U.S. Department of the Interior 

U.S. Geological Survey

Fact Sheet FS-2004-3021

March 2004

The 1999-2002 Drought in Maine—How Bad Was It?

Dry conditions were widespread in 

Maine during 1999-2002, with a severe 

drought in 2001-2002 (fig. 1). These dry 

conditions were reflected in low streamflow and ground-water levels. According 

to measurements by the U.S. Geological 

Survey (USGS), record lows were set at 

many streamflow-gaging stations and most 

monitoring wells in Maine during 1999-

2002. This Fact Sheet summarizes information in the USGS report “Drought Conditions in Maine, 1999-2002: A Historical 

Perspective” (Lombard, 2004). 

Effect on Streamflow

Seven-day moving averages of daily 

streamflow from January 1999 to September 2002 were compared to 7-day moving 

average minimums, means, and maximums 

for the period of record at USGS streamflow-gaging stations.

Northern Maine—In this area, the 

drought in 1999-2001 was not as extreme 

as it was in central Maine, but it became 

quite severe in 2002. The St. John River 

below Fish River at Fort Kent (USGS station 01014000) had record low 7-day 

streamflows in September 2002 (fig. 2). 

Central Maine—This area showed 

record low conditions during 1999-2002. 

The Piscataquis River near Dover-Foxcroft 

in central Maine (USGS station 01031500) 

recorded extremely low streamflow in the 

spring of 1999 and in the falls of 2001 and 

2002 (fig. 3). The station had record low 7-

day streamflows in April and May 1999, 

July through September 2001, and August 

and September 2002 (fig. 2). The drought 

continued to be severe in central Maine in 

2002, but became less severe near the 

coast.

Southern Maine—Streamflow in this 

area was low during 2001 and 2002, but it 

was not as low as in other parts of the 

State.

Effect on Ground Water

At several USGS monitoring wells, 

month-end water levels from January 1999 

to September 2002 were compared to longterm ground-water levels, including the 

month-end minimum, 25th percentile, 

median, 75th percentile, and maximum. In 

most cases, month-end ground-water levels 

were in the normal range (between the 25th

and 75th percentiles) for most of 1999 and 

2000, but were consistently below the normal range in 2001 and 2002.

Central Maine—A USGS monitoring 

well in Somerset County (SMW 61) had 

record low ground-water levels in May 

through August 1999, October 2001 

through March 2002, and August 2002 

through September 2002 (fig. 4). Levels 

were below normal throughout 2001 and 

2002.

Southern Maine—A USGS monitoring well in York County (Y807) had normal ground-water levels from the spring of 

1999 through the fall of 2000. As drought 

conditions intensified, month-end groundwater levels declined to the lowest levels 

Results of a U.S. Geological Survey study show that the drought of 1999-2002 was the 

most severe drought on Maine rivers in more than 50 years. The only comparable period 

of statewide drought was from 1947 to 1950. The drought during the 1960s was more 

noteworthy for its duration than its severity. Ground-water levels in 2001-2002 reached 

record lows in much of the State.

Prepared in cooperation with the Maine Governor’s Drought Task Force

Effect on People

• Thirty-five public-water suppliers, 

including 8 large community systems, were 

affected severely (Andrews Tolman, Maine 

Drinking Water Program, written commun., 

2003). 

• Approximately 17,000 private wells in 

Maine went dry in the 9 months prior to April 

2002 (Maine Emergency Management 

Agency, 2002). 

• More than 32 million dollars was lost in 

crops in 2001 and 2002 and some growers of 

wild blueberries recorded crop losses of 80 to 

100 percent (Maine Agricultural Water Management Advisory Committee, 2003). 

