Time of travel and dispersion study in the Androscoggin River basin, Maine
Water-Resources Investigations Report
83-4232
By: G.W. Parker, G.S. Westerman, G.S. Hunt, and G.L. Morrill
Links
- Document: Report (pdf)
- Download citation as: RIS | Dublin Core
Abstract
In a series of dye tracer studies at discharge ranging from 45 to 212 cubic meters per second, time of travel and dispersion characteristics were determined at 12 sampling sites along 123 kilometers of the Androscoggin River (Rumford to Prejepscot Dam). Dye-cloud centroid traveltimes ranged from approximately 120 hours at high discharge to 410 hours at flows approaching 95 percentile duration. Longitudinal dispersion coeficients ranged from 21.3 to 76.7 square meters per second. In the 37.2 kilometer unsteady flow reach from Gulf Island Dam to Prejepscot Dam, the concept of mass flow versus time was applied to relate centroid traveltime to average discharge at five sites. This information was used to develop traveltime versus discharge relationships, traveltime versus distance relationships, and longitudinal dispersion coefficients. In Gulf Island Pond, a 70.4 million cubic meter impoundment, three complete dye clouds were traced. The range of observed centroid traveltime through the pound was 110 hours at a mean discharge of 84 cubic meters per second to 260 hours at 59 cubic meters per second. Traveltimes are dependent upon reservoir stratification and mixing as well as discharge. During 1981, inflowing dye-tagged water at 19.0 and 19.5 degrees Celsius was observed to seek its own temperature density level during movement along the thalweg. (USGS)
Suggested Citation
Parker, G., Westerman, G., Hunt, G., Morrill, G., 1983, Time of travel and dispersion study in the Androscoggin River basin, Maine: U.S. Geological Survey Water-Resources Investigations Report 83-4232, vii, 135 p. :ill., maps ;28 cm., https://doi.org/10.3133/wri834232.
| Publication type | Report |
|---|---|
| Publication Subtype | USGS Numbered Series |
| Title | Time of travel and dispersion study in the Androscoggin River basin, Maine |
| Series title | Water-Resources Investigations Report |
| Series number | 83-4232 |
| DOI | 10.3133/wri834232 |
| Year Published | 1983 |
| Language | ENGLISH |
| Publisher | U.S. Geological Survey, |
| Description | vii, 135 p. :ill., maps ;28 cm. |