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S. William Wandle

Publications and source records attributed to S. William Wandle.

17 recordsLinked to original sources
USGS1994

Effects of surficial geology, lakes and swamps, and annual water availability on low flows of streams in central New England, and their use in low-flow estimation

Equations developed by multiple-regression analysis of data from 49 drainage basins in Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Vermont, and southwestern Maine indicate that low flow of streams in this region is largely a function of the amount of water available to the basin and the extent of surficial sand and gravel relative to the extent of till and fine-grained stratified drift. Low flow per square mile from areas of surficial sand and gravel is consistently much greater than that from areas of till and bedrock, but flood plains and alluvial fans seem to contribute less low flow per square mile than do other types of surficial sand and gravel. The areal extent of lakes and swamps also correlates negatively with low flow in multiple-regression equations, presumably because intense evapotranspiration from these localities consumes water that would otherwise become streamflow. The annual minimum 7-day mean low flows that occur during summer and fall at 2-year and 10-year recurrence intervals (7Q2 and 7QIO) were selected as indices of low flow and were adjusted to a common base period, 1942-71. Central New England was divided into a region of high relief that com- prises much of New Hampshire, Vermont, and western Massachusetts, and a region of low relief that generally lies to the east and south but also includes the Lake Champlain lowland of Vermont. In the high-relief region, mean basin elevation proved to be the most significant index of the amount of water available. In the low-relief region, mean annual runoff per square mile was more significant than elevation, particularly when multiplied by the areal extent of sand and gravel and that of till. Dividing the areal extent of sand and gravel by stream length improved the fit of regression equations for the low-relief region. Regression equations were developed that explained at least 95 percent of the variation in 7QIO within both the high-relief and the low-relief data sets. Equations proposed for practical application were reasonably consistent with the statistical assumptions of least-squares analysis and yielded 7Q2 and 7QIO values with standard errors of 1.9 and 1.4 cubic feet per second, respectively, for the high-relief region and 2.2 and 1.6 cubic feet per second for the low-relief region. When error was expressed as a percentage of each observed value, median errors were about 25 percent for 7Q2 in both regions, and about 25 and 55 percent for 7QIO in the high-and low-relief regions, respectively. The equations do not apply to basin segments that are substantially affected by urbanization, stream regulation, or ground-water withdrawals, and may not be appropriate where basin characteristics fall outside their range in the data set or where the geologic and topographic maps needed for measurement of basin characteristics are unavailable, or are of small scale or mutually inconsistent.

Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, ↗
USGS1987

ESTIMATING LOW-FLOW FREQUENCIES OF UNGAGED STREAMS IN NEW ENGLAND.

Equations to estimate low flows were developed using multiple-regression analysis with a sample of 48 river basins, which were selected from the U. S. Geological Survey's network of gaged river basins in Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Vermont, and southwestern Maine. Low-flow characteristics are represented by the 7Q2 and 7Q10 (the annual minimum 7-day mean low flow at the 2- and 10-year recurrence intervals). These statistics for each of the 48 basins were determined from a low-flow frequency analysis of streamflow records for 1942-71, or from a graphical or mathematical relationship if the record did not cover this 30-year period. Estimators for the mean and variance of the 7-day low flows at the index and short-term sites were used for two stations where discharge measurements of base flow were available and for two sites where the graphical technique was unsatisfactory.

Conference Paper↗
USGS1984

Gazetteer of hydrologic characteristics of streams in Massachusetts — Hudson River basin

The Hudson River basin includes streams draining the Hoosic River (205 square miles), Kinderhook Creek (20.9 square miles), and Roeliff Jansen Kill (13.3 square miles) basins in western Massachusetts, eastern New York, and southern Vermont. Drainage areas, using the latest available 1:24,000 scale topographic maps, are re-computed for data-collection sites and computed for the first time for streams draining greater than 3 square miles. Basin characteristics representing 14 commonly used indices to estimate various streamflows are presented for the five gaged streams in the Hoosic River basin. Streamflow characteristics, representing statistics computed using a new data base with records through 1979, include annual and monthly flow statistics , duration of daily flow values, and the annual 7-day mean low flow at the 2-year and 10-year recurrence intervals. Seven-day low-flow statistics are presented for 21 partial-record sites. The procedures used to determine the hydrologic characteristics are summarized. This gazetteer of hydrologic characteristics will aid in the planning and siting of water-resources-related activities and will provide a common data base for governmental agencies and the engineering and planning communities.

