Annual water budgets were developed for Lake Auburn in southwestern Maine for three water-budget years, May 1, 2000 through
April 30, 2003. The measured inflow components of the water budget are direct
precipitation to the surface of the lake and surface-water inflow. Mean annual
inflow (precipitation
and surface water) to Lake Auburn during water-budget years 2001-03 was 816
million cubic feet. The measured outflow components of the water budget are
evaporation from the surface of the lake, municipal water-supply withdrawals
by the Auburn and Lewiston Water Districts, and surface-water outflow. Mean
annual outflow (evaporation, withdrawals, and surface water) during water-budget
years 2001-03 was 834 million cubic feet. The two largest components of the
water budget are the surface-water inflow and municipal withdrawals. Surface-water
inflow was about 62 percent of the mean annual inflow budget and municipal withdrawals
were about 47 percent of the mean annual outflow budget. Changes in lake storage
also were included in the water budget.
Dry conditions were present in Maine from 1999 to 2002, with a severe drought occurring in 2001 and 2002. On February 20, 2002, Auburn Water District recorded Lake Auburn’s lowest recorded water level, 256.7 ft, during the period of record from April 1, 1940 to June 20, 2003.
The total inflow and outflow volumes, adjusted for changes in lake storage, nearly balance for each water year. Any non-zero remainder volume for a given water-budget year is the residual. The mean annual residual for the three water-budget years is -1.06 million cubic feet (-7.93 million gallons). The changing sign of the computed residual from water-budget year to water-budget year during the 3-year study period indicates that no systematic errors were made in estimating inflows to or outflows from Lake Auburn. Because ground-water flow is unaccounted for in this water budget, any net ground-water flow is assumed to be contained in the residual term.
Abstract
Introduction
Purpose and Scope
Description of the Study Area
Physiography and Geology
Climate
Surface-Water Hydrology
Data Used in this Study
Precipitation
Evaporation
Surface-Water Inflows and Outflows
Withdrawals and Lake Storage
Water Budget for Lake Auburn, May 1, 2000 through April 30, 2003
Uncertainties of Water-Budget Components
Precipitation
Evaporation
Surface-Water Inflows
Surface-Water Outflows
Withdrawals
Lake Storage
Ground Water
Residual
Summary
Literature Cited .
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