The Water Resources Division of the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with State agencies, obtains a large amount of data pertaining to the water resources of New Hampshire and Vermont each water year. These data, accumulated during many water years, constitute a valuable data base for developing an improved understanding of the water resources of the States. To make these data readily available to interested parties outside the U.S. Geological Survey, the data are published annually in this report series entitled "Water Resources Data-New Hampshire and Vermont."

This report series includes records of stage, discharge, and water quality of streams; contents of lakes and reservoirs; and water levels of ground-water wells. This volume contains records for water discharge at 78 gaging stations; stage records for 5 lakes; month end contents for 2 lakes and reservoirs; and water levels at 38 observation wells. Also included are data for 37 crest-stage partial record stations. Locations of these sites are shown in figures 1 and 2. Additional water data were collected at various sites not involved in the systematic data-collection program and are published under miscellaneous discharge measurements for gaging stations in New Hampshire and Vermont. The data in this report represent that part of the National Water Data System collected by the U.S. Geological Survey and cooperating State and Federal agencies in New Hampshire and Vermont.

This series of annual reports for New Hampshire and Vermont began with the 1961 water year with a report that contained only data relating to the quantities of surface water and published as "Water Resources data for Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont." For the 1964 water year, a similar report was introduced that contained only data relating to water quality. Beginning with the 1975 water year, the report format was changed to present, in one volume, data on quantities of surface water, quality of surface and ground water, and ground-water levels.

Prior to introduction of this series and for several water years concurrent with it, water-resources data for New Hampshire and Vermont were published in U.S. Geological Survey Water-Supply Papers. Data on stream discharge and stage and on lake or reservoir contents and stage, through September 1960, were published annually under the title "Surface-Water Supply of the United States, Parts 1A and 1B." For the 1961 through 1970 water years, the data were published in two 5-year reports. Data on chemical quality, temperature, and suspended sediment for the 1941 through 1970 water years were published annually under the title "Quality of Surface Waters of the United States," and water levels for the 1939 through 1974 water years were published under the title "Ground-Water Levels in the United States." The above mentioned Water-Supply Papers may be consulted in the libraries of the principal cities of the United States and may be purchased from U.S. Geological Survey, Branch of Information Services, Federal Center, Box 25286, Denver, Colorado 80225.

Publications similar to this report are published annually by the U.S. Geological Survey for all States. These official reports have an identification number consisting of the two-letter State abbreviation, the last two digits of the water year, and the volume number. For example, this volume is identified as "U.S. Geological Survey Water-Data Report NH-VT-05-1." For archiving and general distribution, the reports for 1971-74 water years also are identified as water-data reports.

These water-data reports are for sale in paper copy or in microfiche by the National Technical Information Service, U.S. Department of Commerce, Springfield, VA 22161. Real-time and historical data from the surface-water network, as well as information about individual sites, are available through the world wide web at:

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Preface

Report documentation page

List of surface-water and water-quality stations, in downstream order, for which records are published

List of ground-water stations for which records are published

List of discontinued surface-water-discharge stations

List of discontinued surface-water-quality stations

Introduction

Cooperation

Summary of hydrologic conditions

Streamflow

Floods and droughts

Reservoir storage

Ground-water levels

Downstream order and station number

Numbering system for wells and miscellaneous sites

Special networks and programs

Explanation of stage- and water-discharge records

Data collection and computation

Data presentation

Station manuscript

Peak discharge greater than base discharge

Data table of daily mean values

Statistics of monthly mean data

Summary statistics

Identifying estimated daily discharge

Accuracy of field data and computed results

Other data records available

Explanation of precipitation records

Data collection and computation

Data presentation

Explanation of water-quality records

Collection and examination of data

Water analysis

Explanation of surface-water-quality records

Classification of records

Accuracy of the records

Arrangement of records

Onsite measurements and sample collection

Water temperature

Sediment

Laboratory measurements

Data presentation

Remark codes

Water-quality control data

Blank samples

Reference samples

Replicate samples

Spike samples

Explanation of ground-water-level records

Site identification numbers

Data collection and computation

Data presentation

Water-level tables

Hydrographs

Ground-water-quality data

Data collection and computation

Laboratory measurements

Access to USGS water data

Definition of terms

Techniques of water-resources investigations of the U.S. Geological Survey

Surface-water records

Surface-water-discharge and surface-water-quality records

Ground-water records

Ground-water levels

Ground-water levels in New Hampshire

Ground-water levels in Vermont

Discharge at partial-record stations and miscellaneous sites

Crest-stage partial-record stations

Miscellaneous sites

Water quality of miscellaneous ground-water wells

Supplemental national water-quality assessment data for ground-water stations in New Hampshire and Vermont

Index

Figures

Figure 1. Map showing location of surface-water data-collection sites

Figure 2. Map showing location of ground-water data-collection sites

Figure 3. Map showing annual runoff for stations with at least 30 years of record as a percentile, based on the reference period 1971-2000

Figure 4. Graphs showing comparison of discharge at two long-term index-gaging stations during the 2005 water year with median discharge for period 1971-2000

Figure 5. Maps showing variation in month-end usable storage for 5 major reservoirs, October 2004 to October 2005

Figure 6. Grid system for numbering wells and miscellaneous sites (latitude and longitude)

Table

Table 1. Monthend ground-water conditions as measured in 37 wells in New Hampshire and Vermont