Patapsco River at Woodstock measurements 1899

PATAPSCO RIVER AT WOODSTOCK, MARYLAND.

Daily gage height, in feet, of Patapsco River at Woodstock, Maryland, for 1899

This river rises in the north-central part of Maryland, flows in a southeasterly direction between Baltimore and Howard counties, and empties into Chesapeake Bay. Its watershed is a hilly country largely under cultivation. A station was established at Woodstock August 6, 1896, by E. G. Paul. The drainage area is 251 square miles and is partly shown on the Ellicott and Frederick sheets of the topographic atlas. Measurements are made from the county bridge on the road from Woodstock to Granite, Maryland, 1 1/2 miles below the junction with the North Branch, as shown on the Ellicott atlas sheet.

The scale is a board graduated to feet and tenths with small nails, and fastened to the floor timber of the bridge. The bench mark is a United States Geological Survey standard copper bolt, set in the face of the retaining wall of the entrance to the college grounds at the north end of the bridge. It is 22.06 feet above gage datum. The bridge was repaired on January 20-25, 1899, and the gage destroyed. A new gage was established on January 30, 1899, and referred to the same bench mark.

The channel is rough and rocky. The banks are high and not subject to overflow. At a time of extreme high water the channel is liable to changes. The observer is David Donovan, a storekeeper at Woodstock, Maryland. The three following measurements were made by E. G. Paul during 1899: January 30, gage height 4.30 feet, discharge 431 second-feet; May 22, gage height 4.20 feet, discharge 400 second-feet; September 6, gage height 3.60 feet, discharge 129 second-feet.

Water-supply and Irrigation Papers of the United States Geological Survey.  DC: 1900

©2020 Patricia Bixler Reber
Forgotten history of Ellicott City & Howard County MD