miles below the
point of discha.rge. This protracted extent of polluted conditions is due to
the slow decomposition and elimination of pulp mill wastes v/hich make the puri-
fication of the water more difficult than do most types of industrial and
domestic VTastes.

The appreciable degree of pollution along the river's coiorse is of significance
since the increase in recreational use of the stream is ■ondoubtedlj'' retarded
by this pollution.

From its source in Lokc Winnipesaul-cee, the Winnipesa^okee River flows through
five lakes to the point of confluence with the Pemigewasset. Along its course,
it receives sewage from the city of Laconia and from- the villages of Tilton and
Franklin Falls. Lake Winnisquam, serving as a detention basin, has a mitigat-
ing effect on the sewage from Laconia, because such a large body of water pro-
vides an unusual degree of self-purification of the stream. Although comparable

I5if

analyses of the Peraigewasset and Winnipesaukee Rivers show the Winnipesatikee
to he the less polluted, nevertheless the need exists to render the i^finni-
pesauicee River distinctly better than it is.

The Contoocook River, entering the ivierrimack at Penacook, carries the diluted
sewage from eii?iit communities. This sewage and the industrial wastes from
various laanufact-'orins plants cause pollution which makes the river ijnsatis-
factory for recreational use inasmuch as the river water is rendered unsafe
for "bathing and noxious to fish life. There may "be too many obstacles to
make practical any attempt to restore this stream to a condition suitable for
recreation, but serious attention might well be given to prevention of over-
loading the stream vri.th pollution to the extent that a nuisance is created.
Such a conservative attitude concerning the problem of pollution abatement is
undoubtedl?/ tn... most practical and reasonable one to take on streams which
from long usage may be characterized as industrial, or v/hich drain the more
populous sections of the area.

Several instances occur v;here lake waters are polluted. Squzim Lake receives
no sewage directly, but with over 200 cottages around its shores a potential
condition of pollution exists. Lake llTinnipcsa-ukee is the depository of sewage
from the Wolfeboro system and also receives a considerable amount of sewage
and untreated effluent thro'-jgh the storm drains in the town of Meredith. The
resulting pollution of the lake water is a menace to the several communities
bordering on tlie lake as well as to nvmerous tourist places and juvenile camps
where the l,nke water is used for drinking purposes." Both situations are suffi-
ciently urgent to require remedial measures. Upper Uinnisquan Lake is practic-
ally ruined for recreational use by the discharge of Laconia sewage. This
discharge is also detriment.al to the recreational uses of the downstream lakes.

New Hampshire, being so largely a recreational state, might Justifiably tiorn
its attention to the removal of all material pollution from its lakes rjid
ponds as its first objective in a program for pollution abatement.

F.iile the sanitary conditions of the Merrimack River in Massachusetts are not
seriously affected b,y the absence of treatment at the three Hew Hampshire
cities, Concord, Manchester and Nashua, investigations to determine the effect
of the discharge of sewage and waste at these places might well be ^undertaken
within the next few years and plans developed for the abatement of objection'^
able insanitary conditions. The immediate problem, however, is the improvement
of the lower river in Mass^-chusetts, and the New Harapshire' cities cannot be
expected to construct treatment works, except for their o\m protection, until
there is assurance that the objectionable conditions in Massachusetts will be
rectified.

In the Nashua River, draining a large area in central and northern
Massachusetts, the niiisances of pollution are becoming more acute each
year due to the increasing amounts of industrial vvastes entering the
river at Fitchburg. These wastes, together with sewage from Leominster,
have been noticeable in the North Branch of the river doiivn to its
mouth, while the South Branch is polluted belov/ Clinton. At

rj [a-bj

7 je-E^^

2 KtY

/ \/! l^'°x,

y\\

j^iSM^

'"-

133

I MAP Ns 8"b1

() SLWAGL SYSTEM -NO TREATMENT
^ SEWAGE SYSTEM - TREATMENT
(3 CONSTRUCTION PROJECT

NOTE . POLLUTION INVESTIGATION PROJECTS FOR:
MERRIMACK VALLEY IN NEW HAMPSHIRE; MAIh
RIVER IN MASS; NASHUA RIVER IN MASS.

New England
Water Resources

Sewage and Pollution

Merrimack Basin

DEC. I 1937 /

NEW ENGLAND REGIONAL PLANNING COWMISSION

NATIONAL RESOURCES COA\MITTEE DISTRICT N« 1

2100 fEDERAL BUILDING BOSTON /MASSACHUSETTS

157

Groton the main stream in -onsatisfactory for recreational uses largely be-
cause of the polluted discharge from the North Branch.

The situation at Leominster will soon be corrected by the constinction of a
sewai^e treatment plant which will he completed in 193S. 'Ihe removal of the
Leominster sewage makes it desirable that any foiil industrial wastes from the
North Branch be removed also; studies are needed to determine if such removal
is economically feasible.

A recent sanitary survey of the river has shown fully the pollution of the
Ilashus. Hiver by both domestic and industrial wastes, the latter being partic-
ularly ht.a-'/y at Fitchbnrg-. Iltie data already collected indicate that further
studies should be undertaken in the near future by the state heaith author-
ities, .-.cting under appropriate legislation, for the purpose of developing
a consti'uctive progr??jn for the improvement of this river. Steps to encourage
industrial and recrc-n,tional improvements in this valley should be taken at an
early ^ate.

Notwithstanding the pollution, both domestic and industrial, received from
the sevt,ral cities and tov/ns along the main river atid its tributaries, the
river, as it crosses the state boundary into Massachusetts, is not, except
for water supply uses, objt^cti enable from a sanitary point of view at present.

The pollution resulting from the discharge of sevragt and industrial wastes
at Lowell and the surroujiding towns is not greatly in evidence during the
periods of high flo\7, but in dry weather flow it is objectionable along the
banks and bed of the river. Between Lowell aiid Lawrence, the river flows
through the long mill-pond formed by the dam at Lawrence and, in this
stretch, there is a decrease in the quantity of dissolved oxygen present;
also the quantity of solids and organic matter in the river is reduced.

At Lawrence and its neighboring tov.T^s of Methuen, Andover and North Andover
the sewage discharged intj the river contains sufficient objectionable matter
to cause serious pollution in the stream. At Haverhill the dissolved oxygen
decreases to an alarming extent and here additional domestic sewage and in-
dustrial wastes enter an already polluted stream.

Tidewater extends up the river to a point about two and a ho.lf miles above
Haverhill Bridge and, in this reacn of the river, on the flood tide, water
flows upstream past the city of Haverhill some two miles above Haverhill
Bridge, bringing with it some of the sewage discharged at Haverhill to meet
that flowing from Lawrence, while on the ebb flow, the, polluted waters are
not carried far enough dovmstream to prevent their return on the following
flood tide. Consequently the sewage and wastes tend to concentrate in the
neighborhood of Haverhill and for several miles dOYmstream. The presence
on the bed and banks of the stream of deposits of foiol organic matter causes
offensive odors to rise from the waters, especially in warn weather, when
a considerable portion of the bed of the river is exposed at low tide. The
polluted condition at this point is also manifest by the floating masses of
sludge carried to the surface of the river by the gasses of decomposition.
Hence pleasure boats in this part of the river are badly fouled by the water.

158

At the lower end of the Ivliddle Ground, a broad stretch about nine
miles below Haverhill, conditions improve considerably, due to the ad-
ditional dilution provided by the sea water running v;ith the tides.

From Haverhill to the mouth of the river only a comparatively small amount
of pollution occurs from the sewage of Salisbury and Newburyport. However,
in an investigation made by the State Health Depurtment in 193^+. it was
determined that the pollution from these two commujiities constituted 62,95^
of the total pollution contributdd to the shellfish areas at Kewbur^Tport.
Lowell, La-rrence and Haverhill together contributed 2o.8fo, the r^rna-: niug
10.3-^ bjing contributed by the tov.Tis of Chelmsford, Dracut, Methuen, Andover,
North Andover and Amesbury.

In I92U, tn-- ivL-:.ss'i.chusetts Department of Public Health made ar inver,ti-;:a-
tion of the main riv^r and itr, tributaries in the cities and tC7?r.s ?f
Massachubetts bordering on the river to determine the cha-racttr o.r-d quantity
of the se-.Tage, drainage r.nd industrial wastes discharged into the :^iv3r.
A furth-ir purpose of the investigr.'tion was to report on the fea3j.biiity and
cost, either of coll'^cting the douestic and iuduotrial waste^ c.- •uerir^s of
an intercepting trun': sewer which would discharge the collected ''OvTn.ge
through an outlet into the sea at the moutn of trie river, or 1 1 'Ti^atir.g
these wastes for removal of polluted matters at suitable workt, located at
convenient points in the variotis cities and towns.

The results of the investigation indicated that the reuoval of the scmge
by the trunlc sewer would be the more effective and, in the long run, the
more economical plan to adopt. The estimates for the trurk S'-Ter and the
individ^aal works were, respectively, $10,000,000 and $g,UOC,000, based on
prewar costs, but the annual cost of maintenance and operation of the
treatment works would be about double the ann-oal cost of maintenance and
operation of the trunk sewer system. Consequently, the total cost of the
trunk sewer systen, including all capital charges, would be considerably
less than the total cost, including the capital charges, of separate sewage
disposal works.

In 1936 a legislative act (Chap. U20, Acts of I936) was passed authorizing
the establishment of the "Merrimack River Valley Sev/erage District" to
include all the territory of the cities and towns of Amesbury, Andover,
Chelmsford, Dracut, C-roveland, Haverhill, Lawrence, Lowell, Merrimack,
Methuen, Newb'oryport , North Andover, Salisbury, Tewskbury, Tyngsboro and West
Newbury. The district is to be managed and controlled by a board of five
members appointed by the Governor. Its functions are to construct, maintain
and operate for the district, subject to the approval of the State Depart-
ment of Public Health, such trunk sewers and se^verage works as may be re-
quired to divert, dispose of or suitably treat sewage and other pollution
originating in any of the cities or towns in the district.

The act carries the provision that unless, prior to January 1, I933, the
sura of $10,000,000 or such smaller sum as laa.y be sufficient to accomplish
all or a reasonable portion of the purposes of the act has been allocated
by the Federal goveriiment , the act shall become null and void.

159

It would appear desiralale for the State Department of Health to review
the pollution prohlem in the Herri mack. It is evident, now, that disposal
by dilution at sea will not tie favored by communities at the mouth of the
river and, fiirthermore, that primary treatment works, involving an addition-
al construction cost of some three million dollars, would be required if
the trunk sewer project were undurtcikea. It is doubtful if separate dis-
posal plants for the individual communitids would involve less cost. The
population growth in the valley has been markedly less than was predicted
in 1923. The estimated population of these cities and toims by 1935 was
^32,260. According to the census of 1935, "but 337,285 persons were then
living in the valley, — 95.575 less than predicted. The I965 population
estimate of 56S,120 probably approaches 200,000 in excess of what the
actual population will be. This discrepancy will undoubtedly modify
the recommendations mside fourteen years a^o. Another element T.'hich should
be considered is the effect upon the low water flow if any storage reser-
'voirs are constructed in the upper basin. If, by regulation, a substantial
increase in low season flow c<".ui be obtained, postponement of the construction
of local disposal v/orks may be made possible.

Summarizing the pollution oroblera in the Mt-rrimack Basin, it is foxmd that,
beginning with the headwater tribuf'-ries, most of the tributaries of the
Merrimack receive varying a,no-antn of pollution in some form. The larger
cities along the main river contribute large volixmes of untreated sewage and
industrial vraste, the degree of pollution becoming most extensive in the
•Massachusetts portion of the river. Sewage treatment facilities in the
upper basin conserve tne unus\ial recreational advantages of this section,
one of the most popular sunmer playgrounds in IJew England.

i/iany towns and villages in the Merrimack Basin are \7ithout public sewerage
systems, but, in general, the construction of new sewer systems and ex-
tensions of existing systems are problems of individual communities, and
the benefits of such works are for the most part confined to specific
localities.

Water Supplies In general, throughout the Mf-rrimack valley, water of
good quality can ear-ily br obtained from upland surface cources or from
wells. Filtro.tion is unnecessary excopt for improving the physical
characteristics of the water. The existing supplies are about evenly
divided between surface and -onderground watf-rs : Mew Hampshire has a
preponderancff of lakes, ponds and small streams, while Massachusetts
has more dug and driven wells.

The runoff from about 211 miles of the basin's drainage area is diverted
from the basin, as IIS square miles tributary to the South Branch of the
Nashua Eiver is used for the water supply of the Metropolitan Water Dis-
trict and partly for the city of Worcester, also 75 square miles on the
Sudbury Biver and 18 square miles tribiitary to Lake Cochituate are urjed
for the Metropolitan Water District sn.pply. The runoff is stored in
nine reservoirs having a combined storage of 80 billion gallons and
comprising Wachusett Reservoir on the South Branch of the Nashua River,
Lake Cochituate and seven other smaller reservoirs on the Sudbiiry water-
r.hed. The a-^-erage annual yield from the Sudbury area over a period of
61 years was 1.500 cubic feet per second, or 969,000 gallons per day,
per square mile and the average for the driest six months during the
same period was .606 cubic feet per second, or 391,200 gallons per
day, per square mile. Corresponding figures for the Nashua River, over
a period of 39 years are: average for whole year, 1.687 cubic feet per
second, or 1,090,000 gallons per day, per square mile, and average for
driest si:-: months, .879 cubic feet per second, or 568,000 gallons per
day, per square mile.

Ninety-nine communities in the basin are supplied with water by or-
ganized systems, 48 being in New Hampshire and 51 in Massachusetts.
In New Hampshire thirty-three of the systems are publicly owned, tv/elve
are privately owned and three are partly public and partly private. In
Massachusetts, 46 communities have publicly owned supplies, four have
private works and one is served by both private and public works.

On the whole, these com.miinities are adequately supplied. In ii few
cases, improvements involving either the development of rupplementary
sources or the protection of the quality of the existing water sur.ply
are needed. In Massachusetts, the valley population has decreased
materially in the past ten years, no that anticip-ited needo for ex-
tensions to water supolies have not been realized.

In a numbr-r of New Hampshire comnninities it will soon be desirable

to install new water supplies or to extend existing ones. From the

standpoints of sa.nitation and fire protection, certain communities

now using individual wells should consider the feasibility of installing

systems.

With the growing recroational use of water bodies, it is becoming of
greater importance that attention be paid to the protection of water
sunplics, not only the lakes and ponds themselves, but also of the
land areas tributary to the surface waters and to springs and wells.

i6i

■

/</

®'>,!

KEY

--i''°

^=i

I MAP N9 9'bI

A WELL ^

O SPRING [ NO TREATMENT

n surfaceJ

well ■\ treated
sprjng \ with
surface] disinfectant

WELL

treated

f MECHANICALLY

SURFACE

well 1 mechanically
spring i- treated and
surfaceJ disinfected
inside symbol of
superimposed symbols
indicates treatment

OF ALL .

O SUGGESTED PROJECT

BURT • SUPPLIED BY THE

METROPOLITAN BOSTON SYSTEM.

New England
Water Resources

Water Supplies

Merrimack Basin

NOTE: INVESTIGATION PROJECTS FOR WATER.
SUPPLY REQUIREMENTS OF ALL TOWNS
AND CITIES IN NEW HAMPSHIRE.

NEW ENGLAND REGIONAL PLANNING COMMISSION

NATIONAL RESOURCES COMMITTEt DISTRICT NO!

2IOO FEDERAL BUILDING BOSTON MASSACHUSETTS

163

Lowell is the largest comrnranity using driven wells for its r.upply.
Its well-field is situated near 'lyngsboro, close to the north bank
of the Llerrimack River. Tests liave shown that under ordinary condi-
tions the wells are not contaminated hy seepage from the river. Fol-
lowing the flood of Liarch 1536, however, "between thirty and forty of
the wells did shov,- siich contamination that it becaaie necessary to cut
them off temporarily from the supply system. The nominal capacity
of the Lowell supply is about. 10 million iS^allons per day, -but the
effective capacity of the wells is about reached when being drawn on
at the rate of 5^- million gallons per day, the present average rate
of consumption. In the iry season, it has been necessary to use water
from a system of ;vells in the valley, of Hales, or Hiver Meadow Brook,
known as the Cook and Hydraulic wells.

Within the past year the Cook wells have been cleaned, the field en-
larged and a pumping station installed. This station will soon be in
operation, and with the additional 2-million-gallon supply from these
wells, the water needs of the city will be satisfactorily met for some
time. Later, vmen a largor supply is needed, a T,7ell-field located on
the south bank of the Merrimack River in North Chelnsford will probably
be used to augment the supply.

The City of Lavrence is supplied chiefly v/ith water drawn from the
Merrimack River and subsequently treated by slov; sand filters and
chlorin-i.tion. This supply is unsatisfactory owing to the badly polluted
conditijn of the river caused by sewage and manufacturing vfastes from
the cities and towns along the river ai'-d its tributaries above Lawrence.
Despite the fact that VTater can be rxide safe for drinking through puri-
fication by filtration and disinfection, the use of such water is more
or less repulsive to th^ inhabitants. Steps should be taken to obtain
a water supply from a source not subject tc sewage contamination.

The daily water consumptior. at Lowell and Lawrence, the highest in the basin,
amounts to about 5,500,000 gallons for Lowell and 6,200,000 for Lawrence,
corresponding to a per capita consumption of 55 and 67 gallons per day,
respectively.

Fitchburg has the highest per capita consumption in the basin — 101 gal-
lons per day. Water supply statistics for the cities and tovms in the
basin are summarized in Table V-E.

Another community in need of water supply extensions is the town of
Methuen, which at present obtains its water from three groups of wells.
In recent years the combined supply from these three sources has been
inadequate for the town during dry, seasons and it has been necessary to
take water directly from the Spicket River. Studies have been made rel-
ative to extension of this supply by building a dam and reservoir at
Peters Pond and by constructing a conduit to suitable treatment works
and pumps to be installed at the Harris Brook piooping station.

An exa::iple of a community that needs a nev; supply because of contamination
in the old is the tov.n of Belmont, New Haijpshire. The present source of
supply is a brook. The conditions of the watershed are so unsatisfactory

164

that chlorination is inadequate to bring the water up to the desirahle
quality. The alternative — use of artesian welln — does not appear
feasible because the water is highly impregnated -^ith iron, and further-
more, the supply would be far from, adequate. Attempts have been made
to utilize a nearby brook as a new source which, with provision for
rapid sand filtration for iron removal, would furnish a satisfactory
supply. As the town officials and the owners of power rights on the
brook have been unable to come to an a,greement a« to the use of the
water, the project has been abandoned. However, the matter s^-Ould be
kept ODen because the present source is unsuitable and unsafe despite
chlorination.

Flood Control The Ivlarch, 1^36 flood produced a -poox di r-clira-go at
Lav/rcncc, Llassachusctts , of lyU.OOO cubic foet per second, the ..irj>:r.r.um
figure in a 91-yoar record. The nearest approach, to this ;xiO-Lmt oc-
curred ill 1652, when a peri: of lOS.OOO cubic feet per second vra-s
reached. The most recent flood prior to that of 193^ occurred in
Hovombcr, 1927, with a pcpic of 76,000 cubic feet per second. Al-
tho-ogh. the 1S27 flood \7as of extreme proportions, it has been ex-
ceeded nine tiuies since 12U6. Chpj-t 6 shov/s the greatest daily ilov/s
occurring in each year of record. On Ch^.rt 7 these flows have been
grouped according to the months in which they occurred, rnd it v/ill
be seeii tlir.t floods are i.iore preva-lent in spring than at o.-jy other
season of the year. A flood is less likely to occur in ITovCitibcr
(as ill 1927) than in Llarch or April, or even in May.

