Evaluation of the Lakes and Impoundments Drought Index for the Massachusetts Drought Management Plan
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- Document: Report (2.30 MB pdf) , HTML , XML
- Data Release: USGS data release - Data for the lakes and impoundments drought index in the Massachusetts drought plan
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Abstract
The condition of surface water storage in lakes and impoundments is used as an index of drought in the Massachusetts drought management plan. The U.S. Geological Survey visited 28 of these lakes and impoundments at 14 single and multiple waterbody systems to evaluate their appropriateness for characterizing drought. The data collection and computation methods at each system were then reviewed and checked for consistency. The types of historical monthly data available varied by system and included water surface elevation, depth of water below the spillway, volume, or reservoir capacity (percent full). For this analysis, water surface elevations and reservoir capacities were converted to volumes to assess the interannual variability in lake volumes. As a second level of assessment, analysis was also done on water surface elevation variability. Systems that did not have enough differentiation in monthly values between lake volume or water surface elevations to clearly demarcate drought levels were identified as unsuitable for use in the drought index for that month. This report discusses the limitations of using the reviewed lakes and impoundments as a drought index, as well as a list of best practices for data collection techniques to improve the confidence and reliability of the data collected.
Suggested Citation
Smith, T.L., 2024, Evaluation of the lakes and impoundments drought index for the Massachusetts Drought Management Plan: U.S. Geological Survey Scientific Investigations Report 2024–5081, 19 p., https://doi.org/10.3133/sir20245081.
ISSN: 2328-0328 (online)
Study Area
Table of Contents
- Acknowledgments
- Abstract
- Introduction
- Purpose and Scope
- Background
- System Descriptions
- Historical Data
- Methods
- Results
- Limitations of the Drought Severity Level
- Best Practices for Data Collection
- Summary
- Selected References
Publication type | Report |
---|---|
Publication Subtype | USGS Numbered Series |
Title | Evaluation of the lakes and impoundments drought index for the Massachusetts Drought Management Plan |
Series title | Scientific Investigations Report |
Series number | 2024-5081 |
DOI | 10.3133/sir20245081 |
Year Published | 2024 |
Language | English |
Publisher | U.S. Geological Survey |
Publisher location | Reston, VA |
Contributing office(s) | New England Water Science Center |
Description | Report: vi, 19 p.; Data Release |
Country | United States |
State | Massachusetts |
Online Only (Y/N) | Y |
Additional Online Files (Y/N) | N |
Google Analytic Metrics | Metrics page |