Massachusetts↗
USGS1983

Drainage divides, Massachusetts; Housatonic River basin

Drainage boundaries for selected subbasins in Berkshire County, Massachusetts, are delineated on 12 topographic quadrangle maps at a scale of 1:24,000. Drainage basins are shown for all U.S. Geological Survey data-collection sites and for mouths of major rivers. Drainage basins are shown for the outlets of lakes or ponds and for streams where the drainage area is greater than 3 square miles. Successive sites along watercourses are indicated where the intervening area is at least 6 square miles on tributary streams or 15 square miles along the Housatonic River. (USGS)

Open-File Report↗
USGS1983

Drainage divides, Massachusetts; Westfield and Farmington River basins

Drainage boundaries for selected subbasins in western Hampshire, western Hampden, and southeastern Berkshire Counties, Massachusetts, are delineated on 15 topographic quadrangle maps at a scale of 1:24,000. Drainage basins are shown for all U.S. Geological Survey data-collection sites and for mouths of major rivers. Drainage basins are shown for the outlets of lakes or ponds and for streams where the drainage area is greater than 3 square miles. Successive sites along watercourses are indicated where the intervening area is at least 6 square miles on tributary streams or 10 square miles along the Westfield or Farmington Rivers. (USGS)

Open-File Report↗
USGS1983

Estimating peak discharges of small, rural streams in Massachusetts

Floodflows on natural-flow streams in Massachusetts with drainage areas between 0.25 square miles and 260 square miles may be estimated from drainage area, main-channel slope, mean basin elevation, and the area of swamps, lakes, and ponds. Multiple-regression techniques were used to define the relationship between a suite of basin and climatic characteristics and flood peaks in three flood-frequency regions at a total of 95 sites. Station flood-frequency data were computed following guidelines in Bulletin 17A of the U.S. Water Resources Council. The frequency analyses are based upon weighted skew values, adjustments for high and low outliers, and historic peak data. Regression equations for estimation of peak discharges for 0.5, 0.2, 0.1, 0.04, 0.02, and 0.01 exceedance probabilities are provided for ungaged sites. An improved sample of flood peaks and gaging stations and the definition of three flood-frequency regions reduced the standard errors of estimate by about 5 percent over those for the 1977 relations. Included in this analysis were the synthetic flood-frequency data at 8 sites computed using historic climatic data and 10 parameters optimized by calibration of the U.S. Geological Survey's rainfall-runoff model with storm data observed over 11 years. The equations are applicable to streams unaffected by regulation where the usable manmade storage is less than 4.5 million cubic feet per square mile, or by diversions or urbanization. The equations are restricted to sites where the basin indices are within a specified range outside of eastern Plymouth, Barnstable, Dukes, or Nantucket Counties. In these areas, the available data do not adequately define the influence of high infiltration and storage capacities of drainage basins on floodflows.

Water Supply Paper↗
USGS1982

Estimating peak discharges of small rural streams in Massachusetts

Floodflows on natural-flow streams in Massachusetts with drainage areas between 0.25 square miles and 260 square miles may be estimated from drainage area, main-channel slope, mean basin elevation, and the area of swamps, lakes, and ponds. Multiple-regression techniques were used to define the relationship between a suite of basin and climatic characteristics and flood peaks in three flood-frequency regions at a total of 95 sites. Station flood-frequency data were computed following guidelines in Bulletin I7A of the U.S. Water Resources Council. The frequency analyses are based upon weighted skew values, and adjustments for high and low outliers, and historic peak data. Regression equations for estimation of peak discharges for 0.5, 0.2, 0.1, 0.04, 0.02, and 0.01 exceedance probabilities are provided for ungaged sites. An improved sample of flood peaks and gaging stations and the definition of three flood-frequency regions reduced the standard error of estimate by about 5 percent over those for the 1977 relations. Included in this analysis were the synthetic flood-frequency data at eight sites computed using historic climatic data and 10 parameters optimized by calibration of the U.S. Geological Survey's rainfall-runoff model with storm data observed over II years. The equations are applicable to streams unaffected by regulation where the usable manmade storage is less than 4.5 million cubic feet per square mile, or by diversions or urbanization. The equations are restricted to sites where the basin indices are within a specified range outside of eastern Plymouth, Barnstable, Dukes or Nantucket Counties. In these areas, the available data do not adequately define the influence of high infiltration and storage capacities of drainage basins on floodflows.