The 1936 flood produced soue ujiusually high unit dischaj-ges on the
raain river and its tributaries. Table III-Bbased on recorr.-, of the
U. S. C-eolofjical S'orvoy, gives the raaxiraum discharges, together with
the ujiit di schaa'ge s . v.t the several gaging stations in the ta-sin.
Corresponding figures rxe give., for the I927 flood for such st:.tions
as were then in existence, Mid a coirprxison of the figures for the
two years shows th-.t the I936 flows v/ere considerably i: . excess of
those of 1527. Th'^. Idghest recorded unit flow in I936, a;noraatint; to
163 cubic feet per second per nnur.re mile, occiorrod at Lincoln, on
the Sast Branch of the Pcmi^-ewassot Eivor. The total rmioff frov.i the
drainr^s;© ojroa above this point v;as I9.S9 inches for the flood period.
The ranoff at pl;Tnou.th v/as I5.O5 inches and the majciLium unit discharge
v/as 105 cubic feet per second per square mile. Tributai'ies to tlie
Pemigev/asset i^roduced disch^irges as high as 154 cubic feet per second
per squ.are rdle. On the Mad and Humney rivers, the unit discliarge in
the 1927 flood exceeded that 01 I936. Charts 8 and 9 show flood hy-
dro^rraphs at several stations for the 1927 and I936 floods respective-
ly-

In fmy flood the Pemigewassct Valley is subject to high discharges due
to the steep sloping drainage area and- river gradients. Plj-inouth is
invari.v.bly the target for daJTiaging floods, nor do Cainpton ;ind Bristol
escape high water ejipericncos. The comparative steepness of the gra-
dient of the Pemigev/asset and its tributaries is Gho\7n on Prcfile 5,

In 1936 the tributarios of the Contoocook River yielded xmurnially
high discliargcs, ranging fron 112 cubic foot per second per sg,U3,rc
mile :.t Antrim, on the l-Jorth Br; nch, to I32 cubic icct per jjecond per

167

square mile on the Blackwater at Webster. There are no availahle rec-
ords of damages from floods prior to those of 1927. Tiie I927 damages,
according to estimates obtained by the U. S. Army Engineers, ■amounted
to $2,365,000. Of this amount, $800,000 damage was caused to rail-
roads and $U65,000 to highways. These damages were confined prin-
cipally to New Hampshire, and for the greater part to the Pemigewasset
Valley.

In 1936 the direct flood losses, as determined by the U. S. Army En-
gineers, were approximately $20,200,000 distributed over the entire
area, with nearly $12,000,000 damage occurring in Massachusetts and
$8,200,000 in Hew Kat;pshirc. The indirect losses amounted to ap-
proximately $8,900,000 in Massachusetts, of which $3,800,000 were re-
ported and additional unreported losses of $5,100,000 were estir.ated.
The corresponding figure for Kev. Ka-npshire was $5,360,000, of which
$1,990,000 were reported and $3,370,000 estimated.' The total losses,
includinfj the direct and the reported imd estimated indirect losses
for Massachusetts, v/ere $20,800,000. Similar figures for New Hampshire
amounted to $13,570,000, -iving a grand total of $3U,1|00,000. Ind'ostry
suffered the greatest damages, taking a loss of $7,lU0,000 in Massa-
chusetts, and $3,560,000 in IJev? Ha.apshire.

Of the total flood losses in the entire Merrimack Talley, the Army
Engineers estimated that those occurring in areas -which could be con-
trolled by storage reservoirs were $13,000,000 in Massachusetts and
$10, goo, 000 in New Hai:ipshire, or a total of $28,900,000; this would
leave approximately $5,500,000 damages in areas v/hich would not be
benefited by the reservoirs ■'onder consideration. The Engineers' es-
timate of the total anmoal flood losses to be expected in the controllable
reaches of the river is $469, 6OO in Massachusetts and $632,000 in New
Hampshire, a grand total of $1,152,500. These figures were obtained
by applying the computed expectancy of flood flows in the several
reaches of the river to the losses attributable to succeeding increments
of flood flow.

Possible measures for reduci:ig fut^ire flood losses include channel im-
provements, diking, and construction of reservoirs. The first two usually
prove to be justifiable only as local remedies. The enlargements of re-
stricted passages in the river afford relief to the communities in the
immediate vicinity, but arc not as a rule of any particular benefit to
communities downstream. Protection of the low bordering areas used
for agricultural purposes by a system of dikes would cost more than the
lands themselves, and the maintenance of these dikes over a period of
years during v;hich floods seldom occurred woiild make the project still
more extravagant. However, m the case of a thickly populate! section
T;here considerable property is at stake, the cost of the flood wall may
be economically justified, as at Haverhill, where the Engineers are
constructing a flood wall along the north bank of the river. At Lowell,

i6g

there is an excavation project for the enlargement of the water passages
Tinder the bridge just helow Pawtucket Dam and the removal of ledge rock
immediately downstream from the bridge to provide increased channel
capacity and reduce flood ctages.' Likewise, extensive channel improve-
ments being made at Pitchburg on the North Nashua. Hiver are expected
to provide material relief.

Storage reservoirs afford general relief and protection to the com-
munities dovmstream and are the most economical means of reducing flood
losses. There are sites on the tributaries of the Merrimack where
storage can be developed sufficient to reduce the flood peaks to a
point T/here damages will be relatively slight. In order to provide
for the coordinated development of the river, fihal selection of re-
servoir sites should not be made without giving full consideration to
all the possible uses to which the storage m.oy be put. These uses
include flood control, recreation, power and stream regulation, uses
which are not inherently reconcilable and which therefore should be
investigated concomitantly. In the Ivierrimack Valley increased storage
is needed, not only for flood control, but also for stre.am reg-alation
for existing power plants which are handicapped during the dry season
by insufficient flow. The pollution conditions in the lovrer portion
of the Merrimack would be greatly alleviated by increasing the low
water flow with water stored in the reservoirs. Economic advantage
might be taken of reservoirs for recreational uses provided such uses
did not seriously affect other benefits. There are available upon
the various tributaries, reservoir sites sufficient to malce possible
the degree of regulation required both for flood control and power
use, as well as for other advantages.

Headwaters development and management form an important part of a com-
plete plan for the improvement of this watershed. Some of the small
storage sites available in the headx.-aters should be utilized to sup-
plement and complete the program of larger reservoirs do;mstrean to
assist in the solution of local flood and water conservation problems.
Proper management of the large forested areas is essential to provide
a vegetative cover that will be most effective in assisting and sup-
plementing the downstream develo^jment.

The existing storage in the Merrinack Basin is about 307,000 acre-
feet, of which 275,000 acre-feet is in the Winnipesaukee, Newfound
and Squam River watersheds. Lake Winnipesaukee, controlling 3I3
square miles at its outlet, affords the greatest part of the total
storage with its l60,600 acre-feet capacity. Its water surface of
72 square miles represents about 68^^ of the total water surface of
the storage reservoirs in Hew Hampshire.

The locations and capacities of the principal recer\-oirs are shown in
Table VII-B.

i69

HYDROGRAPH FOR

FLOOD OF NOVEMBER 1927

MERRIMACK RJVER BASIN

STAT I O N DRAI NAGE AREA

1 PEMIQEWASSET RIVER- PLVMOUTH,N.H. ( 622 Sqjni.)

2 N. BR.CX)NTOCXX)OK RIVER.- ANTRIM.M.H. (54.8 5C[.mi)

3 IMACKWATER RIVER- OONTOOCOOK,N.H. ( 134 SC^ml)

4 50UHEGAN RIVER- MERRIMACK N.H. ( 17 1 Sq.mi)

_ MERRIMACK RIVER FRANKUN J'cXN.H.(1507 sq^-mi.)
_ MERRIMACK RIVER GARV IMS FALLS (2427Sq^mL)
_ MERRIMACK RIVER LOWELUMASS. (44 24Sq_rm.)

1^
cr

-Ti_ n:

3
U

^\\

/ ,

-is

/ ^

ICH

ART

KCSl

::;^^^

^rr

(D-

DAY C

F MOV

EMBEl

^ 1927

RD.

4. K
TH.

TH.

A. Y

4. >

TH.

I. K
TH.

'■ 8-

•4. M
TH.

173

Numerous storage reservoir projects located on the several New Hampshire
tributaries have teen conr-idered and reports made on them. Considera-
tion has also been given to increasing the capacities of Lake Winnipe~
saukee, Squam Lake and Ne-.vfound Lake so as to provide about 82,000 acre-
feet of additional storage.

In 1917 and 1918 investigations of storage in the Merrimack Basin were
made by the New Ham-oshire State Commission on Water Conservation and
Water Power. Forty-four sites were examined and estimates of cost and
probable benefits to power were made. These forty-four sites included
all locations of any promise for increased storage, whether for power
or for flood control.

In 19Z3 and 1934 investigati-ins of four storage reservoir projects in
the Merrimack Basin were made by private engineers for the state of
New Hampshire. These projects were at Liver^i.ore Falls on the Pemi-
gewasr.et Kiver, Webster on the Blacinffater River, Suncook Ponds on the
Suncook Eiver and Water Loom Pond on the Souhegan River. The Livermore
Falls and Blackwater reservoir projects calleri for power developments
at the dam sites. In all cases the use of storage was primarily for
stream regulation and secondarily for flood control benefits.

Of these four reservoirs the Livermore Falls Project appeared to be
outstanding in respect to flood protection. The report stated that
the chief benefit would accrue to communities in the Pemigewasset
valley, but that there would be a marked effect in the Merrimack beloTiT
Fran-klin. The control of the Pemigewasset River would be as effective
as that of tht Winnipesaukee Eiver, which is relatively free from floods,

The 1935-1936 Biennial Eenort of the Ne'.'r Hampshire Water Resources
Board lists three additional reservoirs sug^^ested primarily for river
regulation, but affording flood control benefits. These reservoirs
are located at Stillwater, on the East Branch of the Pemigewasset;
East Jaffrey on Mountain Brook, a tributary of the Contoocook; and
Highland Lake on the North Branch of the Contoocook.

An additional group of five reservoirs was suggested by the District
Water Consultr-nt of the National Eesourc/s CoiraT.ittee, These are lo-
cated at West Runney, on the Baker River, South Alexandria, on the
Smith Eiver; Cavendar, on the Contoocook Eiver; Eoby, on the WarnRr
Eiver; and Wilton, on th? Souhegnn Eiver,

17^

Data for all 12 of these reservoirs, and for the five reservoirs
ty the Army Engineers are j^iven "below:

studied

Drainage

Water

Capacity

Estimated

Area

Sui^f.

Acre

Cost

Name

Key

River

Sq. Mi.

Acres

Feet

In Dollars

Liverraore Falls

Peniigewasset

U08

6,200

26U,000

5,500,000

Blackwater

Blaclcwater

127

U,300

99,000

1,1+00,000

Sturicook Ponds

Some ok

2,000

39,000

550,000

Water Loom Pond '

SouJiegan

550

9,200

190,000

Stillwater

Pemigewasset

■ 5,200

East Jaffrey

, Mountain Brk.

U50

9 ; 000

Highland Lalce

Contoocook

.30

1,500

27,500

West Rrainey

Bal-^er

lUo

1,700

R4,000

2,1+37,000

South Alexandria

Smith

2,1+00

is, 500

l,C61+,000

Cavendar

• Contoocook

16U

2,850

33,000

1,791+, 000

Roty

Warner

900

32,500

2,666,000

Wilton

Souhegan

1,100

43,000

2,531,000

Franklin Falls

Pemigewasset

1000

2,5^0

170,000)

Blaclcwater

Blp.ckwater

125

3,iUo

U6,ooo)

8,b!?0, 000

All ens town

Suncook

2U6

3,260

73.^00

.-M

Milford

SouJhegan

165

3,290
1+.500

U2,170

Hillstoro-ugh

Contoocook

351

12^,000

A. Private Engine'-^rs group; revised data from N.H.Watsr Resources Board.

B. U. H. Water Resoui-cec Board.

C. District 7/ater Consultant, National Resources Committee.

D. U. S. Army Engineers; included also in list of N. H. Water Reso.urces Board.

Acting under authorization of the Flood Control Act of I936, the U. S. Army
Engineers are engaged in an extensive investigation of the Merrimack Basin
for the purpose of maJcing recommendations for a flood control system. The
Act authorized a system of flood control reservoirs at an estimated con-
struction cost of $7,725,000, with land and damage costs estimated at
$3,500,000.

The field work of the Engineers included a preliminary study of 6k reser-
voir sites; an aerial survey of a river strip two hundred miles long, and
of forty-seven possible reservoir sites; detailed topographic mapping of
eighteen reservoir sites; and geological reconnaissance at fifty dam
sites, at fifteen of which test pits and borings were made. In all cases
the sites selected by the Army Engineers for flood control have been
studied by them for additional conservation storage possibilities.

175

[map N9 lOB I

lOA <,

fio^

KEY

y°"M^

\f°%

aL)

i^^

HC HEADWATERS ODNTRDL
I ITsIVESTlGAriONOR.

STUESy PROJECT
D DRAINAGE

□ NATIONAL FOREST
PROJECT
— gQ^> FLOOD CONTROL RESERVOIR-

NOTE: PaOJKT NCXr MAPPED WOULD
PHOVTOENEWSlMriONSlO COLLECT
HYDROLOGIC DATA.

New England
Water Resources

Recommended Projects

EXCEPT WATERSUPPLY AND POLLimON PROJECTS

Merrimack Basin

DEC. i, i937

NEWENGLWD RLGIONAL PUNNING COMMISSION
NATIONAL RESOURCES GDMAUTTEE DISTRICT N2l

2100 FEDERAL BUILDING ftOSTON MASSACHUSETTS

177

The Army Engineers' initial plan provides for tv/o reservoirs, located
at Fran2:lin Palls on the Peraigewasset River and at TTebster on the
Blackwater River. The Franklin Falls reservoir will control an area
of approximately 1,000 sque.re miles anrj will have a storage capacity
of 170,000 acre-feet, equivalent to 3.I9 inches of runoff from the
drainage area. The estimated total cost of this reservoir is $7,7?0,000
consisting of the construction cost of $5,91+2, 000 to be "borne by the
Federal Government, and $1,772,000 for damages, highway, coraiaunication
and power line relocations to be borne by the states. The Blackwater
reservoir v»ill have a drainage area of 125 square miles and a storage
capacity of 46,000 acre-feet, equivalent to 6.9 inches of rcinoff.
The total estimated cost is $S60,000, of which the Federal G-overnment' s
share is $580,000 for constriction, the remaining S38O-OUC, covering
land damages and relocations cost, to be borne by the states. The plans
for this site allow for the- enlargement of the reservoir to provide
combined flood control and conservation storage. The enlarged reservoir
would have a storage capacity of 101,000 acre-feet, equivalent to I5.2
inches of runoff from the drainage area. The estimated ultimate cost
of this larger reservoir, exclusive of the cost of any power installa-
tion at the site, is $1,953,000, of which $1,^93,000 is construction
cost and $U6o,000 is the cost of damages and relocations.

Although these reservoirs v^oiild be developed primarily for flood con-
trol, they would provide incidental benefits to dovynstrei^jn power plants
if operated to increase the low water flow.

These two reservoirs would control a combined drainage area of 1,125
square miles, or. 22|ji of the Merrimack watershed, and would reduce the
flood height at Lowell, belov/ the dan, appro ximateiy 3*5 feet; at
Lawrence, below the dan, 3,6 feet; and at Haverhill, 3,3 feet.

These two reservoirs have been accepted by the Interstate Compact oon-
missions of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and the State of New
-iarapshire, ajid a compact between these two states is before the U. S.
Congress for ratification*. Under the compact, each signatory state
is obligated to pay ^Q'p of the cost of acquisition of land, easements
and rights-of-way.

Other reservoirs being considered by the Array Engineers to complete
the reservoir system are located at Allenstown, Hiilstorough, and Mil-
ford, — all in the state of New Hampshire. These reservoirs, together
with Blackwater and Franklin Falls, woiild control a drainage area of
1S87 square miles, and, it is estimated, would reduce the flood height
at Lowell, below the Pawtucket D<am, 6.1 feet; at Lavvrrencc, below the
dam 6.9 feet; and at Haverhill, 5.8 feot.

Power 77ater power developments in the Merrimack River basin were
well established by the middle of the nineteenth century. There are

Compact ratified bj- New Hampshire and Massachusetts, -and cignec
by Interstate Compact 'Commissions on July 6, 1S37'

178

nov; sccit-fccrod along the main river ,?iid its tributaries alDOut I30
plants, v.'ith a total capacity of more tlian 200,000 horse power.
At many pl-Tjats, where pov/er ecplpnent is now obsolete, redevelop-
ment would facilitate efficiencv t,nd .erea-ter output.

Of the developed water power in the 'basin, 6l-|^ of the total capacity-
is within the state of ITew Faiiipshire and 38^^ witMn the state of
Massachusetts. Tlie capacity of the developments on the r.iain river
(Merrimack and Peraigev/asset) auounts to about Gkfy of the total vdthin
the "basin.

As of Jan-uary 1, 1937. 'the JDocston District Office of the Hater 'dc~
soxixces Branch, U. S. C-eolO:;ical Siu-vey, has prepared an inventory
of the existing water power devslopmcntc on the Merrim;.ich. Detailed
information ref.'ardin'^ individtial plants is on file in the Boston office
of the Sm-vcy. Details on power developments in New Hai'-ipGhiro are con-
tained in the Pirst Diennial Report of the Hev^ Hampshire V'ater Pe sources
Board.

Textile nanufactures predominate' in the valley. 'Until recently water
power \-ras ori-'tjloyed directly ^o-j t'\c nanmacturing plants for i.iecrianical
operations; today, electrical conversion is foimd "better adapta''ole to
efficient prodiiction. '2ho lairgest dcvclopr.icnts are located on the
main I'iver at ilMichestcr , iiovi Hejaxi shi re , and at Lov/oll and La\.'ronce,
Massachusetts.

Most of the dcsira'ble sites on the nain river have a-lready 'boen oc-
cupied; however, some head on the main river and considerably more
on the tri"outaries is still availa'ble, and avraits economic justifi-
cation for development.. Heads of II9 and 200 feet respectively could
■fac developed at Livcrmoro Palls on the penigev/assot River, and at
We"bster on the Elac'ic^ator. Jji additional Uo feet could 'be developed
on the PeiTdgewasset and 53 feet on the Contoocook Hiver. Onls-- 25 feet
remain for dcvclopiaent on the ;:ain river.

Esta"blirdiraont of storage reservoirs on the tri"butarics to provide in-
creased flow during di-y periods would "benefit "both existing and pos-
si"blc future pov/cr dcvelopncnts. The present storage of i-l-00 acre-feet
per scLiiaro mile of drai;iagc area raises the minimtm flov: to alDout jQ'^o
of the yearly i.iean on the trroutarics. It has "been suf-^gostod tlu.t the
level of these natural storc^e "basins "be raised to o"btainod additional
storage; "'but, considering the control already effective, it would seen
"bettor to o'btain artificial reg-oLation on the main river and on s-ac}\
tri"butarios as do not have natural storage.

The adequacy of electrical encrg-y now generated and t"no difficulties of
competition with modern stoem power have tended to stand in the wo,y of
the development of wo.tcr x^ower as a valna"ble resource. Effective con-
servation of natural resources requires that i t "be given due consider-
ation in ilew England.

More than half of the total fall in the yiain strcara "between Uoodstock,
Now Hei-pshii-c and tidewater has "been developed.. (See profile #5).
About 575"^ of the remaining gross imdovolopcd head co\ild "be utiliEcd "by
power developments at Livormore Palls, 'worthca "Rock ("bct\Teen Franklin

TIA3-I VlSNVTWIAOaV laaj hi M0I1VA313

181

Falls aiid the Ayi'es iGlfi^id Eevelophiont) and Iloores Falls. 21ig Y.'orthen
Eock development v/ould oe al^sorbed in blie flood control rerjervoir at
FranJclin Falls reconn.iended "by the U. S. En^'ineers.

There are several tho\isand feet of -andeveloped head in main tri'Dittarios
of the iierrimack River. Ihica of this fall, when developed, \^o-ald have
no storage had: of it; hence its development v/oiild "be irapractical -onless
clianging conditions in the future iTiade rxm-of-the-river plants economical-
ly feasible. To tsice a complete inventory of these poosioilities v/o'Old
require extensive field and office investigations "beyond the scope of
this report.

Several of the more outstanding sites iiave "been the subject of exaia-
ination and reports, ilotev/orthjr ainong these are t'nc enlarged pov.er
and storage developments on the Pemigewasset F.iver at Livermore Falls,
and on the Blac'iwater Fiver ncujr V'ebster. In addition, developments
at sites on the Contoocoo"^:, Faker, Smith, warner, Soncoo"!-:, Sovhegan snd
Piccatanuog rivers appear to "jo feasi'ble.

