156 Alaskan Science Conference 



Supply in Alaska" in the June 1950 issue of the Journal of the 

 American Water Works Association. 



Several agencies of the Federal Government collect hydro- 

 logic data in Alaska. The U. S. Weather Bureau and the U. S. 

 Geological Survey are the principal basic data collecting 

 agencies, but the Corps of Engineers, the Forest Service, and 

 other agencies may collect limited additional pertinent data in 

 connection with carrying out their respective responsibilities. 



The Weather Bureau is currently collecting climatological 

 data at about 115 locations well distributed throughout the 

 Territory, usually at airfields or other places where personnel 

 are available to make the necessary observations. Over 30 of 

 these records have been collected continuously over a period 

 of more than 25 years. Records at Sitka, Alaska, are available 

 since the early 1840's but the consistency of the early records 

 with the present Sitka record is open to question. Some of the 

 findings were summarized in the preceding discussion of cli- 

 mate. The hydrologic data obtained by the Weather Bureau 

 are published in the monthly and annual Climatological Data 

 bulletins. As a result of the necessity for locating weather sta- 

 tions at points where local observers are available and the re- 

 moteness and inaccessibility of the high mountain areas the 

 records generally do not reflect the extreme conditions. The 

 Bureau is known to be well aware of this shortcoming, and will 

 establish appropriate additional stations as rapidly as funds and 

 opportunities permit. 



The Geological Survey collects stream flow records regularly 

 at about 50 locations and miscellaneous discharge data inter- 

 mittently at a number of additional points in southeastern, 

 south-central and interior Alaska. The Survey started surface 

 water supply studies on the Seward Peninsula in 1906 in con- 

 nection with hydraulic mining operations. These were ex- 

 tended to the Yukon-Tanana region in 1907 and continued 

 until 1912. In 1913 a water power reconnaissance was made 

 in south-central Alaska. During the period 1915-21 surface 

 water supply studies were conducted in southeastern Alaska in 

 cooperation with the Forest Service to appraise the water power 



