Cameron County press. [volume] (Emporium, Cameron County, Pa.) 1866-1922, 1905-12-07
E. A. PYLE,
General Agent.
The Susquehanna Waters.

A valuable addition to our know
ledge of the Susquehanna drainage
basin will be- found in two publications
recently issued by U. S. Geological
Survey, which contain the results of
extended Investigations on this stream
and its tributaries.
Commercially the Susquehanna basin
is the largest and most important
drainage area in the north Atlantic
States. The headwaters of this river
system on the elevated plateau which
separates the waters flowing southwark
and eastward into the Atlantic streams
from those flowing northward and
westward into the st. Lawrence, the
Great Lakes, and the Mississippi.
Geographically tbs watershed lies in
three photographic divisions; the AL
/ legheny, the Appalachian Valley, and
the Piedmont Plateau. The total area
of the basis is p, 400 square miles, COM
prising 81, ,060 square miles in Pennsyl
vania, or about a. per cent, of the area
of the state; go, 0S0 square miles in New
York, or Is per cent of the area Of the
State; and 260 square miles, or about .
per cent of the state of Maryland.
One of the papers mentioned is en-
titled autobiography of Susquehanna
River Drainage Basin," and has beeu
so prepared as to be of use to the lay
man as we'll as the engineer, providing
for the former a comprehensive view
of the conditions in the area, and sup
plying the engineer with data for max
ing estimates in hydraulic investiga-
tions. In view of the fact that the
power resources of this basin are so
little developed, the discussion of
water powers and the tables of eleva-
ton and developed horse power are
most interesting and valuable. This
report is the joint work of Messrs.
John 9. Hoyt and Robert E. Ander.
son of photographic Branch of the
Survey.
The second paper is entitled 1.-THE
Quality of the Water in the Susque-
hanna River Basin," and contains
numerous analyses of the water in the
main stream and many of its tribu tar
les. The portions devoted to the pol
luton of streams by mine wastes are
especially interesting. 1t is doubtful
could be satisfactorily employed as a
source of domestic water supply, but
the Susquehanna is so befouled with
sewage that it could not be used in its
raw state for household purposes
even if no mine drainages were turned
into it. Mr.. III. o. Leighton, the
author of the report, shown by a ser
les of chemical analyses that the water
is actually more free from organic
matter at the lower end of Wyoming
Valley than at the upper and this con
dition is traceable to large amount o
acid mine refuse which is turned into
the stream. We find also that the pre-
cipitation of immense quantities o
sewage matter and coal d0st into tn,
river eventually will fill up the channe
} along certain reaches. The compiler
while speaking of the waters of thi
valley, says: "Bennett Branch auC
; Driftwood Branch flow into Sinnama
| honing Creek, which, in turn, emptie
into West Branch of Susquehann;
River at Keating. The towns of Tyler
J Caledonia, and Bennezett, located OIL
, Bennett Branch, all secure good pot
! able water from this stream. Tn,
! samples tested gave a nentral Reaction
were low in solids aud incrusaats, anC
moderately low in chlorine. This i
also true OF the water supply of En-
p porium, on Driftwood Branch. anC
Driitwood, on Sinnamahoning Creek ,
II is probable that the Susquehanna
especially that portion below the Wes
Branch, is chiefly valuable as an agen
: of sewage disposal II would be i,n
, possible, with the present large popu
lation upon the drainage area, t,
render the stream fit for domestic use
and therefore it may as w5ll receiv,
city sewage up 10 "A certain limit.
These papers which are known a,
Water Supply and Irrigation paper
Nos. l0s and lO9, may be obtained fre,
of charge upon application to th,
Director Of the T. 5. Geological Sur
Vey, Washington, u. g.