THE LOSS OF WAFER 
BY SEEPAGE AND 
FROM RESERVOIRS 
EVAPORATION. 
By L. G. carpenter. 
For convenience of reference the principal paragraphs are numbered. A 
summary and conclusions are given on the last pages of the bulletin. 
Scope of bulletin § ^ 
Source of loeees and gains ^ 
Influence of reservoir site ^ 
Conditions of evaporation ■* 
Effect of temperature — 2 
Evaporation from ice and at night. ... o 
Seepage observatious ' 
Methods of observation ° 
Description of lakes observed y 
Loomis 
No Name 
Kooky Ridge 
North Foudre 
Rigden 
Warren • 
Table 1— Observations, 1896 
Table 2— Observations, 1897 
Explanation of tables 16 
Table 3— Seepage losses separated _ 
Comments on tables 11 1^ 1" 
Losses in otner cases 11 
Losses from sand bottoms l^ 
Prevention by silting 16 
Effect of depth on seepage. i' 
Trautwine’s observations . 
Method of evaporation observation.......... 18 
Table 4 — Evaporation by months, 1887- 
Table 5— Average water temperatures, 
Observations on other lakes ‘^6 
Description of lakes 21 
Lee lake 
Loomis lake 
Claymore lake 
Methods of observation 22 
Rainfall record 23 
Surface temperature records 24 
Table 6 — Diurnal change in surface and 
bottom temperatures 
Wind record 25 
Table 7— Observations on Lee lake. 1896 26 
Table 8— Observations on Lee lake, 1897 
Table 9— Observations on Loomis lake, 
1897 • 
Table 10 — Observations on ( laymore 
lake, 1897 
Table 11— Warren lakp, 1889 27 
Table 12— Warren lake, 1890 
Table 13— Monthly evaporation of preceding 
lakes 28 
Comments 29 
Aymard’s experiments on agitation 30 
Estimated evaporation by months 31 
Schuyler’s observations on evaporation 32 
Table 14— Evaporation at Sweetwater 
reservoir 
Hedge’s observations.... 33 
Table 15 — Evaporation at Arrowhead 
reservoir 
Evaporation at Boston aud Rochester 34 
Effect of elevation on losses 35 
No effect on seepage 36 
Affects evaporation 37 
Factors governing evaporation 38 
Change of temperature with elevation... 39 
Water and air temperature 40 
Vapor pressure and temperature 41 
Greater evaporation with less air pressure, 
table 42 
Combined effect 43 
Effect of wind 44 
Summary and conclusions 45 
Relating to seepage 1-13 
Relating to evaporation 14-34 
§1. This bulletin was intended to give the results of a se- 
ries of observations made to determine the loss from seepage on res- 
ervoirs near Fort Collins, during the winters of 1895-6 and 1896-7, 
and to give such of the related observations on evaporation as were 
necessary to throw light on the measurements from the lakes. As 
the losses from seepage were less than expected, the losses from 
