Reports: Final Report of the Ground Water Level Survey
FINAL REPORT
OF THE
GROUND WATER LEVEL SURVEY
OF CERTAIN AREAS OF THE
CITY OF BOSTON
Survey conducted by the Works Progress Administration Program,
under the official project number W.P. 5325 and the supplemental
official project number W.P. 18868. This final report prepared
under the latter. Both projects officially sponsored by the
Building Department of the City of Boston, Massachusetts.
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OPEN LETTER
W.P.A. Project #18868 Location:
O.P. #665-14-3-923 Relief Station
Title: Field and Offiee Surveys, Haymarket Square
including Observations, Boston, Mass.
Tabulations and Mapping
of Ground Water Stations-Boston
January 2, 1941
To: James H. Mooney
Building Commissioner
901 City Hall Annex
Boston, Massachusetts
Subject: Final Report of the Ground Water Level Survey,
W.P.A. Projects #5325 and #18868
1. We respectfully submit for publication and
your information the attached manuscript,
data, blue print tables, etc., indicating
the explanation of obtaining, recording
and compiling certain data in regards to
the surface water conditions in certain
areas of the City of Boston, Massachusetts.
2. The attached data, information, compilation
and reports, herewith submitted, constitute
the final report of the survey conducted by
the officially approved Works Progress Admin-
istration Projects #5325 and #18868 (Supple-
mental Project). These projects were offi-
cially approved and sponsored by the Build-
ing Department of the City Of Boston, Massa-
chusetts.
3. We herewith respectfully transfer, from our
custody to that of the Building Department
of the City of Boston, all index card records,
papers, original profile drawings, sketches,
tracings, etc.; all as prepared, accumulated
or gathered in the performance of the work
of this survey.
4. All surplus property, if any, supplied the
Survey Projects owned by the Federal Govern-
ment has been properly returned to the local
warehouse, 22 Farnsworth Street and duly
receipted.
5. All surplus property, if any, supplied the
Survey Projects owned by the City of Boston,
has been properly returned to the custodian
and duly receipted.
6. We refer you to the Index Page immediately
following this letter, which indicates the
topics and composition of the attached data.
7. We trust the report meets your approval.
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SCHEME AND SYNOPSIS OF FINAL REPORTS
PART I
BOOK I
Preface, Open Letter
Page
1 History of Ground Water Level Survey
2 " " " " " "
3 Recapitulation (All wells in City)
4 Wells not functioning
5 " " " (Totals)
6 " " " (Locations of Dry Wells)
7 " " " " " " "
8 " " " " " " "
9 " " " (Locations of Plugged Wells)
10 " " " " " " "
11 " " " " " " "
12 " " " (Locations of Wells
Unable to Open)
13 Abandoned Wells
14 " " (Locations by Wards)
15 " " (St. Locations & Cause for Abandonment)
16 " " " " " " " "
17 " " " " " " " "
18 " " " " " " " "
19 " " " " " " " "
20 " " " " " " " "
21 " " " " " " " "
22 " " " " " " " "
23 " " " " " " " "
24 " " " " " " " "
25 " " " " " " " "
26 " " " " " " " "
27 Special Studies
28 " " Effect of Tides in Vicinity of
Atlantic Avenue
29 " " Effect of Tides (Well Locations)
30 " " " " " " "
31 " " First Church Of Christ Scientist in
Vicinity of Huntington Ave. Subway
32 " " " " (Well Locations)
33 " " Vicinity of the Hotel Lenox
34 " " " " " " (Well Locations)
35 " " Vicinity of N.E. Mutual Life Ins. Bldg.
36 " " " " " "(Well Locations)
37 Interesting Facts and Statistics
38 " " " "
39 Missing or Broken Covers Replaced, etc.
40 " " " " " "
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SCHEME AND SYNOPSIS OF FINAL REPORTS
PART I
BOOK I (Cont.)
