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Erosion Potential and Flood Vulnerability of Streams and Stream Crossings at Acadia National Park, Maine

Scientific Investigations Report 2026-5116
Prepared in cooperation with the National Park Service
By: , , , and 
https://doi.org/10.3133/sir20265116

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Abstract

Acadia National Park has had increases in the frequency and magnitude of precipitation in recent years, leading to increased flood flows, stream erosion, and costly infrastructure damage. To improve infrastructure management in a changing climate, the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the National Park Service, has developed multiple datasets that can help natural resource managers identify stream reaches and stream crossings that have the highest potential for erosion and flood damage within Acadia National Park. To develop these datasets, we first created a lidar- derived hydrography based on a 1- meter digital elevation model and then estimated peak flows at stream crossings and along the stream network using regional regression equations for Maine. We assessed the erosion potential of stream reaches by computing channel morphologic and hydrologic metrics associated with erosive power, such as stream steepness, topographic openness, and percent storage in the contributing watershed. Stream crossing flood vulnerability was assessed by comparing estimated peak flows to stream crossing conveyance capacities. Our results indicate that stream reaches in the headwaters of the Acadia National Park highlands such as Sargent, Penobscot, and Cadillac Mountain, have the highest erosion potential and generally coincide with reaches that have had erosion and infrastructure damage in the past. Stream crossings with the highest flood vulnerability are distributed throughout Mount Desert Island and Acadia National Park, especially south of Jordan Pond, north of Sargent Mountain, and surrounding Eagle Lake. Over a quarter of the total stream crossings have insufficient information to compute flood vulnerability and are often on the parts of the stream with the highest potential for erosion. The datasets allow users to identify stream reaches with the highest erosion potential, stream crossings that are most vulnerable to flood damage, and to highlight areas where supplemental field assessments could most effectively be completed.

Plain Language Summary

The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the National Park Service, has developed multiple datasets that can help natural resource managers identify stream reaches with the highest potential for erosion and stream crossings most vulnerable to flood damage within Acadia National Park. These datasets allow users to identify areas where supplemental field assessments could be most effectively completed.

Suggested Citation

Armstrong, I.P., McCallister, M.A., Hyslop, K.M., and Benthem, A.J., 2026, Erosion potential and flood vulnerability of streams and stream crossings at Acadia National Park, Maine: U.S. Geological Survey Scientific Investigations Report 2026–5116, 21 p., https://doi.org/10.3133/sir20265116.

ISSN: 2328-0328 (online)

Study Area

Table of Contents

  • Acknowledgments
  • Abstract
  • Plain Language Summary
  • Introduction
  • Methods
  • Results
  • Discussion
  • Limitations
  • Conclusions
  • References Cited
Publication type Report
Publication Subtype USGS Numbered Series
Title Erosion potential and flood vulnerability of streams and stream crossings at Acadia National Park, Maine
Series title Scientific Investigations Report
Series number 2026-5116
DOI 10.3133/sir20265116
Publication Date February 26, 2026
Year Published 2026
Language English
Publisher U.S. Geological Survey
Publisher location Reston, VA
Contributing office(s) New England Water Science Center
Description Report: vii, 21 p.; Data Release
Country United States
State Maine
Other Geospatial Acadia National Park
Online Only (Y/N) Y
Additional Online Files (Y/N) N
Additional publication details