Alabama state intelligencer., 1831-06-04
From the National IntelIirencer

70 the CheSafiedke and Ohio Canal and DaHtnlore and Ohio Ra1iroad Comhanies. we ewlli now proceed to investigate the causes whlch nave operated to render the river O. mo uhiit tor the navigation of steamboats for nearly hali the year, and show that instead of expecting a better state of thinps. we are to look tor an increase of the evil, in spite of every artificial means now proposed to reme- dy it.
 It IS an appalling truth in the history of all soater coursea, namely, their liability to her fefnal chanSe. The natural operation of all riVers, whether in the primitive or alluvial Iorinatlon of country, is to rise in their beds, and add increasingly to their margins. If we should trace the history of our water courses we should find that the ratio of this opera ton keeps pace with the increase of cultiva- ton ot the country through which they run. l Thus the cause of the evil in question is made manifest
 Previous to culture, the natural grass which covered the race of the ground prevented the substratum from being washed away by the descending rains, whatever injurious abrasion occurred being confined to the margin of the stream. In state of nature, therefore; rivers Will continue longer suited to the purposes of navigation but when the hand of cultivation, oy the plough, breaks up the vegitable cover ing ot the earth, the loose soil underneath, being easily detached, is washed away by the floods, carried down the stream, and deposit ed in the still water or eddy places. In ad- dltlon to this, the undermining, of the banks, by the current striking and rubbing against them, and the falling in of trees, 8cc. all con- tribute to the formation of bars and other ob- structions.
 With knowledge of this unerring law of Nature, associated with water courses, before us, we are enabled easily to account for all those changes which have taken place in the navigabe capacity, not only of the Ohio, but all other rivers; and it should serve as bea- con to warn us against trusting too far to them as fermanent means of commercial inter. course
 here IS another circumstance which ope- rates to reduce the supply of water to rivers; that we should also bear in mind, namely, as the country is cleared and cultivated, in the proportion of this, a dminution in the uuanti- ty of the waters of springs takes place; and consequently the supply to the streams les sened.
 Trees are the natural conductors of n,ois- fure, and where country is deprived of it's forests it will suffer for the want of rain-and | where no rain falls, there will be TO strings and where there are TO strings, there will | be no Streams-po riUers-and consequently | barren country must follow this absence of rains. The sandy wastes found in Europe,
 Asia, Africa, and America, like so many blots upon the face of the fair earth, testify in the strogest manner to this melancholy truth.
 Who knows but that these desert places were once the seat of ffourshing empires, and re- duced to this melancholy condition by, either 1 wanton or neCessitous destruction of their forests? Be this as it may, desolaton will always follow the felling of the forests of 2 country. A PROFESSIONAL MAN,