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ICE EFFECTS ON STREAMFLOW
The formation of ice on rivers can cause discharge values to appear unusually high. Display of these erroneous discharge data may result in improper assessment of flow conditions and misuse of the data. For this reason, display of discharge values for streams significantly affected by ice may be disabled from view. Display of discharge data will resume when ice conditions are no longer present. Discharge values for streams minimally affected by ice will continue to be displayed. Flows for streams with these conditions appear to increase during the night and decrease to near-base-line conditions around midday. To estimate the correct discharge for these streams, use the flow rate that corresponds to the bottom of the discharge curve, rather than the peak that corresponds to the top of the curve. Note that this method of estimation is possible only when no surface runoff is occurring. Daily mean discharges for periods of both significant and minimal ice-effect will be estimated and published in the Annual Water-Data Report for the water year in which they occurred.
LOCATION--Lat 42o09'13", long
71o39'09", Worcester County, Hydrologic Unit
01090003, on left bank at Northbridge, 100 ft downstream from Sutton
Street Bridge and 3.0 mi downstream from Quinsigamond River.
DRAINAGE AREA--141 mi2.
PERIOD OF RECORD--Discharge: October 1939 to September 1977;
October 1995 to September 2003 (discharge record discontinued). October
and November 1939, monthly discharge only, published in Water-Supply
Paper (WSP) 1301.
Water-quality records: Water years, 1955, 1958, 1971.
GAGE--Data Collection Platform with satellite telemeter. Datum
of gage is 254.30 ft above NAVD 1988, estimated from topographic map.
Prior to May 4, 2020, datum of gage reported as 255 ft above NGVD 1929,
estimated from topographic map.
REMARKS--Published discharge record discontinued on September
30, 2003. Stage affected by three upstream waste-water treatment plants
and upstream and downstream reservoirs.
FLOOD STAGE--Flood stage of 9 ft determined by National Weather
Service.
PROVISIONAL DISCHARGE DURING FLOODS--Provisional discharge data
are available when gage height equals or exceeds 5.19 ft (1,000
ft3/s). Discharge data for gage heights less than 5.19 ft
are not available due to variations in the stage-discharge
relation.
COOPERATION BY--Massachusetts Department of
Conservation and Recreation, Office of Water
Resources.
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