Massachusetts↗
USGS1982

Drainage divides, Massachusetts-Hudson River basin

Drainage boundaries for selected subbasins in northern Berkshire County, Massachusetts, are delineated on five topographic quadrangle maps at a scale of 1:24,000. Drainage basins are shown for all U.S. Geological Survey data-collection sites and for mouths of major rivers. Drainage basins are shown for the outlets of lakes or ponds and for rivers where the drainage area is greater than 3 square miles. Successive sites are indicated where the intervening area is at least 6 square miles on tributary streams and 10 square miles along the Hoosic or North Branch Noosic Rivers. (USGS)

Open-File Report↗
USGS1982

Drainage divides, Massachusetts; Blackstone and Thames River basins

Drainage boundaries for selected subbasins of the Blackstone and Thames River basins in eastern Hampden, eastern Hampshire, western Norfolk, southern Middlesex, and southern Worcester Counties, Massachusetts, are delineated on 12 topographic quadrangle maps at a scale of 1:24,000. Drainage basins are shown for all U.S. Geological Survey data-collection sites and for mouths of major rivers. Drainage basins are shown for the outlets of lakes or ponds and for streams where the drainage area is greater than 3 square miles. Successive sites along watercourses are indicated where the intervening area is at least 6 miles on tributary streams or 15 square miles along the Blackstone River, French River, or Quinebaug River. (USGS)

Open-File Report↗
USGS1982

Drainage divides, Massachusetts; Deerfield and Millers River basins

Drainage boundaries for selected subbasins in Franklin and northwestern Worcester Counties, Massachusetts, are delineated on 16 topographic quadrangle maps at a scale of 1:24,000. Drainage basins are shown for all U.S. Geological Survey data-collection sites and for mouths of major rivers. Drainage basins are shown for the outlets of lakes or ponds and for streams where the drainage area is greater than 3 square miles. Successive sites along watercourses are indicated where the intervening area is at least 6 square miles on tributary streams or 10 square miles along the Millers and Deerfield Rivers, or 20 square miles along the Connecticut River. (USGS)

Open-File Report↗
USGS1982

Drainage divides, Massachusetts; Connecticut River lowlands and Chicopee River basin

Drainage boundaries for selected subbasins of the Connecticut River lowlands and Chicopee River basin in southern Franklin, eastern Hampshire, and western Worcester Counties, Massachusetts , are delineated on 18 topographic quadrangle maps at a scale of 1:24,000. Drainage basins are shown for all U.S. Geological Survey data-collection sites and for mouths of major rivers. Drainage basins are shown for the outlets of lakes or ponds and for streams where the drainage area is greater than 3 square miles. Successive sites along watercourses are indicated where the intervening area is at least 6 square miles on tributary streams or 10 square miles along the Chicopee River, or 20 square miles along the Connecticut River. (USGS)

Open-File Report↗
USGS1977

Estimating the magnitude and frequency of floods on natural-flow streams in Massachusetts

The magnitude and frequency of floods on natural-flow streams in Massachusetts, with drainage areas between 0.25 square mile and 497 square miles, may be estimated from drainage area, main channel slope, a precipitation index, and a storage factor. Multiple-regression techniques were used to define the relationship between basin and climatic characteristics, and flood peaks for 113 gaging stations. Flood-frequency and magnitude data at the gaging stations were computed using the guidelines recommended by the U.S. Water Resources Council. It was found that flood peaks of rural, unregulated Massachusetts streams can best be defined by dividing the State into an EASTERN MASSACHUSETTS and a WESTERN MASSACHUSETTS flood-frequency region. The regression equations relate peak discharges with 0.5, 0.2, 0.1, 0.04, 0.02, 0.01, 0.005, and 0.002 exceedance probabilities to basin and climatic parameters. Standard errors of estimate ranged from 42 to 70 percent for the eastern river basins and from 32 to 68 percent for the western river basins. The defined estimating relations do not apply to streams where the flood flows are significantly affected by regulation where the usable man-made storage is over 4.5 million cubic feet per square mile, or by diversions or urbanization, or where the basin indices are outside a specified range. Also, these equations should not be used for basins in eastern Plymouth County, or Barnstable, Dukes, or Nantucket Counties where the available data are insufficient to determine the influence of high infiltration and storage capacities of drainage basins on flood flows. (Woodard-USGS)

Water-Resources Investigations Report↗
USGS1975

Hydrology and water resources of the Charles River basin, Massachusetts

The Charles River basin encompasses about 300 square miles of gently rolling to hilly terrain, with altitudes ranging from 586 feet in Hopkinton to below 10 feet in Boston, Mass. The area is essentially urban, although the towns in the upper basin still retain some rural character. The population of the middle and upper parts increased 80 percent between 1950 and 1970, while the population in the lower part declined 4 percent. This atlas summarizes the water resources and associated water problems of the area. The investigation upon which the atlas is based was made from 1968 to 1971 and is part of a series covering the major river basins in Massachusetts. The study area includes 251 sq mi of drainage area above the gaging station at Waltham. (Woodard-USGS)

Hydrologic Atlas↗