### Reservoirs in the United States

By: N.O. ThomasG. Earl Harbeck Jr.

                            https://doi.org/10.3133/wsp1360A

#### Links

-                                                                                                                             Document:                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  **Report**                                                                                                     (pdf)                                                                                                                                     
- Plates:                               - **Plate 1**                            (pdf)  Map of United States showing drainage areas and index numbers
  - **Plate 2**                            (pdf)  Map of northeastern part of Louisville area showing location of observation wells
  - **Plate 3**                            (pdf)  Map of northeastern part of Louisville area showing elevations of bedrock in feet above mean sea level (1912 adjusted)
  - **Plate 4**                            (pdf)  Sections of the Ohio River flood plain, northeastern section of Louisville area
  - **Plate 5**                            (pdf)  Map of northeastern part of Louisville area showing laboratory permeabilities in gallons per day per square foot under gradient of unity and temperature of 60°F
  - **Plate 6**                            (pdf)  Map of northeastern part of Louisville area showing elevations of piezometric surface, August 15, 1946
  - **Plate 19**                            (pdf)  Geologic map of the Townsend Valley, Montana
  - **Plate 20**                            (pdf)  Map of the Townsend Valley, Montana, showing the location of wells, land under irrigation, land proposed for irrigation, waterlogged areas, and contour of the ground-water surface
  - **Plate 22 (Sheet 1)**                            (pdf)  Map of the Kaycee Irrigation Project, Wyoming, showing surficial geology and location of wells
  - **Plate 22 (Sheet 2)**                            (pdf)  Map of the Kaycee Irrigation Project, Wyoming, showing surficial geology and location of wells 
- Superseded Publications:
                                        Reservoirs in the United States(1948)                                    

- Download citation as:  RIS                         |                         Dublin                            Core

#### Abstract

Reservoir storage facilities in the United States play an important part in the national economy. Storage facilities have enabled the country to utilize to a much fuller extent one of the most valuable natural resources: water. During recent years the construction of reservoirs has continued at a high rate. This report shows the status of these facilities on January 1, 1954, and describes briefly some of the reasons for growth of reservoir facilities in the United States. 

Descriptive data are given for reservoirs having a capacity of 5, 000 acre-feet or more and for natural lakes having a usable capacity of 5,000 acre-feet or more. Included are reservoirs and lakes completed as of January 1, 1954, and reservoirs under construction on that date. The total number of such reservoirs and lakes is 1, 300. 

A descriptive list of reservoirs in the United States was first published by the United States Geological Survey in March 1948. That report, Geological Survey Circular 23, entitled Reservoirs in the United States, included reservoirs completed as of January 1, 1947. Since January 1, 1947, reservoirs representing a total usable capacity of 115,000,000 acre-feet, or an increase of 71 percent, have been constructed or are under construction. Data about these new reservoirs are presented herein, and the data shown for reservoirs constructed before 1947 have been corrected on the basis of the latest available survey to determine reservoir capacity. 

The total usable capacity of reservoirs and lakes included in this compilation amounts to 278, 120, 000 acre-feet, and the corresponding surface area totals 11, 046, 000 acres. 

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