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UJJ758 2 JANUARY 1958 There were no unusual events during January for the United Stales and Canada as a whole. Locally there was severe flooding in Texas, and minor flooding in several other states. At two key stations in Maine, at one in Massachusetts, and at one in British Colum- bia, runoff was record high for January. These were the most outstanding" events in a month when runoff was above median in at least part of all Provinces and all but about eight States. The only large area where runoff was deficient was in the Southwest. Ground- water levels generally rose along the Atlantic Coast and in the South but declined in the Great Lakes area. Elsewhere no significant areal trends were noticeable. St'orage in most areas remained above average. John Martin Reservoir in Colorado had the highest winter carryover on record. CANADA The only deficient runoff in Canada was in British Columbia where the only key station with record-high runoff for January is also located. The excessive runoff was largely the result of above normal temperatures. NEW ENGLAND Record- or near~record high runoff for January occurred at a number of key gaging stations as a result of well above normal precipitatidn. There was minor flooding in coastal areas of Massachusetts but peak discharges were generally far below those of August 1955. In general, ground-water levels rose except in Maine; they were average or above except in west- ern Massachusetts where the level in the key well at Great Barrington was record low for January. NEW JERSEY Reservoir storage increased and runoff was gener- ally excessive with moderate flooding following the storms of Jan. 15 and 22. An ice jam on Passaic River caused serious damage in the borough of Chatham. THE SOUTHEAST The effect of abnormally low temperatures in the Southeast was most noticeable in Tennessee .where base flows were reduced which, in combination with L below normal precipitation. produced deficient runoff. Runoff was generally above median in the Atlantic Coast States and minor floods occurred in North and South Carolina. Ground-water levels general-ly rose except in northern and central Florida and were well. above average in many wells. NORTHERN MIDCONTINENT STATES The above normal temperatures in the Dakotas had their effect on the water resources. Small streams were flowing that normally are frozen, and snow cover was light or negligible. The high January runoff there- fore was at the expense of flows that would usually come later in the season. Ground-water levels gener- ally were about average in Nebraska but below average in. Iowa. In North Dakota, the levels were below aver- age in the southwestern part and above average else- where. Both record-low and record-high levels for January were observed in North Dakota. TEXAS Severe flooding in early January occurred in the coastal area from Corpus Christi to Brownsville. and runoff in the eastern half of Texas was excessive for the fourth consecutive month. Contents of Medina Lake near San Antonio was the largest for the end-of -month since June 1941, and the level in an observation well near San Antonio was the high~st observed since June 1950. The levels in most observation wells rose, but in the well near EI Paso the level was record low for January. COLUMBIA RIVER BASIN Flow of Columbia River near The Dalles, Oreg., was 102 percent of median after adjusting for storage in seven major power reservoirs. THE SOUTHWEST Runoff was again deficient in southern California, and it spread over almost all of Arizona. Snow cover at end of January in Arizona was the lowest in 20 years of record and in most areas soils were dry; the storm of Feb. 3-5 provided some relief, however. Flow of Colorado River near Grand Canyon, Ariz., was 120 percent of median and excessive, and storage in Lakes Mead and Mohave was well above average. Reservoir storage in southern Arizona remained well below aver- age. Ground-water levels remained at or near record- low stages. Prepared by W. S. Eisenlohr. E. W. Reed, and J. K. Searcy INT.-!lUP.SEC....SlI..D.C.)0966