Class... Gift-lilS. OFFICIAL DONATION. Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2011 with funding from The Library of Congress http://www.archive.org/details/waterresourcesofOObasc Water-Supply and Irrigation Paper No. 106 q. / M, General Hydrographic Investigations, 12 aenes \ 0, Underground Waters, 26 DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR UNITED STATES GEOLOGICAL SURVEY CHARLES D. WALCOTT, Director WATER RESOURCES PHILADELPHIA DISTRICT BY FLORENCE BASCOM WASHINGTON GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE 1904 PUBLICATIONS OF UNITED STATES GEOLOGICAL SURVEY. The publications of the United States Geological Survey consist of (1) Annual Reports; (: Monographs; (3) Professional Papers; (4) Bulletins; (5) Mineral Resources; (6) Water-Supp; and Irrigation Papers; (7) Topographic Atlas of United States, folios and separate sheets theree (8) Geologic Atlas of United States, folios thereof. The classes numbered 2, 7, and 8 are sold i cost of publication; the others are distributed free. A circular giving complete lists may b had on application. The Professional Papers, Bulletins, and Water-Supply Papers treat of a variety of subjects and the total number issued is large. They have therefore been classified into the folio win series: A, Economic geology; B, Descriptive geology; C, Systematic geology and paleontolog' D, Petrography and mineralogy; E, Chemistry and physics; F, Geography; G, Miscellaneou H, Forestry; I, Irrigation; J, Water storage; K, Pumping water; L, Quality of water; I General hydrographic investigations; N, Water power; O, Underground waters; P, Hydr. graphic progress reports. The following Water-Supply Papers are out of stock, and can no longer be supplied: N 1-16, 19, 20, 22, 29-34, 86, 39, 40, 43, 46, 57-65, 75. Complete lists of papers relating to water supi,. and allied subjects follow. (PP=Professional Paper; B=Bulletin; WS= Water-Supply Pape/- Series I— Irrigation. WS 2. Irrigation near Phoenix, Ariz., by A. P. Davis. 1897. 98 pp., 31 pis. and maps. WS 5. Irrigation pi'actice on the Great Plains, by E. B. Cowgill. 1897. 39 pp., 11 pis. WS 9. Irrigation near Greeley, Colo., by David Boyd. 1897. 90 pp., 21 pis. WS 10. Irrigation in Mesilla Valley, New Mexico, by F. C. Barker. 1898. 51 pp., 11 pis. WS 13. Irrigation systems in Texas, by W. F. Hutson. 1898. 68 pp., 10 pis. WS 17. Irrigation near Bakersfield, Cal., by C. E. Grunsky. 1898. 96 pp., 16 pis. WS 18. Irrigation near Fresno, Cal., by C. E. Grunsky. 1898. 94 pp., 14 pis. WS 19. Irrigation near Merced, Cal., by C. E. Grunsky. 1899. 59 pp., 11 pis. WS 23. Water-right problems of Bighorn Mountains, by Elwood Mead. 1899. 62 pp., 7 pis. WS 32. Water resources of Porto Rico, by H. M. Wilson. 1899. 48 pp., 17 pis. and maps. WS 43. Conveyance of water in irrigation canals, flumes, and pipes, by Samuel Fortier. 1901 86 pp., 15 pis. WS 70. Geology and water resources of the Patrick and Goshen Hole quadrangles, Wyoming, byG. I. Adams. 1902. 50 pp., 11 pis. WS 71. Irrigation systems of Texas, by T. U. Taylor. 1902. 137 pp., 9 pis. WS 74. Water resources of the State of Colorado, by A. L. Fellows. 1903. 151 pp., 14 pis. WS 87. Irrigation in India (second edition), by H. M. Wilson. 1903. 238 pp., 27 pis. WS 93. Proceedings of first conference of engineers of the reclamation service, with accom- panying papers, compiled by F. H. Newell, chief engineer. 1904. 361 pp. ; The following papers also relate especially to irrigation: Irrigation in India, by H. M. Wilson, in Twelfth Annual, Pt. II; two papers on irrigation engineering, by H. M. Wilson, in Thirteenth Annual, Pt. III. Series J— Water Storage. j WS 33. Storage of water on Gila River, Arizona, by J. B. Lippincott. 1900. 98 pp., 33 pis. WS 40. The Austin dam, by T. U. Taylor. 1900. 51 pp., 16 pis. WS 45. Water storage on Cache Creek, California, by A. E. Chandler. 1901. 48 pp., 10 pis. WS 46. Physical characteristics of Kern River, California, by F. H. Olmsted, and Reconnais- sance of Yuba River, California, by Marsden Manson. 1901. 57 pp., 8 pis. WS 58. Storage of water on Kings River, California, by J. B. Lippincott. 1902. 100 pp., 32 pis. WS 68. Water storage in Truckee Basin, California-Nevada, by L. H. Taylor. 1902. 90 pp., 8 pis. WS 73. Water storage on Salt River, Arizona, by A. P. Davis. 1902. 54 pp., 25 pis. WS 86. Storage reservoirs on Stony Creek, California, by Burt Cole. 1903. 62 pp., 16 pis. WS 89. Water resources of Salinas Valley California, by Homer Hamlin. 1903. 91 pp., 12 pis. WS 93. Proceedings of first conference of engineers of the reclamation service, with accom- panying papers, compiled by F. H. Newell, chief engineer. 1904. 361 pp. The following paper also should be noted under this heading: Reservoirs for irrigation, by J. D. Schuyler, in Eighteenth Annual, Pt IV. [Continued on third page of cover.] W IRR 106—2 Water-Supply and Irrigation Paper No. 106 Q • / M, General Hydrographic Investigations, 12 benes \ 0, Underground Waters, 26 DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR UNITED STATES GEOLOGICAL SURVEY CHARLES D. WALCOTT, Director WATER RESOURCES PHILADELPHIA DISTRICT BY FLORENCE BASCOM WASHINGTON GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE 19 04 CONTENTS Letter of transmittal 7 Introduction 9 Acknowledgments 9 Geology _* 11 Physiography 11 Piedmont Plateau 11 Coastal Plain ■- „ 13 Stratigraphy 13 Ancient crystalline rocks . 13 Algonkian 13 Baltimore gneiss 13 Cambrian 13 Chickies quartzite 1 13 Cambro-Ordovician 13 Chester Valley limestone 13 Ordovician 14 Wissahickon mica-gneiss and mica-schist : 14 Topographic features of crystalline area . 14 Sedimentary rocks 14 Triassic 14 Norristown shale - 14 Gwynedd shale . _ 15 Lansdale shale i . 1 15 Perkasie shale 15 Pottstown shale 15 Rainfall 15 Streams 21 Piedmont hydrographic basin 21 Delaware River 21 Southwest tributaries to Delaware River 23 Northeast tributaries to Delaware River 27 Schuylkill River 32 Schuylkill tributaries 35 Coastal Plain hydrographic basin 42 Drainage 42 Water power 46 Ponds . 48 Springs 48 Deep and artesian wells 49 Piedmont district 49 Ancient crystalline belt 49 Triassic belt 53 Coastal Plain district 54 Geologic conditions 54 Water horizons : 54 3 CONTENTS. Public water supplies 63 Philadelphia and soil rarbs . _ 63 Philadelphia 1 mreau of water 63 Springfield water companies 65 Springfield Water Company 65 North Springfield Water Company . _ . 66 Independent companies 67 Chester 67 Media 67 Norristown 67 Lansdale 67 Ambler 68 Camden 68 Hiverton and Palmyra 68 Haddonfield 68 Newbold and Westville 68 Paulsboro 68 Other towns 69 Index 71 ILLUSTRATIONS Page. Plate I. Sketch map of Philadelphia district 9 II. Diagram of stream flow of Ridley Creek, 1892-1901 24 III. Diagram showing storage and run-off of Perkiomen and Nesham- iny creeks _ _ _• 28 IV. Sections showing water horizons along western border of Coastal Plain in New Jersey 54 Fig. 1 . Index map showing location of Philadelphia district and limits of Delaware and Schuylkill drainage basins 10 2. Sketch map showing physiographic divisions 11 3. Diagram showing rainfall at Philadelphia, 1825-1900 16 5 LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL Department of the Interior, United States Geological Survey, Hydrographic Branch, Washington, D. C. , March °2, 190 Jf. Sir: I have the honor to transmit herewith the manuscript for a paper entitled "Water Resources of the Philadelphia District," pre- pared by Dr. F. Bascom at the request of Mr. M. L. Fuller, chief of the eastern section of the division of hydrology. The work was con- ducted in connection with investigations for the geologic branch of the Survey, through the courtesy of which the report has been prepared. The paper presents a summary of the knowledge of the water resources of Philadelphia and vicinity, including both surface and underground waters. In the discussion of the former a considerable number of data which have appeared in scattered and inaccessible publications are brought together and presented with the new mate- rial. The facts relating to underground waters are largely new and are the result of a personal canvass of the region. Very respectfully, F. H. Newell, Chief Engineer. Hon. Charles D. Walcott, Director United States Geological Survey. \ D WATER RESOURCES OF THE PHILADELPHIA DISTRICT. By Florence Bascom. INTRODUCTION. The area included in the Philadelphia district lies between 39° 45' and 40° 15' north latitude and 75° and 75° 30' west longitude. It has a length of 34.50 miles from north to south and a width of 26.53 miles from east to west, and covers one-fourth of a square degree, which is equivalent, in that latitude, to about 915.25 square miles. It is mapped on the Germantown, Norristown, Philadelphia, and Chester atlas sheets of the United States Geological Survey. a Each of these sheets represents a tract fifteen minutes in extent each way. This district is in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware, and comprises, in whole or in part, ten counties — Bucks, Montgomery, Philadelphia, Delaware, and Chester counties in Pennsylvania; Burlington, Cam- den, Gloucester, and Salem counties in New Jersey; and Newcastle County in Delaware. A population of nearly 2,000,000 is embraced within these limits. The location and general relations of the district are shown in fig. 1, on the next page. In this paper will be discussed the topography, rainfall, run-off, and stream discharges of the chief hydrographic basins, the geology and water-bearing horizons, and the water power and water supply in relation to its present and future utilization. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS. Data for the report on the present utilization of the water supply have been obtained chiefly from Mr. J. W. Ledoux, chief engineer of the American Pipe Manufacturing Company, and from Mr. John E. Codman, chief draftsman of the Philadelphia bureau of water. These gentlemen have courteously furnished me all the desired data in their possession, both published and unpublished. It is a pleasure to acknowledge my obligations to them and to Mr. John W. Hill, chief engineer of the Philadelphia bureau of filtration. Stream measurements, rainfall data, and stream discharges have been taken from records made and published b}~ Mr. Codman. a These four sheets have been combined and published as a map of Philadelphia and vicinity. 9 U. S. GEOLOGICAL 10 WATER RESOURCES OE PHILADELPHIA DISTRICT. [no. 106. A number of tables, plates, and records have been extracted from the reports of the Philadelphia bureaus of filtration and of water. Fig. 1.— Index map showing location of Philadelphia district and limits of Delaware and Schuylkill drainage basins. Much material has also been obtained from the reports of the geo- logical survey of New Jersey, especially volume 3; from Bulletin BASCOM.] PHYSIOGRAPHY. 11 No. 138 of the United States Geological Survey, by 1ST. H. Darton; from papers by Prof. Oscar C. S. Carter, and from a Report on the New Red, by Mr. Benjamin Smith Lyman. I wish also to acknowledge the courtesy of water-supply companies not represented in the above list, and of artesian well owners, who have promptly furnished the information desired of them. GEOLOGY. PHYSIOGRAPHY. is divisible into three very unlike Appalachian district, the Piedmont The Atlantic border regioi physiographic provinces — the Plateau, and the Coastal Plain. The Piedmont Plat- eau constitutes about three- fourths of the Philadelphia district and the Coastal Plain the remaining fourth. The Delaware River marks the boundary between the two provinces, which are distinct h} T drographically. Each of these provinces has a history, which is, in a broad way, the same for the entire province. This accounts for the uniformity of physio- graphic features in a single province. Piedmont Plateau. — This plateau lies on the southeast- ern foot of the Appalachian system — whence its name Piedmont — and is separated from the Atlantic Ocean by a belt of coastal plain 10 to 100 miles in width. Its western limit is denned by the High- lands of New Jersey in New Jersey, by the South Mountain in Pennsylvania, and by the Blue Ridge in Virginia. The Piedmont Plateau has an average width of 50 miles and extends north and south from Maine to Alabama. A conspicuous change in topography marks its eastern boundary, where it passes into the Coastal Plain. Along this border Fig. 2.— Sketch map showing physiographic divi- sions. 12 WATER RESOURCES OF PHILADELPHIA DISTRICT. [no. 106. line are situated the large cities of the Atlantic States — New York, Trenton, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Washington, Richmond, Peters- burg, Raleigh, Augusta, and Macon. Eastward the streams open into tidal estuaries and afford good shipping facilities, while westward they cease to be navigable and flow in tumultuous courses. The plateau is an upland of moderate elevation with shallow val- leys and with some eminences rising above its general level. The hills reach a height of 1,600 feet, while the upland varies from 200 to 600 feet above sea level. If the valleys were filled in, the upland would be converted into a flat elevated plain ; hence the term plateau has been applied to it. This plateau slopes eastward and southeastward toward the sea. Neither the heterogeneous constitution nor the com- plex structure of the underlying rocks is revealed in the level lines of the plateau. The larger streams which cut into it and converted it into a diversified upland flowed in courses which were independent of the structure and of the character of the rock floor. This diversified upland or dissected plateau is further characterized by the absence of bare rock ledges and by the presence of a thick mantle of fertile soil comparatively free from stones. The streams of the Piedmont Plateau are of two classes — (1) those which rise west of the plateau and (2) those which rise within it. Streams rising west of the plateau usually empty into estuaries which head at its junction with the Coastal Plain; of this class are the Delaware and Schuylkill of the Philadelphia district, and the Susque- hanna, Potomac, and James to the south. Streams which rise within the plateau either are wholly within it, emptying into estuaries or larger streams, as Cobbs, Darby, Ridley, and Chester creeks, or cross both the plateau and the Coastal Plain, flowing directly into the ocean, as the Roanoke and Savannah rivers. The highest land of the Philadelphia Piedmont district is in the vicinity of Valley Forge, in the Schuylkill watershed, where the quartzite hills have an altitude of 640 feet. North of these hills and of a line extending N. 70° E. the under- lying rocks are shales with interbedded sandstone. These formations have a fairly uniform and very gentle dip 8° to 15° N. or NW. They diminish to a thin edge to the southeast and reach a thickness of 15,000 feet to the northwest. They cover about one- third of the Piedmont district, giving rise to low relief and furnishing a fine, red, somewhat calcareous clay soil which is fairly fertile. The remaining two-thirds of the district is underlain by a series of quartzites, lime- stones, schists, gneisses, granites, gabbro, and serpentine. This series has been subjected to a pressure which has produced a conspicuous schistosity dipping steeply southeast, and a more gentle but often steep inclination of the bedding planes southeast or northwest. These formations occur in belts trending northeast and southwest, roughly parallel to the Delaware River. Through differential erosion they bascom.] STRATTGKAPHY. 13 give rise to a more diversified topography than the comparatively uniform shale formations. Tliey furnish a deep, rich, clayey soil. Coastal Plain. — The Coastal Plain lies between the sea and the Piedmont Plateau and extends from Staten Island southward to Florida, varying in width from 10 to 150 miles. It slopes gently sea- ward and rises westward to a height of a few hundred feet. It is a low, flat area composed of beds of unconsolidated gravel, sand, clay, and marls, which have an inclination corresponding, in the main, with the general seaward slope of the plain. The drainage is largely simple, the streams being consequent upon the uplift of the plain from the sea. Streams rise also in the Piedmont Plateau or in the Appalachian district and cross the Coastal Plain. In the part of the Coastal Plain included in the Philadelphia district all the streams are simple. STRATIGRAPHY. The rock floor of the Philadelphia district is composed of a" complex of ancient metamorphosed sedimentary formations and crystalline igneous intrusives. This floor is overlain in the southeastern third of the district by unconsolidated materials — gravels, sands, clays, and marls of Creta- ceous, Tertiary, and Quaternary age. These materials are chiefly confined to the Coastal Plain and are discussed under the heading, k ' Coastal Plain." ANCIENT CRYSTALLINE ROCKS. The ancient crystalline rock floor, which is overlain in the Coastal Plain to the southeast by Cretaceous, Tertiary, and Quaternary gravels, sands, clays, and marls and on the northeast by the Triassic shales and sandstones, is uncovered in the larger half of the Piedmont Plateau which constitutes the central portion of the Philadelphia district. The formations of this complex are of pre-Paleozoic and Paleozoic age, and their sequence and character are, briefly, as follows : ALGONKIAN. Baltimore gneiss (Fordham gneiss of New York folio) {pre- Geor- gian). — This formation is a hard, light-colored, feldspathic, banded rock, which marks the crest of Buck Ridge. Into it have been intruded granitic and gabbroitic igneous masses. CAMBRIAN. Cluckies quartzite {Georgian). — This is a crystalline, sericitic, itacolumitic quartzite, which outcrops in the north Chester Valley, Cold Point, and Whitemarsh hills, Camp Hill, and Edge Hill. CAMBRO-ORDOVICIAN. Chester Valley limestone.— The Chester Valley limestone is a crys- talline, magnesian, siliceous, blue or white limestone, chiefly confined to Chester Valley. 