Figure 1. 100-yr drought on the St. John River at Ninemile, Maine (September 2002).
U.S. Department of the Interior 

U.S. Geological Survey

Fact Sheet FS-2004-3021

March 2004

Long-term 7-day moving average minimum streamflows

Long-term 7-day moving average mean streamflows

Long-term 7-day moving average maximum streamflows

MONTH, DAY, AND YEAR

STREAMFLOW, IN CUBIC FEET PER SECOND

1

1

1

/1999

1

3

1

3

1

3

/

/

/

/

/

/

1

1

1

/1999

5

5

5

/

/

1

/

1

1

/1999

7

7

7

/

/

1

/

1

1

/1999

9

9

9

/

/

1

/

1

1

/1999

11

1

/

1/

/1

1

1

999

/2000

/2000

/2000

/2000

/2000

/2000

/2001

/2001

/2001

/2001

/2001

/2001

/2002

/2002

/2002

/2002

/2002

1 1

3

/

/1

5/1

7/1

9/1

11/1

1999-2002 7-day moving average streamflows

10,000

100,000

1,000

100

10

10,000

1,000

St. John River at Ft. Kent, Maine

Piscataquis River at Dover-Foxcroft, Maine

Figure 2. Comparison of 1999-2002 streamflow to long-term streamflow at two U.S. Geological Survey streamflow-gaging stations.

on record for every month from December 

2001 through September 2002 (fig. 4).

Progression of the Drought, 

1999-2002

The 7-day low flow is a measure of the 

lowest streamflow period each year. A 

recurrence interval is a measure of how 

common a hydrologic condition is. The 

recurrence interval of the 7-day low flow is 

a statistic commonly used to measure 

drought severity. For example, a 7-day low 

flow with a recurrence interval of 1 to 5 

years would be a common condition, a 

recurrence interval of 10 to 25 years would 

be more unusual, and a recurrence interval 

of more than 50 years would be very 

unusual. Recurrence intervals were calculated for the drought of 1999-2002 on the 

basis of annual 7-day low flows at USGS 

streamflow-gaging stations with 37 to 98 

years of record. 

Recurrence intervals were mapped to 

determine the approximate regional recurrence intervals for individual drought years 

from 1999 to 2002 (fig. 5) and to show how 

the drought progressed from 1999 to 2002. 

In 1999, streams in central Maine had 

unusual to very unusual low flows. These 

low flows abated in 2000. Low flows were 

extreme in streams in central Maine in 2001 

and the area of extreme low flows expanded 

into streams in northern and western areas 

in 2002. Most of the streams in the State 

experienced low flows with greater than 50-

year recurrence intervals at some time from 

1999 to 2002. 

Comparison with Previous 

Droughts

Eight historical drought periods from 

1947 to 2002 were analyzed. The two periods of statewide hydrologic drought that 

were most severe were 1947-50 and 1999-

2002. These periods had low flows with 

greater than 100-year recurrence intervals 

for at least three stations across the State 

and 50- to 100-year recurrence intervals in 

Figure 3. 100-yr drought on the Piscataquis River near Dover-Foxcroft, Maine (August 2001).
U.S. Department of the Interior 

U.S. Geological Survey

Fact Sheet FS-2004-3021

March 2004

additional parts of the State. The period 

1963 to 1969 had low flows with recurrence intervals of up to 70 years in the 

north and greater than 100 years in the 

south; however, this period was most 

remarkable for its duration—no other 

drought period spanned 7 years. By contrast, the single-year drought in 1995 had 

some of the lowest 7-day flows on record, 

second only to 2002, the most severe single year on record. In 1978, there was mild 

drought statewide with low-flow recurrence intervals of up to 35 years. 

Regional droughts were severe during 

several periods. The period 1952-1953 was 

driest in the northern regions of the state, 

1955-1959 was most severe in the south, 

and 1984-1988 was most severe in the central region. 

References Cited

Lombard, P.J., 2004, Drought conditions in 

Maine, 1999-2002—A historical perspective: U.S. Geological Survey 

Water-Resources Investigations 

Report 03-4310, 36 p.

Maine Agricultural Water Management 

Advisory Committee, 2003, Growing 

agriculture, sustainable agricultural 

water source and use policy and 

action plan: Maine Department of 

Agriculture, 18 p.

Maine Emergency Management Agency, 

2002, Drought impact research summary report: Prepared by Volma 

Galubickaite, Market Decisions, 

April 2002, 22 p.