Tlie chief undeveloped sites are

ar. folloY/s:-

Fiver

Location

Foad

povrer Store

i.ge

ifcc:tl

(acre -fee

-0

Pemigewasset

Liveraore Falls

iiq*

2SU,000

Blacta'/atcr

■ 'Tetstcr

200

92,000

Pemigcv/assct

'Torthc.T. Foci:

Merrinach

l.;o Ox-OS Falls

P-b

—

*37 feet

of head at presont

c'ovclopcd

Dopoitding on t"ne use to which thoy were put, these four dcvelopiients
would provide a "block of power of from '30,000 to' 70.000 horse power.
Regardless of \7hether the aergy caald ho profitably aoL'-ihed from
pliats located at these sites there wo~ald be available, depending on
the utilization affected, from 100,000,000 to loO,000,000 hilowc.tt-
hoTixs of electrical enorry in 'olio a,vcrage year.

Due to the -^otcntial storage for power purposes at the first two sites,
there woi^ld be available from head at plants already developed dovrn-
stroaia on the pemigewasset, Merrimack and Contoocook rivers v:.\ addi-
tional yearly output of about 60,000,000 ki 1 o watt -hour s .

To mal:e these developments economically feasible there v/o-uld be re-
quired a return of from 5 "to 7 mills at switchboard per kilo\/att-hour
generated. On the basis of preliminary estimates their constr-oction
vrould cost in the neighborhood of $13,000,000, exclusive of traiisiais-
sion costs.

In the stiv.ics and investigations for flood control pm-poscs the Army
Engineers li^ave found incidental energy increase at existing downstream
plcaits. To ascertain the ymo~ant of this increase they liavc assu'.icd an
operating ro,7Tilation of the reservoirs to augiaent low flows in the
river without dccrCcasing their effectiveness for flood control.

1S2

For the Franklin Falls and Blackwater reservoirs the estimated increase would
"be ahout 16,300,000 kilowatt-hours. If there were reservoirs also at Mil-
ford, Allenstown, aiid Hillshorough there would he at the existing downstream
plants a total yearly increase of energy of about 27,000,000 kilowatt-hours.

The flood control reservoirs studied by the Army Engineers are considered
more comprehensively in the Flood Control section of this report.

Navigation The river has been made navigable in the tidal portion, be-
tween its mouth at Nowburyport Harbor and the railroad bridge at Haverhill,
a distance of 20 miles, by dredging a channel 7 feet deep at mean low water
and 150 feet wide. The mean range in tide is 7«9 feet at the mouth, and
U.6 feet at Haverhill.

Jetties have been built at the mouth of the river to restrict and direct
the flow of water for the purpose of scouring out the bar. To a certain
extent this has boen effective, but the bar still forms just beyond the
jetties. Maintenance dredging by government plant to obtain a channel
through the bar is now being carried on.

Serious shoaling having been caused by the flood of March I936, dredging
to restore the project depths of 7 feet below mean low v/ater between New-
buryport and Haverhill and of 9 feet just below the wharves at Newburyport
is proposed for 193S.

Navigation above Haverhill is restricted to small plea^iuro craft. Above
the dams at Lawrence and Lowell the pools formed by the dams are utilized
by these pleasure craft. Canals and locks for naviga,tion around the dams
exist at both Lawrence and Lowell, but the canals are so restricted by low
headroom under the brid^gea that no practical use is made of them.

The wa.ter-borne commerce comprises chiefly coal and petroleum products.
Coal traffic has greatly decreased in recent years, due in part to the
shallow channel, but largely to the competition of motor transportation
and the increased use of fuel oil.

In the 1935 annuiil report of the Chief of Engineers the total net regis-
tered torinage in Newburyport Harbor was er,tinated at 22,3SU for the year
I93U; similar tonnage in Merrimack River was estimated at 52,578 tons.

In I91U-I5 investigation and survey to determine the cost of a channel 18
feet deep and 200 feet wide from the mouth to Hunt's Falls at Lowell, about
2 miles below Pawtucket Dam, was made under Congi'essional authorization
requested by local interests. The cost of enlarging the channel was
estimated at $7,076,000, or at $10,000,000 if the construction were to in-
clude changes to bridges, power plants and other works of a similar nature.
The Chief of Engineers recommended the improvement provided that state and
local interests assumed one-half the cost. No subsequent action has been
taken by the local interests.

183

Later, in 1928, the Army Engineers prepared a revised estimate of the
cost of improvement as far as Lowell; the total amount was $12,152,100
exclusive of the cost of changes to bridges, power plants and similar
items. The estimated annual maintenance cost amounted to $200,000.
In this report, the Chief of Engineers gave an adverse recommendation ■
■because in his opinion the benefits would not be coramens^jrate with the
expenditures.

The 1915 investigation included consideration of an extension from
Lowell, Massachusetts, to Manchester, New Hampshire, a distance of 35
miles. The findings of the Army Engineers led thern to conclude that the
extension was impractical in view of the cxct^ssive cost and small
amount of commerce which would be benefited.

Since these reports v/ere submitted, industrial activities in the manu-
facturing centers have suffered a marked decline. This situation, to-
gether with the fact that the port of Boston is located v/ithin 3O miles
of the center of the district, with excellent railroad and trucking
facilities available, makes extension of navigation facilities in the
Merrimack River unwarr.antod at present.

Coastal fishing and pleasure boating would be facilitated by a canal
parallel to the shoreline betTreen Hampton Harbor, north Of the Merrimack's
outlet, and the Essex River, on the south. This waterway would offer a
splendid safe passage for all types of snail craft along 25 miles of the
Massachusetts north shore and the New Haiapshire south shore. Channeling
and other inprovenent along approximately 12 niles of marsh and tidal bays ■
would provide this inland passage at an estinated cost of less than $2,000,000.

Erosion The reconnaissance survey of the Soil Conservation Service in-
dicates that the problems of soil erosion in the Merrimack valley are neither
acute nor widespread. Howe\'er, uncontrolled erosion invariably increases
the costs of channel maintenance and reduces the usefulness of dans and
reservoirs because silt inevitably accunulatos. An area exceeding 200
square miles along the stream baiiks fron Concord, New Hajupshire, to Lowell
is already marked by occasional j^lies caused, in part, by slight sheet
and wind erosion. Another large area subject to erosion extends into the
Wiite Mountain foothills along the Balcer and Penigowasset rivers from their
confluence at Plymouth. Moderate sheet erosion exists on the Winnipesaulcee
and Soucook tributaries, while stream bank erosion, although not severe,
occurs sporadically in the unper and central portions of the watershed.

In any case sheet erosion tends to become serious because of its cumulative
action. The only corrective measures needed in the Merrimack valley are
those which autonaticaily accompany such improv.,'d far:: practices as selective
cutting of woodlands, restriction of grazing, and contour plowing.

Drainage In general, the rolling hills of the Merrimack valley are well
drained, but in the lowlands near lake, stream, or ocean v;aters are to be
found large tracts of swamp land. Here mosquitoes breed in abundance, and
when such breeding places are within tl;.e insects' normal flight range of
population centers the resultant condition is obnoxious. Corrective measures,
particularly drainage, are badly needed in Middlesex Coixnty, Massachusetts.

15k

Recreation Variation in topography and density of settlement divides
the Merrimack has in into two areas, each with its own types of recreational
prohlems. The mo-on tains, lakes, and hills of the headwaters present a
situation different from that in the industrial section of the basin along
the main stream and throughout the southern portion of the valley.

In the headwater sections of the Merrimack, commercial recreation has
grasped many opportunities to develop the famous mountain and lalze s-ummer
playgrounds. It is essential that the scenic values inherent in the streams,
lakes, and ponds he preserved, since these visual water resources are often
the keystone of recreational appeal. Moreover, the sanitary condition of
vi^ater todies must not be permitted to threaten the health or the pleasure
of vacationist, tourist, or juvenile caiiiper. The use of many tributary
streans as refuse carriers gives rise to a problem of balances wherein
it is necessary to evaluate the recreational losses so incurred.

The industrial districts in the central and southern portions of the valley
need additional recreational facilities. Over much of its course the con-
dition of the Merrimack renders its use for recreation inpossible. This
condition must be improved; otherv/ise, pleasure outlets must be found on
tributary water bodies. In the tidal portion of the Merrinack the volume
of domestic wastes often produces a scum which precludes pleasure boating.

Shellfish on the tidewater flats at the mouth of the river have been af-
fected by river pollution, two-thirds of which nay be attributed to local
communities and one-third to settlements farther upstream. So long as the
river carries a heavy load of wastes, opportunities to increase the fish
and game population are confined to the tributaries and to the more northerly
portion of the Merrimack. Unless attention is continuously given to their
protection and increase, the depletion of these game resources will continue
to the point of extinction.

3 35

TAEL3 III-B
SLMvU'iEY OF STSEAIvI FLOW RECORDS - IvSRRIMACK BASIN

Drainage

Area

Location of Station

Square

Miles

?!erriir.ack River at

Franklin Jet., N.E.

1510

Jarvins Falls, N.H.

2340

Manchester, N.H.

2850

Lowell, Mass,

4424

Lawrence, Mass.

4461

Pemifewasset River

East Branch near

Lincoln, N.H.

104

Ifuml e r Discharge in Cu"bic Feet per Second

Years

of Max. Min. i:ean Peak Flow

Record Day Day Ann-ual

31 73,700 250 2,729 83,000

9(a) 52,490 301 3,770 122,000

12 132,000 275 4,303 144,000

14 161,000 199 6,610 173,000

57(h) 159,000 51 6,661 174,000

Plymouth, N.H. 622

Baker River

Near Ramney, N.H. '143

Smith River

Near Bristol, N.h. 84

Dontoocook River

Nuhanusit Brook at
Peterboro, N.E.

Near Elmwood, N.H.

North Branch near

Antrim, N.K.

Black-vater River near

Contoocook, N.H.

at Penacook, N.H.

Blackwater River at

l^ebster 129

Winnipesaukee River

Lake linnepesaukee Cut-
let, Lakeport, N.H. 363

Souh:egan River at

Merrimack, N.H. 171

Suncook River at

North Chichester, N.H. 157

Nashua River

So. Branch at Clinton, 109
Mass.

(a) record terninated 1915
(h) record terminated 1934

11,200 32 292 17,000
57,300 245 1,357 65,400

12,600 17.4 238 25,900

6,890

1.9 300

12 , 600

221

4,720

n(c)

830

0.4

4,140

163

7(d)

4,500

300

4,720

5,570

2.9

6,160

134

13,000

216

17,000

766

46,400

1,349

46,800

17,000

3 27,600 33 490 27,600
into lake

27 14,200 13 273 16,900

16 11,000 0.4 218 12,900

7,200 9.5 183 11,100

(d) record terirdnated 1924

186

SUMJ/IAEY OF STREAM FLOW RECORDS - IvIEERIMACK PAS IN

Location of Station

Drainage Niimber Discharge in Cutic Feet per Second

Area Years

Square of Max. Min. Mean Peak Flow

Miles Record Day Day Annual

Nashua River (cont.)

East Pepperell, Mass.

No. Branch at

No. Leominster, Mass.

Concord River

Lake Cochituate Outlet
at Cochituate, Mass.

Sudbury River

at Framingham, Mass.

433
107

1 19,450 9.5 830 20,900

1 7,530 23. 260 16,300

74 248 2.4 26.5 ■ 248

62 2,050 0.5 113 2,050

137

TABLE IV

EXPLAIO-TORY NOTES

Concerning th^ tatle of

SELECTED DATA ON DOMESTIC AND INDUSTRIAL WASTES

IN f/IUNICIPALITIES HAVING^ ORGANIZED SEWER SYSTEMS

Coluirn 1. Town or City. Municipalities, arranged alphabetically,

where available infornation positively indicated the existence of an
organized sewerage system.

Column 2. Population 1930- Entire population of the civil division as
reported by the 193*-* Census.

Column 3* Population Served. Best available estiiuate of the persons served
by an organized system.

Column k. Discharge in thousand gallons per day. The best available
estimate of the volume of sewage discharged.

Coliunn 5- Treatment. Abbreviations, noted below, indicate the type of
treatment applied to the domestic wastes.

Column 6. Chief sources of Industrial Wastes. The industries which com-
monly pollute streams are indicated by concise reference to the type of
plant, product or raw material.

Symbols

No inforrae.tion available

(P) Partial

(s) Summer resort.

(S) State Institution

(U) College or University

Various Several industries present with none clearly predominant.

Milk Refers to pasteurizing, ice cream and dairy plants.

Fart. Fertilizer factory.

Oil petroleixTi products; storage or distribution plants.

Gas Illuminating gas manufactuj-ing plant.

Cannery Includes fish packing.

Im. Imhoff TarJc

Sp. Seotic Tarik

SP. Sand filtration.

P. Filtration.

CP. Cesspool

SI. Sludge treatment.

AcSl. Activated slu.dgc plant.

Aeration.

CI.

ClJ-orination

St.

Settling

Sc.

Screening (fine)

Br.

Barging sludge to sea,

Sm.

Sedimentation

Ir.

Irrigation

SOURCES OF niFORMATION

Unpublished Do-ta. State planning Boards
Unpublished Data, State Health Departments
Annual Reports, State Health Departments

188

Ti^BIS IV-B

SELECTED DATA Oil DOIffiSTIC AIH) niDUSTRIAL WASTES
IN r/KINICIPAlITlES HAVIFa CRGA^IIZED SE'TEB SYSTEI.IS
ItSBRrMACK 5ASIII

Dome

Stic Sewa/re

Industrial

Popui

.ation

Discharge
thous .

17a- tes

Towr. or City

1930

Serv.jd

gal /day

Treatment

Chief Sources

Allenstown, N. H.

1,5^9

1,250

lOU

none

Boscaweii

1.359

Uoo

none

—

Bristol

1,610

1,200

120

none

—

Concord

25,22s

20,000

2,200

none

—

Derry

500

200

none

—

Franklin

6/J76-

U,500

30U

none

—

Gilford

7S3

—

— .

none

—

Goffstom

3.S59

soo

none

—

Greenville

1,319

500

none

—

Henniker

1,266

600

rione

—

Hillstoro

2,160

600

none

Fopkinton

i,US5

-00

—

none

—

Hudson

2,702

6uo

nonf

—

Jaffrey

2M3

1,000

—

Sp.

—

Laconia

12,U71

10,000

350

St. CI. (P)

—

Lincoln

l,5US

1,000

none

—

Manchostor

76,&'3U

57.000

3,705

none

—

Morriraack

l,OSU

200

none

—

Mi If or d

U.06S

■^,000

ISO

none

—

Narhua

31,^63

2!+, 000

1,7^0

none

—

Ne\7 London

S12

700

Ira. SP.

—

Northfield

1.3?6

800

none

—

Pemtroko

2,792

1,800

1U9

none

—

Poter "borough

2,5'"1

300

Sp.

—

Pittsfield

2,015

600

none

—

Plymouth

2,U70

1,'400

1U7

none

—

Tilton

1,712

1,200

120

none

—

Warner

1,062

600

none

—

Wilton

1,72^

• 800 •

220

none

—

WolfG"boro

2,358

1,500

Sp.

—

Woodstock

756

2,000
Services

Araestury, Massachas-

ebts 11, 89 J

—

none

—

Andover

9,969

—

none

—

Billerica

5,S80

—

306

SP.

—

Clielinsford

7,022

—

233

none

—

Clinton

12,817

1,932

i,U69

Sm.SF.

Various

Concord

7,^77

751

569

SF.

—

Fitchlfurg

Uo,692

3,063

Im. F.

Paper & others

Pramingham

22,210

3,6U5

1.309

iifi. sr.

—

E:,.verhill

Ucjio

none

—

Hudson

S,U69

i,i6U

627

Sm. SF.

Woolen

La^rrence

85. 06s

—

none

—

Leominster

21.310

—

2,000

none (l)

Plastics &. paper

129

MEBHIiaCK mVSR BASII J (con't)

Domestic Sewast

Indus trial

Discharge

Wastes

Pop.

thous.

Town or Citv

1930

Services

gal/ day

Treatnent

Chief Sourc.

Lowell, Mass.

100,234

5>52l

none

Marlboroiagh

15.537

—

909

Sm. SF.

Maynard

7,156

Uoo

362

Ira. F. Sm.

Methuen

21,069

none

Natick

13.5S9

l,6S5

768

In. r. Sm.

Newburyport

i5,ogl+

none

IJorth Andover

6,961

none

Salisbury

2,194

none

Westborough

6.4C9

613

271

SF.

(1) Treatnent plant under construction

190

EXFLAJATORY NOTES
concerning tables of the

ORG-AiaZED MTER SUPPLY SYSTELIS

Colujun 1. To;7n or city. Mviriicipalities, arranged alphabetically, where
available information indicates the existence of an organized
public or semi-public water supply system.

Coliunn 2. Population 193'"-'- Entire population of the civil division as
reported by the l^JiO- census.

Column 3. Population Served. Best available estimate of the persons
served oy an organized system (as for the year I936).

Column 4. Consumption in thousand gallons per day. Best available
estimate of the normal daily requirement.

Column 5* Sources of supply. Tlie type of source drawn from is indicated
by symbols:- R. for Reservoir, Pond or Lake; W. for Wells,
either deep or shallow; Spr. for Spring; Str. for Streams.

Column 6. Watershed area in square miles. 3est available estimate of
the drainage area upon which the water supply is dependent.

Column 7* Capacity in millions of gallons. Beet available estimate of
the quantity of water stored by, or inmediately available to,
the municipal supply.

Column S.

Type of Treatment. Available information concerning the
methods used to improve the quality of the water served.

SYI\IBOLS

(2),

(S)

(T)

(U)
(s)
(a),

etc. Numerals enclosed in parentheses indicate the number of sepstrate
water supply systems which serve the municipality. Where there
is only one system no symbol is necessary.

Includes State institution
Includes Summer population served
Includes College or School
Provides Summer service only
(b), etc. Letters enclosed in parentheses linlc civil divisions served
by the same water source :-

In col-umn 3 and U they link iminicipalities where available in-
formation does not give the nvunber served in each town.
In column 5 letter indicates that the civil division imports
water.

In column b and 7 letter indicates that the civil division ex-
ports water.

Letters linl<: miinicipalities within one state and basin;
cross-references between basins or states appear in footnotes.

191

l.'tymbols (continued)

Aeration

Activated carbon

Al.

Alum

Lime

AlSl.

AluminujTi sulphate

MF.

Mechanical filter

Am.

Ammonia

FY.

Pressure filter

AmSl.

Ammonium sulphate

pH.

Correction of reaction

AS.

Alum - Soda. Ash

EF.

Eapid filter

Corrosive correction

Soda ash

01.

Chlorine

SF.

Slow filter

Co.

Coagulation

Sm.

Sedimentation

CiiSl.

Copper sulphite

So 01.

Sodiom hypochlorite

Filtei- •

St.

Storage of protective

IE.

Iron removal

significance.

SOimCES

F lOTORiaTIOIT

Unpublished Data, State Planning 5oa.rds
Uiipublished Data, State Health Departments
Annual Eeports, State Health Departments
Annual Eeports, Public Utilities Commissions

192

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i 1 I ! ! I I .11?!

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«^i

1==

c«

•

o8 rt PI

• •

3:i rt

•

al Pi N

•

l/>

o>"1

•

Ph CO p;

e^^

o o o o o o
-^ o oo o o 1 o r^

o o o o
o ir^o o
CM Lno

o o o

O LOO

vx) H r^

o o o o o
LOvino o o

CM CM O t^O

o o ^ o
o o t f^ o

ir^ CM 1 60 CM

■ rH H^ U■^Lf^CT^CJ Cr.O H^ 60U5 H r^VD CTiCTiiHVDtOOCMmCMirMHtO^ CM

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CM cm CM CM CM

+' Pt Tb (D h (D ^C

w a c -y o -H -p

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fq ta t-q ti fH en o

CD Q) (1) (D (D

fn a rQ -P rt

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CTiCM CM I^CM LC^r-CM r~-U3

SS;si!Si^PH(X,^pL,COEH ^|ststs[5

194

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-p . ■ . , ...

--'CO. ..oil ,.■

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to O r'^OJ :! l^CTi^

LTvVX) r^rH CO "Xi KMl^

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o m o

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195

TABLE yi-B
EXISTING WATER POWEE - ICEKRIIUCK BASIN

RIVER

NO.

CAPACITY OF PLANTS OF

CAPACITY TTSED

FOR C

TOTAL

PLANTS 11^

;afacity

over

1,000

under

Horse-

;.K.

