Measured river leakages using conventional streamflow techniques: the case of Souhegan River, New Hampshire, USA

Multiple streamflow measurements were made at coupled discharge measurement stations to quantify rates of aquifer recharge and discharge on two reaches of the Souhegan River, New Hampshire, USA, flowing within a glacial-drift river-valley aquifer. The reaches included a predominantly losing (aquifer recharge) reach and a variable (aquifer recharge and discharge) reach located downstream of the former reach. River leakage, the differential between coupled upstream and downstream streamflow measurements along a reach, varied by almost 30 cubic feet per second (ft³/s) (0.85 m³/s) along the two reaches. The upper reach averaged 3.94 ft³/s (0.11 m³/s) loss whereas the lower reach averaged 4.85 ft³/s (0.14 m³/s) gain. At the upper reach, 13 losses were measured out of 19 coupled measurements. At the lower reach, ten out of 13 coupled measurements indicated gains in flow and suggest that this reach is primarily a gaining river reach. An important factor in river leakage appears to be antecedent trends in river stage. At the upper reach, gains were measured only during periods of declining river stage. Conversely, at the lower reach, streamflow loss was measured primarily during periods of rising river stage. Although some tendencies exist, several factors complicate the analysis of river leakage, most notably the inaccuracies in computed stream discharge.