14 WATER RESOURCES OF PHILADELPHIA DISTRICT. [no, 106. ORDOVICIAN. Wissahickon mica-gneiss and mica-schist (Hudson). — This is a crystalline bedded formation which, like all this series, outcrops in a belt trending northeast and southwest. The mica-gneiss extends from the Delaware River to Chestnut Hill. Toward the north this formation becomes a mica-schist, which forms the south Chester Valley hills and immediately overlies the Chester Valley limestone. TOPOGRAPHIC FEATURES OF CRYSTALLINE AREA. The more basic peripheries of the gabbro masses have been altered to serpentine and steatite and have given rise to low sterile ridges. A rolling lowland characterizes the easily eroded mica-gneiss, while the quartzitic mica-schist forms ridges. A fertile, open valley characterizes the limestone, while the resist- ing quartzite forms the highest and most abrupt hills of the Piedmont belt. The Baltimore gneiss and the gabbro which completely and irregu- larly penetrates it constitute the broad, flat-topped ridge (Buck Ridge) which extends across the district in a northeast-southwest direction and separates the Wissahickon gneiss belt from the other sedimen- taries. These formations are folded in synclines and anticlines over- turned to the northwest. This structure gives them a prevailing dip to the southeast. The dip is sometimes coincident with, but often less steep than, a marked cleavage to the southeast. Huntington and Cream valleys — the narrow lowland on the northwest base of Buck Ridge — probably mark a fault heading northwest. This fault has caused the disappearance along this line sometimes of the limestone, sometimes of the quartzite, and sometimes of both formations. The pressure from the southeast, which has caused the overturned folds, the cleavage, and the faulting, has affected igneous and sedi- mentary materials alike, completely metamorphosing the entire series and producing like secondary structures in all. SEDIMENTARY ROCKS. TRIASSIC. In the northern third of the district the ancient crystalline floor is overlain by gently dipping shales with interbedded sandstones. These formations are intermediate in age between the eroded floor, upon which they were laid down, and the Coastal Plain formations on the southeast. They belong to the Triassic period and are repre- sented, within the Philadelphia district, by five divisions. a Norristown shale. — The lowest division, the Norristown shale, immediately overlies the crystallines and is exposed in a belt, about 4 miles in width, extending northeast and southwest from Valley Forge « Lyman, B. S., Report on the New Reel of Bucks and Montgomery counties: Second Geol. Survey Pennsylvania, Final report, vol. 3, pt. 2, pp. 2589-2638. ■BASCOM.] STRATIGRAPHY AND RAINFALL. 15 and Norristown to the Delaware River. Within this division are included about 6,100 feet of red, partly calcareous shales, with some important though comparatively thin beds of brown sandstone near the top and several thicker and coarser beds of hard, gray, pebbly sandstone at the base. In the Philadelphia district the Norristown shale dips gently to the northwest. This is also true of the overlying formations ; hence they outcrop at the surfaces successively to the northwest in belts which are, in general, parallel to the Norristown shale belt. Givynedd shale. — This is the next overlying formation and includes approximately 3,500 feet of usually dark-red, sometimes dark-green or dark-gray, and partly black shales with traces of coal. These shales are comparatively hard and form the ridge north of Norristown which trends northeast. The Gwynedd shale is exposed in a belt about 3 miles wide. Lansdale shale. — Overlying the Gwynedd shale is the Lansdale formation, which embraces 4,700 feet of red calcareous shales, with a few scattered green layers and a few thin red sandstone beds. This formation is soft, and forms the lowland belt, 4 miles wide, northwest of the Gwynedd ridge. Perkasie shale. — These shales cross the northwest corner of the district in a belt about 1 mile wide. They have a thickness of approximately 2,000 feet, and are hard, green, red, or gray shales, with some carbonaceous layers. Because of their hardness these shales mark high land. Pottstown shale. — A triangular area in the extreme northwest corner is covered by the Pottstown. shale. This formation consists chiefly of soft, red, calcareous shales, with a few thin limestone beds, and has a total thickness of 10,700 feet. Flat, low-lying land character- izes the Pottstown shale area/' RAINFALL. Records of the rainfall in Philadelphia have been kept by the United States Weather Bureau since 1872. The table on pages 17-21 is based on the figures of that Bureau. The total rainfall has been calculated for each period of the water year from 1872 to 1904. These figures, as is to be expected, show that the average monthly precipitation on the Middle Atlantic coast is nearly uniform throughout the year. It is somewhat greater during the growing period 6 than in an}^ other period of the year. The aver- iMr. N. H. Darton, who has made a recent (1904) survey of the Triassic series of this district, groups the members of the series in three divisions— the Stockton formation, which corresponds approximately to the Norristown shale; the Locatong formation, which contains the Gwynedd shale; and the Brunswick shale, which embraces the Lansdale, Perkasie, and Pottstown shales. ''As regards rainfall and run-off records, Rafter has divided the year into three periods— those of storage, growing, and replenishing— with a water year beginning December 1. The storage period extends from December 1 to May 31, although at times it may begin November 1 and end with April. The growing period extends from June to August, inclusive, and the replenishing period from September to November, inclusive. See Water-Sup. and Irr. Paper No. 80, U. S. Geol. Survey, 1903, pp. 16-17. 16 WATER RESOURCES OF PHILADELPHIA DISTRICT. [no. 106. ANNUAL RAINFALL IN INCHES age monthly precipitation during the storage and replenishing periods is very nearly the same. It will be shown that the run-off of the streams is absolutely and proportionally greater in the storage period than in the replenishing period, and least of all in the growing period, when the rainfall is greatest. The minimum aunual rainfall in the thirty-two years covered by the record was 30.21 inches, in 1881, which is 0.08 inches less than the normal. The maxi- mum annual rainfall occurred in 1873; it was 55.28 inches, or 15.00 inches above the normal. The mean annual rainfall in the thirty-two years since 1872, or the normal for Philadelphia, is 10.57 inches. This is not a high aver- age precipitation for a temperate region. For sixteen years out of the thirty- two the annual rainfall was less than 40 inches. The rainfall at the principal eastern cities in 1002, as given in the United States Weather Bureau Report, was as follows : Rainfall in principal eastern cities in 19a.'. Inches. Portland, Me 45. 18 Boston 44. 96 New Haven 47. 91 New York 1 . 44. 80 Philadelphia 39. 84 Baltimore 43. 95 Washington 43. 46 To what degree this relatively low figure for the normal precipitation in Philadelphia represents the actual facts, and to what degree the recorded differ- ence in precipitation at Philadelphia and Baltimore may be due to unavoid- able inaccuracies consequent upon the location and exposure of rain gages as suggested by the similarity in the topo- graphic conditions at those two cities, is a matter for future investi- _ s__ _ s: _ T_ NT ~^~ / \ / \ 1 / \ -(- \ v y j ,■' \ T " S" N ^ v / . f s' ^~---; <■'- *>. -^ 2 <: / i \ 7 , ? ■> \ / < '* T \ < - y -$ i / i ; t i 1 _7 i \ £ - v> " t-l / § V * i " 3-1 ~ ^--l " £ -- ^> ( ^ > bascom.J RAINFALL. Rainfall, in inches, at Philadelphia, lS72-1903.a 17 Months grouped in periods, and year. 1871- December-May June- August September-November _ . 1872 1872-73. December-May June-August September-November 1873 1873-74. December-May June-August September-November 1874 1874- 75. December-May June-August September-November 1875 1875-^ December-May June-August September-November 1876 . 1876-77. December-May June-August. . _ September-November 1877 1877-78. December-May June- August September-November 1878 Precipita- tion. 21.30 12.29 24.72 17.39 14.53 23.09 10.86 11.20 15.80 14.18 9.35 23.24 17. 14 12.02 11.41 14.40 15.14 11.84 5. 19 Annual pre cipitation. 48.36 55. 28 46.25 40.22 47.39 37.26 Annual departure from the normal. 8.17 +15.09 6.06 + .03 + 7.20 2.93 « Based on tables given in reports of Weather Bureau, 1896-1903, with irr 106—04 2 34.53 - 5.66 additional data for 1903. 18 WATER RESOURCES OE PHILADELPHIA DISTRICT. [no. 106. Rainfall, in inches, at Philadelphia, 1872-1903 — Continued. Months grouped in periods, ;md year. 1 8 78-79. December-May June-August : _ . September-November _ . 1879 1879-80. December-May June-August September-November 1880 1880-81, December-May June-August September-November 1881 1881-82. December-May June- August : . . September-November 1882 ' 1882-83. December-May June-August September-November 1883 1883-84. December-May . September -November 1884 1884-85. December-May June-August September-November 1885 1885-86. December-May June- August- .. Precipita- tion . 14.82 17.52 2.91 15.13 14.50 4.59 19.62 6.01 6.00 22.17 9.67 14.40 17.51 11.09 23.64 11.13 4.05 16.16 9.93 7. 85 21 . 55 8.47 Annual pre cipitation. 36.75 33.58 30.21 45.58 39.1' 39.34 33.35 Annual departure from the normal. 3.44 6.61 + 5.39 1.02 .85 6.66 bascom.] RAINFALL. Rainfall, in inches, at Philadelphia, 1872-1903— Continued. 19 Months grouped in periods, and year, 1885-86. September-November 1886 1886-87. December-May. September-November 1887 1887-88. December-May . June-August . September-November 1888 1888-89. December-May June- August _ September-November 1889 : 1889-90. December-May June- August September-November 1890 1890-91. December-May June-August September-November 1891 J 1891-92. December-May June- August September-November 1892 1892-93. December-May June-August . September-November 1893 _.._: Precipita- tion. Annual pre cipitation. 7.00 15.96 16.26 7.98 22.91 10.33 12.73 18.97 18.75 15.18 15.92 8.69 7.93 19.19 11.38 6.17 20.71 7.69 8.07 19.48 7.54 9.59 37.24 42.17 44.06 50.60 34.02 38.19 34.78 37.65 Annual departure from the normal. 2.95 + 1.98 + 3.86 +10.41 - 6.17 2.37 - 5.89 2.91 20 WATER RESOURCES OF PHILADELPHIA DISTRICT. Rainfall, in inches, at Philadelphia, 1872-1903 — Continued. [no. 106. Months grouped in periods, and year. 1893-94. December-May June- August September-November 1894 1894-95. December-May June- August September-November 1895 1895-96. December-May June- August September-November 1896 1896-97. December-May June- August September-November 189? 1897- December-May June-August September-November . . . 1898 1898-99. December-May June-August September-November 1899 1899-1900. December-May June-August September-November 1900 1900-1901. December-May June-August.. Precipita- tion. Annual pre cipitation. 21.88 4.53 13.03 20.41 6.97 5.90 17.77 7.80 7.34 15. 53 15.75 7.24 22. 24 14.44 13.86 23.23 10.96 7.57 17.64 9.54 12.73 17.95 15.45 40.34 31.01 32. 15 42.04 49.23 39.96 40.91 Annual departure from the normal. .22 9.55 6.42 2.59 + 9.03 44 + .49 bascom.] RAINFALL. Rainfall, in inches, at Pliiladetyhia, 1872-1908 — Continued. 21 Months grouped in periods, and year. 1900-1901. September-November 1901 1901-2. December-May June- August September-November 1902 1902-3. December-May June- August September-November 1903 Mean precipitation for 32 years: December-May June-August September-November Precipita- tion. 7.83 24.25 11.93 13.67 22.75 14.79 7.20 19.40 11.78 9.55 Annual pre- cipitation. 45. 54 49. 7G 41.50 40.57 Annual departure from the normal. + 5.56 9.92 1.44 STREAMS. PIEDMONT HYDROGRAPHIC BASIN. The Piedmont Plateau (see fig. 2, p. 11) is crossed by the Schuylkill River and limited on the southeast by the Delaware River. The other watercourses are tributary to one or the other of these two streams. The valley of the Delaware is not more than 20 feet above sea level, Avhile the divide between the Delaware and the Schuylkill rises to a height of 520 feet. DELAWARE RIVER. The Delaware River has a total length of 410 miles (fig. 2), but only 35 miles are included in the Philadelphia district (PI. I). It is navi- gable by ocean steamers to Philadelphia, 100 miles from its mouth, and there is a low- water depth of 5 feet to Trenton, 30 miles northeast of Philadelphia. It is tidal to this point, 130 miles above the capes. Above Trenton it has an average fall of about 6.7 feet per mile. Its drainage area, including all its branches, is 12,012 square miles. The population and the classification of land on the different portions 22 WATER RESOURCES OF PHILADELPHIA DISTRICT [NO. 10G of the Delaware watershed, as computed by the New Jersey survey," are as follows: Population and classification of lands in Delaware ivatershed. Population per square mile. Improved lands. Barrens. Forest. Above Water Gap . - 31 43 98 415 Per cent. 34 39 43 48 Per cent. 7 G 6 5 Per cent. 59 Above Easton _ . 55 Above Trenton .__.___ Lehigh River 51 47 The Delaware is subject to considerable seasonal fluctuation in volume. Its stages have been summarized by Mansfield Merriman, as follows : h " January, frozen and medium height ; February and March, breaking up and high; April, May, and June, high; July, subsiding; August and September, low ; October, low but subject to high freshets ; November, low, often very low ; December, rising a little and freezing. " The conditions favorable to floods are common to the district — a heavy rainfall on frozen ground or a rainfall in excess of what the ground is able to absorb. The estimated flow of the Delaware above Trenton is given in the table on the next page, taken from volume 3 of the report of the New Jersey geological survey. As a source of domestic supply and power the Delaware is extremely important. It has been utilized for domestic supply to a large degree, but the increasing impurity of its water necessitates an elaborate system of filtration, such as is now being operated at Torresdale by the city of Philadelphia. With adequate filtration the Delaware can supply the increasing population near it with abundant water. In 1894 it supplied in New Jersey 142,636 inhabitants with 17,010,464 gal- lons of water daily. The estimated supply for Trenton without stor- age was 601,600,000 gallons. Analysis of the water shows that above Trenton the Delaware is polluted with sewage and industrial refuse to a dangerous degree. The water power of the Delaware has been largely left unutilized, probably because of the difficult}^ of building dams and the compara- tive cheapness of fuel. The number of mills on the Delaware above Trenton is only 186, with a net horsepower of 6,658. The New Jersey survey estimates that there is 3,576 horsepower available during nine months of the year at Trenton unused. oGeol. Survey New Jersey, vol. 3. p. 231. fcAnn. Rept. Chief of Engineers for 1873, Appendix U, p. 19. BASCOM.] DEL A WAKE RIVEK AND TRIBUTARIES. 23 Estimated flow of Delaware River above Trenton.' 1 AVERAGE YEAR. Dec. Jan. Feb. Mar. Apr. May. June. July. Aug. Sept. Oct. Nov. 3.67 Year. Inches of rainfall . . 3. 67 3.57 3.40 3. 67 3. 57 3.99 3. 5)9 4.17 4. 52 3. 67 3.40 45.29 Inches flowing off . 2.97 3.01 2.83 2.92 2.48 1.74 1.26 .90 .87 1.10 1.92 2. 75 24. 75 Flow in 1,000 gal- lons daily per square mile 1,660 1,680 1,695 1,640 1,440 975 730 505 487 070 1,070 1,590 1,180 Horsepower on 1 foot fall per scpiar e mile 0.292 0.297 0.298 0.288 0. 253 0. 181 0. 128 0.089 0.086 0. 112 0. 189 0.280 0.207 ORDINARY DRY YEAR. Inches of rainfall. _ 3.95 4. 04 1.67 2.95 2.60 3. 36 3. 73 4.47 3.93 0. 99 2.09 2.22 36. 00 Inches flowing off . 3. 23 3.45 1.25 2.28 1.76 1.37 1.04 .87 .80 .60 .52 .69 17.86 Flow in 1,000 gal- lons daily p e i" square mile 1,81) 1,930 750 1,280 1,015 768 603 487 448 347 291 400 850 Horsepower on 1 foot fall per square mile 0. 318 0. 340 0. 131 0. 225 0. 179 0.135 0. 106 0.086 0.079 0.061 0.051 0.070 0.149 DRIEST PERIOD. Inches of rainfall. . 4.05 3.66 4.76 3.83 0.61 2.71 3.87 0.96 1.18 0.94 3.04 2.02 31. 63 Inches flowing off _ 3.32 3.09 4.09 3.07 1.03 .71 .69 .43 .26 .22 .23 .29 17.43 Flow in 1,000 gal- lons daily per square mile 1,860 1,730 2,450 1,720 595 398 40) 241 145 127 129 168 828 Horsepower on 1 foot fall per square mile 0.327 0. 305 0.430 0.303 0. 105 0.070 0.070 0.042 0.026 0.022 0.023 0.030 0.146 DRIEST PERIOD FOR TWO YEARS. Inches of rainfall. Inches flowing off 2.63 4.57 4,22 3.57 2.12 5. 06 1.90 1.37 6.40 12.09 1.32 0.99 .40 1.94 3. 58 2.83 1.54 2.13 .90 .59 .40 6.90 1.23 . 80 46.24 23. 2d «G-eol. Surv. New Jersey, vol. 3, p. 240. SOUTHWEST TRIBUTARIES TO DELAWARE RIVER. The divide between the Schuylkill and the Delaware on the south- west of the former stream lies entirely within the Paleozoic area and is approximately defined by the Philadelphia division of the Pennsyl- vania Railroad. The Delaware watershed west of the Schuylkill is drained by Cobbs-Darbj^, Crum, Ridley, and Chester creeks. (PI. I.) These are simple streams flowing in general southeast, in the direction of the original slope of the plateau, transverse to the strike of the under- lying rocks and with the prevailing dip. They have roughly parallel courses, and drainage basins of like geologic character and of approxi- 24 WATER RESOURCES OF PHILADELPHIA DISTRICT. [no. 103. mately the same area. With a fall of 480 feet in 16 to 20 miles, they have cut rocky channels 200 feet below the level of the plateau. They flow through a fertile and cultivated country which still bears con- siderable woodland. The annual rainfall computed for the three periods of the water year is given in the table on pages 25-20. The rainfall is uniform on the drainage basins of the four creeks and the flow of the streams does not differ materially. For Crum and Ridley creeks detailed observa- tions and estimates have been made and have been furnished by Mr. Ledoux. The table groups these data in a new form. The data for Cobbs-Darby and Chester creeks can not be materially different. Crum Creek has a drainage area of 29.47 square miles, of which approximately 40 per cent is wooded. Its minimum average monthly flow from 1892 to 1901 was 5,220,000 gallons in 24 hours, in September, L895, and its maximum flow 138,000,000 gallons in 24 hours, in May, L894. Ridley Creek has a drainage area of 33.6 square miles. Its mini- mum computed flow between 1892 and 1901 was 5,940,000 gallons in 24 hours, in September, 1895. Its maximum observed flow was 157,500,000 gallons in 24 hours, in May, 1894. Its minimum flow occurs in August, September, and October, at the close of the growing period and the opening of the replenishing period. At this time stream flow has not begun to show the effects of the season of replenishing, and ground water, at the close of a period of maximum vegetable growth and maximum evaporation, is at its lowest level. The maximum flow occurs in March, April, or May, at the close of the storage period, when evaporation and plant absorption are at a minimum and ground and artificial storage at a maximum. PI. II shows graphically this peri- odic fluctuation of stream flow. The same statements may be made for Crum Creek. In the table on pages 25-26 are given the discharges for Crum and Ridley creeks, calculated for the three periods into which the water year has been divided b} 7 Mr. George W. Rafter. This grouping clearly shows that the greatest stream flow occurs in the storage period, December to May ; the least in the growing period , June to August ; and a somewhat variable mean in the replenishing period, September to November. u. s. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY WATER-SUPPLY PAPER NO. 106 Pi . II 1892 1893 190 a o c ~3 e 1 3 a 5= g "a a- 3 CO o O 3 O o CO <3 c si » ^ 5. CO O ii 1 5 CD C ~3 "5 -a 3 o O 3 O 1 a 5 31 a 5 - | .j_ E ■ E = = I = - = ■ — - U. 8. GEOLOGICAL SUR 1892 189 3 1894 ] 195 1896 ER NO. PL.,, MMillil: iUtiiii !!|=°iliiiiinii lii§« i °S|?-lo >iHn s HUVfs, lit Ullli II UU i 1900 1901 II Sill L 3_ _ i T =1 . " | T n _l_ = 4 _ I - W_ = = = T = W E I, = T = = = E = ~J 1 I - 1 E = = _, T = = E I = F = T E T = h n == = - ~ === 1 T = _ E 1 EE E = -fZ = E -j = = -- = = E 1 = 1 1 T^~ = =j ee = E - - rT=EE-- _ E ] EE = = "| =iQ: E E =1 h=_1 e . 1 HI;:: — -p7- ill. __ i=- £===== E_E -1 l| = _ = = = = ==§ ======= = = - '— 1 4- - - =_ i 1 - ------ --- 00,000, Gallon's taken ni"th~ Boio ugh T_ =_ :-: : 1_ - : ' u ; : ■ : ~ = -~i-i i ■ ■ '" '■ ' ' j-l [J'.; ""U-Ti - "T^"" ~ : h . __ tH ;: ;;:;_£ 7/ WFcli'a 4— IP ; i -M^ ■ : n-i : i ; 1 PP 1AM OF STREAM FLOW OF (Original drawing fof this plate pri LEY CREEK, 1892- d by J. W. Ledoux.) BASCOM.] TRIBUTARIES OF DELAWARE RIVER. •\S Rainfall, evaporation, and run-off of Delaware watershed west of Schuylkill River and flow of Crum and Ridley creel's. Southwest watershed of Delaware. Crum Creek (computed flow 29.9 square miles, in million gal- lons). Ridley Creek (com- Months, grouped in periods. Rainfall. Evapora- tion. Run-off, in inches. puted flow 88.0 square miles, in million gal- lons). 181)2-93. December- May . 22.16 7. 73 14.43 243. 05 276. 52 June-August 10.00 11.79 2.26 38.01 43. 34 September-November 10.48 5.01 1.92 32.31 36. 81 1893-94. December-May 26.14 8.95 16.69 280. 75 320. 03 June- August . . . . 8.12 13. 63 11.21 5.73 2. 25 ' 2.42 37.87 40.71 43.14 September-November _______ 46. 39 1894-95. December-May 21.97 6.03 7.33 10.63 15.54 1.83 261.66 30.79 298. 07 June- August- 35. 13 September-November 5.30 4.20 1.01 17.00 19.36 1895-96. December-May _ _ . 20.70 9.87 7.11 11.76 18.11 1.74 136.50 29.28 155. 51 June- August 33.37 September-November 11.04 5.27 1.50 25. 24 28.76 1896-97. December-May-. 19.21 14.92 7.51 13. 55 9.90 2.72 166.63 45.76 189. 85 June- August 52.18 September-November 8.96 4.67 2.11 35.50 40.48 1897-98. December-May . 25. 30 8.18 17.19 288. 60 329. 70 June- August _ _ 12.71 12.63 2.48 41.72 47.50 September-November 13.39 5.22 6.08 102.32 116,58 1898-99. December-May 24.51 7.51 18.21 291.88 348. 92 June-August 8.10 11.40 1.44 31.97 27.61 September-November 7.42 4.74 1.26 21.21 24.15 1899-1900. December-May 19.29 7.43 6.42 107.98 123.11 June- August. . - - 10.70 12.05 2.19 36.85 42. 01 September-November 10.07 5.31 2.40 40.36 46. 03 V WATER RESOURCES OF PHILADELPHIA DISTRICT. [no. 106. Rainfall, evaporation, and run-off of Delaware watershed, etc.— Continued. Southwest watershed of Delaware. Crum Creek (computed flow 29.9 square miles, in million gal- lons). Ridley Months, grouped in periods. Eainfall. Evapora- tion. Run-off, in inches. puted flow 33.6 square miles, in million gal- lons). 1900-01. December-May 20.45 15.45 6.40 23.82 14.19 13.48 7.32 13.39 4.44 7.45 13.04 6.77 11.30 2.53 2.65 13.18 3.70 6.96 190.37 42.59 44.62 223. 06 62.31 117.28 216 00 June-August 48 56 September-November 1901-02. December-May June- August _. _ .. 50. 86 253. 34 71.04 September-November 133. 75 Average: December-May June-August . . 22.36 11.01 10.02 7.65 12. 15 5.14 13.10 2.31 2.831 219. 05 39.72 47.66 251.17 44.39 September-November _. 54.32 In the ten years over which the observations extended there were five years (1893, 1895, 1896, 1897, 1899) when the stream flow during the replenishing period was less than during the growing period. In these years the rainfall was low in the autumn and the evaporation was high. For the ten years the average stream flow during the replenishing period is greater than the average flow during the grow- ing period, although the average rainfall is less. Plant absorption and increased evaporation during the growing period explain the dif- ference in the volume of flow. In the three periods of the water year the average monthly rainfall, which may be computed from the preceding table, does not vary greatly. There is a slightly greater average monthly rainfall in the storage period (0.06 of an inch) than in the growing period, and a greater average monthly rainfall in that period than in the replenishing period (0.33). From Ridley Creek 1,500,000 gallons are taken by the water depart- ment of the borough of Media every twenty-four hours. From Crum Creek 2,000,000 gallons are taken by the Springfield Water Company and distributed as described on page 65. BASCOM.] TRIBUTARIES OF DELAWARE RIVER. 27 Mean season rainfall in Delaware watershed ivest of Schuylkill River. [1 inch per month of rainfall =571.300 gallons per twenty-four hours.] 1892-93. December- May June- August September-November 1893-94. December-May June- August September-November 1894-95. December-May June- August September-November 1895-96.. December-May September-November 1896-97. December-May June- August September-November 1897-98. December-May June- August September-November 3. 695 3.333 3.493 4.356 2.706 4.543 3.661 2.010 1.766 3.450 3.290 3.680 3.201 4.973 2.986 4.216 4.236 4.463 1898-99. December-May June- August September-November 1899-1900. December-May June- August September-November 1900-01. December-May June- August September-November 1901-02. December-May June- August September-November Average: December-May June- August September-November 4.085 2.700 2.473 3.215 3.566 3.356 3.408 5.150 2.133 3.970 4.730 4.493 3.73 3.67 3.34 NORTHEAST TRIBUTARIES TO DELAWARE RIVER. Northeast of the Schuylkill River, Germantown and Chestnut Hill locate the divide between the Schuylkill and the Delaware. The Delaware watershed is drained by Tacony, Pennypack, and Little Neshaminy creeks, which rise in the Triassic area and flow across the Paleozoic and pre-Paleozic crystallines. Like the streams dis- cussed above, they flow transversely to the strike of the rocks, in the direction of the dominant dip. Their valleys do not exceed 100 feet in depth. Neshaminy Creek is outside of the Philadelphia dis- trict, but the observations of its rainfall and stream flow made by the Philadelphia bureau of water supply since 1882 will be introduced in this paper, a as its basin is similar in character to that of the neigh- aCodman, John E., Observations on rainfall and stream flow in eastern Pennsylvania: Proc. Eng. Club of Philadelphia, vol. 14, No. 2, pp. 175-178. 28 WATER RESOURCES OF PHILADELPHIA DISTRICT. [no. 106. boring and parallel creek, Pennypack, on which no observations have been made. The Neshaminy rises in the Triassic area and flows across the Pale- ozoic and pre-Paleozoic crystalline rocks of the Philadelphia district into the Delaware. Its watershed comprises an area of a little more than 139.3 square miles and lies mainly east of the Philadelphia dis- trict. The Neshaminy has a fall of about 600 feet in the 27 miles from source to mouth. This grade has given the stream good corra- sive power, aud it has cut a moderately deep valley into the plateau. It and the adjacent streams are subject to spring and winter freshets. At these periods volume and velocity may be increased a hundred- fold. The drainage basins of Neshaminy and Pennypack creeks con- stitute a dissected plateau of moderate elevation and contain excellent farming land, which is under a high degree of cultivation. Forests have been sacrificed to agricultural interests, and are now found only on steep hillsides or on the bottom land bordering the creeks. The proportions of woodland and cultivated land in the Neshaminy basin are as follows: Woodland, about 6 per cent; cultivated land, about 92 per cent; roads, 2 per cent, and flats, one-half of 1 per cent. Under such surface conditions the spring rainfall is not retained by ground storage. The run-off is proportionally large ; great quantities of surface soil are carried off; the streams become torrential and transport a heavy load of fine sediment. The opaque, rich reddish yellow color of the water after heavy rains, due to the large amount of finely divided material in suspension, is a characteristic feature of streams in this area. The conditions which diminish the ground storage increase the evaporation during the summer months, hence there is marked sea- sonal fluctuation in the stream flow. In summer the soil is parched and cracked by evaporation; the level of ground water falls lower than the surface springs and upper courses of the tributaries; the springs dry up and the streams are reduced. As in the case of Crum and Ridle}^ creeks, the stream flow is usually greatest in January, February, and March, and least in August, Sep- tember, and October. The average daily flow of the Neshaminy is 157,600,000 gallons, or 1,130,000 gallons per square mile. The maximum flow has been 3,700,000,000 gallons per day, and the minimum flow 2,800,000 gallons per clay. It has been asserted that a draft of 1,000,000 gallons per day per square mile of watershed could be made upon Pennsylvania streams. The average rainfall from 1884 to 1897 at 22 stations where observa- tions were made by the Philadelphia bureau of water was about 48.5 inches. Of this average rainfall nearly 50 per cent, or 24.1 inches, flowed off in the streams. The diagram, PI. Ill, shows the storage and run-off of the Nesham- Lng, and in the next table arc given the mean monthly rainfall, mean Storage in Million gallons per square mile K> N> — - m O Ln O U 1 o o o o o o o o O to 4=> Ch co Stream flow in inches of rainfall NESHAMINY CREEK. 29 monthly run-oft", and mean annual evaporation on the Neshaminy watershed, as determined from observations made by Mr. Codman, chief engineer of the Philadelphia bureau of water. These figures very clearly show that in the Neshaminy watershed during the storage period, December to May, the stream flow most nearly equals rainfall. This is undoubtedly due to rain falling upon frozen ground, to a minimum amount of evaporation, and to the absence of plant absorption. Under these conditions the rain water finds its way immediately to the streams. These figures also show that the stream flow is lowest in propor- tion to rainfall during the growing period, June to August, when the ground is soft and plant absorption and evaporation are at a maxi- mum. In this climate these conditions are more or less continued into September and October, and only in November does the Nesha- miny begin to regain its volume. Rainfall and run-off, Neshaminy Creek, Pennsylvania, from 1883 to 1903. a [Area of watershed, 139.3 square miles.] October. November. December. January. February. Year. Rain- fall. Run- off. Rain- fall. Run- off. Rain- Run- fall. ; off. Rain- fall. Run- off. Rain- fall. Run- off. 1883-84.. 1884-85 1885-86 1886-87 1887-88.. 1888-89 1889-90 1890-91 1891-92 1892-93 1893-94 1894-95 ... 1895-96 ... 1896-97 1897-98 1898-99 1899-1900 1900-1901 1901-2. Inches. 3.80 3.05 5.56 2.77 1.90 3.76 5.09 6.18 3.66 .40 3.30 5.25 3.26 2.64 2.50 4.86 1.75 2.54 1.25 6.40 Inches. 0.48 .06 .17 .06 .36 1.05 2.55 2.16 .55 .04 .59 1.48 .08 .93 .16 .22 .28 .15 .33 4.55 Inches. 1.43 3.69 4.50 3.92 1.63 3.49 8.53 1.06 1.88 7.14 4.41 3.02 2.21 4.13 5.23 6.05 2.19 2.34 2.58 1.66 Inches. 0.35 .33 1.53 .55 .26 2.34 6.31 .78 .56 1.79 2.58 2.37 .11 1.52 1.17 3.01 1.04 .40 .64 .76 Inches. 3.06 5.70 2.88 3.30 6.13 3.72 1.88 2.86 4.19 1.69 2.78 4.14 1.85 .85 4.84 3.59 2.52 2.47 7.47 6.99 Indies. 0.85 4.56 1.73 2.34 2.88 3.16 1.88 1.37 3.02 1.15 2.61 2.31 .40 .76 3.26 3.46 .74 .75 4.54 5.55 Inches. 5.58 3.76 5.11 4.63 4.47 3.61 2.88 6.28 5.09 3.13 1.71 4.68 1.31 2.04 3.96 3.90 3.52 2.41 3.24 Inches. 6.77 3.50 5.21 4.22 4.60 2.92 1.60 5.78 5.14 2.00 .79 3.46 .59 1.29 3.10 3.41 2.71 1.15 2.35 Inches. 6.27 4.93 6.18 5.05 3.98 1.90 4.28 4.61 1.07 5.68 4.05 1.12 7.79 3.20 3.55 6.20 4.44 .96 6.56 Inches. 10.45 5.18 6.55 3.94 5.49 .90 3.00 4.47 .97 4.89 2.68 1.77 4.73 2.53 3.51 4.12 5.12 .34 6 56 1902-3 Mean ... 3.49 .81 3. 55 1.41 3.64 2.36 3.75 3.19 4.31 4.06 a Compiled from reports of Philadelphia bureau of water, 1884-1903, by R. S. Lea, with addi- tional data for 1903. 30 WATER RESOURCES OF PHILADELPHIA DISTRICT. [no. 106. Rainfall and run-off, Neshaminy Creek, Pennsylvania, ete. — Continued. March. April. May. June. July. Year. Rain- fall. Run- off. Rain- fall. Run- off. Rain- fall. Run- off. Rain- fall. Inches. 5.24 1.68 5.67 7.27 2.34 5.25 4.51 3.46 3.38 3.20 2.55 4.30 4.70 5.21 .91 1.62 6.66 2.52 5.51 Run- off. Rain- fall. Run- off. 1883-84 1884-85 1885-86 1886-87 1887-88 1888-89 1889-90 1890-91 1891-92 1892-93 1893-94 1894-95 1895-96 1896-97 1897-98 1898-99 1899-1900: 1900-1901...... 1901-2 1902-3 Incites. 5.20 1.04 3.72 3.58 5.15 3.37 5.36 4.91 4.13 2.66 1.61 3.17 5.09 2.21 3.04 .6.58 2.98 5.08 4.45 1 1 tcli ex. 5. 55 1.84 2.30 3. 25 4.89 2.90 5.09 4.32 3.56 4.66 2.67 4.26 4.37 1.73 1.51 7.41 3.13 3.48 5.30 Incites. 2. 42' 2.26 2.93 3.17 3.88 4.83 2.46 1.90 2.24 4.97 3.04 5.32 1.63 3.36 3.87 1.39 2.47 5.07 3.40 Inches. 1.64 2. 21 3.57 1.46 2.79 2.07 1.77 1.48 1.03 2.88 2.00 3.34 1.07 1.53 1.69 1.07 1.22 3.48 2.14 Incites. 3.24 2.44 5.79 2.15 2.87 4.89 5.20 2.92 5.83 4.03 13.49 2.54 2.85 7.62 6.43 1.43 7.05 5.59 1.79 Incites. 0.35 .56 2.09 .71 .52 1.49 1.51 .32 1.29 2.94 7.41 .70 .38 2.76 3.80 .44 2.31 2.10 .41 Inches. 0.82 .08 .91 1.67 .22 1.16 .99 .24 .58 .45 1.05 .52 .41 2.46 .44 .13 .83 .89 .50 Inches. 4.89 2.19 5.40 8.15 3.71 12.42 4.47 5.71 4.83 1.60 3.72 3.74 5.12 9.10 3.46 3.49 4.13 6.95 3.80 Inches. 0.52 .04 .81 1.96 .15 5.47 .63 .34 .53 .13 .43 .88 1.04 2.96 .19 .19 .38 1.48 .61 Mean _ . . 3.86 3.80 3.19 2.02 4.64 1.69 4.00 .76 5.10 .99 bascom.J NESHAMINY CREEK. 31 Rainfall and run-off, Neshaminy Creek, Pennsylvania, etc.— Continued. August . September. Total. Evapora- tion. Year. Rain- fall. Run- off. Rain- fall. Run- off. Rainfall. Yield. 1883-84 1884-85 1885-86 1886-87 Inches. 3. 58 6.38 1.60 3.84 5.78 4.75 5.30 6.73 3.37 7.41 2.68 3.37 .98 3.39 7.97 4.30 2.68 7.43 4.30 Indies. 0.51 .96 .15 .81 .64 3.37 .53 1.95 .20 1.12 .34 .67 .20 1.08 1.06 1.44 .19 2.74- .90 Incites. 0.31 1.16 .91 4.06 6.93 8. 56 2.99 2.54 2.59 3.36 8.18 .74 5.88 1.33 1.88 6.97 2.65 4.05 5.38 Indies. 0.06 .03 .05 .41 2.63 3.51 .39 1.27 .11 .57 2.27 .05 .96 22 .10 .64 .09 1.57 1.12 Inches. 45. 02 38.28 50.25 51.89 48.78 60. 55 52. 95 49.16 42. 26 45. 27 51.52 41.39 ^2.67 ■5.08 47.64 50.38 43.04 47.41 49.73 50. 36 Inches. 28. 35 19. 35 25.07 21.38 25. 43 30.34 26. 25 24.48 17.54 22.61 25. 42 21.76 14. 34 19.77 19.99 25.54 18.04 18. 53 25.40 29.82 Inches. 16.67 18.93 25. 18 30. 51 1887-88 1888-89 23. 35 30.21 1889-90 1890-91 26.70 24.68 1891-92 1892-93 . . 24.72 22 66 1893-94 26 10 1894-95...: 1895-96 1896-97 . 19.63 28. 33 25 31 1897-98 1898-99 1899-1900 1900-1901 27.65 24.84 25. 00 28 88 1901-2 1902-3 .. 24.33 Mean 4.52 .99 3.71 .84 47.68 22.97 24.93 irr 106—04 3 32 WATER RESOURCES OF PHILADELPHIA DISTRICT. [no. 106. SCHUYLKILL RIVER. Somewhat more than one-fourth of the total length of the Schuylkill River, or 30 miles, lies in the Philadelphia district. Its drainage basin has an area of 1,915 square miles. The river has its headwaters in the anthracite coal regions of Schuylkill County, flows across the Triassic sediments and the Paleozoic and pre-Paleozic crystallines of the Piedmont Plateau, and empties into the Delaware at Philadelphia. From source to mouth the Schuylkill has a fall of about 800 feet, or an average grade of 8 feet to the mile. Most of this fall is above Reading. From Reading to Norristown, a distance of 41 miles, the fall is 141 feet, or 3^ feet to a mile; from Norristown to the Delaware, a distance of 18 miles, it is GO feet, or 3^ feet to a mile. Above Reading the Schuylkill is highby charged with sulphuric acid and iron sulphate. This acid is neutralized near Reading by the entrance of two tributaries from the limestone belt bearing calcium carbonate in solution. From Reading to Norristown the towns on the Schuylkill obtain their water suppty from the river. From Nor- ristown to Philadelphia all sewage and industrial refuse of the towns along the stream drain into it. Until the present year this water has been pumped at five stations and distributed unfiltered to the city of Philadelphia. Over 90 per cent of the water consumed in Philadel- phia comes from the Schuylkill, the remainder being furnished by the Delaware River. In this connection it is of interest to note that the average number of bacteria per cubic centimeter of Schuylkill River water for 1902 was 14,160. The maximum for the same year was 86,000 and the minimum 630 per cubic centimeter. Precipitation and stream flow on the Schuylkill, as observed by Mr. Codman, are shown in the table on page 33. Mr. Codman states that with no additional storage the Schuylkill will furnish a supply of at least 225,000,000 gallons per da}^. With an artificial storage of probably not more than 100,000,000 gallons per square mile of the watershed of 1,800 square miles above Norristown, the Schuylkill could be depended upon for a supply of 1,000,000,000 gallons per day. The natural facilities afforded for storage dams are such that the above volume of water could be safely and cheaply stored. BASCOM.] SCHUYLKILL RIVER. 33 Comparison of rainfall flowing off in the Perkiomen and Neshaminy creeks and Schuylkill River. Year. Perkiomen. Neshaminy. Schuylkill. Inches. Indies. Indus. 1898 . 21.50 24.66 22. 22 21.06 24. 39 1899 22.29 1900 15.21 17.27 18.23 1901 17.55 22.88 17.80 1902 . :_-- 29.01 30.74 29.02 Rainfall and run-off in basin of Schuylkill River. a [Drainage area, 1,915 square miles.] Month. Rain- fall. Run-off. Monthly yield of stream. Average daily yield of stream. Average yield pet- second per square mile. 1901. October November December 1902. Indies. 1.670 2.280 7.970 3.540 Indies. 0.914 .585 3.315 3.228 Per ct. 55 25 43 ' 91 Cubic feet. 4,065,530,000 2,596,150,000 14,753,200,000 14,360,500,000 18,278,000,000 24,204,200,000 11,673,500,000 4,400,760,000 2,384,770,000 3,589,200,000 3,248,420,000 4,283,540,000 Cubic feet. 131,134,000 86,538,000 475,910,000 463,242,000 652,785,000 780,779,000 389,016,000 142,180,000 79,492,000 115,780,000 104,784,000 142,763,000 Gallons. 981,030,000 647,350,000 3,560,030,000 3,465,290,000 4,883,170,000 5,840,530,000 2,910,790,000 1,063,600,000 594,430,000 866,097,000 783,842,000 1,068,000,000 Cubic feet. 0. 7926 .5230 2. 8763 2.8000 6.040 4.107 68 3. 9453 4.420 3.690 1.510 6.320 4.280 3.520 6.500 5. 