Composition and Distribution of Streambed Sediments in the Penobscot River, Maine, May 1999

Water-Resources Investigations Report 2001-4223
Prepared in cooperation with the Bureau of Indian Affairs and Penobscot Indian Nation Department of Natural Resources
By:  and 

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Abstract

Sediment samples were collected and geophysical surveys were run along 50 miles of the Penobscot River, Maine, in the spring of 1999 to produce maps that describe the composition and distribution of streambed sediments for selected areas in the river channel. The objective of the sediment survey was to locate areas along the river where fine-grained, easily transportable sediment types were deposited between Old Town and Medway, Maine. These data can be used to design future sediment-sampling programs to assess the quality of streambed sediments and evaluate the health of the Penobscot River. This report describes the results of the sediment survey and the methods used to collect, analyze, and interpret the data used to create maps of streambed-sediment types in the study area. Deposits of fine-grained sediments (mud and sand) are scattered along the shorelines of the mainland and the islands and at the downstream ends of islands and at the mouths of brooks and streams. The most extensive depositional areas were found in the Mattaseunk Dam impoundment near Medway. The main areas of the river channel consist primarily of gravel, sand, and rock.

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Publication type Report
Publication Subtype USGS Numbered Series
Title Composition and Distribution of Streambed Sediments in the Penobscot River, Maine, May 1999
Series title Water-Resources Investigations Report
Series number 2001-4223
DOI 10.3133/wri20014223
Edition -
Year Published 2001
Language ENGLISH
Publisher Geological Survey (U.S.)
Contributing office(s) Maine Water Science Center
Description iv, 30 p.
Time Range Start 1999-05-01
Time Range End 1999-05-31
Online Only (Y/N) N
Additional Online Files (Y/N) N
Google Analytic Metrics Metrics page
Additional publication details