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<br />000751 <br /> <br />the State were still well below average. Storage in <br />the major reservoir~ jncre~sed and, while below <br />average for November, was crItically low in only West <br />Branch Penobscot River system. and in Sebago Lake <br />which'held no usable storage for the third consecutive <br />month. <br /> <br />WESTERN -GREA T LAKES REGION <br /> <br />Runoff was mostly well above median and there were <br />no areas where it was deficient. Ground-water levels <br />generally rose seasonally and were average or above, <br />except in parts of Wisconsin where they declined and <br />were below average. <br /> <br />MIDCONTINENT REGION <br /> <br />The only deficient runoff and the only serious flood- <br />ing occurred in Missouri. Runoff generally was well <br />above median or excessive. Ground-water levels <br />generally rose. <br /> <br />South Dakota.-Runoff was above median throughout <br />most of the State as a result of abo'Ye-average pre- <br />cipitation and higher-than-usual temperatures which <br />prevented channel storage as ice, common during <br />November. Storage in the irrigation reservoirs of <br />western South Dakota, Angostura, Deerfield, and Belle <br />Fourche, and in the Missouri River main stem reser- <br />voir system was ",:ell above that of last year. <br /> <br />Nebras'ka.-Ground-water levels generally rose <br />during the month as the result of above-normal pre- <br />cipitation from which there was little direct runoff. <br />Except in the heavily pumped areas, ground-water <br />level.s were above average at end of month. <br /> <br />Iowa. -Runoff increased generally across the State <br />as it rained a little, snowed a lot, and thawed some. <br />The storm of November 17-18 brought snows amounting <br />to 5 inches or more in the northwest part of the State <br />and 10 .to 14 inches in aI:'".eas along f! )iQ..€ from CouncU <br />Bluffs to Elkader. Ground-water levels in both key <br />wells, which had been at or near record-low stage's <br />for the. past year, rose to about average stages. <br /> <br />Missouri. -Severe flooding occurred in the Bootheel <br />area as a result of heavy local precipitation Nov. 8-19, <br />totaling up to 15 inches. Damage to unharves ted cotton <br />and bean crops, planted late in the season because of <br />April and May floods, was estimated in the millions of <br />dollars. Approximately 60 families were evacuated, <br />without'loss of life. Stages of Little River ditches <br />near Kennett were somewhat lower than in the May <br />flood. Elsewhere runoff ranged from below median in <br />south-central Missouri to deficient in northern Missouri. <br />The level in the key well near Trenton continued to <br />decline and was the lowest of record <br /> <br />Arkansas.-Streamflow was far above median <br />throughout the State particularly in the eastern part <br />where in St. Francis River Floodway near Marked Tree <br />it was the highest since 1937. <br /> <br />Oklahoma. -=--Runoff was excessive in the southeast <br />and above the median throughout the remainder of the <br />State. Ground-water levels generally rose. Soil <br />moisture is considered excel1~nt for winter pastures <br />and grains. <br /> <br />3 <br /> <br />Texas. -Runoff was generally excessive except in <br />west Texas and in the Panhandle; however, flood peaks <br />were moderate, Flow from springs in the Edwards <br />limestone continued to increase. Usable storage in <br />mos t major reservoirs increased to more than double <br />that available in November 1956; many were at or near <br />usable capacity. The notA-ble exception was Red Bluff <br />Reservoir on Pecos River which held only 7 percent <br />of capacity. The largest increase in storage during <br />the month was 517,000 acre-ft in Texarkana Reser- <br />voir. Water levels in key wells generally rose; how- <br />ever, a record-low level for November was measured <br />at EI Paso, <br /> <br />Louisiana. ~Runoff was excessive with all three <br />key stations record high for November. Although run- <br />off was many times U~e meehan, November is normally <br />a month of low runoff and little flooding accompanied <br />the excessive runoff. <br /> <br />THE WEST <br /> <br />Runoff in Columbia River basin was in the median <br />range; flow of Columbia River near The Dalles, Oreg., <br />was 92 per~ent of median after adjusting for storage <br />in seven major power reservoirs. Runoff in Upper <br />Colorado River basin was excessive and flow of Colo- <br />rado River near Grand Canyon, Ariz., was 195 per- <br />cent of median and second highest of record for No- <br />vember. The only deficient runoff was in southern <br />California, in southern Arizona, and on Vancouver <br />Island. Ground-water levels were below average over <br />most of the West and well below average over most <br />of the southern part. <br /> <br />Alberta. -Runoff from the mountainous areas was <br />about median and that from the foothills belt was ex- <br />cessive. The fall season in the foothills belt has. been <br />characterized by appreciable precipitation as rain, <br />sleet, and snow, with intervening warmer periods <br />producing snowmelt and runoff. <br /> <br />British Columbi~. -Runoff was excessive along the <br />north coast of the mainland as a result of heavy pre- <br />cipftation which caused washouts that halted rail trans- <br />portation in the Prince Rupert area and a slide in <br />Prince Ruper~ that resulted in s'ome loss of life. Else- <br />where in the Province, runoff was in the median range <br />except on Vancouver Island where it was deficient. <br /> <br />Arizona. -Runoff was excessive in northern and <br />central Arizona but was deficient in the southeast. The <br />storm at the beginning of the month caused soine local <br />flooding but only moderate' rises on the major streams. <br />That storm and one in the middle of the month left <br />snow and saturated soil at the higher altitudes. Runoff <br />of Verde River was the highest for November since <br />1919. Storage continued to increase in the principal <br />reservoir systems except that the combined storage <br />in Lakes Mead and Mohave decreased slightly. <br /> <br />New Mexico. -Runoff was excessive in the north- <br />west and above median in most other streams. St,Jr- <br />age in Conchas Reservoir increased 7,300 acre-feet, <br />and storage in Elephant Butte and Caballo Reservoi:cs <br />increased 97,800 acre-feet, owing partly to release <br />of more than 21,000 acre-feet from EI Vado Reservoir. <br />Record-low levels for November were observed in all <br />key wells and in the Dayton well in the Roswr.:11 Basin, <br />the level was the lowest in 20 yea:..'s of record. <br /> <br />t <br />~ <br /> <br />