439 123 4.7190 April May June July August September 2.623 .990 .548 .807 .730 .963 71 65 8 18 21 15 2. 3519 .8590 .4810 .7000 . 6330 . 8630 Total 51. 740 24. 233 46 107,837,770,000 295,446,000 2,210,090,000 1.7822 October Novem ber December 5.982 1.730 7.110 2.748 1.290 5.582 46 74 78 12,229,800,000 5,741,780,000 24,842,000,000 394,510,000 191,393,000 801,343,000 2,951,140,000 1,431,620,000 5,994,500,000 2.3844 1. 1567 4. 8432 Total 29.016 1 a Report of the bureau of water, Philadelphia, 1903. 34 WATER RESOURCES OF PHILADELPHIA DISTRICT. [no. 106. Monthly precipitation, in inches, on sundry ivater sheds. a Philadelphia district. Schuylkill basin. United States Weather Bureau . Water bureau auto. Water bureau ground gage. Penn- syl- vania Hospi- tal. Shaw- mut. Leba- non/ Read- ing. Potts- ville. E row- ers. Ham- burg. Elevation above sea level (feet). 207 66 2.40 5.24 2.20 3.14 1.60 6.07 4.20 2.94 5.26 5.65 1.53 6.68 49 25 368 480 207 150 86 365 1902. January February March April May June July August September - - . October . November ._. December 2.77 5.49 3.97 3.29 2.01 6.08 3.51 2.34 4.97 6.66 2.04 6.63 2.51 5.12 2.25 3.27 1.67 6.29 4.34 3.05 5.48 5. 51 1.54 6.67 2.55 4.02 6.10 3.29 3.51 5.26 5.50 2.59 4.61 8.02 2.47 7.67 2.09 5.09 3.59 3.06 1.73 5.10 4.52 2.90 4.31 6.29 1.75 6.39 3.62 5.67 4.79 3.38 .43 6.18 4.21 5.49 4.43 5.93 1.45 7.46 3.45 6.72 3.00 3.96 1.09 5.29 3.52 4.31 6.87 4.50 1.76 7.10 4.41 5.64 5.49 4.36 .87 7.12 6.43 5.01 6.34 6.04 1.61 7.80 3. 55 3.80 3.12 2.03 7.05 3.83 3.04 5.91 6.39 2.11 7.20 4.09 6.44 4.38 4. 59 6.06 3.98 .51 6.64 Total _ . Percent 49.76 100 47.11 95 47.70 96 55. 59 112 46.82 94 53.04 107 51.57 104 61.12 123 54.12 109 20 years yearly average: Inches . _ _ Per cent- . 40.15 100 41.08 102 43.71 108 44.97 112 44.20 111 45.32 113 42.82 107 56.36 141 44.57 108 Average in- crease, 1902: Inches ... Per cent- - 9.61 24 6.03 15 6.99 17 10.62 26 2.62 65 7.72 19 8.75 22 4.76 85 9.55 24 a Report of the bureau of water, Philadelphia, 1903. bascom.] VARIOUS WATERSHEDS. 35 Monthly precipitation, in inches, on sundry wate?*sheds— Continued. Perkiomen basin, Elevation above sea level (feet) 1902. January February March April May June July August September October November December Total Per cent 20 years yearly aver- age: Inches Percentage Average increase, 1902: Inches Per cent Seis- holtz- ville. 870 4.39 6.49 4.55 4.32 2.08 6.54 3.89 6.1? 7.24 6.05 1.74 8.51 61.97 125 50.25 122 11.72 29 Spring- mount. 300 2.80 5.72 3.41 2.61 2.42 4.74 J3.77 1.94 7.83 6.26 2.13 6.35 48.98 99 45.69 114 3.29 82 Delaware basin. Eastern. 340 2.49 5.80 3.37 3.35 2.22 6.50 4.52 3.65 8.31 5.35 1.26 7. 22 54.04 109 46.07 115 7.97 20 Moores- town. 65 West- chester 455 4.06 7.18 4.65 4.63 1.60 6.75 3.61 4.12 7.00 7.92 2.60 7.95 62.07 125 51.61 128 10.46 26 Neshaminy basin. Lans- dale. Forks of Nesha- miny. 350 3.19 6.92 3.74 3.53 1.52 3.50 2.68 3.15 4.08 5.39 1.63 6.45 45. 78 92 45.81 114 Doyles- town. 143 2.53 5.32 3.45 3.39 2.02 6.89 4.70 4.61 5.74 6.05 1.75 6.59 53. 04 107 46.47 116 t>. 03 &.00 6.57 16 405 4.00 7.43 6.16 3.28 1.83 6.13 4.03 5.14 6.33 7.77 1.59 7.94 61.63 124 48.47 118 13.16 32 b Decrease. SCHUYLKILL TRIBUTARIES. The chief tributaries of the Schuylkill are the Perkiomen, the Pick- ering, and the Wissahickon. The less important ones are Valle}^, Trout, Gulf, and Mill creeks. Valley and Gulf creeks possess pecu- liar courses, which are evidently due to stream capture. The}^ turn abruptly away from direct courses to the Schuylkill and cut deep ravines through ridges of hard rock. These minor tributaries drain 36 WATER RESOURCES OF PHILADELPHIA DISTRICT. [no. 106. the southwest side of the Schuj'lkill basin, and their drainage area is being extended into the area now drained by the southwestern tribu- taries of the Delaware. The Perkiomen, which flows through the Philadelphia district in the last 10 miles of its course, has its source in the Paleozoic crystallines to the northwest of the Triassic formations. Its watershed is almost wholly in the Triassic shale belt, and comprises an area of 447.59 square miles, 152 square miles of which are above the gaging station at the entrance of the Northeast Branch. The Perkiomen falls from its source to the gaging station about 800 feet in 24 miles, and from the gaging station to its mouth 40 feet in 11 miles. The drainage basin of the Perkiomen is similar in character to that of the Nesha- min}^, which is contiguous on the northeast, and which has already been discussed. The proportions of woodland, cultivated land, etc., for the Perkiomen are as follows : a Woodland, 20 percent; cultivated land, 77.5 per cent; flats, 0.5 per cent; roads, 2 per cent. Observations of the rainfall and run-off of the Perkiomen have been made by Mr. Codman for twenty years, and the results are shown in the table on pages 37-39 and also on PL III (p. 28). The facts that were brought out in the case of the Neshaminy are shown with equal clearness for the Perkiomen. While the months of January, February, and March are usually months of maximum flow, and August, September, and October months of minimum flow, these conditions are sometimes reversed. This is shown by the record of the Perkiomen, on which the maximum flow for one day for the year 1888 — 22,500,000 gallons per square mile of watershed — occurred in September and has been exceeded but a few times since. The maximum observed flow up to the present time (1904) for one day was 27,300,000 gallons per square mile of watershed, on February 28, 1902; while the minimum observed flow for one day was only 21,700 gallons per square mile, in September, 1885. The average daily flow of the Perkiomen from 1884 to 1897 was 177,900,000 gallons, or 1,160,000 gallons per square mile of the water- shed above the gaging station. The maximum flow was 4,149,600,000 gallons per da} T , more than eighteen days' pumpage of all the Philadel- phia water bureau plant, and the minimum flow was 3,800,000 gallons per day, or about twenty-five minutes' pumpage. a Codman, John E., op. cit., p. 181. BASCOM.] PERKIOMEN CREEK. 37 Rainfall and run-off, Perkiomen Creek, Pennsylvania, from 1883 to 1903. a [Area of watershed, 152 square miles.] October. November. December. January. February. Year. Rain- fall. Run- off. Rain- fall. Run- off. Rain- fall. Run- off. Rain- fall. Run- off. Rain- fall. Run- off. 1883-84 1884-85 1885-86 1886-87 . 1887-88 . 1888-89 1889-90 1890-91 1891-92 1892-93 1893-94 1894-95 1895-96 1S96-97 1897-98 1898-99 1899-1900 1900-1901 1901-2 Inches. 5.27 3.69 4.74 2.35 1.45 3.41 4.78 5.48 3.53 .48 2.82 6.24 3.46 4.72 2.06 5. 12 1.29 2.16 1.86 6.16 Inches. 1.42 .37 .43 .26 .43 1.26 2.34 2.35 .56 .20 .89 1.66 .23 1.48 .22 .59 .56 .£9 .61 2.78 Inches. 1.93 3.26 3.88 5.28 1.61 3.42 8.66 1.12 1.99 6.64 4.22 2.80 1.86 4.72 6.38 6.60 2.61 2. 25 2.31 1.94 Inches. 0.91 .91 1.79 1.53 .40 2,46 6.67 .87 .60 2.13 1.84 1.85 .34 2.06 1.75 3.08 1.02 .37 .53 .90 Inches. 4.00 6.08 3.18 3.76 6.65 4.37 1.70 2.71 4.73 1.88 2.75 4.81 3.13 .65 4.37 3.64 1.72 2.53 7.17 7.43 Inches. 1.04 3.77 2.45 1.43 2.13 2.88 1.27 1.14 2.89 1.22 1.90 2.83 .91 .81 2.76 3.25 .94 .64 4.22 6.45 Inches. 5.14 3.76 4.21 4.55 5.01 3.86 2.81 6.30 5.56 2.38 1.78 4.30 .91 2.05 4.04 3.48 2.62 2.38 3.60 Inches. 5.40 3.27 3.03 4.00 3.66 3.27 2.05 5.29 4.79 1.45 .70 3.06 .59 1.18 2.56 3.57 2.24 1.05 2.68 Inches. 5. 04 4.41 5.08 5.64 4.08 1.99 4.37 3.84 1.25 5.53 4.22 1.58 5.97 2.90 3.18 4.44 5.04 .69 5.11 Inches. 9.73 2.16 5.64 4.23 4.41 1.47 3.58 4.18 1.17 4.04 2.42 1.25 3.50 2.93 3.33 4.51 5. 07 .30 5.39 1902-3 Mean _ . . 3.56 .95 3.68 1.60 3.87 | 2.25 3.62 2.83 3.91 3.65 "Compiled from reports of Philadelphia bureau of water, 1884-1903, by R. S. Lea, with addi- tional data for 1903. 38 WATER RESOURCES OF PHILADELPHIA DISTRICT. [no. 106. Rainfall and run-off, Perkio7tien Creek, Pennsylvania, etc. — Continued. March. April. May. June. July. Year. Rain- fall. Run- off. Rain- fall. Run- off. Rain- fall. Run- off. Rain- fall. Run- off. Rain- fall. Run- off. 1883-84 1884-85 1885-86 1886-87 1887-88 1888-89 1889-90 1890-91 1891-92 1892-93 1893-94 1894-95 1895-96 1896-97 1897-98 1898-99 1899-1900 1900-1901 1901-2 1902-3 Indies. 5.04 1.32 3.96 2.99 5. 15 3.17 6. 56 6.07 4.99 2.90 1.45 2.96 4.43 2.38 2.56 5.83 2.88 5.34 3.93 Inches. 5.29 2.52 2.56 3.03 5.10 3.01 5.58 4.29 4.05 4.93 2.38 3.91 3.83 1.83 1.56 6.59 2.49 3.34 5.05 Inches. 2.63 2.41 3.00 2.84 3.43 5.05 2.79 1.98 1.79 4.11 2.54 6.12 1.85 3.30 3.86 2.00 1.96 5.18 3.47 Inches. 2.37 2.75 3.42 1.25 3.45 2.07 2.51 1.80 1.16 2.30 1.71 3.48 .97 1.64 1.68 1.80 1.31 2.48 2.21 Inches. 3.40 2.49 6.60 1.85 3.16 4.55 6.43 1.99 5.32 5.36 11.63 3.45 3.70 8.72 6.22 3.41 2.98 4.90 2.20 Inches. 1.36 .82 2.64 .72 .92 1.58 3.15 .65 1.83 3.27 6.66 .98 .43 3.98 3.83 .76 .89 1.79 .75 Inches. 4.65 1.48 5.26 5.87 1.62 7.16 2.40 3.02 3.18 3.75 3.61 3.56 4.53 3.17 .96 3.90 3.01 2.36 5.64 Inches. 1.26 .28 1.89 .76 .39 2.65 .94 .36. .89 .56 1.13 .43 .48 .93 .42 .54 .34 .87 .53 Inches. 7.44 2.18 5.06 8.63 2.77 12.23 5.19 7.73 5.19 2.00 2.93 3.96 9.31 7.79 2.85 5.76 4.97 5.13 3.33 Indies. 2.16 .17 1.11 2.07 .25 4.89 1.09 .85 .73 .30 .58 .61 2.01 1.56 .33 .79 .96 .34 .55 Mean . _ _ 3.89 3.75 3.17 2.12 4.64 1.95 3.64 .82 5.50 1.12 bascom.] PERKIOMEN CREEK. 39 Rainfall and run-off, PerMomen Creek, Pennsylvania, etc. — Continued. August. September. Total. Evapo. ration. Year. Rain- fall. Run- off. Rain- fall. Run- off. Rain- fall. Run-off. 1883-84. Inches. 3.44 6. 17 1.44 2.76 8.03 3.99 6. 75 7.57 2.69 6.45 2.23 3.36 1.21 2.73 6.16 4.46 3.74 8.70 4.06 Indies. 0. 65 1.23 .35 1.43 1.53 2.48 1.08 2.04 .76 .96 .34 .28 .34 .59 .63 1.13 .41 1.39 .52 Inches. 0.59 .87 1.37 3.64 7. 35 7.00 3.71 2.63 2.21 3.14 6.36 .93 5.18 1.62 2.22 7.46 1.80 3.27 7.54 Inches. 0.31 .16 .23 .62 3.68 2.80 1.30 1.53 .33 .60 1.67 .18 .65 .29 .22 2.44 .24 .63 1.21 Inches. 48.57 38.12 47. 78 50.16 50.31 60.20 56. 15 50. 44 42.43 44.62 46.54 44.07 45. 54 44.75 44.86 56. 10 34. 62 44.89 50. 27 52.84 Incites. 31.90 18.41 25. 54 21.33 26.35 30.82 31.56 25. 35 19.76 21.96 22. 22 20. 52 14.31 19.28 19. 29 29.06 16.47 13.49 24. 25 31.96 Inches. 16.67 1884-85 19.71 1885-86 22.24 1886-87- ... .. 28. 83 1887-88 23. 96 1888-89 29.38 1889-90 24. 59 1890-91 25.09 1891-92 1892-93 22.67 2.2. 65 1893-94 24.32 1894-95 _..'_ 23.55 1895-96_ 31.23 1896-97 25.47 1897-98. 25. 57 1898-99 27.01 1899-1900 18. 15 1900-1901 . 1901-2-- 31.40 26.02 1902-3 Mean 4.52 .96 3.63 1.0.1 47.66 23.19 24. 66 Pickering Creek, which is shown on the western edge of the Norris- town atlas sheet, is the smallest of the larger tributaries of the Schuyl- kill River. It has a drainage basin of 65.88 square miles. It flows for the most part through pre-Cambrian gneiss, but for the last 3 miles of its course over Triassic formations. Its minimum daily flow is esti- mated at 4,000,000 gallons, and its maximum daily flow at 4,000,000,000 gallons. 40 WATER RESOURCES OF PHILADELPHIA DISTRICT. [no. 108. Wissahickon Creek drains the area between the drainage basins of the Little Neshaminy and the Perkioinen. It rises near Lansdale, in the northern portion of the Philadelphia district, and flows southerly for 20 miles, emptying into the Schuylkill River at Fairmount Park. It is one of the three chief tributaries of the Schuylkill in the Phila- delphia district and is the most important of the creeks that are wholly within the district. Its watershed has an area of 64.6 square miles and is composed partly of the Triassic formations and partly of Pale- ozoic crystallines. The creek has a fall of 420 feet from source to mouth, or an average descent of 21 feet to a mile. From Chestnut Hill to the Schuylkill, a distance of 6 miles, there is a descent of 100 feet, or about 17 feet to the mile. In this portion of its course the stream has cut a gorge to a depth of about 200 feet below the general level of the country. Here the banks are wooded and steep, but in a portion of its upper course the stream is bordered by an open val- ley, which is part of a fertile and cultivated farming region. As on Neshaminy Creek, the percentage of woodland is small. The monthly rainfall and the monthly and average daily flow of the Wissahickon from October, 1901, to April, 1902, as observed by Mr. Codman, are given in the following table. Precipitation and stream flow on the Wissahickon ivatershed.a [Area, 64.6 square miles.] Rain- fall. Rain- fall flow- ing off. Per- cent- age flow- Monthly yield of stream. Average daily yield of stream. Average yieldper second per square mile. 1901. Inches. Inches. Cubic feet. Cubic feet. Gallons. Cu. ft. October 1.355 0.541 40 81,112,000 2, 616, 500 19,573,000 0.468 November 2.705 .647 24 97, 105, 000 3,236,900 24, 213, 200 .580 December __..__ 6. 765 2. 430 36 364,824,000 11,768,500 88, 034, 000 2. 1085 1902. January 2.640 1.798 68 269,931,000 707, 430 65, 136, 200 1.5601 February 5.960 4.462 75 669, 574, 000 23, 913, 400 178, 884, 000 4. 2844 March 3.665 4.629 126 694, 768, 000 22,411,900 167, 653, 000 4.0154 April 3.295 2.321 77 348, 296, 000 11,609,800 86,847,700 2. 0801 "Report of bureau of water, Philadelphia, 1903. Owing to a leak in the new dam above the automatic gage, it was necessary to drain off the lower reservoir, putting an end to stream observations after May 22, 1902. It will be noted that the storage of rainfall during December and January is somewhat greater in the Wissahickon than in the watersheds heretofore discussed. BASCOM.] SCHUYLKILL TRIBUTARIES. 41 In the following tables comparative figures of rainfall and run-off are given for a number of the watersheds of tributaries of the Dela- ware and Schuylkill and for a few other streams : Run-off, in inches, of Perkiomen and Neshaminy drainage areas. Watershed. Jan. Feb. Mar. Apr. May. June. July. Aug. Sept. Oct. Nov. Dec. Perkiomen at Frederick : Average for 19 years . 2.84 3.66 3.77 2.12 1.413 0.82 1.25 0.95 0.96 0.92 1.58 2.32 Maximum in 19 years - 5.40 9.73 5.58 3.48 6.66 2.65 4.89 2.48 3.68 2.77 6.67 6.45 Minimum in 19 years. .59 1.25 2.38 .97 .46 .28 .17 .28 .16 .20 .24 .63 Neshaminy below Forks: Average for 19 years. 3.20 4.12 3.55 2.05 1.89 .75 1.03 .99 .84 .81 1.42 2.46 Maximum in 19 years. 6.77 10.41 5.55 3.57 7.41 2.46 5.47 3.37 3.51 4.55 6.31 5.55 Minimum in 19 years. 1.60 .90 1.84 1. 03 .85 .08 .04 .14 .03 .06 .11 .41 Comparative daily stream flow of certain streams of Philadelphia district, 1901 and 1902. a Area of water- shed. Maximum. Minimum. Watershed. Gallons per day. Gallons per square mile. Date. Gallons per day. Gallons per square mile. Date. Perkiomen Neshaminy . . . 152 139.3 64.6 1,915 4,420,000,000 3,930,000,000 1,288,200,000 53,098,600,000,000 27,300,000 28,250,000 20,000,000 27, 700, 000 Feb. 28 Feb. 26 Feb. 28 Mar. 1 11,631,000 8,080,000 76,400 57,800 Aug. 25 July 21 Schuylkill .... Average annual yield of sundry watersheds to October 1, 1902. « Aver- age Aver- yield per sec- w >1 Aver- Aver- Per yield per sec- ond per ond per square Watershed. Area. age rain age fall flow- cent flow- Average an- nual yield. Average daily yield. mile of drain- & fall. ing off. ing off. age > O drain- area for age each o inch of f* rain- fc fall. Miles. Inches. Inches. Gallons. Gallons. Cu.ft. Cu.ft. Perkiomen at Frederick. 19 152 47.366 22.696 48 59,948,940,000 164,211,500 1.6716 0.0353 Neshaminy, b e - low Forks 19 139.3 47. 721 2.484 47. 118 54,427,535,000 149,093,800 1. 6561 .0347 Tohickon 19 102.2 48. 685 27. 344 56. 200 48,592,436,000 133,023,000 2.0140 .0413 Wissahickon & 4- 64.6 1,915 Schuylkill 47.135 20. 843 48. 400 1,900,801,000 ' '1.5359 . 0325 Sudbury, Mass ... 27 72.5 46.39 22. 702 48.90 78,371,000 1. 6750 .0362 Croton, N.Y. 19 338 45.97 22. 760 49.50 135,400,000,000 371,600,000 1.680 .0365 "Report of the bureau of water, Philadelphia, 1903. &No record after April. 42 WATER RESOURCES 01? PHILADELPHIA DISTRICT. [no. 106. COASTAL PLAIN HYDROGRAPHIC BASIN. DRAINAGE. The portion of the Coastal Plain included in the Philadelphia dis- trict lies wholly within the watershed of the Delaware River and hence slopes toward that stream. Its greatest altitude, in the extreme southeast corner of the Philadelphia quadrangle, is 180 feet above sea level. Its streams are all subsequent, and tributary to the Delaware. Pensauken, Cooper, Big Timber, Woodbury, Mantua, Raccoon, and Oldmans creeks are simple streams, which have their sources in the upper Cretaceous marls or on the boundary of the Miocene sands, and flow northwest across the marls, cla} 7 marls, and plastic clays of the Cretaceous into the Delaware. As the streams flow through uncon- solidated materials and have an average fall of only 8 feet to a mile, their valleys are shallow and interrupted by mill ponds in the upper courses, and flat and marshy with meandering channels in the lower courses. The creeks are from 10 to 16 miles long and are tidal for about half their total length. Owing to this fact they have, as will be seen by the tables given below, little importance for water-power purposes. According to the observations made by the New Jersey geological survey these streams are in a district which shows little difference between the average rainfall and the average evaporation. This means that the average run-off of these streams is smaller than that of streams of the same class elsewhere in the State. Pensauken Creek empties into the Delaware River at Morris. It drains 35. 4 square miles. The geological survey of New Jersey reports that— Its watershed is populous and highly cultivated, and the stream is tidal for about half its length, consequently it has little importance. Moorestown is sup- plied from its headwaters, but the quality of its water is said to be unsatisfactory. The average flow at the mouth of the stream is 39,900,000 gallons daily, and the least monthly flow 5,900,000 gallons daily. « Cooper Creek empties into the Delaware at Camden. It is tidal to the forks at Haddonfield, and the lower portion of its watershed is populous and highly cultivated. The average flow is estimated by the New Jersey survey at 40,000,000 gallons daily and the flow for the driest month at 6,800,000 gallons daily. Above the pond at Haddonfield the minimum flow is 3,050,000 gallons daily. With storage amounting to 3.28 inches it will furnish 8,600,000 gallons daily. The only part of Cooper Creek which is worthy of serious consideration as a water supply is North Branch. Its watershed is 11.7 square miles and the flow for the driest month 1,900,000 gallons daily, or with 3.28 inches storage it will yield 5,660,000 gallons daily. The opportunities for storage are very good, but like all streams with marl outcrops, it should have careful inspection before being adopted as a source of supply. The North Branch is almost entirely undeveloped for water-power purposes. Near Ellisburg 20 feet fall could be readily obtained, and the available power for "Geol. Survey New Jersey, vol. 3, p. 255. COASTAL PLAIN DRAINAGE. 