Historical Perspective - 01038000

The USGS established a gaging station on the Sheepscot River at North Whitefield, Maine in September of 1938. Today, that same concrete structure is used for data collection, and has been used continuously since 1938. 

This image shows two perspectives of the station, both from 1938-39 when the station was installed (on the left) and from 2005-2009 (on the right). You will notice the structure remains mostly unchanged, while the cableway has been upgraded as safety guidelines have evolved over time. 

The gage, which is 4 ft x 4 ft and goes 14 ft below ground level, was installed with the steel cableway in 1938 at a cost of $1,430, including materials and labor. The project spanned two months, and included $378 for labor and $37 for 'Subsistence'. 

A local newspaper covered the construction and noted the new gage would record water resources "which might aid in encouraging new industry or possibly eliminate some of the guess work of construction (of dams, bridges, etc) which proves hazardous to both life and pocketbook".