﻿126 
  NEW 
  YORK 
  STATE 
  MUSEUM 
  

  

  annual 
  runoff 
  varies 
  inversely 
  as 
  the 
  size 
  of 
  the 
  catchment, 
  and 
  

   that 
  maximum 
  runoff, 
  or 
  flood 
  flow, 
  varies 
  directly 
  as 
  the 
  size 
  of 
  

   the 
  catchment. 
  

  

  In 
  order 
  to 
  gain 
  some 
  idea 
  as 
  to 
  the 
  applicability 
  of 
  this 
  propo- 
  

   sition, 
  the 
  resume 
  of 
  discharge 
  data, 
  in 
  the 
  Twentieth 
  Annual 
  

   Keport 
  of 
  the 
  United 
  States 
  Geological 
  Survey, 
  pages 
  46-64, 
  has 
  

   been 
  examined. 
  This 
  table 
  includes 
  about 
  225 
  streams 
  in 
  various 
  

   portions 
  of 
  the 
  United 
  States, 
  with 
  records 
  ranging 
  from 
  18 
  to 
  

   20 
  years 
  in 
  length 
  to 
  1 
  year. 
  A 
  few 
  of 
  the 
  best-known 
  streams 
  — 
  

   as, 
  for 
  instance, 
  the 
  Croton 
  and 
  Sudbury 
  — 
  are 
  not 
  given 
  in 
  detail, 
  

   although 
  the 
  large 
  number 
  included 
  in 
  this 
  table, 
  it 
  is 
  believed, 
  

   is 
  sufficient 
  to 
  settle 
  definitely 
  this 
  question. 
  Only 
  a 
  very 
  few 
  of 
  

   the 
  results 
  will 
  be 
  referred 
  to 
  here. 
  

  

  In 
  the 
  first 
  place, 
  it 
  appears 
  certain 
  that 
  with 
  equal 
  rainfall 
  

   there 
  is 
  no 
  very 
  definite 
  relation 
  between 
  size 
  of 
  catchment 
  area 
  

   and 
  mean 
  annual 
  runoff. 
  For 
  instance, 
  the 
  Kennebec, 
  at 
  Water- 
  

   ville, 
  Me., 
  with 
  a 
  catchment 
  area 
  of 
  4410 
  square 
  miles, 
  has 
  a 
  mean 
  

   annual 
  runoff 
  for 
  6 
  years 
  of 
  22.4 
  inches. 
  The 
  Cobbosseecontee, 
  at 
  

   Gardner, 
  Me., 
  with 
  a 
  catchment 
  area 
  of 
  230 
  square 
  miles, 
  has 
  a 
  

   mean 
  annual 
  runoff 
  for 
  6 
  years 
  of 
  18.5 
  inches. 
  The 
  Androscog- 
  

   gin, 
  at 
  Kumford 
  Falls, 
  Me., 
  with 
  a 
  catchment 
  area 
  of 
  2220 
  square 
  

   miles, 
  has 
  for 
  6 
  years 
  a 
  mean 
  annual 
  runoff 
  of 
  24.2 
  inches. 
  The 
  

   Presumpscot, 
  at 
  Sebago 
  Lake, 
  Me., 
  with 
  a 
  catchment 
  of 
  470 
  square 
  

   miles, 
  has 
  a 
  mean 
  annual 
  runoff 
  for 
  11 
  years 
  of 
  21 
  inches. 
  The 
  

   Merrimac, 
  at 
  Lawrence, 
  Mass., 
  with 
  a 
  catchment 
  area 
  of 
  4553 
  

   square 
  miles, 
  has 
  a 
  mean 
  annual 
  runoff 
  for 
  9 
  years 
  of 
  21.3 
  inches. 
  

   Aside 
  from 
  the 
  Androscoggin 
  river 
  these 
  five 
  streams 
  support 
  the 
  

   proposition 
  that 
  the 
  runoff 
  varies 
  in 
  some 
  degree 
  directly 
  as 
  the 
  

   catchment 
  area 
  instead 
  of 
  inversely. 
  

  

  As 
  to 
  the 
  maximum 
  runoff, 
  or 
  flood 
  flow, 
  there 
  is 
  apparently 
  

   some 
  slight 
  relation, 
  although 
  even 
  this 
  is 
  less 
  definite 
  than 
  has 
  

   usually 
  been 
  assumed. 
  

  

  As 
  to 
  the 
  minimum 
  runoff, 
  there 
  is 
  apparently 
  no 
  relation, 
  

   extremely 
  small 
  flows 
  happening 
  on 
  large 
  streams 
  as 
  well 
  as 
  on 
  

   the 
  smallest. 
  There 
  is, 
  however, 
  much 
  more 
  definitely 
  a 
  relation 
  

  

  