43 nine months would be 0.87 horsepower per foot fall. As good pondage could be obtained, this would give about o.~> horsepower for twelve hours daily during nine months of the year. On the main creek at Haddonfield mills we estimate 1.35 horsepower per foot fall day and night for nine months. A corn mill was erected on this site as early as 1697/* Big Timber Creek empties into the Delaware at Gloucester. It drains an area of 59.03 square miles and is tidal to Good Intent. Its headwaters are on the Tertiary sands and gravels, and hence above Grenloch and Laurel Springs its brandies would furnish fair local water supply. The New Jersey survey estimates the average flow of the creek at its mouth to be 55,400,000 gallons daily, and in the driest month 9,980,000 gallons daily. In the table below are given the figures of aggregate flow of the Coastal Plain tributaries of the Delaware between Camden and Bridget on. Floiv of tributaries of the Delaware — Camden to BriolgetonJ> AVERAGE YEAR. Dec. Jan. Feb. Mar. Apr. May. June. July. Aug. Sept. Oct. Nov. Year. Inches of rainfall- . 3. 72 3.62 3.44 3.72 3.62 4.04 4.04 4.22 4.58 3.72 3.44 3.72 45.88 Inches flowing off - cl.70 2.90 2.71 2.75 2.22 1.92 1.13 .87 .79 .78 .84 1.00 19.61 Flow in 1,000 gal- lons daily per square mile 952 1,625 1,620 1,540 1,280 1,070 655 487 442 452 471 579 933 Horsepower per 1 foot fall per square mile 0.168 0.286 0.285 0.27L 0.226 0.189 0.115 0.086 0. 078 0.079 0.083 0.102 0.165 ORDINARY DRY YEAR Inches of rainfall. . 4.04 4.12 1.7.1 3.02 2.67 3.44 3.82 4.55 4.00 1.01 2.14 2.28 36.80 Inches flowing off. 3.11 3.35 1.17 2.13 2.05 1.33 .96 .85 .72 .46 .38 .47 16.98 Flow in 1,000 gal- lons daily per square mile 1,740 1,870 700 1,190 1,185 745 555 532 403 266 213 272 808 Horsepower per 1 foot fall per square mile 0. 307 0.330" 0.123 0.210 0.209 0. 131 0.098 0.084 0.070 0.047 0.037 0.048 0.143 DRIEST PERIOD. Inches of rainfall.. 4.05 3.66 4.76 3.83 0.61 2.71 3.87 0.96 1.18 0.94 3.04 2.02 31.63 Inches flowing off . 3.10 2.93 3.87 2.85 1.46 .91 .84 .46 .30 .30 .30 .30 17.62 Flow in 1,000 gal- lons daily per square mile 1,735 1,640 2,315 1,595 845 510 486 257 168 173 168 173 837 Horsepower per 1 -foot fall per square mile 0.306 0.289 0.406 0.281 0.149 0.089 0.086 0.045 0.030 0.031 0.030 0.031 0.148 DRIEST PERIOD FOR TWO YEARS. Inches of rainfall.. Inches flowing off . 2.63 .30 4.57 .47 4.22 .87 3.57 1.46 2.12 1.66 5.06 1.45 1.90 1.37 .96 .58 6.40 .40 12.09 2.32 1.32 1.63 0.99 .98 46.24 13.08 a G-eol. Survey of New Jersey, op. cit. pp. 256-261. b Op. cit., p. 257. c The ground water is depleted at the end of the average year 1.12 inches, and this is deducted from the December flow. 44 WATER RESOURCES OF PHILADELPHIA DISTRICT. [no. 106. The New Jersey survey makes the following report upon the water supply and water poAver of Big Timber Creek: Above Clementon the watershed of the North Branch is 5.5 square miles, which will yield in the driest months 925,000 gallons daily without storage. With 3.28 inches storage 2,620,000 gallons daily may be obtained. The South Branch, above Grenloch, or Spring Mills, drains 15.5 square miles, and will yield, in the driest month, 2.610.000 gallons daily, or, with 3.28 inches storage, 7,400,000 gallons daily. The portion of the headwaters of Big Timber Creek suitable for water supply embraces in all 23 square miles, at an elevation of about 40 feet, with a capacity of 14,700,000 gallons daily with storage. Such watersheds might be utilized to supply some of the towns near at hand, but they should be controlled by purchases of land bordering the streams. * * * These headwaters, while they are naturally quite secure from contamination, partake of some of the acid character of southern New Jersey streams, although generally in a less degree. They are generally free from the brown color of cedar swamp streams. The power of Big Timber Creek is well utilized, although the fall is not large. At Grenloch we estimate 1.8 horsepower per foot fall for nine months. The only undeveloped site of any importance seems to be near the upper bridge at Chews Landing, on the North Branch, where 30 feet fall and good pondage could be had, although this would destroy the power at Laurel Mills. We estimate for this point 1.35 horsepower per foot fall, which would give on 30 feet fall 40 horse- power day and night, or 80 horsepower for twelve hours during nine months of the year, with a minimum of 34 horsepower for twelve hours. Woodbury Creek empties into the Delaware northwest of Wood- bury. It is more than 7 miles long and is a tidal stream for more than half its length and lies wholly upon the marls and clays, hence it can not be utilized for domestic supply or water power. Mantua Creek empties into the Delaware at Paulsboro. It heads in Tertiary sands, but for the most part it flows upon the marls, and its water is unfit for domestic supply. Woodbury is supplied from its headwaters. The stream drains an area of 51.2 square miles. Above Hurffville the New Jersey survey estimates that its water- shed has an area of 13 square miles and that the flow for the driest month is 2,180,000 gallons daily. With 3.28 inches storage 6,400,000 gallons could be obtained. Above the pond, near Pitman Grove, Chestnut Branch has a drainage area of 4.4 square miles and a daily flow for the driest month of 740,000 gallons, while 2,090,000 gallons could be obtained with storage. While there may be some other small branches which would afford good supplies of a limited amount, the rest of the watershed is open to suspicion and should not be accepted without careful examination. The stream does not offer large opportunity for the development of water power, but near Mantua it would seem possible to develop 20 feet of fall with excellent pondage. We estimate for this point an available power of 2.3 horsepower per foot fall day and night. Raccoon Creek empties into the Delaware northwest of Bridgeport. It is navigable to Swedesboro and is tidal for more than half its length. The headwaters of the main stream are in Tertiary sands, but the tASCOM.] COASTAL PLAIN DRAINAGE. 45 remainder of its course is almost entirely in the marls, and the stream can not be used for domestic supply. The water powers developed are generally small, and the only opportunity for further development is at the first bridge above Swedesboro, where 20 feet fall could be obtained without interfering with existing mill sites. Its available power here would be 1.64 horsepower per foot fall, making 32.8 horsepower continuous, or 66 horsepower for twelve hours, with a minimum of 28 horsepower for twelve hours. Oldmans Creek empties into the Delaware in the southwest corner of the Philadelphia district. Nine miles southeast of the Philadelphia district, above Harrisonville, its headwaters drain the Tertiary sands and might furnish a good water supply. The area of this portion of its watershed has been estimated as 10 square miles and the daily flow for the driest month as 1,680,000 gallons, which, with storage, could be raised to 4,700,000 daily. There is still some undeveloped fall below Harrisonville, but the power of the stream is small. The following estimates have been made by the New Jersey survey of the area, percentage of forests, and population on these creeks : a Area, percentage of forest, and density of population of ivatersheds of Coastal Plain tributaries of Delaware River. Creek. Area of drainage basin. Percent- age of forest. Popula- tion per square mile. Big Timber Creek . _ Sq. miles. 59.3 19.8 25.5 40.5 11.7 18.1 51.2 46.7 35.4 17.1 14.9 44.4 32.2 13.1 44.4 26.3 25 27 27 16 16 21 16 17 10 7 12 12 12 83 North Branch of Big Timber Creek . 68 South Branch of Big Timber Creek . 62 Cooper Creek 208 North Branch of Cooper Creek 65 South Branch of Cooper Creek 62 Mantua Creek 106 Mantua Creek above Berkeley 83 Pensauken Creek. . ... 109 North Branch of Pensauken Creek 71 South Branch of Pensauken Creek 118 Raccoon Creek 91 Raccoon Creek above Swedesboro . . 68 Raccoon Creek above Mullica Hill Oldmans Creek 14 18 52 Oldmans Creek above Auburn . _ . ... 46 «Op. cit., Appendix II, p. 56, 46 WATER RESOURCES OF PHILADELPHIA DISTRICT. [no. 106. WATER POWER. The following estimates have been made of the total fall, length, and average fall per mile of the creeks of the Philadelphia Coastal Plain district. Length and fall of creeks hi Coastal Plain portion of Philadelphia district. Creek. Length. Bi,^ Timber Cooper Mantua Oldmans . _ Pensauken Raccoon . . Woodbury Miles. 12f-13 12 13 14 10 16 17 Fall. Feet. 130 130 100 119 70 122 60 Average fall per mile. Feet. 10f 10 6i 8i The water power utilized on these creeks has been tabulated as follows by the New Jersey survey : a Water power utilized on the creeks in Coastal Plain portion of Philadelphia district. COOPER CREEK. Stream. Locality. Owner. Kind of mill. Fall. Horsepower utilized. Net. Gross. North Branch Marlton, Camden County. Haddonfleld, Camden County. Kirkwood, Camden County. Gibbsboro, Camden County. do .... Hopkins estate Jos. G.Evans Grist Feet. 12 11 18 8 8 22 15 24 30 50 30 20 ( b ) (&) ( b ) Cooper Creek Do Do do 43 Knickerbocker Ice Co. do do 70 45 Do Blakely 33 Haddonfleld, Camden County. do Hopkins estate Grist ( b ) Branch. (ft) Branch Near Ashland, Cam- den County. Joseph Kay Gristmill site . (*>) NEWTON CREEK. Main Branch Do Cuthberts, Camden County. Westmont, Camden County. J. J. Schuetzius i Flouring . JamesFlynn Paint and varnish. "Op. cit., Appendix I, pp. 37-39. ft Not in use. BASCOM.J WATER POWER. 47 Walsr power utilized on the creeks i)t Coastal Plain, etc. — Continued. BIG TIMBER CREEK. Locality. Owner. Kind of mill. Fall. Horsepower utilized. Net. Gross. Little Timber j Near Asbury station, Creek. Gloucester County. H. B. Hendrickson . E . Tomlinson Theodore Gibbs . _ _ Saw and dis- tilling. Grist Feet. 10 12 10 18 11 14 10 10 10 10 20 50 36 35 22 100 25 14 36 32 30 70 Do County. Clementon, Camden County. Alnaonesson, Glouces- ter County. Good T ntent, Camden County Grenloch, Camden County. Prosser's mills, Gloucester County. Turnersville,Glouces- ter County. do Near Turnersville, Gloucester County. do.. 60 ...do 50 Creek. South Branch Do Do J. Livermore and others. E. S. and F. Bate- man. Thos.Boody Turner A. W.Nash J. Prosser do Agricultural implements Grist 30 145 45 Do Saw ... 20 Grist 50 Do Saw 45 MANTUA CREEK. Mantua Creek . Do Edwards Run. . Do Chestnut Branch . Do Wenonah Branch Monongahela Branch. Dilkesboro Branch. Near Hurffville, S. O. Bricket. Gloucester County. Dilkesboro, Glouces- ! Thos. Reeves. ter County. Near Mantua, Glouces- i Chas. Jessop . ter County. do. Near Bornsboro, Gloucester County. Pitman Grove, Gloucester County. Near Wenonah. Gloucester County. do Dilkesboro, Glouces- ter County. Sam. Boody. P. Avis G.W. Carr.. The Wenonah Water Co. do. W. Jessop. Grist.. do do do do Saw, sash, and blind. Creamery... Mill site Saw Raccoon Creek Do Swedes Branch. Do.... b o r o Mullica Hill, Glouces- ter County Evans Mill, Glouces- ter County. Swedesboro, Glouces- ter County. Near Swedesboro, Gloucester County. J. Mount D. B. Brown. . B. H. Black... David Russell Grist do- Flouring Grist 13 25 15 25 12 30 12 15 lfij 20 6 30 17 4 10 a 15 10 15 12 30 10 20 18 50 15 25 25 45 (a) 20 a Not in use. REPAUPO CREEK. Purgey Brook . . . Tomlins station, Gloucester County. S. Warrington Grist 13 24 35 RACCOON CREEK. IRR 106—04- 48 WATER RESOURCES OF PHILADELPHIA DISTRICT. [no. 106. Water power utilized on the creeks in Coastal Plain, etc.— Continued. OLDMANS CREEK. Stream. Locality. Owner. Kind of mill. Fall. Horsepower utilized. Net. Gross. Oldmans Creek... Harrisonville, Salem County. Avis Mills, S a 1 e m County. do Grist Feet. 16 12 12 16 20 50 30 10 18 12 75 Do Do P. H. Avis & Son., do do Saw Grist do 45 15 Do... Branch near Harri- sonville station, Gloucester County. do Geo. Robinson Vanderbilt.. 24 Do. 20 PONDS. The Philadelphia district, situated, as it is, to the south of the glaciated country and possessing a well-established drainage sj^stem, is free from natural ponds. The ponds that exist are insignificant and occupy artificial basins. The streams are thus without natural storage basins. SPRINGS. Between the members of the pre-Paleozoic and Paleozoic series and between the beds of the Wissahickon gneiss, which show considerable lithologic variation, springs emerge on the hillsides. Every farm- house is supplied with spring water. The most copious spring of the region is one that issues from the base of the limestone at Spring Mill. A stream of such volume arises from this spring, which is not more than a quarter of a mile from the Schuylkill River, as to furnish water power for mills which were formerly situated upon it. There is a fine spring emerging near the base of the quartzite of the north Chester Valley hills in the gorge of Valley Creek. The springs are for the most part not deep seated, but surface springs which fluctuate more or less with the seasons. There are therefore no thermal springs, and no medicinal springs, so called, have been exploited in this region. The springs of the Triassic area, with some exceptions, and of the formations of the Coastal Plain are small and of little value. bascom.] WATER RESOURCES OF PHILADELPHIA DISTRICT. 49 DEEP A3STD ARTESIAN WEEES. PIEDMONT DISTRICT. ANCIENT CRYSTALLINE BELT. Numerous successful artesian wells have been bored in the pre- Paleozoic and Paleozoic rocks. Records have been obtained of the more important wells. In the pre-Georgian Schuylkill gneiss and a gabbro intrusive in it two wells have been bored, as follows: At Wayne a well 150 feet deep yields about 200 gallons per minute. At Radnor station there is an artesian well on the property of the Penn- sylvania Railroad which furnishes water for locomotive purposes. It is located on the Schuylkill gneiss and gabbro intrusive. The well is 12 inches in diameter and 1,000 feet in depth, but is worked only to a depth of 120 feet, yielding at this depth, by the pneumatic system of pumping, GO gallons per minute. The following wells obtain water from the Chickies quartzite: Wells bored in Chickies quartzite. Locality. Willow Grove Near Fort Washington, J. Conrad Waverly Heights. Edge Hill. Near Williams station Water supply per minute. (i No water. Artesian wells in Chester Valley limestone. Location. Depth. Water supply per minute. Near Floivrtown, Kunkle's farm Near Lancasterville, H. F. Hallman Feet. 60 98 90 43 Gallons. a 83-Jp 10 Near King of Prussia. Wm. Thomas : Near Williams station, Thomas Phipps 900 Highly magnesian. 50 WATEK RESOURCES OF PHILADELPHIA DISTRICT. [no. 106. On the southeast slope of the south Chester Valley hills numerous wells have been bored for private individuals. These wells penetrated the mica-schist of the hills. They vary in depth from 60 to 80 feet and supply abundant water. In the shallow wells the water is soft; from the deeper wells it is reported to be hard. The thickness of the mica-schist is not very great on the slope of the hill, and possibly the water of the harder wells has its source in the top of the limestone horizon. In the neighborhood of Bryn Mawr there are several artesian wells in the Wissahickon gneiss. The location, depths, and water supply of those of which a record has been obtained are as follows: Wells in Wissahickon gneiss near Bryn Mawr. Location. Barrett Ice Plant (600 feet west of Bryn Mawr avenue, on County Line road) , 2 wells '. Bryn Mawr Hospital Bryn Mawr Hotel, 2 wells Springfield Water Company station at Bryn Mawr _ . . Depth. Diameter of bore. Feet. Inches. j 475 I 725 135 r 350 I 389 10 8 560 6 Water supply per min- ute. Gallons. 60 10 5+ 50 60 83i The continuation of the same belt of gneiss to the northeast fur- nishes artesian wells in the neighborhood of Jenkintown. One-third of a mile north of the station in Wyncote there are eight artesian wells and a pumping station. These wells furnish the water supply to those parts of Jenkintown not supplied by the North Springfield Water Company. They are less than 100 feet apart. The best flow is at 100 feet, and the flow increases with use. Their depth and water supply are as follows : BASCOM.] DEEP AND ARTESIAN WELLS. Wells at Wyncote. 51 Depth. Water supply per min- ute. A B Feet. 154 205 212 188 147 235 175 200 Gallons. 97 60 C 76 D 70 E 78 F 30 G 50 H 28 The following wells are also in the Wissahickon mica-gneiss : Wells in Wissahickon mica-gneiss. Location. Depth. Diameter of bore. Water supply per min- ute. Jenkintown . . _ Feet. ( 349 I 324 150 352 118 r 125 I 340 163 150 240 Inches. } • Gallons. f 75 At Jenkintown station _ ... I 75 Cheltenham Academy . . } 8 6 12 Chelten Hills station . ... ... ... _ . . . . . 3 Oak Lane . ... ....... I «208 16 Noble station _ ........ Overbrook, 3 wells 500 F. P. Hayes, Overbrook . . . 10 "Hardness, 5.29. There are a number of artesian wells in Philadelphia which have penetrated the rock floor of the Paleozoic crystallines and which are not tabulated with the Coastal Plain wells. These are as follows: 52 WATER RESOURCES OF PHILADELPHIA DISTRICT. [no. 106. List of wells in Philadelphia and vicinity obtaining supplies from crystalline belt. Location. Depth. Size. Capacity per min- ute. Feet. Inches. Gallons. Pairmount Company ice works, 2401 Green street 300 8 120 Schemm's brewery, Twentieth and Poplar streets 252 8 "60 J. Bower & Company, packing house, Twenty-fourth and Brown streets _ _ . . . . . 495 2,031 6 8 60 Thirteenth and Mount Vernon streets &50 Brewery, 1707 North Twelfth street 350 8 100 Seventh and Callowhill streets 452 8 150 Brewery, 1729 Mervine street 340 8 75 Prospect Brewery, corner Eleventh and Oxford streets. 350 8 «75 Crown and Willow streets - _____ 1,000 250 10 8 100 Ice works, 23 North Eleventh street. _ _ _ 300 Wall paper, 2228 North Tenth street . 210 8 100 Fifteenth and Market streets 500 8 100 Woolen mills, Ninth and Dauphin streets 272 6 30 Carpet works, Eleventh and Cambria streets 200 6 50 Dye works, 4520 Worth street, Frankford 335 6 250 Continental Hotel, corner Ninth and Chestnut streets __ 240 8 40 Hotel. Eleventh and Pine streets . _ 576 5 ^40 Hotel, 108 South Broad street 484 8 60 Hotel. Broad street below Locust __ 525 8 70 Turkish bath, 1104 Walnut street 265 8 110 Machine shop, Fifty-second and Lancaster avenue 100 6 200 Morocco works, Frankford and Junction streets 500 6 500 Do 322 252 6 6 500 Do 500 Children's Home, 170 feet above tide, west of Georges Hill 364 - 252 8 8 «60 Angora Cotton Factory _ - - «60 Vicker residence, Clifton Heights «. 30 5 100 N & G Taylor southeastern part of the city 670 12 250 140 308 « Flowing wells. l> "Water not good in boilers. c Lime and iron water. BASCOM.] DEEP AND ARTESIAN WELLS. 