Stewart, G.J., Caldwell, J.M., and Cloutier, 

A.R., 2003, Water resources data, 

Maine water year 2002: U.S. Geological Survey Water-Data Report ME02-1, 230 p.

—Pamela J. Lombard; layout by 

Gloria L. Morrill

For Further Information

Information about current hydrologic conditions in Maine, and programs and publications of the USGS Maine District:

http://me.water.usgs.gov

All recent USGS Maine District publications including the complete report 

describing drought conditions in Maine 

during 1999-2002:

http://me.water.usgs.gov/newreports.html

Current streamflow conditions in the 

United States:

http://water.usgs.gov/waterwatch/

Information about all programs and publications throughout the U.S. Geological 

Survey:

http://www.usgs.gov/

For more information or questions please 

contact:

District Chief

U.S. Geological Survey

196 Whitten Road

Augusta, Maine 04330

Telephone: (207) 622-8201

Email: dc_me@usgs.gov

14

12

10

8

6

21

19

17

15

Long-term normal range of ground-water levels

Long-term maximum ground-water levels

Long-term median ground-water levels

Long-term minimum ground-water levels

1999-2002 ground-water levels

USGS well SMW61 in central Maine (Somerset County)

USGS well Y807 in southern Maine (York County)

WATER LEVEL, IN FEET BELOW LAND SURFACE

1/1999

3/1999

5/1999

7/1999

9/1999

11/1999

1/2000

3/2000

5/2000

7/2000

9/2000

11/2000

/2001

/2001

/2001

/2001

/2001

/2001

/2002

/2002

/2002

/2002

/2002

1

3

5

7

9

11

1

3

5

7

9

MONTH AND YEAR

Figure 4. Comparison of 1999-2002 month-end ground-water levels to long-term levels at two U.S. Geological Survey monitoring wells.
U.S. Department of the Interior 

U.S. Geological Survey

Fact Sheet FS-2004-3021

March 2004

<10 01014000

<10

01010000 01015800 <10

<10 01030500

<10

01022500

<10

01031500

<10

<10

<10 01052500 01047000

01055000

<10 01057000

<10

<10

01060000

01038000

<10

01064500

<10

01054200

01047000

10 01014000

20 01010000

01015800

15

10 01030500

65 01022500

>100

01031500

30

45

<10

01052500

01055000

60

01057000

35

10

01060000

01038000

35 01064500

30 01054200

01047000

<10

01014000

<10

01010000

01015800

<10

<10 01030500

40 01022500

30 01031500

30

60

<10

01052500

01055000

<10

01057000

<10

<10

01060000

01038000

<10

<10

01064500

01054200

10-60

<10

<10

CANADA

NEW HAMPSHIRE

CANADA

ATLANTIC OCEAN

CANADA

NEW HAMPSHIRE

CANADA

ATLANTIC OCEAN

CANADA

NEW HAMPSHIRE

CANADA

ATLANTIC OCEAN

CANADA

NEW HAMPSHIRE

CANADA

ATLANTIC OCEAN

<10

10-60

60->100

10-60

68o 69o

47o

46o

45o

44o

43o

70o

67o

68o 69o

47o

46o

45o

44o

43o

70o

71o 71o

71o 71o

67o

69o

68o

47o

46o

45o

44o

43o

70o

67o

68o 69o

47o

46o

45o

44o

43o

70o

67o

<10

55

01014000

>100

01010000

01015800 <10

15 01030500

10 01022500

>100

01031500

>100

>100

40

01052500 01047000

01055000

40 01057000

35

<10

01060000

01038000

30 01064500

75 01054200

Base from U.S. Geological Survey

digital files, scale 1:2,000,000

projection UTM, zone 19

30-100

<10-30

>100

30-100

10

55 01014000

EXPLANATION

Streamflow-gaging station and identification

number. Bottom number is recurrence interval,

in years, for 7-day low flows during 2002

[<, less than; >, greater than]

Boundary of regional recurrence interval zone,

in years

1999 2000

2001 2002

0

0

40

50

80 MILES

100 KILOMETERS

Figure 5. Regional recurrence intervals for 7-day low flows in Maine, 1999-2002