Ms.

,000

HP.

9,990

HP.

1,000 HP

. Utility Mfg.

power

WiEERIMACK

109

,260

54,883

30,156

65,792

128,507

194,299

Main Stream

,050

■ 8,400

19,630

84,830

104,460

Pemigewasset

,200

6,300

2,635

16,975

5,160

22,135

Winnepesaulcee

2,560

4,420

2,960

4,020

6,980

Coritoocook

7,250

8,504

6,975

8 , 779

15,754

Suncook

2,785

1,635

4,420

Piscataquog

8,850

335

8,850

335

9,185

Souhegan

2,755

665

2,090

2,755

Nashua

14,918

617

5,417

10,118

15,535

N. Branch

4,030

500

3,530

4,030

Concord

1,650

1,950

1,650

1,950

3,600

Others

2,170

3,275

2,170

3,275

5,445

196

T^iBLS VI I -B: EXISTING STORAGE
MERRIMACK MS IN

Drainage

Water

Storage

Area

Surface

Capacity

Equivalent

Sq.Mi. .

Sq.Mi.

Acre-feet

Inches of Runoff

Sqiiam Lake

5S .

I.U5

1+5,800

ik.Z

Newfound Lake

g.O

27,500

5.7

L. V^entwortn (Bmith Pond)

k.z

16,000

Merryraeetin,^ Lake

l.g

13,300

Lalce Winnipesainkee

313 .

72.0 ,

160,300

11.7

LaJce Winnisquam

6.0

6,500

2.1

Estimated Total

5,000

Massatesic Lake (W. S.)

Wachusett Reservoir (W.S.) 118

Sudtury River Reservoirs (W. S.)92.8

3.9
6.5

Estimated Grand Total

5,000

183

307,000

73,000

199,200

U8,500

630,000

1.15

2.U

NOTE: Storage equivalent, in inches of runoff, is computed on a basis of all
storage above point in question.

197

MASSACHUSETTS COASTAL BASIFS

19S

a - Ipswich Hiver
"b - Charles River
c - Neponset River

laSSACHUSETTS COASTAL. BASIKS

l^-r. DelC'O^ifn/

199

I»JASSA.CHUSSTTS COASTAL BASINS

gEITERAL DESCRIPTION

The Massachusetts Coastal Basins, comprising that portion of Massachusetts
which drains into Massachusetts Bay on the east, and into Buzzards Bay on
the south, has an area of about I9OO square miles, roughly 30^0 of the area
of Massachusetts. It has an Ocean front of ahout 1,000 miles and extends in-
land for a raaxim\m distance of ahout thirty miles, averaging between 10 and
20 miles.

The area lies in a coastal lowland, with low undulating hills in the northern
and western parts and ;nany lenticular hills, ranging between 100 and 200 feet
in altitude, in the central portion surrounding the Boston Metropolitan area.
To the south of Boston the topography is gently rolling, vdth occasional flat
areas. The watershed lines between the several small sub-basins, as well as
the adjoining basins of the Merrimack and Taunton rivers, are not clearly de-
fined. Many areas in the region contain 'swampy or poorly drained land.
The bedrock formation is principally granite, which appears in outcrops at
the surface. In general this bedrock is covered by gls,cia.l deposits of gravel
and sand. Although not an agricultiiral area, the deposits of sandy loams,
chiefly in flat bgttom lands, pro\!a.e much fertile soil which is used for
extensive truck farming a:id ill so for subsistence farming.

This section of Massachusetts is the most heavily populated- and industrial-
ized in New England; nearly a third of its total area is classified as urban.
Almost the entire coastline is developed for recreation, though most of it is
privately controlled. The rural parts of the basin are mostly faru land, and
nearly 50^ of the entire basin nay be classed as woodland, a largo proportion
of which has been burned over and cut over so often that tne timber is of no
comnercial value other than for fuel. On Cape Cod, where the soil is largely
sandy, there is extensive scrub growth of pine and oak.

The average annual rainfall in the basin is about kZ inches, ranging from 39
inches at Provincetown, at the outor end of Cape bod, to nearly hf inches at
Blue Hill Observatory, immediately south of Boston. The tenperature averages
about 68^ in sunner and 28~^ in winter, with somofiiiat cooler suiriners and
milder winters on Cape Cod imd. the islands along the shore than elsewhere in
the basin. '

About a dozen snail strear.'.s drain into the ocean, the most important of ?/hich
are the Ipswich, Charles, and Neponseit rivers.

The Ipswich Kiv^^r rises in Burlington, in Middlesex County, about I5 miles
north of Boston, and flows generally northeast tnrough loiv agric^oltural and
residential land to the Atlantic Ocean, which it enters at Ipswich, just
north of Cape Ann. Its drainage area is about I50 square railes; its length,
about 32 miles. The watershed contains many small lakes and ponds, as v/ell
as numerous marshy meadows along :iuch of its course. In general the basin
is flat, with no hills rising higher than UOO feet. There is little fall
in the river, and the flow is normally sluggish.

The Charles Eiver rises in the town of Hopkinton, about 25 miles southwest
of Boston and a short distance north of the Ehode Island state line. It
follows an extremely meandering course for about 65 miles, although the air-
line distance from its source to the lower dan at Watertown is only about
20 miles. From Watertown to Boston Harbor, a distance of 8^ miles, the
river was formerly tidal; however, a dam at the mouth of the river now m.ain-
tains a constant water level in what is known locally as the "Charles Eiver
Basin".

Tlie drainage area above the lower dam in Watertown is about 270 square miles.
Flo";? equivalent to that from about 68 square miles is diverted from the
Charles Kiver basin into the Neponset Eiver basin through a canal to Mother
Brook, a tribn.tary of the Neponset. This diversion dates back to 1798 when
rights were granted to the proprietors of mills on Mother Brook, in.Dedham,
to use one-third of the flow of the Charles Eiver above the point of diver-
sion, located in ;Dedham.

The basin is from 7 to 10 miles wide in the lower portion, narrowing to 5
miles in the central part and broadening to a maximum of 15 m.iles tov7ard the
headwaters. There are few high elevations in the basin, the hills seldom
rising more than 300 to 400 feet above sea level and none so high as 600
feet. There are numerous ponds in the watershed, none of which is large,

.The Neponset Eiver rises in Neponset Eeservoir, in the town of Foxboro, and
flows in a northerly and northeasterly direction to Dorchester Bay, an arm
of Boston Earbor. It has a length of about 24 miles and drains an area of about
115 square miles. By reason of the diversion of flow from the Charles Eiver
into Mother Brook, an additional 63 square miles should be included in the
Neponset drainage area, making the total area about 183 square miles.

The watershed contains a number of ponds and reservoirs, as well as a large
amount of swamp-land. The largest swamp area, known as the Fowl or Great
Meadows, covers about 3662 acres. Much of this marsh-land has been re-
claimed by the State Department of Health.

Discharge records liave been kept for abo^it six years by the U. S. Geological
Survey, in cooperation with the State of Massachusetts, at a gaging station
near Ipswich, on the Ipswich Eiver, and at Waltham, on the Charles Eiver.
Eecords at both stations are too short to afford adequate bases for close
determination of the average annual yield of the basins; such records as
are available indicate that the annual runoff from the Ipswich basin is
about 1.65 cubic feet per second per square mile, and from the Charles basin,
about 3.44 cubic feet per second per square mile. Eecords of the flow of
Mother Brook at Dedliam, Massachusetts, kept for the osst 5 years, show an
average discharge of 90.4 cubic feet per second. The' f igiares in Table III-C
are summarized from unpublished records of the U, S. Geological Survey at
Boston, Massach'jsetts, and from the Survey's Water Supply Papers covering
Part I - North Atlantic Slorie Basins.

201

HTJMM OCCUTANCY

Population This region, comprising nearly ZOfo of the area of Massachusetts,
had a population, in 1930, of 2,416,000. By 1935 this number- had increased to
2,485,000, almost three-fifths of the- total state population. Fully 90^ of
the population is classed as urban.

About one half of the total area and nearly 95^ of the total population are in
metropolitan districts, as defined by the U. S. Bareau of the Census; specifi-
cally, the basin includes most of the Boston Metropolitan District and small
Dortions of the Lowell-Lawrence and Providence- Pall Eiver-New Bedford Districts
The remaining territory consists of small towns and rural areas.

The region has a high population density, 1,070 persons per square mile, or
double the density for the state.

Metropolitan Boston, containing 2,384,465 people in 1935, is a thickly settled
urban and suburban district. It includes in addition to many smaller commun-
ities four cities of more than 100,000 population: Boston, 817,713, Cambridge,
118,075, Lynn, 100,909, and Somerville, 100,773. Outside Metropolitan Eos-
ton, New Bedford (pop,, 110,022) is the only city of over 100,000. The num-
bers of cities and towns in the basins, in various ponulation groups as of
1935 are:

ITurber

Over 100,000 5

25,000 to 100,000 13

10,000 ' to 25,000 26

5,000 to 10,ono 18

2,500 to 5,000 21

Eastern Massachusetts, with the exception of some towns outside of the metro-
politan districts, has gained consistently in population, although at a dimin-
ishing rate, since 1900, and more rapidly than the state as a whole. The
relative growth of communities between 1920 and 1930 is shown on Map 7. Com-
parative rates of increase of population areas were:

Period State Mass. Coastal Basins Metropolitan Boston

1930-1935 2.4/o 2.S/o 3.3/o

1920-1930 lO.ifo 11.5fo 14.9fo

Judging by the diminishing rate of growth o-^ the entire state and by past
trends in various areas within the state, it is evident that increase in the
population of the Massachusetts Coastal basins will not continue at so high a
rate as in the past. Based on the state population in 1935 of 4,351,000, a
predicted estimate by competent authorities is 4,623,000 for 1960, an in-
crease of 275,000 in twenty-five years, or less than 3% per decade. On ac-
count of the concentration in this eastern section its relative increase will
undoubtedly be greater than that in other parts of the state, and the major
portion of the new population will probably be locater" in the iretropolitan
districts.

202

Asriculture The rural population of the basin is less than one- tenth

of the total. In Barnstable county, however, the rural proportion is
about two-thirds, and the greater part of this population is in. the non-
farm class. Nevertheless, farming activities are generally intensive,
especially dairying, fruit growing, truck gardening for local markets
and, in the Cape. Cod section, cranberry cultivation. The cranberry
crop yields a substantial revenue and constitutes about tyro-thirds of
the production in the entire country.

A higher rate of increase in the rxiral non-farm element and' a tendency
to spread beyond the existing suburban limits are in evidence as results
of the widespread use of the automobile. In the thickly- settled areas
the inordinate .demand for farm products will probably encourage the es-
tablishment of more small poultry and truck farms; howeve.r, no significant
changes in the types of farming activity are anticipated.

Industry The northern portion of this. region is highly industrialized.

In the southern part the only large industrial center is New Bedford - the
leading city of New England in the. production of fine cotton fabrics.
Cape Cod, primarily a recreation region, has practically no manufacturing.
The basin as a whole contains a wide variety of manufacturing interests
and accounts for about fifty percent of the value of products manufactured
in Massachusetts.

The decrease in industrial activity in the manui<?cturing cities of this
area between 1527 and 1933 ^.as approximately the same as the average
decrea,se in the United States as a whole, although some centers, such
as Lynn (a shoe city) and New Bedford (a textile city), lost slightly
more. There isj however, a wide diversity in industries in the raetrj-
politan districts, and in cities of specialized manufacturing efforts
are being made to introduce diversified lines to a gre-^ter degree.
This will undoubtedly tend to stabilize employment and will lead to a
more consistent growth in manufacturing.

Mining Granite ma.y be quarried almost anywhere in. this region ex-

cept on Cape Cod and Nantucket and Martha's Vineyard Islands. The
quarries at Quincy and Rockport account for a large . share of the
granite production of Massachusetts, which exceeds that of any other
New England state. There are no other minerals quarried or mined on
a commercial sccale. No change is anticipated in stone production
beyond a nr^tural txnansion which may possibly accompany increased
activity in the construction field.

Lumbering Th^re is practically, no. lumber production in this part of

Mass- chusatts, and the sale of forest products .accounts for only 20
of farm income.

Fishing This, region contains, in Boston, the principal fishing port

of the United States. Gloucester is the second port in importance.
In 153^ the value of the catch brought into these two ports rjnounttd
to nisarly $8,000,000, about one half of tht; totnl value for the six New
England states or for the entire Pacific Const. Province to->vn, on Mas-
sachusetts Bay, and New Bedford, on Buzzards Bay, are other importnnt
bases for commercial fishing. Although most if the fishing is done on

203

the banks far off the coast, there is in Massachusetts Bay a large amount
of shell fishing, which is seriously affected at many points by pollution
resulting; from the sewage discharged by large metropolitan areas and
local communities. Relief from this threat to the fishing industry is
essential from both the economic and the health standpoint. Commercial
organizations hope to Dring about expansion of the fishing industry by
broadening its market and increasing the variety of prepared fish products.
The best means of accomplishing these ends are now being investigated.

Recreation This basin, vjhere there is the greatest concentration of
population in Kew England, includes one of the most favored recreational
areas on the Atlantic seaboard. Metropolitan Boston is the fifth largest
metropolitan district in the country, both as to area and population;
the North Shore, South Shore, Cape Cod and Buzzards Bay together represent
one of the most highly developed recreational regions in the United States.

The publicly-owned land devoted to recreation in the basin is extensive,
but the value of the private land developed for the same purpose is
probably uneq-'jaled in any other one section of equal size in the country.
The recreational opportunities of the urban population and the invest-
ments of summer residents are both threatened, however, by the extensive
pollution along much of the basin's shore.

Extensive areas are closed to shell fishing in the following localities:
Newburyport, Ipswich, Rockport, Gloucester, Manchester, Danvers, Beverly,
Salem, Marblehead and frou lynn to Winthrop on the North Shore; Boston Harbor,
Cohasset, Kingston and Plj'Tiiouth on the South Shore; Provincetown, Chatham and
Barnstable on the Cape; and Wareham, Mat tapoi sett, Fair Haven, New Bedford and
Dartmouth on Buzzards Bay. Pollution has rendered these waters too unher.lthy
for shellfish; in fact, safety for bathing is dubious.

The shortage of publicly-OTmed beaches for the use of the millions living in
the basin has been widely acknowled^.^ed. There are seven state-owned beaches,
but, as the Progress Report- (I936) of the Massachusetts State Planning Board
states, "these shore reservations arc far from adequate to serve the existing
and potential demands." The report recommends the acquisition of six ad-
ditional beaches in th;3 basin. Unfortunately, no favorable action has yet
been taken by the legislature on this essential program.

The Neponset River is so polluted by industrial waste that its recrea-
tional use is hampered. Conditions in the Mystic River are somewhat
similar. In the Charles River, imicn is used extensively for recreation,
pollution frorj sewage and industrial plants exists to a less degree, but
additional improvement in its condition is desirable for the greatest
utilization of its recreational possibilities.

The concentration of population witiiin the basin necessitates the ful-
lest use of .all recreational opportunities. Acquisition of shore areas
for bathing and protection of stre.-xns and beaches from pollution is es-
sential to any balanced program of recreational development in the basin.

204

Transportatio n Water transportation is almost entirely limited to
ocean waters. Of several seaports, Boston, one of the principal ports
of the country, is the largest. It is bein.i; provided with a UO-foot
ship channel arid has extensive docks and warehouses and several trunk
line railroad connections. Its terminal facilities are more than
adequate to meet the volume of traffic in the harbor, but channels to
docks and wharves need to be improved.

New Bedford, on tne southern coast of the region, is the second port of
importc'ince; here are a 30-foot channel and ample facilities. Gloucester,
Salem, Lynn and Provincetown are minor ports used principally by local
coast-wise traffic.

The only inland route of consequence is the Cape Cod Canal connecting
Masraciiusr-tts Bay v/ith Buzzards Bay, and shortening the route from
Boston to Neu York by about GO miles. There is one other inland route -
a canal across the base of Cape Ann, connecting G-loucester and Annisquam
harbors, which is used primarily oy fishing and pleasure craft.

The Mystic, Neponset and TTeymouth Fore rivers, tnc tidal portions of which
are essentially arras of Boston Harbor, are liavigajle for only short dis-
tances from the harbor; they are, however, commtrcially importrnt parts
of the Port of Boston. The remaining streams of the region have no
transportation veJ.ue.

This region is covered with a vast number of high-.;ays and secondary
roads. The principal long-distance routes radiate from Boston, and
on account of the dense local traffic are seriously congested at many
points. The principal need .of the region is for trunlc routes of modern
design for through traffic that will by -pass thickly settled areas.
This need is most evident in connection i;\-ith north and south movements
through this section, and Y\dth traffic going around Boston.

Eastern Massachusetts is covered v/ith a netv/ork of railroad lines,
centering at Boston. This network ;¥as originally composed of u. large
number of independent local roads. Upon consolidation into the present
systems man^'- of these lines were found to be unprofitable, and the result
has been a gradi.ial curtailment and often abandonment of service. However,
the remaining lines, together with the bus and truck services which have
usually been established to replace any discontinued railroad lines,
provide adequate transportation facilities in practically all parts of the
region.

Scheduled air transport service is provided from the Boston airport to a
majority of the important cities of New Erglajid and, through connections
at Newark and Albany, to the national airline network. In addition, the
trans -Atlantic air service soon to be established may include Boston as
a stop on some trips. In the vacation season, scheduled service is pro-
vided from Boston and New Bedford to Cape Cod points, Martha's Vineyard
and Nantucket. Additional air travel facilities are provided by charter
service at the MOrc important airports. Tvhile there o,re numerous landing
fields in this area, inprovenent of many of then is needed to provide
adequately for aviation operations.

205

WATER USE MP CONTROL

Pollution Bae Eoston Metropolitan District, comprising the city of
Boston and its suburbs, is served by a system of intercepting and main
outfall sewers operated by the city of Boston and by the Metropolitan
District Commission. Hiere are three uiain sewerage systems which discharge
their sewage through three long outfall sewers into Boston Harbor, without
treatment, other than coarse screening and dilution. This method of dis-
posal is unsatisfactory, and eventually additional treatment will become
necessary.

Many of the existing intercepting and trunk sewers, designed many years
ago to serve populctions materially less than those now tributary to them,
are of too limited capacity to handle adequat^^ly the present quantities.
In many places in the district, relief tr.xnk sewers are needed to reduce
the volume of sewage now overflowing into the rivers and tidal estuaries.
No adeqiiate plan of construction of relief sewers and appurtenant works
has yet been prepared, but before any major construction program is
started comprehensive engineering studies should be undertaken.

Similar extensive improvements are needed in the areas outside the Boston
main drainage district, principally in the Charles and Mystic River valleys,
which, for the greater part, are within the Metropolit.an Sewerage District.
Legislative reports have oeen made on many projects det-.igned to relieve
overloaded trunk sewers along these river valleys. In the North Metro-
politan area, one major relief sewer is now -under construction and other
similar projects are knowTi to be needed.

In its upper reaches the Charles River receives rela.tively large amounts
of mixed wastes from Franlciin and Medw^i^', and incompletely purified
sewage from Milford. The effects of these wastes are especially noticeable
at these points but, throw>h natural piu-if ication, the qiiality of the water is
greatly improved before it reaches the lower end of the river, and is not ob-
jectionable in the Charles River Basin. However, occasional storm overflows
in the lower portion of the valley contaminate the v/attr.

The Mystic River and its tributaries are also in an unsatisfactory condition
due to industrial wastes ,'jL'-;d sewage overflows. Th;. enlargement and extension
of sewers of the North Metropolitan District v/o-old aid materially in the
abatement of pollution in the Myotic.

The Neponset River, which flows through the South Metropolitan District, is
primarily an industrial stream, and analyses of the water show that there is
pollution, due largely to color and suspended solids in industrial wastes.
However, partial relief in this valley has been effected by the extension of
sewers of the South Metropolitan District.

A special Joint Comraissiou was authorized, under a legislative resolve of 1935.
to investigate the discharge of sewage into Boston Harbor and its trib-
utaries. The recent report of this Joint Commission stated: "The
investigation showed that much of the North Metropolitan Sewerage System
is inadequate in capacity to receive the storn water and domestic sewage
tribu-tary to this system, and inadeq-oate to' receive the domestic .sewage
and industrial wastes in some parts of the system." In this connection,
the Joint Commission recoi-unended the inauguration of a program to remove

206

storm water from the IJorth Metropolitan Sewerage System, the South
Metropolitan Sewerage System and the Boston Main Drainage System. The
Commission recommended legislation requiring construction of sewers and
appurtenances for preventin,^ storm waters from entering the three systems.