53 TRIASSIC BELT. The three lowest divisions of the Triassic shales cover, as has been indicated, the greater part of the northern third of the Philadelphia district. Their interbedded sandstones offer favorable conditions for artesian wells. The water supply of this area is, in fact, largely fur- nished by such wells. Below is a list of those from which reports were obtained: Artesian wells in Triassic 7-ocks. Locality. Depth. Depth to water. Geologic horizon. Water supply per hour. Feet. Feet. Gallons. Norristown (Sandy Hill) 169 74 Sandstone bed in Norris- town shale. 900 Norristown (near Stony Creek) Norristown 102 ...do 1,003 100 75 16 do "... 3,000 Between Norristown and Jef- do 1,500 ferson ville, West End Land Co. Jefferson ville, F. A. Poth __._ 921 Two sandstone horizons in Norristown shale, 35 to 40; 86 to 924. 1,200 Hickorytown 70 45 Sandstone bed in Norris- town shale. 600 Bridgeport, Charles Meyers .. Sandy Hill schoolhouse, Whitepain Township. 65 do 600 60 28 do 120 Washington Square . . . 35 11 Sandstone horizons of the Norristown shale. 1,500 Washington Square school- house. 38i 14 do 600 Belfry station, Stony Creek R. R. 37 15 .do 30 Ambler (3) 275 Abandoned; Cambro-Or- dovician limestone ('?). 2,100 Shady Grove schoolhouse , near Skippack pike and Morris, road. 45 19 Probably sandstone of the Gwynedd series. 900 North Wales . Sandstone of the Gwynedd shale. («) Lansdale Do .... 159 376 611 65 1 140 15 fSandstone horizons of the \ Lansdale shale series. do I 12,000 Do .. Southwest of Lansdale 60 « Very hard. 54 WATER RESOURCES OF PHILADELPHIA DISTRICT. [no. 106. COASTAL PLAIN DISTRICT. The water supplies of this district, except at Woodbury and Had- donfield, where water is obtained from streams, are derived almost entirely from artesian wells. This is due in part to the unsatisfac- tory quality of the water of the streams and in part to the ease and certainty with which artesian waters can be obtained. GEOLOGIC CONDITIONS. In a broad way the Coastal Plain may be said to be made up of beds of marl, clays, sands, and gravel, sloping somewhat rapidly to the east and southeast, and resting on a floor of the crystalline rocks with a similar or slightly greater dip. (See PL IV.) The beds outcropping in the Philadelphia district may be classified geologically as follows, the oldest bed being at the bottom and the youngest at the top : Quaternary: Sand and gravel. Tertiary: Sand and gravel. Cretaceous: Manasquan or upper marls. Rancocas or middle marls. Monmouth or lower marls. Matawan or clay marls. Raritan or plastic clay. WATER HORIZONS. At the outcrops of the more porous of these beds large quantities of water are absorbed, and there being no outlet to the east the sands and gravels have become saturated by water that is under consid- erable pressure. When wells penetrate such beds the waters rise, and if the mouth of the well is lower than the outcrop where the water enters, the wells overflow. The wells in the principal water horizons in the Coastal Plain of the Philadelphia district are listed below. a The Paleozoic crystallines which underlie the Cretaceous, Tertiary, and Quaternary deposits are reached by wells in the Delaware Valley and yield excellent water. The following wells gain their water sup- ply from the crystalline rocks: Wells obtaining water from crystalline rocks. Locality. Depth. Remarks. Camden, near Front and Elm streets Cramer Hill Ferry, 2 wells Feet. 1151 ( 116 I 126 188 906 600 232 Reached rock at 95 feet. In gneiss after 115 feet. Delair On rock floor. In gneiss after 168 feet. United States Navy- Yard, League Is- land, Philadelphia. Do 260 to 906 in gneiss; water at 536 feet. 270 to 600 in gneiss; water Near Grays Ferry _.. at 572 feet. 95 to 232 in gneiss. a Data obtained mainly from the reports of the New Jersey geological survey, 1878-1902. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY ough Ashland to south central New Jersey. Sec. C. Philadelphia through Sewell to southern New Jersey. SECTIONS SHOWING WATER HORIZONS ALONG WESTERN BORDER OF COASTAL PLAIN IN NEW JERSEY ASCOM.] DEEP AND ARTESIAN WELLS. 55 At the base of the Raritan are heavy, yellowish white gravel and cobble strata. This horizon is reached by the following wells at the depths indicated: Wells obtaining water from basal portion of Raritan formation. Locality. Camden: Esterbrook well Cooper Hospital Pumping station American Nickel Works Power house, Camden R. R. Co East of City Hall United States Chemical Works County prison . Reeves Oilcloth Works, Twelfth and Pine streets. Foot of Penn street Delair, 2 wells Gloucester Do Do Maple Shade i National Park, below Red Bank, on Schuylkill. Pavonia, at Pennsylvania R. R, 4 wells. Philadelphia: Little Dock street Moore street, on Delaware Riverton Stockton Washington Park, on Delaware Depth. Remarks. Feet. 87 Fair supply. 129 25,000 gallons per day. 98 105 147 72 134 157 93^ 76 300 gallons per minute. 101,118 Fair supply. 275 167 178 375 Abundant water. 80 f 152,174 | | 154 [Large supply. [ 124 96 150 50 10 gallons per minute. 125 500 gallons per minute. 290 Ferruginous. To this list should be added the wells in the southern portion of Philadelphia, which reach the horizon at an average depth of 130 feet and obtain large supplies of water. Interstratified with the clays of the Raritan are local beds of coarse sand or gravel which are water bearing. Where they occur water may be reached at a less depth than that of the basal beds of the Raritan. The following wells have obtained water from horizons in the Raritan above the basal beds: 56 WATER RESOURCES OF PHILADELPHIA DISTRICT. [no. 106. Wells obtaining water from Raritan formation ((bore the basal beds: Locality. Depth. Remarks. Camden Pen Works Feet. 67 195 75 149-162 260-300 67- 82 50 68 Collingswood Delair Gloucester, 3 wells . Good supply. 200 gallons per minute. Excellent water. 275 gallons per minute. 10 gallons per minute. 125 gallons per minute. Maple Shade Pavonia, 3 wells Riverton Stockton . South and east of Philadelphia many wells obtain a large amount of fine water from bluish white gravels at the top of the Raritan. The following are the wells which gain their supply from this horizon : Wells obtaining water from top of Raritan formation. Locality Audubon, 4-£ miles southeast of Kaighns Point. Billingsport Camden Dye Works, Eighth and Spruce streets. United States Chemical Works Camden, Haddon Avenue station, 3 wells Seventeenth and Stevens streets Cinnaminson Clarksboro, 2 wells Collingswood Fish House, 2 wells Gloucester, 1 3 wells Magnolia Maple Shade 1 mile northeast of Mickleton Mickleton Morris Station, 100 and more wells . 2 miles south of Mount Ephraim 1 mile south of Mount Ephraim Deptl Feet. 96 67 183 47 75 92 105 81 46 178 180 105 105 119 61-102 330 130 183 238 50-150 134 215 Remarks. Rises to surface. Rises to within 15 feet of surface. Water horizons at 75 and 92 feet. 250 gallons per minute. 450 gallons per minute. Water not reported. 15 gallons per minute. 40 gallons per minute. Large supply. Considerable water. Water soft and good. Good water. From two horizons in the Raritan. Satisfactory. bascom.] DEEP AND ARTESIAN WELLS. DY Wells obtaining water from top of Karitan formation — Continued. Locality. Depth. Remarks. Feet. Hedding Cliurch . . _ . 211 Fine well. National Park below Red Bank, on Dela- 78 ware. West Palmyra, 4 wells 30- 46 4- mile west of Paulsboro 66 Paulsboro, a number of wells 30- 60 f of a mile southeast of Pedricktown 180 f 24 14 miles northwest of Pedricktown { 24 [ 24 Philadelphia: Seventeenth street and Washington 67 avenue. Eighth and Catherine streets 92 Point Breeze Gas Works 96 Atlantic Refinery 56 89 Spreckles Sugarhouse Reed Street wharf 98 117 14 miles east of Riverton Sewell _ 420 25 gallons per minute. Good water. Swedesboro 172 Do 130 133 Do 15 gallons per minute. Thorof are 146 1 mile west of Thorof are 60 Washington Park on Delaware, 2 wells.. ( 82 I 92 Wenonah . . . ......_ . 320-341 40 gallons per minute. Abundant water, but not Westville : 241 ferruginous. Do 112 114 Do Do 105 118 South Westville Woodbury, several wells 104-163 Variable amounts. 1 mile north of Woodbury 68 8 gallons per minute. 1 mile south of Woodbury 130 North Woodbury ... 128 1 mile south of Woodbury 130 North. Woodburv - 128 58 WATER RESOURCES OF PHILADELPHIA DISTRICT. [no. 106. South and east of the Philadelphia district a few wells derive their water supply from some coarse sand and gravel beds within the Mata- wan and above the basal beds. The basal Matawan and deeper hori- zons furnish a more satisfactory supply. The following are the wells: Wells obtaining ivater from middle portion of Matawan formation. Locality. Blackwood Do Clarksboro f of a mile northwest of Kirkwood . _ . Laurel Springs, 3 wells Maple Shade % of a mile southeast of Merchantville 11 miles southeast of Merchantville _ . 4 miles west of Mickleton Newbold 2 miles southeast of Paulsboro Sewell Stratford . Thorof are Do._ Wenonah Waterworks South Westville Woodbury 2 miles south of Woodbury , Depth. Feet. ■ 70 68 90 129 73 83 103 64-97 65 58 43 73 114 342-351 107 35 67 196 59 80 120 Bemarks. Considerable. Good water. Satisfactory. Small amount. Ferruginous. Do. Satisfactory. Fair fupply. Satisfactory. Many of the best wells in southern New Jersey obtain their water su PPly from the Mount Laurel sands at the base of the Monmouth for- mation, but not many are within the Philadelphia district. Water from this horizon might be expected at Sewell and Wenonah, but none has been reported. Wells obtaining water from the base of the Monmouth. Feet. Blackwood 70 Do 68 Laurel Springs, 2 wells 73-83 Do 103 A well at Sewell derives water from the red sand that lies between the Monmouth and the Rancocas formations, at a depth of 72 feet. BASCOM.] DEEP AND ARTESIAN WELLS. 59 The wells listed below gain their water supply from the bryozoan earth within the Raneocas: Wells from Raneocas horizon. Laurel Springs. At hotel Feet. 45 73 48 48-5G 48-50 Laurel Springs Laurel Springs: 7 wells 6 wells No wells have been reported at the base of the Tertiary in the Phila- delphia district. This and other Tertiary horizons are exceedingly important elsewhere in southeastern New Jersey. Following is an alphabetical list of artesian wells embracing all geologic horizons in the Coastal Plain of the Philadelphia district. It was compiled from the well records in the reports of the geological survey of New Jersey, 1878-1902. Deep wells in Coastal Plaii i of the Philadelphia district Location. Depth. Bore. Capac- ity per min- ute. Height of water above (+) or below ( -) curb. Geologic horizon. Remarks. Feet. 96 no 170 140 318f 67 70 • 68 62-87 129 152 112 115| 101^ 75 92 105 105 105 147 72 134 47 Ins. 6 3 3 3 4 3 3 3 6 6 8 6 3 Gals. 42 j 54 350 70 Feet. Top of Raritan Basal Matawan .... do east of Kaighns Point, Camden. Do . do boro. Billingsport Surface In Raritan ... ... Top of Matawan. . . Basal Raritan do Esterbrook Pen Co. . . Cooper Hospital 70 16 150 -5 -16 Clay particles in water. do wells. Camden pumping station. Front and Elm streets do. . Gneiss at 95 feet . . . Seventh and Kaighn avenue. Do. Satisfactory. Haddon Avenue sta- 2 2 2 6 tion. Do.... -15 Water at 75 to 92 feet. Basal Matawan Basal Raritan after 86 feet in gneiss. Water at 59 to 62 feet, basal Rari- tan. Basal Raritan do. Do American Nickel Works. Foot of Cooke street. Tide level. . ammonia works. Power house, Cam- 6 den R. E. Co. East of City HaU United States Chemi- Upper Raritan cal Works. Do 60 WATER KESOURCES OF PHILADELPHIA DISTRICT. [NO. 106. Deep wells in Coastal Plain of the Philadelphia district — Continued. Location. Camden— Continued. County prison Reeve's Oilcloth Works, Twelfth and Pine streets. Foot of Penn street . . Seventeenth and Ste- vens streets. Camden Dye Works, Eighth and Spruce streets. Cinnaminson Clarksboro . . .- Do Collingswood Cramer Hill Ferry Do Do Delair, north of Do... Do Do Do Fish house, 2 wells Gloucester Gloucester, 7 wells Gloucester, 3 wells Gloucester, 6 wells Gloucester, 3 wells Gloucester Do Do. Do.. Hedding, 1 mile south of Mount Ephraim. Hedding Church Merchantville Water Co., Jordantown (4 wells). Kirkwood, f mile north- west. Laurel Springs: 7 wells northeast of railroad. 6 wells southwest of railroad. 2 wells 1 well Laurel Springs At hotel Laurel Springs Magnolia Mantua Near Merchantville 2'. miles southwest of Merchantville, S. F. Starr. Depth Feet. 157 9a 76 81 183 46 90 180 196 116 115 126 78 118 188 101 162 105 111) 270 67-96 149-162 65-102 84-88 167 97 178 82 215 211 124-141 129 48-56 48-50 73-83 103 45 73 148 330 195 130 251 Bore. Ins. Capac- ity per min- ute. Gals. L6 300 250 450 70 (Ml) 70 100 46 Height of water above ( -f ) or below ( — ) curb. Feet. Surface -40 + 1. Geologic horizon . In gneiss, basal Raritan. In Raritan, proba- bly basal. B tsal Raritan In Raritan .do Basal Matawan. Matawan Top of Raritan _ In Raritan do In gneiss .....do In Raritan do In gneiss do In Raritan .do Overflows. Tidal rise ' of all, 18 inches. -45. Basal Rarit.in... Basal Matawan. In Raritan Basal Matawan. In Raritan Basal Raritan . . . Top of Raritan _ Basal Raritan. _. Top of Raritan . Basal Matawan. .....do.. Raritan Top of Matawan. In Rancocas .do Top of Matawan. do In Rancocas, bryo- zoan earth. In Rancocas .....do In Raritan Basal Matawan . . . Matawan Raritan Remarks. Fine well. Very satisfac- tory. Not very sat- isfactory. BASCOM.] DEEP AND ARTESIAN WELLS. 61 Deep wells in Coastal Plain of the Philadelphia district— Continued. Location. J mils southeast of Mer- chantville. ] i miles southeast of Mer- chantville. Mickleton 1 4 unies west of Mickleton. I mile northeast of Mick- leton. Morris station wells, 10!) and more. Mount Ephraim Mount Ephraim, | mile distant. Mount Ephraim, 2 miles south. National Park below Red Bank, on Delaware. Do Newbold 2 miles east-southeast of West Palmyra, 4 wells. Paulsboro ..'. Paulsboro, number of wells. i mile west of Paulsboro 3i miles southwest of Paulsboro, E.G. Miller. Pavonia •Swells lwell Do Pavonia . Pennsylvania R . R . Depth. Feet. 65 Pedricktown f mile southeast li miles northwest ... Do Philadelphia: Foot of Tioga street, 5 wells. Little Dock street Seventeenth and Washingtonavenue, Consumers' Ice Co. Eighth and Catharine Moore Street wharf on Delaware, Baugh Phosphate Co. Point Breeze gas works Atlantic Refinery, Point Breeze. Do United States Navy Yard, League Island Do : Do., several tests for. 238 43 183 50-150 130 80 134 80 73 30-46 114 30-60 192 152 67-82 174 113 154 124 180 24 24 24 ■ 65 Capac- Height of Bore M;yi» r water above , | or below i ) curb. 92 150 90fi 25- niiii- ute. /,/, Gals. 6-56 2 be- low. 2 3 3 3 16 275 Feet. Tide level; pulsat i-s with tides. Geologic horizon. Remarks. In Matawan do. Basal Matawan Good water. In Matawan Soft and good. Top of Raritan From 2 horizons in Raritan. Basal Matawan Satisfactory. do Do. .do Do. In Raritan 25 10 79-260 -25 Tide level. Basal Raritan. In Matawan . . In Pleistocene and Raritan. In Matawan In Raritan ....do.. Raritan Basal Raritan In Raritan Basal Raritan To crystalline roeli Basal Raritan ....do In Raritan ....do ....do Alluvium, Raritan clays; gneiss not reached. Basal Raritan Raritan ....do Basal Raritan. Raritan do.. Alluvium and Rar- itan. Raritan, 79-260; gneiss, 260-906. Alluvium and Pleistocene. Do. Satisfactory; tpgneiss,270; in gneiss,330. 62 WATER RESOURCES OF PHILADELPHIA DISTRICT. [no. 106. Deep ivells in Coastal Plain of the Philadelphia district— Continued. Location. Depth. Bore. Capac- ity per min- ute. Height of water above ( + ) or below ( — ) curb. Geologic horizon. Remarks. Philadelphia— Continued. Hog: Island, Delaware Feet. 456 98 232 26 46 42 50 117 420 118 59 172 130 133 133 70 35 146 67 60 120 82 92 290 341 112 114 105 241 118 59 130 80 163 132 113 142 136 68 120 128 Ins. Gals. Feet. Alluvium ., River. Spreckels's sugar In Raritan house, Reed Street wharf. Near Grays Ferry, 6 southern Philadel- phia. Fifteenth and Cal- lowhill streets. Fidelity Building, 8 10 3 4 3 3 6 6 6 3 3 2i Broad street, near Arch. Do 300 10 69 25 23 Pleistocene sand (?) Riverton \h miles east of Riverton. do Sewall .. Basal Matawan do South Westville Redbank at 72 feet and in Matawan at 381-395 feet. Do In Matawan Basal Matawan.. . . Top of Raritan do. S wedesboro Good. Do . 15 15 15 15 Overflows . ..do Do Do .. do .... do Do Thorof are do- Basal Raritan In Matawan _ Basal Matawan In Matawan Basal Matawan Top of Raritan Basal Matawan do Ferruginous. Do Do Do. 1 mile west of Thorofare. Tomlitis 3 40 Washington Park on Delawai-e. Do .. Do. Do Tide level.. -40 Basal Raritan Basal Matawan Basal Matawan do.... Wenonah 6 6 3 6 4 3 15 Do Do 36 do.. Do In Raritan Abundant South Westville . . . 23 Basal Matawan In Matawan Basal Matawan In Matawan Basal Matawan ....do water, but of red color. Do 1 mile south of Woodbury Woodbury ... Fair supply. Do 4A 4^ 2i Few. Do 2 8 Do -19 do Fair supply. Do 50 do Do do Woodbury, 1 mile north.. Woodbury, 2 miles south. North Woodbury 4 8 -10 do In Matawan Basal Matawan 4 28 bascom.] WATER RESOURCES OF PHILADELPHIA DISTRICT. 