NEWELL.] 
MADISON RIVER, MONTANA. 
23 
Reference bench mark is B. M. 10 (Townsend), described as "located on the right 
bank of the Missouri River, about one-half mile north of Townsend Railroad station, 
about one-half mile from river measured in a perpendicular direction to track, and 
about three- quarters mile south of railroad bridge over the Missouri River. It is about 
60 feet west of a point on the track, 30 feet north of railroad bridge No. 392, and about 
7 feet west of railroad fence. Compass reading to milepost 1121 is 318°. Marked 
by stone and pipe; elevation, 3,795.991 feet. This elevation is erroneous, but is the 
elevation from which the gage is set. 
The tabulated records of tbe Townsend gage are reductions to the St. Louis direct- 
rix datum obtained by subtracting 400.063 feet from the daily means of the gage 
readings. The gage reads from 3,785 to 3,799 feet. 
Lieutenant Sanford states that since the establishment of the gage 
level lines have been completed connecting all of the upper river 
gages with the datum of the Missouri Eiver Commission. Precise 
levels have been run up to Sioux City, Iowa, and above that checked 
Y lines have been run under the direction of Capt. H. F. Hodges, 
Corps of Engineers, United States Army, and of the Missouri River 
Commission. The elevations of the zeros of the other Montana gages 
read during 1890 are as follows : 
Elevations of river gages in Montana. 
Locality 
Great Falls 
Craig 
Stubbs Ferry.. . 
Toston 
Gallahers Ferry 
Gallatin Ferry.. 
Above 
mouth. 
Miles. 
2, 333. 3 
2,415.7 
2, 463. 8 
2,519.8 
2, 546. 4 
2, 546. 7 
Elevation of 
gage zero. 
Feet. 
2, 897. 165 
3, 028. 575 
3, 207. 674 
3, 477. 230 
3, 613. 069 
3, 614. 783 
Measurements of discharge at this x>oiot were made on August 25, 
1893, by Mr. F. H. Newell, when for a gage height of 3,788.75 feet there 
was found to be a discharge of 3,008 second-feet. The volumes of the 
three large rivers forming the Missouri, as measured during preceding 
days, were as follows: Jefferson, 808 second-feet; Madison, 1,251 
second-feet; West Gallatin, 818 second-feet; various sloughs, 55 second- 
feet; making an aggregate of 2,932 second-feet. A second measure- 
ment, made November 18, 1894, by Mr. Arthur P. Davis, showed for a 
height of water of 3,789 feet on the gage a discharge of 3,766 second- 
feet. The total width of the stream was 425 feet; the mean depth, 
3.63 feet; the maximum, 7.50 feet; the mean velocity, 2.44 feet; the 
maximum velocity 4.68 feet. The stream is divided into four channels 
by the three bridge piers; otherwise the conditions are favorable for 
accurate measurement. 
These quantities above given represent the discharge for the greater 
part of the last half of the year, the water rarely falling below 3,788.5. 
The area drained at this point is approximately 15,000 square miles, 
comprising, as above stated, the inflow from the Gallatin, the Madison, 
and the Jefferson rivers. This gage at Townsend is the highest of a 