The investi;^ation covered also the matter of the treatment of sewage hefore
its discharge into the harhor. Investigation did not disclose serious pol-
lution in the harbor, except in the vicinity of the three main outfalls,
hut evidence of pollution was ohtained on adjacent shores, where it had
been carried by tides and winds. The opinion of the Joint Commission was
stated in the re;port to be that "the condition of Eoston Harbor has not
reached such a state as to be dangerous to public health, and the Special
Commission cannot therefore recommend that treatment works be provided
at this time, but is of the opinion that the population residing in the
vicinity of ?oston Harbor will soon demand a change in spite of the fact
that the present conditions are not dangerous to the public health. -To
meet these demands works for treating the sewage and for disposing of the
sludge will have to be provided. "

In some of the outlying areas in the Boston Metropolitan District there
are torms of considerable size which are without sewerage systems, and
the streams rjjid. tidal estuaries draining such places are highly polluted.
Many of these places lie within a territory v/hich should be served, either
by main intercepting sewers of the Boston Metropolitan District or by local
sev/er^ige' systems and treatment works.

In the area served by the South Essex Sewerage District, there are sev-
eral ominous pollution abatement problems. The waters of Saler. and Beverly
harbors are ob jc;ctionable at times, chiefly because they receive indus-
trial wastes from the Sewerage District outfall sewers and the North and
Danvers Rivers. The North River, one of the most polluted streams in New
England, receives quantities of industrial wastes, chiefly from tanneries
in Salem and Peabody. Plans for eliminating this nuisance have been pre-
pared, and the construction of the necessary facilities should not be
delayed. The Danvers River is polluted by industrial wastes and domestic
se-jagG from Danvers, one of the largest communities in Massachusetts
without a public sewer system.

With the t-xcoption of those conmunities ' lying within the Boston and Salem
districts, problems of pollution abatement and control must in general
be solved by individual communities of the basin. Because these com-
munities are relativelj;- siiall, conflicting interests, in matters per-
taining to the pollution of rivers and coastal waters, .are not of serious
consequence. Sewer systems and disposal works are needed in nany towns,
partic\ilarly whv:re there are thickly settled village centers. In mar^
cases the inuediate ruquirement is for an engineering study to determine
the actual needs and to suggest methods by which waters in the vicinity
may be improved and protected against pollution.

Several towns and villages situated along the shores of Cape Cod Bay,
Nantucket Sound and Buzzards Bay should be provided with sewerage and
sewage disposal works. Plymouth, for example, now discharges sewage
through outlets along the shores of Plym.iuth Harbor, causing offensive
conditions in these waters. Sewerage and sewage disposal facilities are
needed in Provincetovm, Falmouth, Wareham and Mattapoisett. Improvements at
Fairhaven are also needed. The many fine beaches and sheltered bays along

207

MAP N^ a-c~|

^ SEWAGE SYSTEM-NOTREATAVENT

4 SEWAGE SYSTEM- TREATMENT

O CONSTRUCTION PROJECT

NOTE . POLLUTION INVESTIGATION

PROJECT FOR RELIEF TRUNK
SEWERS IN THE BOSTON MAIN
DRAINAGE DISTRICT.

New England Water Resources

Sewage and Pollution

Massachusetts Coastal 5asins

NEW ENGLAND REGIONAL PLANNING COMMISSION

NATIONAL RESOURCES COMMITTEE DISTRICT Ns I

2IOO FEDERAL BUILDING BOSTON AV^SS AC H US ET TS

.V^^

209

the shores of Cape Cod and vicinity have given this section an enviable
reputation as a siiminer playgroiuid, but to keep this reputation entails the
protection of these waters augainst contamination which might in any way
detract from the recreational advantages offered.

In the vicinity of the larger cities in this basin there has been such a
pronounced migration of population from tirban areas into suburban com-
munities, especially in s;jmmer, that extensions of sewerage facilities have
frequently not kept pace ;vith other developments.

Water Supply The chief water supply needs in the Massachusetts Coastal
Basin are for the extension of present systems into areas not now served,
and for the provision of treatment for surface supplies where tne condition
of tne water is unsatisfactory, usually because the source is in a thickly
populated district. Only a few scattered coramunities have no water sup-
plies. Most of those communities within 10 miles of Boston are served
by the Metropolitan Water System whieh has as its source the Cochituate,
Sudbury and Wachusett Reservoirs and the Ware River. The water of this
system receives no treatment except for the aeration incidental to storage
and except for chlorination, which has been adopted as a precautionary
measure.

Tlie Quabbin Reservoir, now under constmction in the Swift River Valley, will
nearly double the amount of water avaiUible and, it is expected, will be
adequate to meet the needs of Metropolitan Boston for a good many years.
Before this latter source of supply co-old be constructed the diversion of
water from the Swift and Ware river tributaries of the Connecticut war. re-
viewed by the Supreme Cofjt. Their decision was to the effect that since
the principal use of water is for domestic water supply the diversion was
justified. However, the Court did rule that only those waters in excess
of a specified minimum flow could be diverted for use by the Metropolitan
Water Supply System.

The Quabbin Reservoir will also be used as a supplemental source for the
Worcester Water Supply. TTnen the Quabbin Reservoir is completed and in use
it is possible that some parts of the Sudbury Basin, v;here the water is not
of satisfactory quality for domestic supply, may be used for recreational
purposes. The by-passing of these areas and of some of the older reservoirs
which will be used for standby service only will require an additional
aqueduct system from Wachusett Reservoir to Boston.

Within the Metropolitan Boston District there are several tovms which are
not served by the Metropolitan V/ater Supply System. Cambridge, the largest
of these, has several reservoirs in the Charles River Basin, the water from
which is completely purified before use. Hewton and Brookline both have
independent well supplies, but supplement these sources with water from the
Metropolitan System. Waltham has a ground water source, the water from
which is so impure that treatment works will be needed in the near future.
Winchester, with a surface supply; Woburn, with a well supply; Wakefield,
with a combined well and surface supply ;and Lynn and Saugus,with a combined
surface supply, are the other municipalities within 10 miles of Boston which
are not served by the Metropolitan system. Because of the density of pop-
ijJLation and the resultant likelihood of contamination of water supply
sources, these towns are forced to exercise constant supervision over their
supply sources and to keep a constant check on the adequacy of purification
methods.

210

In the southern part of the tasin New Bedford, with a 1935 population of
110,022, talces its water from Great and Little Quittacas Ponds. As this
source is comparatively free from pollution and as the watershed population
is sparse, the water is used without treatment. On Cape Cod, conununities
which do not have public water supply systems include Easthani, Mashpee,
Orleans, Sandwich, Truro and Wellfleet. These six towns have a year-round
population of 4858 and a much larger population than this in summer. Al-
though there are only a few surface supply sources available in this region,
well supplies could easily be developed. The latter type of source is
probably the most desirable here as it obviates setting aside for watershed
protection areas of distinct recreational value. Most of the towns along
the South Shore have public water supply systems. The majority of these
supplies are municipally owned; most of them have ground water sources, and
many undergo some sort of corrective treatment. The folloning communities,
with a total population of 3^41, are the only ones without organized systems;
Halifas, ITorwell and Plympton.

North of Boston the only communities without organized water supply systems
are Boxford, Essex, Hamilton, Newbury and Howley, with a total year-round
population of 751S, although the summer population is appreciably larger.
Because of the concentration of population in all of these tov/ns except
Boxford, they are in need of municipal systems. Suitable surface supply
sources in the vicinity of these towns are probably not available because
the topography is so flat and because the region is covered with scattered
farms and estates. However, opportunity does exist for the development of
small well supplies.

The typhoid death rate in Massachusetts has been very low for many years,
probably because the water supply systems have been so well operated and
because the treatment of water has been so carefully supervised. If the
use of the Metropolitan Water Supply were more nearly universal among the
towns in the Boston area, the possibility of water supply contamination
would be decreased and the availability of undeveloped lands and water
bodies for recreational purposes would be increased in this district where
recreational facilities are now so inadequate.

Flood Contro l No general flood conditions are to be found on these
rivers, although possibly there are local stream conditions which might
be remedied by dykes and channel enlargements. During freshet seasons
the rivers frequently overflow their banks, spreading out over considerable
areas of low-lying borderlands. These low areas serve as retention basins,
and usually no loss is incurred by flooding. Nor is any great inconvenience
caused, aside from that resulting from an occasional blocking off of sec-
ondary highways through the low areas. The retention of water in these
marshy areas lowers the peaks in the river channel downstream where it pas-
ses through more intensively developed sections, with the result that any
losses which do occur are minor.

Power Water pOT;or dovelopnents on the streams in this region are few
and of minor importance. The rivers offer little opportunity for power
developments on account of their small amoxints of fall and their low dis-
charges, especially in summer.

A survey of the water resoiorces of Massachusetts made in I9I8 by the Com-
mission on Waterways and Public Lands revealed that on the Neponset River,

211

MAPN99CI

9A S

U&i

KEY

//9E

9D,

^T)

p^\a

'««-v»

TREATED

A WELL -^

O SPRING I NO TREATMENT

n si) rfacfJ

A WELL pREATED.

E SURFACeJ DISINFECTANT

A WELL

A WELL ^MKHANICAay
• SPRJNG i-TRE^EDAND
■ SURFACeJ DlSrNFECTED

S [NSIDE SYMBOL OF
SUPERIMPOSED SYMBOLS
INDICAl'ES TREATMENT
OF ALL.

SUGGESTED PROJECT

• SUPPLIED BY THE
METROPOLITAN BOSTON 5YSTEM

New Englanit^
Water Resources

Water Supplies

Massachusetts Coasial Basins

DEC. 1,1937

NEW ENGLAND REGiOTSALPLANNrNG COMMISSION

213

slightly over 200 feet of fall were utilized at the 27 dams along its
course. Since the time of that report, many of these privileges have
"been abandoned. Some 20 ponds and reservoirs in the watershed have a
combined water area 2.G^fo of the basin area. The estimated storage of
these bodies of water is U60 million cubic feet.

The Charles River, having- 91 feet of fall, utilized at 11 dams; the
Ipswich River, with 3I fetst of fall, utilized at k dixms ; and the Acushnet,
having 32 feet of developed head divided equally among k dams, are the
only other streams liaving developments worthy of mention.

^atever power may be obtained from these rivers is but a small percentage
of the total power cons-umption of the manufacturing plants which use water
power. The various privileges have progressively been abandoned as water
wheels became obsolete, because it was more costly to make improvements
to the plants than to purchase power.

According to information compiled by the U. S. Geological Survey as of
January 1, 1937. 2555 horsepower is developed at the I3 installations of
over 100 horsepower in this basin. By far the largest single installation
is one of dOO horsepov;er on the Neponset River.

Navigation Two of the three major ports of Massachusetts, Boston ajid New
Bedford, are in this basin. The third, ?all River, is in the Thames-
Blackstone-Taunton basin and is described in that section of this report.

The Port of Boston has a harbor area of 47 square milts, which includes all
the tidewater lying within a line from Point Allerton, on the south, to
Point Shirley, on the north, and a water frontage of lUO miles. A total
of seven miles of this frontage is on water 35 oi" more feet deep. Through
the outer harbor there arc three main channels kO, 3O Q-i^(3- 27 feet deep
respectively and each 1000 to I5OO feet wide, navigable throughout the year.
The main channel of the inner harbor is 35 feet deep, and 1200 feet wide.
There are approximately I5OO acres of anchorage in the harbor. The water-
front facilities include 2O3 wharves, the principal piers having tract con-
nections and facilities for direct transfer of cargo between freight cars
and vessels.

The freight traffic entering and leaving this port in 1935- ^^ given in
the 1936 Annual Report of the Chief of Engineers, totalled I6, 38^,958
tons, valued at $581, 362, 571? The tonnage was slightly more than the ten-
year average of 16,200,000 tons, and the value somewhat less than the ten-
year average of $755iOO^'000. Water transportation lines serving this port
carried 1,2^8,755 passengers; in addition there were 8,U72,21b ferry passengers.

To improve the facilities of this harbor and provide ample channel accommo-
dation for large transatlantic vessels, the main ship channel is being deep-
ened to Uo feet, under oil existing project of the U. S. Army Engineers. Other
smaller channels are to be dredged under this sa.-ne project. Suitable approach
channels and berths of UO-feet depth, at certain terminals, are to be pro-
vided by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, in accordance with the require-
ments of the Rivers and Harbors Act of October 30, 1935- This will include
the dredging of UO-foot chiinnels from the Boston & Albany Railroad Piers at
East Boston and from Commonwealth Pier #5, South Boston, to the main ship
channel.

2lU

The Cape Cod Canal between Buzzards Bay and Cape Cod Bay is bein<s: increasingly
used for coast-rise traffic and, since 13?S, when the United States acquired
ownership of the canal, its use has teen nearly doubled. At present, the
traffic throtigh the cajial amounts to about 20*J of the total coastwise traffic
between Boston and southern ports. In 1933> 'ti-^e total tonnage through the
canal was 2,627,376, valued at $138,^09,453; 213,^9!+ passengers were carried
through the canal by coraraerGial transportation lines.

To provide safe pass.oge for the increasing traffic a project to increase the ■
depth of the canal to_ 32 feet and the width to 5OO feet was authorized by
Congress, and work on this project has been under way since 1933- ^t is ex-
pected that the deepening of the canal will be completed during the year
1938. It is anticipated that v.hen this irnprovemont has been made twice as
much tonnage will pass tiirough the coral. This greater use will materially
reduce the annual loss from shipwrecks on the outer shore of Cape Cod, which
has aver.aged over $500,000.

Eew Bedford Harbor is a tidal estuary on the western side of Buzzard?. Bey.
Tne outs'- harbor is t\/o railes v;idc aiid throe inilos long. A channel 3O feet
deep rxii. 35O feet v.ide extends from deep water to above the IJpv Bedi''ord-
FairiifLveii bridje, a dist;ance of 52 n-iies, and continues north for -J of a
mile, at a depth of 23 feet and width of 100 feet. Protected anchorages are ■
available in Buzzards Bay, and the i?iner harbor has two deep anchorage areas
aggregating 9*+ acres. W.'-'.terfront facilities include 27 wharves on the Hew
Bedford side of the harbor and 6 aloag the Fairhaven side. Freight traffic
in 1936 amormted to 6S1,076 tons, valued at $50,315,256.

Improvements in N^^w Bedford Harbor to provide more nearly adequate navigation
facilities have been authorized by Congress, and will involve provision of a
deeper channel along the Fairhaven waterfront and enlargement of anchorage
or manoeuvering areas in the harbor by removal of several rock ledges -uncovered
in previous dredging operations.

Other improvements vvhich have been authorized by Congress on recommendation
of the Array Engine, rs are: the completion of dredging of a channel 27 feet
deep and 3OO feet wide in "iTeymouth Fore River from Hingham Bay to the river
bridgp at Qiiincy Point; the dredging of a channel I5 feet deep, with varying
widths in 7/eymouth Back Siver; and the deepening of the channel in Lynn Harbor
from 22 to 25 feet to enable vessels to load to a greattr draft thaii is now
possible; dredging a channel averaging I50 feet in width and'17 feet in depth
in Edgarto-.wi Harbor, and removing shoals in the anchorage area to a depth of
12 feet; and dredging a chai.nel 10 feet deep and 75 feot wide into Cuttyhunk
Harbor with an anchorage of like depth about I6 acres in area inside the harbor.

The completion, during the fiscal year 1937, of the new 'S-foot channel in
Annisquam River, connecting Gloucester Harbor and Ipswich Bay, will provide
an imoortant lirJc in the proposed inland waterway from Gloucester north to
Hampton, i'«ew Hampshire. Beyond Ipswich Bay a canal can be co?-istructed through
inland bays and marshes from Essex River, behind Castle Neck, to Ipswich
River; thence, along Plum Island River, through marshes to the Merrimack River;
and finally to Haapton Harbor, passing inland froui Salisbury Beach. This
w.aterway, connecting the many iiarbors along the North Shore , of Massachusetts
would offer a safe passage for small boats, both pleasure and fishing craft.

215

MAP N9 IOC I

M ,

KEY

\ fof^

/^iyz«3

New England
Water Resources

Recommended Projects

EXCEPT WATER.5UPPLYAND POLLUTION PRQIfCTS

Massachusetts GbASTAL 5a5ins

DEC. 1, 1937
SCALE

NEW ENGL\ND REGIONAL PLANN ING COIAMISSION

NATIONAL RESOURCES COMMITTEE DISTRICT NO 1

^lOO FEDERAL BUILDING BOSTON MASSACHUSETTS

217

Srosion Except on Cape Cod, erosion problems are restricted to compara-
tively small areas. In the town of Essex, adjoining 3-loucester, the Soil Con-
servation Service has reported that there are approximately three square miles
of moderate sheet and severe wind erosion. Tlie islands south of Cape Cod —
Martha's Vineyard, Nantucket and No Mans Land — have a few areas marked "by
moderate sheet or very severe wind erosion. Cape Cod, a sandy, arm-shaped
peninsula, shows eroded characteristics from Sarnstable, at the biceps, to
Provincetown at the fist, the degree of erosion varying directly with the
distd.nce from the shoulder. Nearly tne entire forearm is marred by various
degrees of sheet and wind erosion, while the wrist and fist suffer from
severe wind erosion. In general, erosion is confined to cropped slopes and to
exposed sandy soils, v/hile wood and pasture lands have been damaged but little.

That portion of the shore line of Massachusetts ;;hich extends from Boston Har-
bor to the south differs in character from the shore line to the- north. In
genera.1, the latter is roclcy, but the former is, for the most part, sandy and
subject to continuous erosion by waves and wind. Cape Cod is especially vul-
nerable to the attacks of these forces, and ever sinct the glacier deposited
this long arm of sand nature has been constantly at work modifying itr. forma-
tion. The sandy beach which stretches along the fifty miles of outer shore
from Chatham to Provincetown has been washed and blown away toward the tip of
the Cape to form its lower end west of Provincetown. Tnis action is so con-
tinuous that the outer shore would afford a good laboratory for the study of
the erosive action of wind and waves.

A program of investigation, providing for a continuous study under the aus-
pices of the Federal Government's Beach Erosion Board, with the cooperation
of state and local agencies, should yield important basic data.

Massachusetts has already spent about $3,000,000 on the protection of its
shore line, in constructing sea walls, jetties and other types of protective
works. This and further construction is felt to be a proper expenditure for
public funds in that it will preserve the beaches for recreational use, in-
crease the taxable value of land, and enable the 0\7nerE cf shore propertj?-
to develop the land to better advantage.

Drainage Hordes of mosquitoes have bred every year in the extensive
salt marsh areas along the coast. The desirability of draining these swamps
has long been recognized, but no concerted action was ever taken until I93O,
when the Cape Cod towns, under Legislative action, inaugurated projects of
mosquito control. This work has been successful in reducing the mosquitoes
to 10^ of their former numbers.

The definite benefits secured on Cape Cod and Nantucket Island prompted the
expansion of drainage activities as a work relief measure. Extensive areas
of salt marsh have been drained along the Massachusetts seaboard, until at
present the entire coastal area has been largely cleared of salt marsh
mosquitoes. Supervision over construction and maintenance of all drainage
was placed in the hands of the State Reclamation Board.

The fresh water marsht;S alco are productive of mosquitoes but to less ex-
tent than are the salt marshes. Those bordering on tiie Neponset and Charles

21g

rivers and in the environs of Boston afford conditions for the breeding of
mosquitoes. These swamplands may be drained or filled in in order to eliminat'9
mosquito breeding, but in some cases such operations would be costly.

Recreation In spite of the fact that this basin has about a thousand
miles of seashore, the proportion that is under public ownership, and hence
accessible to the general population, is far from enough to meet popular
demand for bathing beaches. Not only must there be acquired for public
ownership many additional beaches, but care must be taken that these public
beaches are acquired in districts where the water is free from pollution.
The public has made manifest such a demand for uncontaminated ocean waters,
not only for bathing but also for shell-fishing, that investigations have
already been undertaken to determine what steps would be necessary to re-
lieve the polluted condition, of coastal waters in the Massacnusetts Bay re-
gion. Further study of the bathing and shell-fish problems will probably
establish the feasibility of treating wastes or of discharging them into the
oceaji at points where tidal action will not carry pollution to beaches and
shellfish areas.