63 PUBLIC WATER SUPPLIES. The consumption of water by the cities and towns of the Philadel- phia district is enormous, that of Philadelphia being said to surpass in per capita any other citj r in the United States. In the absence of conditions favorable to storage it is natural that the rivers should be resorted to by the larger communities. In the smaller towns and vil- lages, however, where the demand is not so great, wells and springs sometimes constitute the principal supplies. In the area of the ciystalline rocks in Pennsjdvania, Philadelphia and all considerable towns in the outskirts of Philadelphia, except Chester, Media, Tacouy, Holmesburg, and Torresdale, are supplied by the Philadelphia bureau of water, the Springfield Water Company, and the North Springfield Water Company. The towns of Norristown and Ambler, in the belt of Triassic rocks, obtain their supplies from the Schuylkill River and from springs in the Norristown sandstone, respectively. In the Coastal Plain, Camden, Riverton, Palmyra, Newbold, Paulsboro, and other towns obtain their supplies mainly from artesian wells, PHILADELPHIA AND SUBURBS. PHILADELPHIA BUREAU OP WATER. Philadelphia, Falls of Schuylkill, Manayunk, Roxboro, Chestnut Hill (in part), Mount Airy, Germantown, Frankford, Bridesburg, AVissinoming, and the intervening areas are supplied with water by the bureau of water of Philadelphia. Water is pumped from the Schuylkill at five stations: (1) The Rox- boro station, above Flat Rock dam, 1 mile southwest of Roxboro and north of Manayunk; (2) Queen Lane station, just north of Queen Lane; (3) Belmont station, at the bridge of the Pennsylvania Rail- road, New York division; (4) Spring Garden; and (5) Fairmount sta- tion, at Fairmount dam. Water is also pumped from the Delaware at Frankford station, one-half mile northeast of the mouth of Wissi- noming Creek. From these points it is pumped to reservoirs at Rox- boro, Queen Lane, Fairmount Park, and Frankford, whence it has been distributed without filtration. A comprehensive system of plain sand filters is now being introduced. There are three plants, located at Roxboro, Bala (Belmont and City Line avenues), and Torresdale. Torresdale is situated on the Delaware at the mouth of Poquessing Creek, 2 miles northeast of Liddonfield and 1^ miles beyond the limits of the Philadelphia district. At Torresdale water is to be taken from the Delaware, and after being passed through 65 sand filters is to be carried in a rock tunnel, 10 feet 7 inches in diameter and 100 feet below the surface, to Robbins street, Tacony, whence it is to be dis- tributed to the Philadelphia district. The Roxboro district, compris- irr 106—04 5 64 WATER RESOURCES OF PHILADELPHIA DISTRICT. [no. 106. ingRoxboro, Manayunk, Chestnut Hill, Mount Airy, and Germantown (in part), is now supplied from the Roxboro filter plant, which is completed and in operation. The Queen Lane district, including the Falls of Schuylkill and Germantown (in part), Philadelphia, and the towns lying between Philadelphia and Torresdale, will be supplied from the Torresdale plant, which will not be in operation before 1906.; while Overbrook and West Philadelphia are to be supplied from the Relmont plant, which will be completed this year. The combined capacity of the filters is 320,000,000 gallons, or 30,000,000 gallons more than the capacity of the Croton Aqueduct. At present the per capita consumption of water in New York is 120 gallons daily, while in Philadelphia it is 229 gallons. Under the present system there is pumped from the Schuylkill River for the city supply a daily average of 283,429,000 gallons, while the Delaware River furnishes 30,160,000 gallons, making a total of 313,589,000 gallons; thus the Schuylkill River furnishes over 90 per cent and the Delaware River the remainder. Under the new system the Schuylkill River will furnish about 20 per cent of the water con- sumed and the Delaware River 80 per cent. The following tables, compiled from the report of Mr. John W. Hill, chief engineer of the bureau of filtration, indicate the relative merits of the two streams as a source of city water supply. Turbidity in 1902, in parts per 1,000,000, by the silica standard. Delaware River . Schuylkill River Maximum. : Minimum. 460 1,100 Average. 53 100 Bacteria per cubic centimeter in 1902. Maximum. Minimum. Average. Delaware River Schuvlkill River 21,000 86, 000 550 630 6, 405 14,160 Hardness, equivalent to calcium carbonate. Maximum. Minimum. Average. Delaware River _ . . 94 26 51 Schuylkill River 124 41 87 ascom.] PUBLIC WATER SUPPLIES. 65 Color ly the plat ilium-cobalt standard. Maximum. Minimum. Average. Delaware River. .„ 0.40 0.22 0.10 0.04 0.19 Schuylkill River ______ _ - . . . 0.09 These data are favorable to the Delaware River in all respects except color. The color of the water of the Delaware is due to the vegetable stain brought to it by some of its southern New Jersey tributaries. While it will probably not be removed by sand niters, it is not, on the other hand, known to be inimical to health. SPRINGFIELD WATER COMPANIES. The Springfield Water Company and the North Springfield Water Company, under the control of the American Pipe Manufacturing Company, supply most of the suburban districts with water. All towns north of the Delaware and between Cobbs and Crum creeks, including Eddystone (west of Crum Creek), are supplied by the Springfield Water Company. The northern boundary of the area supplied by it extends from its reservoir, 1 mile southwest of Marple, eastward along the State road to Lansdowne avenue, thence north- west to Llanerch and to the junction of the Haverford and City Line roads, and east to the Schuylkill River. The towns along the main line of the Pennsylvania Railroad as far as Glen Loch, 25.3 miles from Philadelphia, are supplied by the Springfield and North Springfield Water companies, also the towns east of the main line — Consho- hocken, Chestnut Hill (in part), Oreland, Glenside, Jenkintown (in part), Oak Lane, and the intervening towns. Bryn Mawr is on the dividing line between the northern portion of this district, which is supplied with water by the North Springfield Water Company, and the southern portion, which is supplied chiefly by the Springfield Water Company. SPRINGFIELD WATER COMPANY. The Springfield Water Company takes its water from Crum Creek 1^ miles northeast of Media, in the township of Springfield. The water is first coagulated with aluminum sulphate and passed into a sedimentation basin with 10,000,000 gallons capacity. From this basin it is passed into suction wells, and from these wells the water is pumped into six pressure filters, which have a capacity of 500,000 gallons each and which are rinsed out daily. There are reservoirs at Marple (321 feet above tide), at Secane (243.5 feet above tide), and at Overbrook (201 feet above tide), with capacities of 2,000,000, 4,000,000, and 3, 000 000 gallons, respectively. The pumping station on Crum Creek 66 WATER RESOURCES OF PHILADELPHIA DISTRICT. [no. 105. has never been vyorked to its full capacity. The consumption of water at present does not exceed 2,000,000 gallons in twenty-four hours. NORTH SPRINGFIELD WATER COMPANY. The North Springfield Water Company takes its water from Pick- ering Creek, near its mouth. Here are located a pumping station, a sedimentation basin, and filters. There are three filters — one slow sand filter, covering one-half an acre, with a capacity of 1,500,000 gallons, and two gravity mechanical filters with a combined capacity of 2,500,000 gallons. The water is first pumped to a 10,000,000-gallon sedimentation reservoir, located across the creek from the pumping sta- tion. From the sedimentation basin the water gravitates through the filter plant to a 1 ,500,000-gallon clear-water basin and thence is pumped to the distributing reservoirs by means of two high-duty fly-wheel pumping engines. The three distributing reservoirs connected with this s} 7 stem are located at Diamond Rock (620 feet above tide), in the north Chester Valley hills, at a point about 1 mile southwest of Valley Forge on the same hills (586 feet above tide), and at Devon (549 feet above tide), with capacities, respectively, of 1,000,000, 2,000,000, and 4,000,000 gallons. There are standpipes also at Bryn Mawr (531 feet above tide), at Ardmore (400 feet above tide), at Conshohocken (246 feet above tide), at Chestnut Hill (505 feet above tide), and at Oak Lane (315 feet above tide). There are three artesian wells under the control of the North Springfield Water Company which can act as a reserve supply. One at Bryn Mawr, 560 feet deep, will furnish 120,000 gallons in twenty-four hours. Two at Oak Lane, 340 feet deep, will furnish 300,000 gallons in twenty-four hours. The water has a hardness of 5.5 in the Bryn Mawr well and of 5.29 in the Oak Lane wells. This means 5.5 parts of carbonate of lime in 100,000. The consumption of water in this system does not exceed 2,000,000 gallons daily, while the sedimentation basin has a capacity of 10,000,- 000 gallons. There are over 300 miles of pipe under the control of the American Pipe Manufacturing Company, and that company is prepared to supply a much more densely populated district with abundant water. The following analysis of the filtered water of Pickering Creek, made by M. P. Ravenel, State bacteriologist, shows it to be potable water : Analysis of water of Pickering Creek. Per cent. Free ammonia 0. 08 Nitrogen as nitrates 1 . 33 Chlorine as chlorates ... 5. 00 Alkalinity in terms of — Carbonate of lime 37. 38 Hardness in terms of — Carbonate of lime 41. 60 Number of bacteria exceedingly low. BASCOM.] PUBLIC WATER SUPPLIES. 67 The analysis of Crum Creek water taken from the spigots is equally favorable. INDEPENDENT COMPANIES. Tacony, Holmesburg, and Torresdale, in the Thirty-fifth and Forty- first wards of Philadelphia, are supplied with water by a private com- pany. The plant, which is owned b} r the Holmesburg Water Com- pany and operated by the Disston Water Company as lessee, is located in Holmesburg near the month of Sand} 7 Run. This little stream has its source in Fox Chase, is fed by springs along its course, and empties into the Pennypack at Holmesburg, somewhat more than 2 miles north of the Delaware. A mechanical S} r stem of filtration is in use, installed by the New York Continental Jewell Filtration Com- pany and possessing a capacity of 2,000,000 gallons per day. CHESTER. The water supply for the city of Chester is taken from the Dela- ware River. It is pumped to a point 4 miles from Chester, to two reservoirs having a capacity of 8,000,000 gallons each. After it has settled it is passed through mechanical filters to a clear-water basin. MEDIA. The water department of the borough of Media supplies the city of Media with water. This company takes its water from Ridley Creek. The water is pumped through two sand filters to a reservoir and stand- pipe, whence it is supplied to the town. This plant furnishes 1,500,000 gallons every twenty-four hours. NORRISTOWN. Norristown is supplied with water by the Norristown Water Corn- pan} 7 . This company obtains its water supply from the Schuylkill. The pipes are laid under the river and draw their supply from the channel southwest of the island opposite Norristown. In this way con- tamination from Stony Creek, which carries the drainage of the State insane asylum, is avoided. The water is first pumped into a small settling basin, where it is coagulated by means of aluminum sulphate. It then filters by gravity through a 5,000,000-gallon filter plant and passes into a clear-water basin, from which it is pumped to the dis- tributing reservoir located on the hill north of Norristown. This res- ervoir has a capacity of 11,000,000 gallons. LANSDALE. Lansdale obtains its water supply from two artesian wells, con- nected with a standpipe having a capacity of 38,000 gallons. The sys- tem is owned by the Lansdale Water Company. 68 WATER RESOURCES OF PHILADELPHIA DISTRICT. [no. 108. AMBLER. The Ambler Spring Water Company, which supplies Ambler, obtains very pure water from a large number of springs issuing from a sand- stone bed of the Norristown formation. These springs furnish sev- eral hundred million gallons per annum. In addition, a large spring in a quarry in the Norristown formation is used, which yields about 15,000 gallons per hour. CAMDEN. For many years (since about 1853) Camden took its water from the Delaware River, southeast of Petty Island. The pumping station was located at Pavonia, northeast of the mouth of Cooper Creek. Because of the increasing impurity of the water the supply became very unsatisfactory, and in 1897 and 1898 more than 100 artesian wells were sunk near Morris station, which yield an abundance of pure water. These Avells obtain their supply from two horizons within the Raritan. The deeper wells probably reach the base of the Rari- tan. All the wells are furnished with bottom strainers. A pumping station is established at this point, and over 20,000,000 gallons of water can be obtained every twenty-four hours. RIVERTON AND PALMYRA. The Riverton and Palmyra Water Company, which supplies these two towns, obtains its water from a dug well, 15 feet deep, near the Delaware River. The well is sunk in gravel and intercepts the water on its way to the river. This well yields 300,000 to 500,000 gallons per day and is estimated to have a capacity of 1,000,000 gallons per day. HADDONFIELD. The water supply of Haddonfield is obtained from a small tributary to the North Branch of Cooper Creek. This stream is fed by springs and furnishes 500,000 gallons per twenty- four hours. The water is pumped from a reservoir to a standpipe, whence it is distributed with- out filtration. NEWBOLD AND WESTVILLE. Newbold and Westville are supplied by the Westville-Newbold Water Company, which obtains water from three artesian wells, each 100 feet deep. PAULSBORO. Paulsboro obtains its water supply from artesian wells 65 feet deep,. which yield 350 gallons per minute. No filter plant is required. The water is clear, colorless, and odorless, and analysis shows it to be remarkably pure. BASCOM.] PUBLIC WATER SUPPLIES. 69 OTHER TOWNS. Water supply, consumption, etc., in other towns. Town. Water supply. Popula- Daily con- tion. sumption. Treatment of water. G loucester Merchantville Red Eank Wenonah - . . Open wells Springs . Open wells do 6,564 1,225 4,125 500 3,911 Gallons. 1,000,000 150, 000 150, 000 25,000 225, 500 None. Do. Also tube wells. Do. Woodbury Mantua Creek - - Do. INDEX. Page. Algonkian rocks, occurrence of 13 Almonesson Creek, New Jersey, water power on 47 Ambler, Pa., springs at and near 68 water supply of 63, 68 wells at 53 Ambler Spring Water Company, plant of 68 American Pipe Manufacturing Com- pany, water systems owned by 64, 66 Analysis of Pickering Creek water 66 Atlantic coast, topographic divisions of 11 Audubon, N. J., wells at and near 56, 59 Bala, Pa., filtration plant at 63 Baltimore gneiss, occurrence and character of 13 Barnesboro, N. J., wells at and near_ 59 Belfry, Pa., well at 53 Belmont, Pa., pumping station at 63, 64 Big Timber Creek, New Jersey, char- acter of 42 drainage of 43, 44 flow of 43, 44 water power on 44, 46, 47 watershed of, area, forest, and population on 45 Billingsport, wells at 56, 59 Blackwood, N. J., wells at 58, 59 Bridesburg, Pa., water supply of 63 Bridgeport, Pa., well at 53 Browers, Pa., rainfall at 34 Brunswick shale, equivalents of 15 Bryn Mawr, Pa., water supply of 65 wells at and near 50, 66 Buck Ridge, Pa., rocks of 13, 14 Cambrian rocks, occurrence and char- acter of 13 Cambro-Ordovician rocks, occurrence and character of 13 Camden, N. J., water supply of 63, 68 wells at 51, 55, 56, 59, 68 Camp Hill, rocks of 13 Carter, C. S., acknowledgments to 11 Chelten Hills, Pa., well at 51 Chester, Pa., water supply of 67 Chester atlas sheet, part of, Philadel- phia district shown on 9 Chester Creek, Pennsylvania, drain- age and character of 23-24 rocks of 13 Chester Valley hills, Pennsylvania, rocks of 13 wells on 50 Page. Chester Valley limestone, occurrence and character of 13 wells in 49 Chestnut Branch, New Jersey, water power on 47 Chestnut Hill, Pa., water supply of _ 63, 65 Chickies quartzite, occurrence and character of 13 wells in 49 Cinnaminson, N. J., wells at 56, 60 Clarkesboro, N. J., wells at 56, 58, 60 Coastal Plain, drainage of 13, 42-45 geologic formations in 54 location, extent, and limits of 13 portion of Philadelphia district on 11 water horizons of, diagram showing 54 list of 54 water power of 46—48 wells in 54-62 Codman, J. E., acknowledgments to _ 9 cited on Pennsylvania creeks 27 cited on Perkiomen Creek 36 cited on Schuylkill River 32 cited on Wissahickon Creek 40 Cobbs Creek. See Cobbs-Darby Creek. Cobbs-Darby Creek, Pennsylvania, character of 23-24 Cold Point Hills, Pennsylvania, rocks of 13 Collingswood, N. J., wells at 56, 60 Conshohocken, Pa., water supply of 65 Cooper Creek, New Jersey, char- acter of 42 drainage of 42 flow of 42-43 water power on 46 watershed of, area, forest, and population on 45 Cooper Creek (North Branch), drain- age of 42 flow of 42 water power on 42-43, 46 water supply from 68 Counties in Philadelphia district, list of 9 Cramer Hill Ferry, N. J., well at 54 Cream Valley, fault in 14 Cretaceous rocks, occurrence of 13 Croton, N. Y., basin of, data concern- ing 41 Crum Creek, Pennsylvania, drainage and character of 23-24 flow of 24-26 71 72 INDEX. Page. Crum Crook, water of, character of— 67 water of, treatment of 65 water supply from 26, 65-66 Crystalline rocks, area of, topogra- phy of 14 occurrence and character of 13-14 Darby Creek. See Cobbs-Darby Creek. Partem, N. II., acknowledgments to _ 10-11 cited on rocks of Philadelphia district 15 Delair, X. J., wells at 54, 55, 56, (50 Delaware, counties of, in Philadel- phia district 9 Delaware River, account of 21-31 comparison of Schuylkill and 63 flow of 23 length and depth of 21 pollution of 22 rise and fall of 22 . tributaries of 23, 27, 42 account of . 23-31 tributaries of, between Camden and Brighton, flow of_ 43 valley of, elevation of 21 wells in 54-62 water of, bacteria in 63 calcium carbonate in 63 color of 64 turbidity of 63 water power from 22 watershed of 21 evaporation on 24-26 lands of 21-22 population of 21-22 maps showing limits of ,_ 10 rainfall on 24-27,28-31,35 run-off from 24-26, 28-31 water supply from 22, 67 Delaware-Schuylkill divide, elevation of 21 location of__ 23 Devon, Pa., reservoir at 66 Diamond Rock, Pa., reservoir at 66 Dilkesboro Branch, New Jersey, wa- ter power on 47 Disston Water Company, plant op- erated by 67 Doylestown, Pa., rainfall at 35 Easton, Pa., rainfall at 35 Eddystone, Pa., water supply of 65 Edge Hill, Pa., rocks of 13 well at : 49 Edwards Run, New Jersey, water power on 47 Evaporation on Delaware water- shed 24-26 on Neshaminy Creek watershed- 31 on Perkiomen Creek watershed. 39 Fairmonnt, Pa., pumping station at_ 63 Fairmount Park, Pa., reservoir at 63 Falls of Schuylkill, Pa., water sup- ply of 63 Filtration in Philadelphia district __ 63-67 Page. Flourtown, Pa., well near 49 Fordham gneiss, occurrence and character of 13 Fort Washington, Pa., well near 49 Frankford, Pa., reservoir at 63 water supply of 63 Frederick, Pa., stream flow at 41 Geological survey of New Jersey, ac- knowledgments to 10 cited on Coastal Plain wells 54-62 cited on Delaware River 22, 23 cited on Delaware River tribu- taries 42-45 cited on water powers 46-48 Geology of Philadelphia district 11-15 Georgian rocks, occurrence and char- acter of 13 Germantown, Pa., water supply of — 63 Germantown atlas sheet, part of Philadelphia district shown on 9 Glenside, Pa., water supply of 65 Gloucester, N. J., water supply of 69 wells at 55, 56, 60 Grays Ferry, N. J., well at ; 54 Growing period of rain year, defini- tion of 15 rainfall in 16-21 run-off in 26 Gulf .Creek, Pennsylvania, drainage and character of 35 Gwynedd shale, occurrence and char- acter of 15 Haddonfield, N. J., water supply of_ 68 Haddonfield Branch, New Jersey, water power on 46 Hamburg, Pa., rainfall at 34 Hedding, N. J., well at 57, 60 Hickorytown, Pa., well at 53 Hill, John W., acknowledgments to — 9 cited on Schuylkill and Dela- ware Rivers 63 Holmesburg, Pa., water supply of — 67 Holmesburg Water Company, plant of 67 Hudson schist, occurrence and char- acter of 14 Huntingdon Valley, Pennsylvania, fault in 14 Jeffersonville, Pa., wells at and near_ 53 Jenkintown, Pa., water supply of 65 wells at and near 50, 51 King of Prussia, Pa., well near 49 Kirkwood, N. J., well near 58, 60 Lancaster, Pa., well near 49 Lansdale, Pa., rainfall at 35 water supply of 67 wells at and near 53 Lansdale shale, occurrence and char- acter of 15 Lansdale Water Company, plant of _ 67 Laurel Springs, N. J., wells at 58, 59, 60 Lea. R. S., acknowledgment to 37 League Island, well at 54 INDEX. 