Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1903-05-09

storage capacity OF tnal ldke is very
| large. and the effect upon the flow of
| opening and closing the gates is
| marked. If this regulation were
| designed entirely to benefit the power
plants The flow of the river could be
made far more constant than at
present. The fact that the water is
required for log driving perhaps gives
| a great surplus to the manufacturers
In the log-driving season, but draws
the lake down so that the available
storage is much lessened at the begin
ming Of thee dry season. Raising the
dam at the Moosehead Lake outlet 2
| feet as contemplated, would furnish q
supply for log-driving purposes and
permit sufficient storage to greatly
| increase the low-water flow of the
| river
The tributaries of Moosehead lake
and the Kennebec river, are thus dis
cribed: Roach river receives its
headwa tiers from the slopes of Board
man aud White Cap Mountain, flows
through a series of ponds, and finally
enters Spencer Bay, an arm of Moose
head Lake. This stream and Moose
river are the upper feeders of Moose
head Lake. In 1901 a gaging station
was established by the Geological
Survey at the foot of Roach pond,
where records of river height will be
read daily by a local observer and
meter measurements made often
enough to construct n rating curve.
Moose river, the largest feeder of
Moosehead Lake, with a drainage area
of geo square miles, has a number of
large lakes in its basin, which in most
parts OF the country would be con-
sidered excellent storage reservoirs. but
when compared with Moosehead Lake
are of small capacity. 1t is possible
however. that when the flow of the
kennebec is more carefully regulated it
Will be considered advisable to untilize
these lakes as secondary storage
basins. At present there are several
dams on the river for the purpose of
holding back water for driving logs
Tomhegan and Socatean rivers are
two small streams feeding Moosehead
Lake. They have a number of small
lakes in their watersheds and consider
able fan throughout their courses.
South of Moosehead Lake the Ken
nebec receives a number Of small
being the west outlet of that lake.
About q miles south of the lake Dead
river adds it's waters to the Kennebec.
The drainage basin of this streamhas an =.
area OF 1000 square miles, for the most
part Il wild forested area. The river
has at intervals falls of considerable
heights, which would be valuable for
water power if transportation Were
available. the storage capacity, on
this stream is limited. Hurricane
FANS, Long Falls, and Grand Falls
could, however, be economically util-
lied.
During the summer of 1901 the
United States Geological Survey estab-
ll5hed Saging station on the river, AZ
The Forks.
Sandy river large tributary from
the west, rises in hilly country near
the Rangeey Lakes, and has an aggre-
gate fall of about LOGO feet Unlike
most OF the rivers Of this region il mas
no tributary lake Of large size and
therefore lacks that regulating infu-
cEce. inc drainage area is about $50
square miles. but the flow is small and
the fluctuations are quite marked The
SANDY River lsailI DAD follows the river
throughout most of its course. furnish
ms good transportation. but only small
developments of water power have been
mace, viz, at New Sharon and Farm
ington.
;Carrabasset river enters the Kenne-
bee from the west, ut North Arson. IT
has. considerable fall, which has been
used to some extent for power develop
ment. There are sites for further de-
Velopment, perhaps the best being in
the town of North Arson. Gagings of
the river are row regularly made by
the United States Geological Survey.
Sebasticook river. with a drainage
area of 1860 square miles, enters the
Nennebec from theeast, opposite Water
Vile. In the As miles from Moose pond
to the mouth there is 4 fall of 10 feet.
The stream is followed closely by rail-
roads ana possesses q number IF good
water powers, perhaps the most i'm
portant being that of the Kennebec
Fiber Company, about miles from the
mouth. which utilities 400 horsepower
under an average head of 26 feet.
Messalonskee river drains 205 square
miles and discharges into the I<ennebec
from the west, at Watcrvlle. 1t is fed
from extensive lakes, the aggregate
surface area of which is between %
and 80 square miles. These render it's
flow very constant and give it con-
siderable value for power. The fall is
stated to be 164 feet in the or miles
from the lowest lake to the mouth.
Near the mouth the Union Gas and
Electric Company develops 800 horse
power over a 35-foot dam, the power
being transformed into electricity for
both power and lighting. Above this
point power is utilized to the extent of
2"O horsepower for the Waterville
station and for several mold
ing and planning mills. Farther up
stream in Oakland, there are several
excellent powers, with falls of Ia, 40,
10. and II feet, which are partially
utilized.
CobbosSeecontee river drains group
Of lakes lying from 5 to Is miles west
erly from Augusta, and empties into
the kennebec miles below that city at
Gardiner. it's drainage area amounting
% about 2S0 square miles. From the
ordinary surface of Lake Maranacook,
,ne of the upper lakes, to mean tide at