Pleasure boating has long been popular in this region, and this popularity
may be definitely enhanced by the provision of additional inland water-
ways safe for small craft. The North Shore canal proposal, previously
mentioned, would foster expansion of pleasure boating. The increased size
of the Cape Cod Canal will also be of real benefit to the yachtsman, who
has often in the past been denied the privilege of using the Canal because
it was used very nearly to capacity by commercial vessels.

Density of settlement results in serious curtailment of the number of water
fowl and other wildlife in these coastal and inland waters. Further attention
should be directed toward providing local areas sufficiently isolated and
protected to prevent extermination of native wildlife and to provide at-
tractive resting spots for migratory fowl.

.219

T^LE III-C
5IIU:.'ARY OF STHEAI4 PLOW HECOEDS

MASSA aiUSETTS COASTAL BASIN

Location of Station

Drainage Ntuuber riscJ:iarge in Cubic Feet per Second
Area Years

Square of Max. Min. Mean Peak Flow

Ivliles Eecord Day Say Annual

Ipswich River

near Ipswich, Mass.
(Willowdale, Mass.)

Charles Hiver

at Waltham, Mass,

liother Erook*

at Dediiain, Mass.

122

225

6 2,1+90 i.k 201 2,610

11 2,5Uo . 1.0 775 2,5UO

5 Slk 0.3 90. U 900

*Hother Brook at Dedhati, Massachusetts is an artificial
Canal which diverts waters from the Charles Eiv;.r at
Dediiam a.nd carries these waters into the Keponsct River.

— -Drainage area undeterminable.

220

TABLE IV

EXPLAiaTORY NOTES

Concerning th>^ tabls of

SELECTED DATA ON DOMESTIC AND INDUSTRIAL WASTES

IN MUNICIPALITIES HAVING ORGANIZED SEWER SYSTEMS

Column 1. Town or City. Municipalities, arranged alphabet ically,

where available information positively indicated the existence of an
organized sev/erage system.

Column 2. Population I93O. Entire population of the civil division as
reported by the 193'-' Census.

Column ■^. Population Served. Best available estimate of the persons served
by an organized system.

Column U. Discharge in thousand gallons per day. The best available
estimate of the volume of sewage discharged.

Column 5. Treatment. Abbreviations, noted below, indicate tne type of
treatment applied to the domestic wastes.

Colujnn 6. Chief soiirces of Industrial Wastes, The industries which com-
monly pollute streams Eire indicated by concise reference to the type of
plant, product or raw material.

Symbols

(p)

Partial

(s)

Summer resort.

(s)

State Institution

(u)

College or University

Various

Several industries present ydth none

clearly predominant.

Milk

Refers to pasteurizing, ice cr ;am and dairy plants.

Fort.

Fertilizer factory.

Oil

Petroleum products; storage or distribution plants.

Gas

Illuminating gas manufacturing plant.

Canner:y

Includes fish pacl<:ing.

Im.

Imhoff Tank A.

Aeration.

Sp.

Septic Tarik Cl.

Chlorination

SF.

Sand filtration. St.

Settling

Filtration. Sc.

Screening (fine)

CP.

Cesspool 3r.

Barging sludge to sea

SI.

Sludge treatment. Sm.

Sedimentation

AcSl.

Activated sludgo plant. Ir.

Irritsation

SOURCES OF niFOPJvIATION

Unpublished Data, State Plaaning Boards
Unpublished Data, State Health Departments
Annual Reports, State Health Departments

TABLE IV-C
SELECTED DATA ON DOMESTIC AND INDUSTRIAL WAS'IES
IN MUNICIPALITIES HAVING ORGANIZED SETPER SYSTEMS
MASSACHUSETTS COASTAL BASINS

221

Domestic Sewage

Industrial

Discharge

Wastes

Pop.

No. of ,,

thous.

Town or City

1930

Services .

gal /day

Treatment

Chief Sources

Arlinf^ton, Mass.

3b>09^

2,220

None (n)

Belmoat

21,7^8

—

1.370

None (n)

Beverly

25,OS6

None

Boston

721, iss

—

22,000

None (n&s)

Various

Braintree

15.712

— - ■ :

—

None (s)

—

Brookline

^7,^90

—

4,790

None (s)

Cambridge

11^,6^3

—

12,066

None (n)

Various

Canton

5-6i6

—

705

None (s)

Various

Chelsea

45,816

None (n)

Dediiam

15.136

—

1,061

None (s)(p)

Laundry

Everett

k£,k2h

—

None (n)

—

Fair haven

10.951

—

none

Franklin

7.028

860

223

Sm.SF.

Textiles

Gloucester

2U,20U

—

none

Hull

2,Oh7

—

none

Lexington

9,^67

—

700

none (n)

—

Lynn

102,320

—

none

—

Maiden

58.036

—

none (n)

Marblehead

8,668

—

none

Marion

1,638

242

129

Sm.SF.

Medfield

U.066

—

SF.

Bricks

Medford

59,71^

—

none (n)

Melrose

23,170
14,7^1

—

none (n)

Milford

1,834

362

Sm.Im.F.(p)

Rubber

Mill is

1,73s

—

150

Sm.SF. (P)

Various

Milton

16 , 43U

—

S90

none (s)

Chocolate

Nahant

1,654

—

none

Nantucket

3,672

1,631

705

sr.

Needham

16.8U5

—

225

none (s)(P)

Textiles fi^
rubber

New Bedford

112,597

—

none

Newton

65,276

—

4,724

none (s) Textiles & rubber

Norwood

15,049

—

1,470

none (s)

Printing

Peabody

21.3^5

—

none

Plymouth

11,042

none

Quincy

71,923

6,066

none (s)

Leather

Reading

9,767

—

none (n)

Revere

Vj.o'oO

—

none (n)

Salem

•+3,353

—

none

Somerville

103,908

—

2,696

none (n)

Stoneham

16,060

—

none (n)

St ought on

2,204

—

735

(2) Clothing & rubber

Swampscott

10,346

none

—

222

MSSACHUSETTS COASTAL BASINS (conti

5CL)

Domestic Sewage

Industrial

Discharge

Wastes

PO'O.

No.

of thous.

Town

or City

1930

Services gal/day

Treatment

Chief Sources

Wakefield,

Mass.

16. 31s

none (n)

Walpole

7.273

1,065

none (s)

Various

Waltham

39,21+7

2,285

none (s)

Various

Water town

34.913

2,160

none (s)

Various

Wellesley

li,i+35

1,055

none (s)

Textiles

Winchester

12,719

none (n)

—

Winthrop

16,852

—

none (n)

—

Woturn

19,^34

none (n)

(n) North Metropolitan District sewer system.

(s) South II " II "

(2) Connection to South Metropolitan District systt

under construction

223

EXPMK-ATORY NOTES

concerning tables of the

ORG-AITIZED 77ATER SUPPLY SYSTEMS

Column 1. Toiivn or city. Miuriicipalities, arranged alphabetically, where
available information indicates the exictence of an organized
public or semi-public water supply system.

Column 2. Population 1930- Entire population of the civil division as
reported by the 1930 census.

Column 3. Population Served. Best available estimate of the persons
served 'oy an organized system (as for the year I936).

Column U. Consumption in thousand gallons per day. Best available
estimate of the normal daily requirement.

ColTomn 5. Sources of supply. Tne type of source drawn from is indicated
by symbols:- H. for Reservoir, Pond or Lake; W. for Wells,
either deep or shallow; &"pr. for Spring; Str. for Streams.

Column 6. Watershed area in square miles. Best available estimate of
the drainage area upon which the water supply is dependent.

Column 7. Capacity in millions of gallons. Best available estimate of
the quantity of water stored by, or irrjnediately a\'-ailable to,
the municipal supply.

Column 3. Type of Treatment. Available information concerning the
methods used to improve the qualitj'- of the water served.

SYiCBOLS

(2), ete. Numerals enclosed in parentheses indicate the number of separate
water supply systems which serve the municipality. Where there
is only one system no symbol is necessary.

(S)
(T)
(U)
(s)
(a)

Includes State institution
Includes Summer population served
Includes College or School
Provides Summer service only
(b), etc. Letters enclosed in parentheses lixik civil divisions served
by the same water source :-

In column 3 ^-nd h they link municipalities where available in-
formation does not give the number served in each town.
In column 5 letter indicates that the civil division luports
water.

In column 6 and 7 letter indicates that the civil division ex-
ports water.

Letters link municipajlities within one state and basin;
cross-references between basins or states appgar in footnotes.

22k

Symbols

(continued)

Aeration

Al.

Alujn

AlSl.

Aluminun siilphate

MF.

An.

Auaonia

PF.

AraSl .

Aramoniuin siilphate

pH.

AS.

Aluia - Soda Ash

RF.

cc.

Corrosive correction

CI.

Chlorine

SF.

Co.

Coagulation

Sm.

CuSl.

Copper sulphite

so 01.

Filter

St.

IR.

Iron removal

SOURCES

OF IlIFORl/IATION

Activated carbon
Line

Mechanical filter
Pressure filter
Correction of reaction
Rapid filter
Soda Ash
Slow filter .
Sedirnentation
Sodium hypochlorite
Storage of protective
significance.

Unpublished Data, State Planning Boards
Unpublished Data, State Health Departments
Annual Reports, State Health Departments
Annual Reports, Public Utilities Commissions

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229

TAFLE 71- C
EXISTING WATER POTTER - MAS.SACHUSSTTS COASTAL PASINS

RIVER

NO. OF
PLANTS IN

CAPACITY OF PLANTS OF CAPACITY nsED TOTAL

FOR CAPACITY

ovfer 1,000 to under Horse-

Mass. 10.000 HP. 9,990 HP. 1,000 HP. UtiUty Mfg. power

300 2,255 2,555

340 840

980 980

300 435 735

;0ASTALS

2,555

Charles

840

Neponset

980

Others

735

231

TBAICES-BIACKSTOME-TAUHTON BASINS

232

233

THAIGS-BLACXS TOIIE-TAUITTOIT BilSIH

This basin, located in the southeastern part of l^Iew England, includes the
entire state of Rhode Island and portions of the states of Massachusetts
and Connecticut. The chief water bodies in the region are the 31ackstone,
Thames, Taunton and Pawcatuck rivers, and iJarragonsett Bay.

It contains centers of high population density and industrial activity.
The important cities in this district are Worcester, Brockton, Taunton,
and Fall River in Massachusetts; iToonsocket, Pawtucket, and Providence
in 21iode Island; and Norwich .and New London in Corjiecticut.

Thc^re are located on those streams many textile plants which contribute
large quLintities of industrial pollution to the rivers. These industrial
wastes, together with the untreated domestic sewage from a majority of
the cominunities in the district, cause seriously polluted conditions alon^
the rivers, especially in their lower reaches.

Marragansett Bixy, into which man^' of these streams flow, receives this
pollution, with the resxilt that the recreational uses and the shellfish
industry in the bay are greatly impaired.

Water supply sources of good quality, both surface and underground, are
adequate for the needs of the region. Many supplies are already de-
veloped, but ample opportunities are available for the develoijment of
additional supplies when and if needed.

Tile fall in the Blackstone, Thames and some of tiie smaller rivers has
been almost completely utilized by manufacturing plants and, in a few
places, public utility developments. This fall is developed at a great
many lo-.v head privileges, ranging froa h to ],1 feet. Little opportunity
exists for additional pov;er develo_jmunts on these stre:ims.

Both natural and artificial storage tend to lessen flood heights on the
rivers. Floods are infrequent ojid flood losses which occurred in 1927
and 1936 were attributed to the failure of dams, and to the constriction
of river channels at points ox d.anage. Had the storms of I927 ,and I936
b>-en as intense here as they were farthc^r north, flood daiaages -.vould have
been measurably increased.

Commercial shipping and pleasure boating m<-d^e full use of the navigation
facilitius of lIarraganSL.-tt Bay and other coastal waters. The tidal
portions of the larger rivers are maintained open to navigation. Op-
portunities exist for improvement of these facilities by deepening
channels, dredging harbor anchorages, and consti^acting brepJcwaters .

2J7

«=>^^C^<S3^2(^^

I MAP N9 9d1

A WELL "I

O SPRING I- NO TREATMENT

n SURJACE J

A WELL -^ TREATED

in SURFACE J DISINFECTANT

3 i;:Sic l^"-

a surface] "'^^""^'^'-^

a well -) mechanically

• spring i treated and

■ surfaceJ disinfected

INSIDE SYMBOL OF SUPERJMPOSED
SYMBOLS INDICATES TREATMENT OF ALL.

OSUGGESTED PROJECT

I INVESTIGATION PROJECT

New England
Water Resources

DEC. 1,1937

Water Supplies

Thames, Blackstone and

T\uNTON Basins

>iEW englainD regional planning commission

NATIONAL RESOURCES COMMITTEE DISTRICTNOI

2100 FEDERAL BUILDING BOSTON MASSACHUSETTS

233

NOTE : PROJECTNOT MAPPED WOULD
PROVIDE NEW STATIONS TO OCUECT
HYDROLOGIC DATA.

IMAPN? lODi

D DRATNAGE

E BEACH EROSION CONTROL

F-C FLOOD CONTROL

I INVESTIGATION OR

STUDY PROJECT
H-C HEADWATERS CONTROL
N >^AVIGATION

BASIN-WIDE PROJECT

New England
PLATER Resources

R£ommended Projects

EXCEPT WATER SUPPLY AND POLLUTION PROJEOS

Thames , Blackstone and
Taunton Basins

DEC. 1,19^7
SCALE

NEW ENGLAND REGIONAL PLANNING COMMISSION

NATIONAL RISOUBCES OOMMITTK DISTKICT N"?!

2100 FEDERAL BUILDING BOSTON JvWSSACHUSETTS

241

THAi.CS Tirr.?. BASIIT

GEKSKAL DSSCHIFTIOIT

The Tliaaes Kiver is a tidal cst-'oar^ extending aoout If; miles :aorth
from LOiii; Island Sound at llev/ London, Connecticut, to ilorwich, Con-
necticut, at the jvuiction of the Yantic and She tucket Kivers, its
principal trihutarics. The- Thames hasin comprises an area of iklJi
square miles, of which II55 are in Connecticut, 253 in Massachu^jetts ,
and 61 in Khode Island. The major axis of the basin, extending north
and so-ath, has an extreme leiif^th ox ahout 65 miles, while the i.iaximum
width of the hasin is about Uo miles.

The general topography of the v/atcrshed above llorwich is hilly, with
elevations of bOO to 1000 feet alont! the laargins of the watershed.
vThile the maximum elevation is about 1200 feet along the northvrcstern
divide, the average elevation of the basin is only about 50'J feet.

The prodomincurit rock structut-e of the Thames basin is granite, altlioiigh
there ■■are large area? of sedimentary schist in the western portion.
The soil, principally glacial deposit, is, for the most part composed
of light sand and gravel, but in certain areas is fairly heavy end
fertile.

About 3O/U of the basin is in cleoxcd farm land, two-thirds of v/hich is
pastured. The remainder of the basin is \700dland , predominantly second
and third grov/th hardwoods, vdth scattered st-ndc of v/hitc pine. In
many localities good stands of coniferous trees are to be fornd in the
steep bamlzs of the main strccjns.

The average annurd precipitation i;
ing from about U3 inches in f:.- "-
southwestern rL.i. Tlie tra-ri. ■
the basin; while the avor.'.:,:-;c
to 2U0, according to the distance j

the basin is about U-'i- inchxis, rang-
':':Tn part to about kS near the

• ui-o averages about 6S^ I'-iro-jghout

' :.rG for the winter varies from 30°
.'OjII the ocean.

The principal strecuuc in the Th.:u.ies Basin arc the Shetucket, Q,-aincbaug,
?rcnch, Uillirnantic, Ho.tchang and Ynntic Kivnrs. The drainage areas of
the principal streoms in the basin are given in the following- table:-

Hiver

Point

French

Mouth

Five Mile

Mouth

Moo sup

Mouth

Pacha-ug

Mouth

Q,uinebai-T£-

Mouth

Hop

Mouth

VVillimantic

Mouth

Natcha-ug

llouzh

Little

Mouth

She tucket

Mouth

Yan-oic

Moutn

Tliame s

h^orwich

Thame s

Mouth

Drainage Area

Tributary to

Sq. Mi.

Q,uincbaug

112

Quinobaug

Qaincbau,^

Q-aineba-u^:

She tucket

7UU

willimantic

She tucket

223

Shet-ocket

170

She tucket

iiS

Thrjiie s

126U

Theories

13S2

1^73

2l+2

The Qainetaug River rises in eastern Hampton Coiinty, Massachusetts, and
flows southeasterly about 30 miles, crossing the state line to Join the
French River at Mechanicsville about 8 or 9 miles below the state line.
Thence it flows soutn nearly 40 miles to join theShetucket River at a
point 3 miles above the Thames. Its total length is about 62 miles, in
which distance there is a total fall of about 612 feet. The upper por-
tion of the river has a slope of U13 feet in the 26.5 miles between East
Brimfield, Massachusetts and Putna.m, Connecticut, while in the portion
below Piitnain tiie drop is only a.b'jut 199 feet in 36 miles. Numerous lakes
and storage reservoirs in the basin are effective in maintaining a fair
stream flow during the dry season.

The French River, the most important tributary of the Quinebaug', has its
so-arc3 ill L^j caster, just west of Worcester, Massachusetts, ana flows south
25 miles to its junction T/ith the Quinebaug at Mechanicsville. Fiv:; percent
of its drfi.inage area is water surface, the largest proportion of water area
for any of the major streams of the Thames basin.

The Shetucket River is formed by the confluence of the Willimantic ind
Natchaug rivers at Fillimcntic, Connecticut. Fron this point, it flows
southeasterly and southerly for 18 miles to Norwich, where it joins the
Yantic to form the Thames. Its drainage area of l?6k square miles comprises
E^fo of the entire Thanes watershed. More than half this area lies in the
T.atershed of its principal tributary, the Quinebaug- River. In the Shetucket
there is a drop of IU5 feet, of waicn 122 feet are developed for water power.
Tha river is navigable at its mouth and is tidal for about half a mile upstream.

The Willinantic River has its source in the vicinity of Stafford Springs,
Connecticut, and flows in a southerly eind southeasterly direction for a dis-
tance of 23.5 miles to Willimaiitic. The total fall between Stafford Springs
and the mouth is about 35'^- feet.

The Natchaug River rises to the south of Phoenixville and flows southeast
to its confluence with the Willimantic River. There is a total fall of 263'
feet in a distance of about I6 miles.

The Yantic River rises in northwestern New London County and flows easterly
for a total distance of about I5 miles, in the co-orse of which ther3 is a
fall of about 33O feet.

At several gaging stations on the main river and its tributaries discharge
records are kept by the State of Connecticut in cooperation with the U. S.
Geological Survey. The longest record is that of the flow at Jewett City,
Connecticut, on the Quinebaug River. Detailed data for these stations can
be found in the Water Supply Papers of the U. S. geological Survey, and in
the reports of the Connecticut State Water Commission, I

Table III-E gives stream flow d/^.ta summarized from the S-orvey's Water Supply
Papers and from unpublished records in the District Engineer's office at
Hartford, Connecticut, The hydiograph on Chart 10 shows the nean monthly
discharges in cubic feet per second per square mile based on the Jewett City
records for •':he past I5 years. The -aean amiual runoff from the 712 square
miles of drainage area above the Jewett City gage is 1.66 cubic feet per
second per square mile.

lTc\7 Loidon, Goiraccticut

2q,o!-lO

IToi-.vich, "

32, 43s

G-ro ton , "

10 , 770

TTiiuUia..! (inclmling

V/illii.-cntiG) Connect:. cut

13.773

Soutlibria-gc , Ilr s jc.cxiiicctt 3

■ 1U,261+

■JcoGtcr, "

l'^902

243

mUll? OCCUPANCY

PoptaatioiL TiiC population oi' the Tiiajnus tasin in 1930,v;aG 20 S, 000,

atout ono-ci/jht": of the total •■^opxilation of Connecticut. Ilic poprdation
of tlic entire "basin is divided a:; follows: Connecticut, iSl.OOO;
Massachusetts, ^3,700; S lode Islc_io., I3OU. The increase "between 1520
and l.oO v/as S,5>». about onc-lialf tj^e growth rate for Connecticut as a
v/hole. ?.lic average density of V'Opulation is only lUO per scraarc ;..ilo ,
in contr?,st to alrout 350 per saja^re nilo in the adjoining Connecticut
portion of the Connecticut River basin. 1'Ms low density is reflected
in the si.iallcr proportion of urban popuJation — about uO^^c — ' ao . con-
trasted witn the high un-ban percentage in other p;irts of Con::octicut
tnid \/ith the state rvora^c of JOf-. .