73: Page. Lebanon, Pa., rainfall at 34 Ledoux, J. W., acknowledgments to 9 information furnished by 24-20 Lehigh River, lands along 22 population along 22 Little Lebanon Creek, New Jersey, water power on 47 Little Neshaminy Creek, Pennsyl- vania, drainage area and character of 27-2S flow of 28 Little Timber Creek, New Jersey, water power on 47 Locatong formation, occurrence of 15 Lyman, B. S., cited on Pennsylvania rocks 11 Magnolia. N. J., wells at 56, 60 Manasquan formation, occurrence of 54 Manayunk, Pa., water supply of 63 Mantua, Pa., well at 60 Mantua Creek, New T Jersey, charac- ter of 42,44 drainage of 44 flow of 44 water power on 44, 46, 47 watershed of, area, forest, and population on 45 water supply from 44, 69 Map of Philadelphia district 9 showing limits of Delaware and Schuykill drainage and location of Philadel- phia district 10 showing physiographic divisions- 11 Maple Shade, N. J., wells at 55, 56, 58 Marple, Pa., reservoir at 65 Matawan formation, occurrence of 54 wells in 58 Media, Pa., water supply of 26, 67 Merchantville, N. J., water supply of_ 69 wells at and near 58, 60, 61 Mickleton, N. J., wells at and near_ 56, 58, 61 Monmouth formation, occurrence of_ 54 wells in 58 Monongahela Branch, New Jersey, water power on 47 Moorestown, Pa., rainfall at 35 water supply of 42 Morris, N. J., wells at 56, 68 Mount Airy, Pa., water supply of 63 Mount Ephraim, N. J., wells at and near 56, 61 National Park, Pennsylvania, wells at 55, 57, 61 Neshaminy Creek, basin of 27, 28 basin of, data concerning 41 rainfall in 35 character of 27-28, 29 flow of 28-31 forks of, rainfall at 35 stream flow at 41 rainfall of 29-31 run-off of 29-32,41 diagram showing 28 Page. Xeshaminy Creek, storage of, diagram showing 28 watershed of, evaporation on ."»l Newbold, N. J., water supply of 6:5, 68 wells at 58, 01 Newell, F. II., letter of transmittal by 7 New Jersey, counties of, in Philadel- phia district 9' Newton Creek, water power on 46 Noble, Pa., well at 51 Norristown, Pa., rocks near 14-15 water supply of 63, 67 wells at and near 53; Norristown atlas sheet, part of Phil- adelphia district shown on 9 Norristown shale, occurrence and character of 14-15 Norristown Water Company, plant of 07 North Springfield Water Company, system of 66 system of, extent of 65 towns supplied by 63 North Wales, Pa., well at 53 North Woodbury, N. J., wells at 57, 62 Oak Lane, Pa., water supply of 65 wells at 51, 66" Oldmans Creek, New Jersey, charac- ter of 42, 45 drainage of 45 flow of 45 water power on 45, 46, 48"- watershed of, area, forest, and population on 45- Ordovician rocks, occurrence and character of 14 Oreland, Pa., water supply of 65 Overbrook, Pa., reservoir at 65 wells at 51 Paleozoic rocks, occurrence of 13—14 wells in 49, 54. Palmyra, N. J., water supply of 63, 68 well near 68 Paulsboro, N. J., water supply of _■__ 63, 6 3 wells at and near 57, 58, 61 Pavouia, N. J., wells at 55, 56, 6L Pedricktown, N. J., weils at and near 57, 61 Pennypack C r e e k, Pennsylvania, drainage area and char- acter of 27-28 flow of 28. Pensanken Creek, New Jersey, char- acter of 42 drainage of 42 flow of 42 water power on 46 watershed of, area, forest, and population on 45 water supply from 42: Pennsylvania, counties of, in Phila- delphia district 9 Perkasie shale, occurrence and char- acter of 15. 7'4 INDEX. Page. Perkiomen Creek, character of 36-37 flow of 36-37 rainfall on 37-39 run-off of___ 33.37-30,41 diagram showing 28 storage on, diagram showing 28 watershed of 36-37 data concerning 41 evaporation on 39 rainfall in 35 Philadelphia, rainfall at 16 rainfall at, diagram showing 16 water consumption of 63 water supply of 63 wells at 51-52,55,57,61 Philadelphia atlas sheet, part of Philadelphia district shown on 9 Philadelphia hureau of water, ac- knowledgments to 10 cited on Neshaminy Creek 29 cited on Pennsylvania water- sheds 34, 41 cited on Perkiomen Creek 37 cited on Schuylkill River 33 cited on stream flow 41 cited on Wissahickon Creek 40 rainfall records of 34 towns supplied hy 63 water stations of 63 Physiographic divisions, map show- ing 11 Physiography of Philadelphia dis- trict 11-13 Pickering Creek, Pennsylvania, drainage area and char- acter of 39 flow of 39 water of, analysis of 66 water supply from 66 Piedmont Plateau, drainage of 12 elevations in 12 geology of ■- 12-13 location, extent, and limits of 11—12 physiography of 12 portion of Philadelphia district on 11 streams of . 21-41 wells in 49-53 Ponds in Philadelphia district 48 Population of Philadelphia district 9 Pottstown shale, occurrence and character of 15 Pottsville, Pa., rainfall at 34 Pre-Georgian rocks, occurrence and character of 13 wells in 49 Purgey Brook, New Jersey, water power on 47 Quaternary deposits, occurrence of_ 13 Queen Lane, Pa., pumping station at 63 reservoir at 63 llaccoon Creek, New Jersey, charac- ter of 42, 44-45 Page. Raccoon Creek, New Jersey, water power on 44, 46, 47 watershed of, area, forest, and population on 45 Radnor, Pa., well at 49 Rafter, G. W., cited on rainfall periods 15 Rainfall at Philadelphia 16 at Philadelphia, diagram show- ing 16 in Atlantic cities, records of 16 in Philadelphia district 34 minimum, mean, and maxi- mum years of 16 statistics of 15-21 on Delaware watershed 24-27, 28-31, 35 on Neshaminy watershed 35 on Perkiomen watershed 35 on Schuylkill watershed 33, 34 Rain year, periods of 15 periods of, relations of 15-16, 26 Rancocas formation, occurrence of 54 wells in 59 Raritan formation, occurrence of 54 wells in 55-57 Ravenel, M. P., analysis by 66 Reading, Pa., rainfall at 34 Redbank, N. J., water supply of 69 Repaupo Creek, New Jersey, water power on 47 Replenishing period of rain year, definition of 15 rainfall in 16,21 run-off in 26 Ridley Creek, Pennsylvania, drain- age and character of_ 23-24 flow of — 24-26 diagram showing 24 water supply from 26 Riverton, N. J., water supply of 63, 68 wells at and near ___ 55, 56, 57, 62, 68 Riverton and Palmyra Water Com- pany, plant of 68 Roxboro, Pa., filtration at 63-64 pumping station at 63 reservoir at 63 water supply of 63 Run-off from Delaware watershed— 24-26, 28-31 of Neshaminy Creek 33 of I'erkiomen Creek . 33 of Schulykill River 33 Sandyhill, Pa., well at 53 Sandy Run, Pennsylvania, source and course of 67 water supply from 67 Schuylkill River, comparison of Del- aware and 63-64 crossing of Piedmont Plateau by_ 21 fall of 32 possible storage on 32 rainfall on 32 run-off of 32,33 source, course, and length of 32 INDi.X. 75 Page Schuylkill River, tributaries of 35 water of, bacteria iu 32, 63 calcium carbonate iu 32, 63 color of 64 pollution of__ 32 sulphuric acid in 32 turbidity of 63 watershed of, area of 33 data concerning 41 map showing limits of 10 rainfall in 33, 34 run-off of 33 water supply from 32, 67 Schuylkill-Delaware divide, eleva- tion of 21 location of 23 Secane, Pa., reservoir at 65 Sedimentary rocks, occurrence of 14-15 Seisholtzville, Pa., rainfall at 35 Sewell, N. J., wells at and near — 57, 58, 61 Shadygrove, Pa., well at 53 Shawmut, Pa., rainfall at . 34 South Westville, N. J., wells at__ 57, 58, 62 Springfield Water Company, system of 65—66 system of. extent of 65 towns supplied by 63 Spring Garden, Pa., pumping station at 63 Spring Mills, Pa., spring at 48 Springmount, Pa., rainfall at 35 Springs in Philadelphia district 48 Stockton, N. J., well at 55, 56 Stockton formation, occurrence of 15 Storage period of rain year, defini- tion of 15 rainfall in 16-21 run-off in 26 Stratford, N. J., well at 58 Stratigraphy of Philadelphia dis- trict 13-15 Sudbury, Mass., basin of, data con- cerning 41 Swedesboro, N. J., wells at 57, 62 Swedesboro Branch, New Jersey, water power on ' 47 Tacony, Pa., water supply of 67 Tacony Creek, Pennsylvania, drain- age area and character of 27-28 flow of___ 28 Tertiary deposits, occurrence of 13 wells at base of 59 Thorofare, N. J., wells at and near 57, 58, 62 Tindale Run, New Jersey, water power on 46 Tohickon, Pa., basin of, data con- cerning 41 Tomlins, Pa., well at 62 Torresdale, Pa., filtration plant at__ 63-64 water supply of 67 Page. Triassic rocks, occurrence of 14-15 wells in 53 Valley Creek, Pennsylvania, drainage and character of 35 valley of, spring in 48 Valley Forge, Pa., reservoir near 66. rocks near 14-15 Washington Park, Pa., wells at__ 55, 57, 62 Washington Square, Pa., wells at 53 Water, consumption of, in Philadel- phia and Philadelphia district 63" Water powers of Coastal Plain 46-48 of Delaware River 22 Water supply from Crum Creek 2(; from Delaware River 22, 64 from Mantua Creek 44, 60 from Pensauken Creek 42 from Pickering Creek 42 from Ridley Creek 2c> from Sandy Run 6f from Schuylkill River___ 32, 63, 64, 67 in Philadelphia district 26, 32, 36, 42-45, 63-60 Water-supply systems in Philadel- phia district 63-60 Wayne, Pa., well at 40 Weather Bureau, U. S., rainfall rec- ords of 15-21, 34 Wells in Coastal Plain region 54-62 in Philadelphia district 40-62 in Piedmont Plateau region 40-53 water supply from 63, 67-60 Wenonah, N. J., water supply of 60 wells at 57,58,62 Wenonah Branch, New Jersey, water power on 47 Westchester, Pa., rainfall at 35 West Palmyra, N. J., wells at 57, 61 Westville, N. J., water supply of 68 wells at 57, 62 Westville-Newbold Water Company, plant of 68 Whitemarsh Hills,. Pa., rocks of 13 Williams, Pa., well near 40 Willowgrove, Pa., well at 40 Wissahickon Creek, basin of 40 basin of, data concerning 41 rainfall in 40* character of 40 flow of 40- Wissahickon mica-gneiss and mica- schist, occurrence and character of 14 wells in 50-51 Wissinoming, Pa., water supply of 63 Woodbury, N. J., water supply of 44-60 wells at and near 57, 58, 62 Woodbury Creek, New Jersey, char- acter of 42-4^ water power on 4»i Wyncote, Pa., wells at 50-5 . f o LIBRARY CATALOGUE SLIPS. [Mount each slip upon a separate card, placing the subject at the top of the second slip. The name of the series should not be repeated on the series card, but the additional numbers should be added, as received, to the first entry.] Bascom, Florence. . . . Water resources of the Philadelphia district, by Florence Bascom. Washington, Gov't print, off., 1904. 75 p., 1 1. illus., 4 pi. (inch map) 23 cm . (U. S. Geological survey. Water-supply and irrigation paper no. 106. ) Subject series: M, General hydrographic investigations, 12; 0, Under- ground waters, 26. 1. Hydrography — Philadelphia district. Bascom, Florence. . . . Water resources of the Philadelphia district, by Florence Bascom. Washington, Gov't print, off., 1904- 75 p., 1 1. illus., 4 pi. (inch map) 23 cm . (U. S. Geological survey. Water-supply and irrigation paper no. 106.) Subject series: M, General hydrographic investigations, 12; 0, Under- ground waters, 26. 1. Hydrography — Philadelphia district. U. S. Geological survey. Water-snpply and irrigation papers, no. 106. Bascom, Florence. Water resources of the Philadelphia district. 1904. U. S. Dept. of the Interior, see also U. S. Geological survey. M 9 * Sertes K— Pumping Water. WS 1. Pumping water for irrigation, by H. M. Wilson. 1896. 57 pp., 9 pis. WS 8. Windmills for irrigation, by E. C. Murphy. 1897. 49 pp., 8 pis. WS 14. New tests of certain pumps and water lifts used in irrigation, by O. P. Hood. 1898. 91 pp., 1 pi. WS 20. Experiments with windmills, by T. O. Perry. 1899. 97 pp., 12 pis. WS 29. Wells and windmills in Nebraska, by E. H. Barbour. 1899. 85 pp., 27 pis. WS 41. The windmill; its efficiency and economic use, Pt. I, by E. C. Murphy. 1901. 72 pp., 14 pis. WS 42. The windmill, Pt. II (continuation of No. 41). 1901. 73-147 pp., 15-16 pis. WS 91. Natural features and economic development of Sandusky, Maumee, Muskingum, and Miami drainage areas in Ohio, by B. H. Plynn and M. S. Flynn. 1904. 130 pp. Series L— Quality op Water. WS 3. Sewage irrigation, by G. W. Rafter. 1897. 100 pp., 4 pis. WS 22. Sewage irrigation, Pt. II, by G. W. Rafter. 1899. 100 pp., 7 pis. WS 72. Sewage pollution near New York City and its effect on inland water resources, by M. O, Leighton. 1902. 75 pp., 8 pis. WS 76. Observations on flow of rivers in the vicinity of New York City, by H. A. Pressey 1903. 108 pp., 13 pis. WS 79. Normal and polluted waters in Northeastern United States, by M. O. Leighton. 1903. 192 pp., 15 pis. WS 103. Review of the laws forbidding pollution of inland waters in the United States, by E. B. Goodell. 1904. 120 pp. Series M— General Hydrographic Investigations. WS 56. Methods of stream measurement. 1901. 51 pp., 12 pis. WS 64. Accuracy of stream measurements, by E. C. Murphy. 1902. 99 pp., 4 pis. WS 76. Observations on flow of rivers in the vicinity of New York City, by H. A. Pressey. 1903. 108 pp., 13 pis. WS 80. The relation of rainfall to run-off, by G. W. Rafter. 1903. 104 pp. WS 81. California hydrography, by J. B. Lippincott. 1903. 488 pp., 1 pi. WS 88. The Passaic flood of 1902, by G. B. Hollister and M. O. Leighton. 1903. 56 pp., 15 pis. WS 91. Natural features and economic development of Sandusky, Maumee, Muskingum, and Miami drainage areas in Ohio, by B. H. Flynn and M. S. Flynn. 1904. 130 pp. WS 92. The Passaic flood of 1903, by M. O. Leighton. 1904. 48 pp., 7 pis. WS 94. Hydrographic Manual of the United States Geological Survey, prepared by E. C. Mur- phy, J. C.Hoyt, and G. B. Hollister. 1904. 76 pp., 3 pis. WS 95. Accuracy of stream measurements (second edition), by E. C. Murphy. 1904. 169 pp. 6 pis. WS 96. Destructive floods in the United States in 1903, by E. C. Murphy. 1904. 81 pp., 13 pis. WS 106. Water resources of the Philadelphia district, by Florence Bascom. 1904. — pp., 4 pis. Series N— Water Power. WS 24. Water resources of State of New York, Pt. I, by G. W. Rafter. 1899. 92 pp., 13 pis. WS 25. Water resources of State of New York, Pt. II, by G. W. Rafter. 1999: 100-200 pp., 12 pis. WS 44. Profiles of rivers, by Henry Gannett. 1901. 100 pp., 11 pis. WS 62. Hydrography of the Southern Appalachian Mountain region, Pt. I, by H. A. Pressey. 1902. 95 pp., 25 pis. WS 63. Hydrography of the Southern Appalachian Mountain region, Pt. II, by H. A. Pressey. 1902. 96-190 pp., 26-44 pis. WS 69. Water powers of the State of Maine, by H. A. Pressey. 1902. 124 pp., 14 pis. WS 105. Water powers of Texas, by T. U. Taylor. 1904. — pp., 17 pis. [Continued on fourth page of cover.] IRR 106—3 Series O— Underground Waters. WS 4. A reconnaissance in southeastern Washington, by I. C. Russell. 1897. 96 pp., 7 pis. WS 6. Underground waters of southwestern Kansas, by Erasmus Haworth. 1897. 65 pp., 12 pis. WS 7. Seepage waters of northern Utah, by Samuel Fortier. 1897. 50 pp., 3 pis. WS 12. Underground waters of southeastern Nebraska, by N. H. Darton. 1898. 56 pp., 21 pis. WS 21. Wells of northern Indiana, by Frank Leverett. 1899. 82 pp., 2 pis. WS 26. Wells of southern Indiana (continuation of No. 21), by Frank Leverett. 1899. 64 pp. WS 30. Water resources of the Lower Peninsula of Michigan, by A. C. Lane. 1899. 97 pp., 7 pis. WS 31. Lower Michigan mineral waters, by A. C. Lane. 1899. 97 pp., 4 pis. WS 34. Geology and water resources of a portion of southeastern South Dakota, by J. E. Todd. 1900. 34 pp., 19 pis. WS 53. Geology and water resources of Nez Perces County, Idaho, Pt. I, by I. C. Russell. 1901. 86 pp., 10 pis. WS 54. Geology and water resources of Nez Perces County, Idaho, Pt. II, by I. C. Russell. 1901. 87-141 pp. WS 55. Geology and water resources of a portion of Yakima County, Wash., by G. O. Smith. 1901. 68 pp., 7 pis. WS 57. Preliminary list of deep borings in the United States, Pt. I, by N. H. Darton. 1902. 60 pp. WS 59. Development and application of water in southern California, Pt. I, by J. B. Lippin- cott. 1902. 95 pp., 11 pis. WS 60. Development and application of water in southern California, Pt. II, by J. B. Lippin- cott. 1902. 96-140 pp. WS 61. Preliminary list of deep borings in the united States, Pt. II, by N. H. Darton. 1902. 67 pp. WS 67. The motions of underground waters, by C. S. Slichter. 1902. 106 pp., 8 pis. B 199. Geology and water resources of the Snake River Plains of Idaho, by I. C. Russell. 1902. 192 pp., 25 pis. WS 77. Water resources of Molokai, Hawaiian Islands, by Waldemar Lindgren. 1903. 62 pp., 4 pis. WS 78. Preliminary report on artesian basins in southwestern Idaho and southeastern Oregon, by I. C. Russell. 1903. 53 pp., 2 pis. PP 17. Preliminary report on the geology and water resources of Nebraska west of the one hundred and third meridian, by N. H. Darton. 1903. 69 pp., 43 pis. WS 90. Geology and water resources of a part of the James River Valley, South Dakota, by J. E. Todd and C. M. Hall. 1904. 47 pp., 23 pis. WS 101. Underground waters of southern Louisiana, by G. D. Harris, with discussions of their uses for water supplies and for rice irrigation, by M. L. Fuller. 1904. 98 pp., 11 pis. WS .102. Contributions to the hydrology of eastern United States, 1903, by M. L. Fuller. 1904. 522 pp. WS 104. Underground waters of Gila Valley, Arizona, by W. T. Lee. 1904. 71 pp., 5 pis. WS 106. Water resources of the Philadelphia district, by Florence Bascom. 1904. 81 pp., 4 pis. The following papers also relate to this subject: Underground waters of Arkansas Valley in eastern Colorado, by G. K. Gilbert, in Seventeenth Annual, Pt. II; Preliminary report on arte- sian waters of a portion of the Dakotas, by N. H. Darton, in Seventeenth Annual, Pt. II; Water resources of Illinois, by Frank Leverett, in Seventeenth Annual, Pt. II; Water resources of Indiana and Ohio, by Frank Leverett, in Eighteenth Annual, Pt. IV; New developments in well boring and irrigation in eastern South Dakota, by N. H. Darton, in Eighteenth Annual, Pt. IV; Rock waters of Ohio, by Edward Orton, in Nineteenth Annual, Pt. IV; Artesian well prospects in the Atlantic Coastal Plain region, by N. H. Darton, Bulletin No. 138. Series P— Hydrographic Progress Reports. Progress reports may be found in the following publications: For 1888-89, Tenth Annual, Pt. II; for 1889-90, Eleventh Annual, Pt. II; for 1890-91, Twelfth Annual, Pt. II; for 1891-92, Thir- teenth Annual, Pt. Ill; for 1893-94, B 131; for 1895, B 140; for 1896, Eighteenth Annual, Pt. IV, WS 11; for 1897, Nineteenth Annual, Pt. IV, WS 15, 16; for 1898, Twentieth Annual, Pt. IV, WS 27,28; for 1899, Twenty-first Annual, Pt. IV, WS 35-39; for 1901, Twenty-second Annual, Pt. IV, WS 47-52; for 1901, WS 65, 66, 75; for 1902, WS 82-85; for 1903, WS 97-100 Correspondence should be addressed to The Director, United States Geological Survey, Washington, D. C. irr 106 4 r., '05,