CURRENT WATER RESOURCES CONDITIONS IN MAINE |
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WATER RESOURCES DIVISION, U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY IN COOPERATION WITH THE STATE OF MAINEPROVISIONAL DATA: All data presented in this report are provisional and subject to revision. |
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Streamflows were in the normal range, except in portions of northeastern Maine where streamflows were in the below-normal range and in portions of southwestern Maine where streamflows were in the above-normal range. April precipitation at 19 sites averaged 27 percent of normal.
Ground-water levels were in the normal range, except in portions of central Maine where levels were in the below-normal range and portions of eastern Maine where levels were in the above-normal range.
The total amount of water in usable storage in the five reporting basins at the end of April was 59 percent of capacity, which is below the long-term end-of-April average of 72 percent.
Runoff was in the normal range, except in portions of northeastern Maine where runoff was in the below-normal range and in portions of southwestern Maine where runoff was in the above-normal range. The following table lists April runoff at the index gaging stations.
APRIL RUNOFF |
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---|---|---|---|
Inches |
% of Median |
Normal Range (in inches) |
|
St. John River at Fort Kent | 4.73 | 109 | 2.92 - 7.14 |
Narraguagus River at Cherryfield | 5.55 | 91 | 4.86 - 7.64 |
Mattawamkeag near Mattawamkeag | 5.38 | 82 | 5.41 - 7.69 |
Piscataquis River near Dover-Foxcroft | 7.00 | 84 | 5.96 - 9.12 |
Carrabassett River near North Anson | 6.63 | 91 | 5.64 - 8.69 |
Little Androscoggin River near South Paris | 8.59 | 124 | 5.81 - 8.15 |
Saco River at Cornish | 6.06 | 105 | 5.21 - 6.88 |
April precipitation, as reported by the National Weather Service and cooperative observers at 19 stations, averaged 27 percent of normal and ranged from 0 percent to 114 percent of normal at the individual sites. The following table lists April precipitation at twelve selected stations.
APRIL PRECIPITATION (inches) |
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Caribou | 2.79 | Flagstaff | 0.56 | Lewiston | 1.15 | Moosehead | 0.36 | |||
Brassua Dam | 0.42 | Bingham | 0.63 | Portland | 1.26 | Rumford | 1.05 | |||
Millinocket | 0.60 | Errol, NH | 0.94 | Vanceboro | 0.65 | Woodland | 0.84 |
Total quantity of water in usable storage increased by 55,823 million cubic feet (mcf) and at the end of the month was 101,173 mcf. The following table shows conditions in the five reporting systems at the end of April, as reported by the river basin managers, expressed in percent of reservoir capacity.
Reservoir System |
Reservoir |
This |
This Month |
Long-term |
---|---|---|---|---|
St. Croix River Basin | 26,845 | 72 | 94 | 80 |
West Branch Penobscot River Basin | 58,700 | 51 | 94 | 63 |
Kennebec River Basin | 44,730 | 65 | 96 | 78 |
Androscoggin River Basin | 28,100 | 59 | 92 | 69 |
Sebago Lake | 9,700 | 69 | 97 | 81 |
TOTAL OF FIVE SYSTEMS | 168,075 | 60 | 94 | 72 |
* mcf-millions of cubic feet |
Ground-water levels were in the normal range, except in portions of central Maine where levels were in the below-normal range and portions of eastern Maine where levels were in the above-normal range. Eight wells showed water-level increases during the month. Water levels in six wells had decreased when compared to water levels at the end of April 2000.
Day of |
Water level |
Departure |
Net Change |
Net change |
Year |
|
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Presque Isle #2 (ARW 906) | 26 | 9.75 | 1.61 | 5.78 | 4.34 | 1986 |
Brunswick (CW 26) | 26 | 29.59 | 0.82 | 1.10 | -0.56 | 1958 |
Augusta #1 (KW 52) | 26 | 4.62 | 0.08 | -0.57 | 0.40 | 1960 |
Litchfield #1 (KW 766) | 26 | 45.39 | 0.16 | 3.86 | -1.29 | 1976 |
Litchfield #2 (KW 872A) | 26 | 8.93 | 0.60 | -0.34 | 1.29 | 1978 |
Middle Dam #2 (OW 400A) | 22 | 2.2 | 0.0 | 7.3 | -0.5 | 1989 |
Oxford (OW 1214) | 26 | 7.16 | 0.08 | 2.54 | -0.15 | 1980 |
Madison (SMW 61) | 28 | 10.91 | -1.08 | 2.27 | -3.02 | 1985 |
Calais (WW 796) | 20 | 0.12 | 0.30 | 3.25 | 0.31 | 1980 |
Hadley Lakes (WW 797) | 27 | 3.68 | 0.12 | NA | -0.39 | 1985 |
Sanford (YW 807) | 26 | 16.89 | 0.42 | 3.54 | 0.29 | 1981 |
for: |
Sarah E. Giffen Robert M. Lent District Chief, Maine U.S. Geological Survey, WRD 26 Ganneston Drive Augusta, Maine 04330 |