Only six coixiuniticc ii. the basin I.avc over 10,000 pooulation cas of ,
19 30:

?o ;--jl;,ti Gn C' n^-Jigc 192J-1930

^13.^

+ 3.):

-♦-17.^^
Hone

Only ;_'.bout oO)i of the G-roton populatioja lives in this watershed. In
two tov/ns there cxo between dOOO and 9000 iniiabitants; most of the re-
maining population is in small nill villages located at v/ater pov/or
sites on the rivers.

Corni'iuiiities that gained or lost inlj:\bitants betvreen 1920 and IJ.30 are
shown on nap . It 'jil?. be noted froiii the above table that there v/as
a material net gain in tne larger cor-'sauiiities. Of the several towns
that lost in this period, nost were located on the outer edges of the
basin. The increase in population in tiiis cixea in the next 25 years
will, on the basis of the past trends, be less tiian the predicted in-
crease of about lUfo for the entire state of Connecticut.

Agricult-ore The rm-al po )U?.ation of the basin contains l: :r 'jher per-

centage of farmers thcan. does the i-'jjra.l population of Connccticv.t as a
v/hole, although the soil of the v.>-atershec, ±3 not so well svited to fam-
ing as is that of the state as a ?/hole; the value of fanvi land per acre
is less tlian ono-half of the average value for the state. Farr-iing is on
a one-ian scale and imxch of it on a part-time basis. Dairying, poultry
raising and general farming arc the principal agri c^ol t'ca'al activities.
The low agricultural productivity in the three Connecticut couiitics
which co:.ip rise most of the Siaiiics basin is" indicated by the fact thx^.t
alth-ough these co-'onties contain o:-:i.:;rpxiraatcly hofo of the fpjrra lands of
the state, the value of their farn products is less tmn one-fc-orth of
the total value for the state. It is significant that the percentage of
foreign-boi-n or mixed parentt^go in the far.j population of Coniiecticut
increased' between I92O oiid I93O from about 31^ to 5g^,.' This high ratio
of foreign element is in contrr.st to the average, of about 25fi in the
three northern ITew Snglsjid states.

2kk

In spite of unfavorable soil conditions there was in the three counties
involved u.n increase of over 25Vo between I93O and I935 in land used for
farms and likewise a substantial increase in the number of people living
on farms. This situation was clearly the result of the drop in industrial
employment. Inasmuch as the farm land is below the average of Connecticut
land in fertility and is better suited to forestry than to farming, the
principles of rural zoning could well be applied. The prospects for
agricultural development are not favorable, and Connecticut State Col-
lege has indicated the need of giving technical help to those engaged
in farming. Part-time farming, now widely practiced, will undoubtedly
increase in the future.

Industry This region is not so highly industrialized as the western
portion of the state, the value of its manufactured products amounting
in 1933 to only about one-seventh of the total for Connecticut. Its
industries are confined principally to establishments of moderate size
located in small conmiuiiities. Textile manufacturing, both cotton ojid
woolen, is predominant and accounts in a large measure for the marked
decrease in industrial activity during the depression. New London is
an active manufacturing point and also an important transportation terminus
for railroad and stoanship lines. Norwich and T7illimantic are primarily J
textile manufacturing tOTms. In the Massachusetts section, Southbridge is ^
a center for the production of optical goods and lYebster of textiles and '
light metal products. Dioring the depression the Thames region, where textile
manufacturing was the chief industry, suffered heavy losses in contrast to
those experienced in western Connecticut, where the industries were varied.
The State Planning Board instituted a study of the industries in eastern
Connecticut with the hope of pointing out means of improving the manufacturing
situation.

Mining There is a small amount of stone quarrying carried on in the
central part of the basin.

Lumbering Lumber production throughout Connecticut has declined steadily I
since a brief active period ending in 1912- Although the Thames basin con-
tains several state forests, wooded water supply lands and forest land in
private ownership, more than ^Ofo of this growth is immature, and only a small
portion is in the timber class. Consequently revenue from forest lands comes
largely from the sale of cordwood and fencing cut on farm woodlots. Only a
minor portion of the total farm income is so produced.

A large-scale program of reforestation is needed in the basin, not only for
the protection such a development would afford the water supply lands, but
also as a solution of the serious rural problems existing in the submarginal
farm areas.

Fishing Commercial fishing is not an important industry in this region.

At Groton, at the mouth of the Thames River on Long Islaiid Sound, fish

canning was once attempted on a large scale but th3 undertaking has since
been abandoned.

Recreation The Eastern Highland region of Connecticat, largely
drained by the Thames system, contains a larger proportion of water supply
land than any other' section of the state. Lajids necessarily acquired

245

for wntcr conservation p-uxpoccG I'lC.vc 130011 dovclopcd for recreation
as well; in addition, more thr.ua 20,000 acres arc held in state ovmcr-
ship fijid various recreational fr.cilitics have bco.i developed, i.iorc-
ovcr, the EescttlcTicnt Adiuini strati on holds optionr. on al^oat l'',000
acres o:l GiibnarGinal fam land, i-uch of v*,ich v/ill be devoted onl:,- to
forestry tnd recreation.

The proxiiviity of this area tc centers of -popnl^'tion in Coiriccticut ,
Rhod.o Island and Massachusetts creates a dc5aand for the fullest use
of natural recreational opportunities. laidustrial and doneGtic v;;.istes
pollute the nain stream and soi.ie of the tributaries in a decree svS-
ficient to prevent swimming, disco-jrage hoatin/r and hinder I'isi. nigra-
tion. A'-ielioration of this condition would enhance the value of the
basin as an area of intensive recreational act:vity.

Transportation Tiie o:ily navi::able part of the river systci is the
Thar;:3s between Hew London and "Jorwich, the head of tidewater. The width
and depth of this section is a pie for pleasure craft. From Long
Island So-and to i"e\'.' London the charmed depth is 33 feet; froa hew Lon-
don for about five miles upstreczi it is 25 feet; and from tlierc to
Norwich, IS feet. The annual voluTiie of comi.iorcial traffic -':o ITorwich
and other points above h'-nv London approaches 500,000 tons.

The bp,sin is served "oy a systea of ;n,ain rnd secondary hi£^iways adoonatc
for its ov/n needs. In addition, it lies in the path of certain regional
highways now under consideration. If constructed as planned, to connect
eastern ITew England with western Connecticut and Hew York, they v/ill
cross tho basin at the north, near ITorwich, and near ITew Londo::. ITcw
London, in the southern sectior.. of the valley, is on the main line of
the h.Y.';.H.£: H.E.H. between Boston and ITew York. Additional railroad
service is provided by the line fro.i loston to Hartford, pf.ssing throui-jh
Putnaii £uid ?7illimantic, n,ni by the Central Vermont Railway nnini:\^ north
from ilew London. Tiic h. ".:■.':. : ". lino from h"ew London to T/orccster is
used pri:.!in-ily for fast ^.asj.a -..a .-A .-^roight service fro;a hov.' York to
points in Llainc. In :.ian^, D;.c'a-0\' .vl^hwrys bus and track lines supple-
ment the railroads.

There is no schcd-aled air tronsport service from any point in the val-
ley; Ha,rtford, Providence and How haven are the nearest points vmcre
such service is maintained. ■Ihcro is a state a.irport at proton and
there arc landing fields at Piitnaia, 'tJillimantic and SouthbricVj;e .

2U6

¥ATER USS AID COITTROL

Pollution Tlie Quinebaug Kivcr and its tributary, the French Kiver,
rise in Massachusetts and under{;o serious pollution "before entering
Connecticut. The Q,vij.neDaT.xg is polluted by industrial v/astes plus the
treated and untreated sewaeC from Southbridge. The sewage filter beds
at So"athbric'^3e v/ere reconstructed in 1935 to effect a hifjicr degree
of purification of the effluent, but the present treatment vrorlcs are
still inadequate, with the res-jJLt tliat large quantities of maltreated
sev/age are beiiig discharged directly into the 0;ainebaug. Provision
for adequate treatment of the sewage of this town is needed.

The ji-onch River is polluted by the nixed wastes froia Oxford, Duo.ley
end V/ebster. In these tlrrea tovrns, where the combined pop'oJ.ation ncars
22,000, there are no treatment works. The Massachusetts State Depart-
ment of Health iias vorged, for a number of years, the construction of
treat.. ;ent plants at Ihidley and 'Jebster.

Tlie degree of -pollixtion of the Q,uinebiiug Hivcr is increased along its
course by the domestic sewage and industrial wastes discl'iargod at the
various towns tlirough which it flov;s. Pollution in the river below
Putnan has been appreciably reduced since the construction, within
recent years, of a treatment plaiit which partially purifies the sewage
by settling. Conditions in the lower, portion of the Q;uineba.-ug F.iver
would bo greatly improved if troati.ient plants were constructed a,t
Daiiicloon and Jewett City.

The llatcloaiig; F.iver, in its lower reaches, receives raw sewage dis-
cliargcd at \7illimantic. Analyses of the Shctucket below V.'illimcniic
have shown decided jpollution. The Willimantic Kivcr near its upper
end, at Stafford Springs, receives partially treated sev/a.gc a-id, in
addition, large vcliu.-.os of vrool scoui'ings, a particularly o^'fensive
industrial waste.

ITorv/ich, the largest city in the Tl'iamos basin, with a popiidatior. of
nearly 33 tOOO, discharges its sc\;agc into both the Yantic a.id C>uinc-
baug rivers. A project now under viray calls for the construction
of an intercepting sewer, river crossing syphons and a sewage treat-
ment plant, whdch will treat the sewage from a laxge part of the city,
and will therefore reduce the pollution in the Th-ames. A further
benefit will be the abatci.icnt of the nuisance now caused by the de-
posit of sewage solids in certain localities at ebb tide.

ilcw London, ..^t the mouth of the river, is provided with a sewer system
which collects domestic sewage fro;-.i 75^j of its 30,000 population, A
scdiir-cntation plant treats about lO^o of the sewfxge; the remainder, un-
treated, is discliargcd through six outlets into tloe liarbor i-jvA sound-
The llov; London sewage, augmented by the diluted sev/age bro-j<ght down by
the strcr^.iS o-id by oil from the niUTierous ships v/hich navigate the lovrer
river, causes objectionable pollution in Eow London .larbor.

There -arc numerous towns in this basin where sower systCi.ic cuid. treat-
ment plcnts sbjould be conijtructcd in the near future in order to
eliminate obnoxious strcaiu conditions. The larger coranrunitics might
well consider pi-oviding at least p.-Tti;.l treatment for their sewage,
such as scdimciatntion and perhaps provision for chcm.ical precipitation

2U7

and chlorination. Tne tributary streams, especially the larger ones, have
potential value for recreational as well as industrial uses which should
not be destroyed by impure conditions in the streams.

Water Supply Six of the ten Massachusetts communities in the basin have
water supplj'' systems: two are privately 07/ned; three are municipally owned;
and one is Tinder the control of a water district. Southbrid^-e, which has
the largest system, treats its reservoir supply "oy aeration and slow sand
filtration. The supplies of the other commiinities are from ground sources
and are untreated.

In Connecticut, the sources of supply are, with two or three exceptions, sur-
face waters. The v?ater is of good qi;ality and except in a few cases chlorina-
tion is used. The largest single drainage area used for water supply is that
of the Natchaug Elver. This supply, after filtration and chlorination, serves
Willimantic. Such' puri;.^ cation of the water for domestic uses is necessary,
although the river is ri^iatively clean compared with other larger stj-'eams in
the vicinity. The necessity for purification is even greater along the entire
length of the Quinebaiog Eiver.

The majority of the v/ater supplies in Connecticut are owned by private
water companies; however, the larger supplies of this region — at Putnam,
Norwich, Willimantic and New London — are served by municipally-owned works.

Although many comnunities in the basin do not yet have organized water sup-
ply systems^ ample opportunity for the development of surface water sources
will still exist if and wnt.n the need is sufficiently urgent.

Flood Control Flood conditions on the Thames Hiver up to March I936
did not involve excessive darjage. ITie topography of the Yantic, She tucket
and Quinebaug basins is r^ot conducive to high discharges, and the stream
pattern of the Thames basin is such that the r-'onoff does not produce
cumulative peak flows, but is distributed along the main streams. Because
of many dans on the rivetfs, the natural channel storage has been eliminated,
witn the result that flood peaJcs are slightly increased. The numerous
natural lakes and artificial reservoirs, together with the considerable
ground storage provided by the soil, largely gl'xcial in character, a.re ef-,
fective means of retarding flood runoff.

The New England storm of November 1327 did not center on and did no great
damage in the valley, the total losses amounting to only $7^,000. The
freshets of March 193^ and January 1935 caused greater discharges on the
rivers of the basin than did the I927 flood.

In 1936 the Q;ij.inebaug exceeded its previously recorded flood levels by
7 feet. All gaging stations registered discharges greater than ever
before, and in many cases the maxiinuT.i discharges were double and triple
the previous oaxina. The naxinura concentration of runoff was recorded
at Willimantic on the N"-tcliaug River in the ououiit of SU.O cubic feet
per second per square mile. The peak runoff of the Q-ainebaug was 59»9
cxxbic feet per second per square nile, occturin;; at Quinebaug, Con-
necticut. The estimated d-inage in the valley approached $U, 000, 000,

2i+S

much of wliicli was inc-orred at Webster and- Southtridge, Massachusetts.
The heavy rainfall of ninS: or ten inches over the area southwest of
Worcester at the headwaters of the Q^iinebaug, coupled with the unus^ially •
deep snow cover, caused high rai^off in the Quinebuug basin. A great
storm centering on the Thames basin could produce much greater discharges
than that of I936.

In 1930 the Army Engineers did not recommend any expenditures for flood con-
trol in the valley because flood d3,mages during the previous fifty years
had been small and such as had occurred were due to ice jams or failure
of poorly designed dams and bridges. Mo authorization v/as given by the
Flood Control Act of I93S for an exnmination and survey of the Tnames
River.

PoY/er The Thames River, being a tidal estuary, has no power develop-
ments. Its tributaries, the Yantic, Shetucket and Quinebaug rivers, have
long been developed for v/ater power largely for textile and other manu-
facturing, although there are some hj^dro-electric plants which are units
of, or interconnected with, large distributing systems.

The report on the developed and ■'ondeveloped power in the basin made by
the U. S, Array Engineers in I93O (published as House Document #6UU) ,
Jlst Congress, 3rd Session), lists 81 developed sites with a total head
of 1332 feet and a combined installed wheel capacity of U0,0l6 horsepower.
Of this total head, 1139 feet are utilized at manufactiiring plants and 193
feet at electric utility plants. The corresponding installed wheel
capacities are respectively, 29,07g and 10,93S horsepower. The greater
portion of the developed head is in Connecticut and amounts to S2U feet,
with corresponding wheel capacities of 3^,128 horsepower.

The investigations of the Army Engineers disclosed six power sites, four
on the Quinebaug' River and two on the Natchaug River, as economically
feasible for development. Wheel capacities of 5.2 cubic feet per second
per square mile were selected for sites where the available storage and
pondage v/as sufficient to regulate completely the runoff from the drain-
age area. Where less storage was -available, a wheel capacity of U.R
cubic feet per second per square mile was used, and for still less,
3 cubic feet per second per square mile. Further assumptions of SOfo
efficiency, SOfi utilization and primary power of 2,15 horsepower per foot
of head per 100 square miles of drainage area were made in arriving at the
estimates of potential power output.

2U9

3Tm 3avnos W3ci awoDBsyid X33d oianD- aoiivHosra

251

Listed 'bolov;, in tajulcir form, ;:,rc diita tjijcen fro/n House Eocv-ncnt #6UU
for i'lio cibcs v/hicli it ^/ould be cconOinically feasible to develop:-

Potential Average
Drainage Average Mrjcinram Horse po'vcr Yearly Out-
Area Head Utilized Capacity put Thousand

DLun Site

Sq. Hi.

Feet

Plov: CFS

at SO-fa off.

IDv-Hrs

QainelDau^ F.iver, Conn.
Slietucliet
Canocrbm-y
Ponfrct Landing

7U3
601

3^5

26.5
26.7
1?.2

2226

ISO9
1035

5363
U39I
1713

17.S97
12,956

■ 5,070

Quinebaug Fdvcr, Mass.
East ErL-ifield

22.0

2b3

5S6

1.107

llatclir-Uf-- ?j.vcr, Conn.
Mansfield Hollov/
Chaplin

159
71

U6.0
107. g

715
213

2930
1917

6/430
5,130

The totrd hco.d for ^-.hcsc six sites is 2H7.2 feot and the corresponding
estimated total v.'lieel capacities ar.d yearly output are, respectively,
16,960 horsepov'er arid ^-7,6^0, 000 kilo watt -hours.

Additional sites, with heads totaling about 550 feet, were also in-
vestigated, biit the high costs of ..vca- production made tliese sites
infer.sible for development. A site at Coventry, Connectic^-it , on the
Slrujagari-ie;o^ Siver, a tributary of the Willimantic, could be developed
to utilise 223 feet of fall. The resulting storage of 19,2C!-1- acre-feet
would completely control the r^moff from the 25 square miles of drainage
area and v/ovild furnish water for a v;hecl capacity of 2526 horse power,
prodticing a yearly output of 5»'''00,000 kilowatt-hours. However, be-
cause of the excessive flowa,ge daiao-ge, the cost of povter production
v/ould be 2,23 cents per kilov.-att-houx.

The largest 01 the undeveloped sites adapted to economical development
is at Slictucket. It wo-ald utili2;c all the head of the Q;a.incba,"ag River
botv/cen the pond of the Connecticut Light ajid Power Conipar-y at Taft
Station, Connecticut, and the tailvrator of the Aspinook Coiapaiiy at
Jcwctt City. The cost of construction was estimated in 1930 at $112
per horse povrar, and of power production, O.52 cents per kilowatt-hour.
The Canterbury development would utilize all the head between the pond
of the Aspinook Coiapany and the tailwatcr of tho Waurogan CorapcuTy at
Wa-urcgai'-, It wovAd be the second largest dovelopyncnt of the group.
The estimated cost of the developraont was $131 per horse pov/cr, and of
power production, O.61 cents per Icilowatt-hour. The dcvclopno:it of
the site at Pom.fret Landing, Cojmoctic\xt vfas started shortly aftcv the
UTorld ~Iar but was ab;jndoncd before much progress had been r.iadc. Tiiis
devolopr.ent woul.d utilize all the head botwoon the Goodyear Cotton Mills
pond at C-oodycar, Connecticut, and the tailwatcr of the lov/cst power de-
velopment at Putnara. If this station were 'to be operated automatically
from some central station in a povmr sj/stera, the cost of jjowcr woui.d bo
materially less than $l6l per horse pov.'or and O.S3 per kilo watt -hour,
the estimated cost of operation as an isolated jjlant.

252

The only economical develo.oment in Massachusetts wo'old te at East Brimfield,
at the upper end of the Quinebaug River. Its economy would lie, not in
its development as a hydro-plant, inasmuch as the cost of power would he
$737 per horsepower and the cost of power production U.79 ce'nts per
kilowatt-hour, but rather in its reservoir capacity. A storage of
lU,70'-' acre-feet, obtainable in the top I5 feet, could be used during
the dry months through a total head of k2h.2 feet now developed on
the river below and would produce U,U81,000 kilowatt-hours at 'JOfo
efficiency. With an assumed value of 1 cent per kilowatt-hour thus
produced, the additional investment required to produce the 1,107,000
kilowatt-hours at the East Brimfield plant would make the cost of pro-
duction l.UU cents per kilowatt-hour. The Array Engineers advocated
further and more detailed investigation of the cost of the development
by the power users on the river below, who would be benefited by the
storage.

