Daily Kennebec journal., 1925-01-19
Some Mills Already on
Part Time; Others
to Follow This
Week
River Flow From Quarter to
Half Below NOrmal-Little
or No Relief Probable Before
Spring - Saco River Mills
Also Affected - AndrOscog-
gin and Pen0bscot Nearly,
Normal Due to Storage.
Facilities

Industries throughout the State are
threatened with curtailed production
because Of low water conditions. Along
the Kennebec and Saco rivers many
mills are already operating on part
time schedule, or preparing to do so
this week. The flow of these rivers
is reported to be from q quarter to-
half what normal conditions produce.
The Androscoggin. because of better,
storage facilities. reports conditions
nearest normal.
With only eight inches out Of a pos
sible seven foot storage remaining ts
draw from at Moosehead Lake (itss
largest storage reservoir), the Kenne-,
hec River is flowing at 1150 second
feet. practically one-fifth Of its nor
mai flow. BY the first Of February
the Moosehead Lake storage will be,
negligible and with the lesser basins
already well drained Kenuebec valley
industries face an alarming situation.
Manufacturers and paper mills at,
Madison and Waterville started this
morning to curtal production for lack
OF water power. The Great Northern
Paper Co. at Madison is forced to op-
crate on four days schedule. The
Hollingsworth & Whitney and Lock-
wood Mills at Waterville face similar,
operating schedules unless conditions
soon improve. Central Maine Power
Co.. which normally generates power
almost entirely from its hydroelectric
plants, is now producing As per cent.
OF its output at its steam plants at
farmingdale and Lewiston. because or,
low water at Skowhegan and other,
points on the Kennebec.
The Bangor Railway & Electric Co.
reports plenty of capacity at presents
owing to the large storage basin on;
the Union River at Ellsworth which is
more than adequate to meet the de-
mands of it's Penobscot stations. The
lowest flow, however, recorded on the
Union River was 500 second feet in
1914, and it is now 200 second fseuf
less.
Industries along the Saco have beem
operating on part-time schedules fors
some time. so that its limited storaged
facilities have been conserved. Thei
river is reported flowing between 120W
and 1900 second feet, or half it's nor,
NAL flow. with storage sufficient to-
last for another four weeks. The
Cumberland County Power & Light
Co. which starts new steam turbine
next week. will not have to cut its
power on account of failure of hydro
electric resources.
The Androscoggin, with the big Ais
COOS dam at it's headwarters, the
Lakes storage and large
dams at Rumford and Livermore Falls,
It reported at Lewiston to be least af-
fected by low water conditions pre-
vailing elsewhere.
Lack of rainfall during the autumn
light snowfall and prolonged.
cold spells which have caused lakes,
and streams to freeze deep. are attrib-
uted as the natural cause for the pres
ent low water conditions. Along tho
rivers most seriously affected very in.
adequate storage facilities have made
the condition more aggravating
1t is said by those who have studies!
the behavior Of rivers in winter that,
only thaw or warm rain will inn
prove conditions. Heavy snowfalIs
will not affect the situation until
spring. ~.s'
The construction Of the new etor-
age dam at Brassua Lake on the Moose
River above Moosehead Lake when
completed next fall will then better
conditions slightly on the Kennebec.
But the kennebec valley Industries
behind the new dam point to the great
waste of water from the uncontrolled
Dead River. with a drainage area of
over 500 square miles. as the most dis!
-urbing element in the present situa-
ion in that valley.