Figure 8. Map of Connecticut River watershed showing flood control dams and flow alteration at downstream gages. / The bar graphs show the degree of high flow alteration at the stream gages as the percent change in the flows after the construction of the last upstream flood control dam compared with the flows prior to the construction of the first upstream flood control dam. Note that the reduction in peak flows has been most severe for the 5-year discharge and higher, as the system was designed to do because these rare events can cause serious damage. The 1.1-year to 2-year discharges and in many cases even the Q1 have also been reduced despite being of little threat. The Q3, has changed relatively little while the Q5 to Q10 has tended to increase because the water held back by the flood control dam during the flow peak is subsequently released at these lower flow rates.