The Mansfield, Connecticiit, site on the Natchaug River would utilize
all the head from the reservoir of the city of lillimantic to, .and in-
cluding most of, the head u^on the Gardner Hall, Jr., Company dam. The
storage capacity of the reservoir woiild be 2870 acre-feet in the top
2 feet and 7575 ^'^ t^ie top 12 feet. This could be used as peak load
storage and, when coupled with the storage in the ffillimantic reservoir
immediately below, complete regulation of the stream flow might be
possible. The estimated cost of power v/as $177 pfci" horsepower and the
production cost 1.10 cents per kilowatt -hour.

The sixth of the group, at Chaplin, Connecticut on the Katchaug River
would be of raobt value as an automatic peak-load station in a power
system. Its storage is not large, only U37O acro-feet; the cost of
power VifOuld be $307 per horsepower and the cost of production, I.23
cents per kilov/£itt-hour.

The feasibility of the six plants described above is predicated on the
assumption that the distribution of power would be supplemented through
interconnections with a large power system having steam reserve, in
order that the hydro-ptation might have a market for all power produced.
This would require that these stations be operated as base-load stations
during the periods of abundant water and as peak-load stations di-ixing
dry seasons. Without standby power the amount of prime power available
is so small that the developments would be impractical.

Navigation The Thames River proper is navigable throughout its full
length of about I5 miles. At New London, where one of the depest harbors
on tne Atlantic Coast is located, the state has constructed a wharf 1000
feet long at a cost of $1,000,000. Two miles above New London there is
located a U. S. Submarine Base. In addition to its use for commercial
purposes, the river is used for pleasure boating and for the annual
Harvard- Yale crow races.

The river for the entire length from its moutn to Norwich was first
improved for navigation in I836. The present channel from the ocean
to New London is 33 feet deep; from New London to Allyns Point it is
25 feet deep; and thence to Norwich, 18 feet deep.

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255

The volume of commercial traffic in I936 was reported as 638,724 tons
in Kew London Harbor, and U29,6l5 tons in the Thames River from tne rail-
road bridge at New London to Norwich. The largest frei^:ht item was coal.
Direct railroad transfer facilities are available at several wharves.

In 1935 Congress authorized deepening the channel between Allyns Point
and. Norwich to 25 feet, but no funds have yet been allotted for the
project. The Chief of Engineers' I936 report states "$S20,000 can be
profitably expended during the fiscal year I938 by completion of the
channel above Allyns Point". A much-needed improvement in Nev7 London
Harbor conditions has been realized by dredging a straight channel to
the State Pier.

Drainage Because the slopes of the basin are moderately steep, sv/amps
are few in number; those which do exist are found in land pockets and in
localities borderin? water bodies. Extensive settlement has already
necessitated drainage of some areas; the need for future improvement of
scattered wet lands, although improoable, will be determined by the rate
of future growth.

Erosion Appro ximr-tely 98^ of the Thames watershed has been classified
by the Soil Conservation Service as having little or no erosion. Suall
areas marked by occasioncJ. g:ullies are to be four.d in the vicinity of
Webster, Massachusetts. The most serious condition recorded, moderate
sheet erosion, occurs in two localities, one southwest of Putnam, and the
other northwest of Norwich. Doubtless the most inpressive evidence of
erosion is the presence of silt on the strea::i and ^jond bottoms, although
siltage has not y^t become serious in the basin.

He creation The Thrjnes basin, including most of the Eastern Connecticut
Highlands, is the logical region to serve the recreational requirements of
industrial sections within and near the valley. Already large areas have
been purchased to protect public water supplies and an additional 3f^ of the
drainage basin has been purchased for forest, wildlife, or recreation uses.
Until the experiments now being carried on by tne Resettlement Administration
in connection with developing recreation and wildlife facilities have been
completed, the solution of the land use and recreation problems cannot be
determined. These experiiiisnts will tend to satisfy the existing demand for
new pleasure outl=jts v/hich has resulted from the excessive pollution of the
larger streams in the Tha'nes systen.

Any increase in the number of wildlife and fish is retarded both by pol-
lution and by extensive hxuating and fishing. Preservation of, and maximum
return from, the potentitil wildlife population req-oires improvement of
favorable habitats and thorough enforcement of game laws.

BLACKS^201]Z RIVES 3ASI1I

.OE^IEBAL DESCRIPTION

The Blackstone Eiver has a drainage area of 540 square n.iles, of which
380 are in Massachusetts and 160 in Phode Island. The basin is ahout
41 miles long and 13 miles wide. The river rises to the north of
Worcenter, Massachusetts, flows in a generally southeasterly dir^'Ction
a distance of ahout 52 miles, and emoties into Providence Harbor, the
northern-most arm of Narragansett Bay. The length of the river in
Massachusetts is 3]. miles; in Bhode Island, 21 miles. The five-mile
stretch of the river below the lo-^er dam at P-wtucket is a tidal
estuary krio^jn locally as the ^eekonk Fiver.

'i.•^:e draina'^e area is generally rolling, comparatively lev/ aiid nol; v/ell
defined, except for sections in the western part of the vatershed. F.ock
structure is predominantly granite, covered in general by saiidy soil,
some of Tfliich is moderately fertile. The water area is about IJ sqiis-re
miles, or lesr than 3'^ifi' of the total ares. Lake Quinsigai.iond, IiT'.vir.g
an area of 5^6 acres, is the largest body of water in the basin.

About 60)i of the total area is v/oodland of rather sparse density in
which there is little tinber value. More than lO^'o of the oj-oa, primari-
ly in the vrestern and northern pea-ts of the basin, is dovotejl to crops.
Tne remainder of the area is largely in industrial and residential de-
velop:.. en t.

The rainfall in the Blackstone valley varies from h?." at ■.Torccster to
^7" at Providence, with an avorrge of about Uj" for the basin as a
vrtiolc. The precipitation is fairly uniform thro-aghout the year, but
is slig]vtly lower during the fall than in the other sear.ons. The
a,vorage \iintcT te,.iperat-arc is about 20°; that of summer about o9".

The principal tribut;arics arc chov.'nin the following tabic;

River Enters at Drainage Area - Sq.Ui .

Quinsigai.ij

ond

Fishcrvillc , Liass .

Mui.iford

Uxbridge, ilass.

West

Uxb ridge, liass.

Branch

Blackstone, i,;ass.

Mill

Yfoonsockot, R. I.

Ton L'ilc East Providence, R. I. 56

The Brand: River drai..rge area lies almost v/holly in RZiodc Islcuid. The
river enters the Blackstone in Llassachusctts Just north of the State
Line. The Ten iuilc Rivor enters the Blackstone at tidcwat-r, altho-a^
the To:'. ::ilo River itself is not a tidal streai., owing to bhc lov; dcia
built r cross its mouth.

Disclinj'ge records for the Blackstone Basin are obtained by the U. S.
Geological Sui'vcy at gaging stations located at VJorcestcr, Mass., in
operation since I923, and at Tfoonsockot, Rhode Island, in operation
since 1929. The mean annixal runoff at these stations, in cubic feet
per second per square mile, is,at V/orcestcr, 1,73 (D.A. 31»5 sq.mi.);

257

at T?7oonsoci:et, 1,5^ (li.A. UI9 sr. ...i.). retailed flow data for the
stations can be found i:i the ITater Sxrpply Papers of the U. S. Geo-
lOi^ical Survey.

Tab fi^->.n'es in Table III-D are taken from records in the office of

H. B. Einnison, District Enci-i&er at Bosto.., as v;ell as fron tlie
Surve--'s ¥ater Supply papers in Part I - "1-Torth Atlantic Slope
Bacinc'J. Hydrographs of the inonthly average runoff during: the period
of record at these stations are shov.71 on Cmrt 10.

258

EU1.LA:T OCCUPi^TCY

Fo'o ulatio n The population of the Blackstone hasin in 1^30 Vfas
50o,000, Usfj of which was in PJiode Island. As contrasted with an in-
crease of 11/3 "between 19?.0 and I55O, there was a loss of nearly 3/°
■between 1^,30 and 1935- In t'.io latter period the loss in the entire
state of Khode Island was about If). This decrease was duo to the
variour, factors of the industrial depression, particuliu'l^ the in-
activity end abandonment of many textile properties. The liucle Island
section of the "basin is the more thickly settled, havin^^ in 1930 a
do- tiity of 1350 per square mile in contrast to 77O in the Ilassachusctts
section, and to an average of U70 in the tlirce southern Hew England
statcD. The hif:h degree of population conccntro,tion and industrial
activity of the region is indicated "by its inclusion in t'lO "netro-
politcai" and "industrial" area cl-^ssifications set up "oy the U. S.
Con.sus.

Hii.c-tcnths of tho population is classified as 'orban. Lhc ur"i:riT.
po:_)\-'lation is found in hirny slipII industrial villages as v/cll as in
the followinG' cities and tovrns with populationi; of over lO.UOO:

Portion

Po-oijlation

rtion

Po julation

Mass.

in basin
95fo

1230

20,700

Khodo Island
Central ^alls

or sin

1930

AttlGl-oro

lOO^b

25.S9S

Eo. "

100^

10,197

Cuin'bcrlai:id

lOOf.

io,3oU

Worcester

lOOfo

195,311

E. Providence
Paw tucket
Providence
Wooncockot

50f5

90,^

10>.

100).

15,000

o9,U00
25,300

^3,3lS

Providence, with a total population of 252,981, East providence, Paw-
tuc'kct ojid AttlcTaoro are not entirely within the Blackstone basin.
Cities and tovms that gained or lost in population "bot-.TCcn 1^20 and
1930 are shown on Map 7 . Of the losses that occurred "betv/een I93O and
1935, SOf!) were in the Hliode Islaiid area. Worcester, Massachusetts,
lost ahout UOOO population in spite of its varied lines of industry.

Tlie possibilities of the futua-e growth of the Blackstone valley arc
demonstrated in the consistent increase in the population of netro-
politcji Providence and of Worcester "between I9OO and I93O. In the
1920-1930 decade the increase for the valley was ll.UjS — slightly
more tha-i the average increase for Hev/ England; in this period only
fo\U' toi.ras (each under 10,000) lost population. Betv/eon I93O and
1935 "there v/as a loss of nearly 12,000, or about 2.5fo, in "Jorcester ,
Providence and other major cities, as well as in a few small towns,
yfoile so:-.e of the latter may continue to lose population on accoxuit
of the closing down of the industries on vvhich they were dependent,
it seems pro"ba"'Dle from past trends tliat the larger comnu:iities and the
"basin as a \molc will resume a moderate growth.

A gi'i cultur e Tlie farming lands of the watershed are comparatively
fertile and are developed in small holdings, the principal activities
hcirg daii^ing, poultry raising and general farming. Part-tii.ie farming

259

is v/idcly practiced. In rural dcvolopr.iont no marked change is anti-
cipr.tcc". . There will probably oc a uodorato increase in the r^aral non-
farrii popiilation oJid in the class who practice part-time faming.

Industry The Slachstonc valley is one of the oldest and most.hi^-hly
developed i^idustrial sections in How England, partly as the result of
the availahility of water for power and processing in the early stages
of industrial development. For these purposes the river is extensively
and aluost coxupletely utilized, providence , at the southern end of the
tasin, is the principal center of population and tro^^sportation, and is
the seat of a variety of maniifactxires. I'orth of providence, Fav/tucket
and Woonsoclcet are prominent indxistrial centers, particularly for the
mai'ui'actiure of cotton and v/oolen textiles. Worcester, at the northern
end of the valley, is a major transportation center, and- is outstanding
as an industrial city, knovm especially for its metal industries. In
addition to the manufacturing carried on in the larger cities, chere
are many plants, mostly textile, located in small coumunities along the
Elackstone River and its trihutaries. Because textile plants were pre-
dominant among the industries of tl'ie valley, the decline in textiles
brou+iht severe industrial losses to this section.

luture industrial developments in this region will depend -apon the suc-
cess attained in replacing the vanishing textile activities with other
lines of r-ianufacture. Industrial hodies throughout Hew England have
made organized efforts to this end, and h^ve progressed materially in
attracting to this region new and varied manufacturing enterprises.
Providence, Pawtucket and '.Toonsocket have had signal success in es-
tahlishing new industries of various types in plants fox-merly used, for
textile Kian-jfacture. The region has such favorable factors as an ample
supply of skilled labor, cheap power, adequate transportation facilities
and proximity to large mrirkets; c-.ll of these factors provide a sound
foundation for grov/th.

Mining Except for a limited ojiiount of stone qu^irrying in the southern
part of the basin there are no ..linins operations in this region, nor arc
there prospects for mining activities in the future.

Lumbering rorost prodixcts, confined principally to cuttings for cord-
wood pjnA fencing; on fai-m woodlots, provide only a minor part of farm in-
come .

Recreation Cue to the proximity of areas that have better natiu-al re-
creational features, recreation in this basin is of primary importance
only to its own population. The larger ponds are in constant use for
swimj:iing and boating, and many minor strcai^as and ponds, well stocked with
fish, provide extensive sport. Tlic main stream and its major tributaries
arc so seriously polluted fnc'.t they arc unsafe for swimi~.iing, uncosirablo
for bor.tlng and detrimental to fish life.

TransTJOrtation Th' tidal section of the Blackstonc River, called the
Seokonl':, is navigable throughout for C0i.7mcrcial vessels, from its mouth
up to Pawtucket. The miniCTora channel depth is now about 13.5 feet, al-
though rn Army Engineers' project, completed in 1S27. called for a

260

deptli of lb to IS feet. There has "been local agitation for chsjiiiel
iniprovements up to the head of tidewater to acconmiodate lar.';cr coui-
raercial vessels, lut provision for navigation above that point, is
not considered necessary or practicahle.

An adeq-oiite syriten of i.iain and secondary highways covers the entire
v/atershed. Supplemental through highways are, however, needed.

'.Thile service has "been abandoned on some of the minor branch railroads
in the valley, the bul!'-; of the pop'ulation is well served by the ..lain
line fron Boston to Albany and the west thro-'ogh T,7orcester, raid 'oy the
shore line from Boston to ITe\/ York through providence. In cxtdition, a
line iron Boston to Hartford cuts across the center of the basin,
providence and V/orcester arc connected by a railroad alon^ the Black-
stone Eiver. Over this route, however, most of the passcn:;cr service
is no-v7 provided by highway motor busses.

Tlic PJiodc Island state airport south of providence is a r.chnd'oled stop
on an air transport line betvireon Boston and iJew York, and is adoq-oate
to ..icct the aviation needs of the lower Blackstonc valley. At present
there is no scheduled service in the VJorcestcr area; the establishment
in this section of a landing field capable of handling larco transport
planes is desirable.

261

WATER USE MP CONTEOL

Pollution The principal water problem in the Elackstone basin, as
well as in the adjoining basins which comprise this group, is the abatement
of stream pollution. The presence in the river of domestic sewage and
large quantities of untreated industrial wastes which are discharged from
the many thickly settled industrial communities along the river has se-
riously imparled the usefulness of the river for industrial water supply
and recreational purposes, and also has virtually destroyed fish life in
the main river and some of the tributaries.

Except in the upper reaches of ite tributary streams, it is doubtful if
the river will ever be used to anj- extent as a source of municipal water
supplies. Elimination of pollution to render the river safe for recreation
and habitaVle for fish life would entail large expenditures incommensurate
with the benefits derived.

In general, the conditions in the Blackstone River in Massachusetts are
worst near Worcester. Analyses show the most objectionable conditions on
the river to be between the city of Worcester and its sewage disposal
works.

The sewage from Worcester is completely treated by the Imhoff tank and
trickling-filter method, and the daily discharge of effluent amounts to
about 21,300,000 gallons. Oyer one-half of the total industrial waste
(15,000,000 gallons daily) discharged into the river in Massachusetts
cones from Worcester, mainly from its steel and wire industry. These
wastes contain large quantities of iron which cause considerable dis-
coloration of the water fvnd leave deposits along the bed and banks of the
stream. During storm periods the stream is further polluted by Sanitary
sewage discharged directly into the riv^r from the combined sewers of the
city.

The towns of Northbridge and Hopedalo also have sewerage systems and
sewage treatment works. The treatment works of these three comm-unities
serve about 50% of the population in the Massachusetts area. If the
towns of Auburn, Elackstone, Douglas, Mnibury, and Uxbridge, which now
discharge their untreated sewage into the river, were to provide treat-
ment works, the percentage would be raised to 91»

About one-third of the total industrial pollution in Massachusetts is
received from textile mills located in Uxbridge, Millbury and Douglas.

Lake Quinsigamond, located in Worcester and Shrewsbury, with its water
siorface of 5UG acres, is intensively developed for recreational use. The
lake receives pollution from various sources. There are approximately
225 cesspools or privies located within 200 feet of the Worcester side of
the Irke; although recent examinations showed most of them to be in good
order, this potential source of pollution should be removed to obviate
any possible contamination of this body of water which is a recreational
center for so many people.

262

The Branch River, the largest tributary of the Blackstone, whose T/atershed
is almost wholly in Rhode Island, receives untreated sewage and industrial
wastes from several scattered mill villages along its course. Pollution is
noticeable in the lower portions of the river due to the discharge of large
volumes of textile wastes. It is in this reach that conditions are serious-
ly objectionable. The degree of this pollution is so great that it can be
seen even in the Blackstone below the junction of the two rivers.

To remove this pollution nuisance the Rhode Island State Planning Board rec-
ommends the construction, in the near future, of a trunk sewer system in the
Branch River valley to serve the villages of Burrillville and North Smith-
field, the sewage from this systea to be treated and then discharged into
the river. Before this plan is adopted an investigation should be made of
sewerage and the disposal of sewage and industrial wastes in these tovms.

The sewage from most of Woonsocket undergoes treatment by the activated
sludge process, the effluent being discharged into the Blackstone River
at the rate of 3,U00,000 gallons per day. Untreated textile wastes re-
ceived by the river at this point increase the organic load carried by the
stream. By the extension of the sewer system there would be provision for
discharge to the municipal treatment plant of the most objectionable wastes
and sewage from the mills, together with the untreated sewage of certain
sections of the city.

Some of the most serious pollution conditions in the whole valley are
centered around Pawtucket and Central Falls, Rhode Island. This area
comprises the lower Blackstone from Lonsdale to, and including, the Seekonk
River. The Moshassuck River valley, vmich adjoins the Blackstone on the
west, should be considered sim^jltaneously with the Blackstone. This applies
particularly from Saylesville to the mouth.

Untreated sewage from the east side of Central Falls is discharged into the
Blackstone River at the rate of about 300,000 gallons per day; while the
sewage from the west side of the city is treated at a municipal plant and
the effluent, amounting to approximately 296,000 gallon's per day, flows into
the Moshassuck River. Recommendations have been made for the abandonment of
the present plant and the discharge of sewage from both districts of the
city into the Pawtucket sewer system for treatment at the proposed Pawtucket
plant.

There is also a division in the method of disposal of sev^age from the city
of Pawtucket. Two million gallons per day of untreated sewage from the east
side of the city are discharged into the Blackstone River, while the sewage
from the west side is discharged into the Providence sewer system for treat-
ment at the mtmicipal plant, located at Fields Point.

Cumberland and Lincoln also discharge untreated sewage and industrial wastes
into the river. The district tributary to Abbot Run, a small stream flowing
into the Blackstone at Central Falls, presents no difficulties as this area
is a protected soiirce of Vvrater supply for the city of Pawtucket.

Various plans have been considered for eliminating pollution from the waters
of the Blackstone, Seekonk and Moshassuck rivers. The Rhode Island State

263

Planning Board has recommended investigation of seworage possibilities for
certain villages in the towns of Lincoln aind Cumtjerland, and for a part of
the town of East Providence. The Board has recommended also investigation
of the proposed trunk sewer which would convey the sewage and industrial
wastes of these towns, together with that of the Elackstone valley sections
of Central Palls and Pawtucket, to the Pawtucke t-Eas t Providence line, at
which point a joint disposal plant would be located.

Another recommendation of the Planning Board is the a.dditional investigation
of the proposal to collect the sewage and industrial wastes of the Mosh^assuck
valley districts of Lincoln, Central Falls and North Providence by a trxinl-:
sewer either for discharge to the Providence sewer system or for pumping to
the Blackstone valley district for treatment at a district plant in that valley.

Ten Mile River, with a drainage area of 55*3 square miles, largely in Massa-
chusetts, is triljutary to the Seekonk Hiver. There are