Individual Reports on Water Level Stations
Wards 1 - 2 - 3
BOOK II
Individual Reports on Water Level Stations
Wards 4 - 5 (Ward 5 up to and including Well #101)
BOOK III
Individual Reports on Water Level stations
Wards 5 (Continued) 6 - 7 (Ward 5 starts with
Well #102)
BOOK IV
Individual Reports on Water Level Stations
Wards 8 - 9 - 13 - 15 - 16 - 21 - 22
PART II
Binder 1 - Boston Development Maps - 1814 - 1836 - 1851
1861 - 1871
2 - (Old) Master Maps Locations of wells on plans
3 - (New) " " " " " " "
4 - Individual ward maps Ward lines as of 1940
5 - Profile graphs
Small Cards - Locations of wells alphabetically by sheets
(cross-indexed)
Large Cards - Water level stations in numerical sequence.
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HISTORY OF THE GROUND WATER LEVEL SURVEY
Sponsor - Building Department
901 City Hall Annex
Boston, Mass.
Location - City Wide
Home Office - Haymarket Square Relief Station
Starting Date - Project #5325 - December 30, 1936
- Project #18868 - February 5, 1940
Finishing Date - Project #5325 - April 22, 1939
Project #18868 - February 1941
Project Name - Ground Water Level Survey
Foreword - Roughly two-thirds of Boston is made land
necessitating the driving of piles for any buildings
constructed. To preserve these piles they must be
constantly covered with water. The ground water level
is always changing and the figures compiled from this
study will be of inestimable value to the various City
Departments. Many wells had to be abandoned where a
clay or rock strata was found, as a true reading could
not be recorded.
Purpose and Description - To make periodic observations
of 966 wells; to check the variation of water levels in
each; to compile records and draft profiles of ground
water levels at these established stations in the City
of Boston, Suffolk County. Work consisted of observa-
tions, tabulations and maps for each well; spot and
detail maps of each; water profiles and general reports;
field and office surveys and incidental mapping. There
is no normal budgetary appropriation for this work and
no regularly employed personnel will be displaced.
Under Project #5325 there were 1296 water level
station locations determined, wells driven and spotted
on maps. Each location was given to a foreman of an out-
side crew, only after certain studies had been made of
such locations, to be certain there was no interference
with the Edison Electric Illuminating Co., New England
Tel. & Tel. Co., Telegraph and Cable Co's., Boston Con-
solidated Gas Co., Boston Water Dept., Boston Sewer
Dept., and other public services and utilities.
The rodmen were able to read approximately 20 wells
a day. On Project #5325 - 65,241 readings were made.
On Project #18868 - 30,000 approximate readings were made.
Many readings were taken of the same wells by the same
and different men. This procedure acted as a check on
the preceding man and his findings. These readings were
sent to the office by mail daily in the form of reports.
These reports were then transferred to index cards. From
the index cards, profiles were plotted. Any wells that
became covered with concrete or for other reasons were
not functioning, were abandoned and this information in-
corporated on the spot maps. From the data on each of
these cards, typewritten reports were drawn up containing
an inked sketch showing the location of the wells and other
information. For example: lowest and highest readings,
when taken, and grade at the top of well. These figures
were used in preparing the final reports. The final reports
consist of several sheets which have been transferred to
tracing cloth and later blue printed. The information on
these prints agrees with that on the typewritten reports.
Each rodman, in addition to taking readings, inspected,
examined, located, observed conditions, and reported same
as to broken or missing boxes, covers, screws, etc. In
some cases new screws and covers were installed.
A special study of water level conditions was made in
the vicinity of the Christian Science property due to the
building of the Huntington Avenue subway. In the vicinity
of the Hotel Lenox a special study was also made. Again
a special study was made in the vicinity of the N. E.
Mutual building. On Atlantic Avenue and Commercial Street,
on the Boston waterfront, a special study was made with
regards to the effect of the tides on the wells.
During the period that both projects were in operation
we were visited for special information by engineers and
construction companies and other interested parties, as to
the effects of tunnels, tides, etc. For example: the
Turner Construction Co. was interested in the well readings
in the vicinity of the Boston Opera House at Massachusetts
and Huntington Avenues. Mr. Radmus of the Harvard Engineer-
ing School visited us and made prints of profiles of water
levels taken during the construction of the Liberty Mutual
Building.
Supervisor on Project #5325
John Craig
Supervisors on Project #18868
Edward McCrann February 5, 1940
William Ellis August 12, 1940
Louis Brackman October 15, 1940
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