A Preliminary Assessment Of Drainage Efficiency Throughout The Cox Brook Drainage System, Central Vermont
Sean Armstrong (ES ’05)
This study was designed to determine if the Cox Brook watershed in central Vermont drains water differently than predicted by a model of equal discharge for equal area. The Cox Brook ( Fig. 1) drainage basin covers 11.74 square miles; it drains into the Dog River in Northfield, VT.
figure 1
The study was carried out from September to December of 2004. This was tested against a model suggesting that discharge following a storm will be proportional to the area drained. Discharge was calculated for the basin as a whole, it was then split for the upper and lower half then finally the NW and SW quadrants of the upper half ( Fig. 2).
figure 2
Two rain gages were placed within the drainage basin and it showed that precipitation was equal throughout when it rains. From the data collected it was found that differences between predicted and observed discharge values were different although minimal ( Fig. 3).
figure 3
What was found from these precipitation events was that gradient, forestation and area of a streambed have an effect on how the water drains out of the basin. Studying the effects of this it may be possible to predict or prevent landslides and flooding events.