The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-01-27
OUR WATER POWER.

Congressman Mann's subcommittee Of
the Interstate Commerce Committee IL now
considering the question OF the control of
water powers in our navigable rivers, Tha
IL natural result of the study OF these
water powers now far advanced. In which
both the Federal Government and some Of
the States have participated The relations
OF the Federal State and many municipal
governments to these water privileges
are not yet entirely defined, and the sub
committee which ia now taking testimony
Is expected 10 report on this matter.
IL Is understood that the Federal Gov
eminent claims certain control OF water
powers in rivers whose navigation il i'm
proved by means of Federal appropriations.
There is considerable diversity of opinion
and usage az to the ownership OF streams
In the different States. and even In parts OF
the sumo State In New York, for example.
the absolute State ownership Of the beds
banks and waters of all streams flowing
into the Hudson and Mohawk rivers has
been confirmed by repeated decisions Of
the highest courts Of the State. In the
Genesee and other rivers. on the contrary
as is shown in the Government reports on
the New York rivers. the early custom has
been followed 20 this day Of regarding the
title to streams to the middle Of their beds
to be vested in the owners Of the lands
abutting on their banks
The United States has betrayed most OF
the cost Of investigating the water resources
of our arid regions; but in tho Eastern
States, particularly IN their mountain dis
tricts. there has been cooperation between
the Federal and State governments. The
funds supplied by Legislatures have been
supplemented by an equal amount allotted
from the Federal appropriation for gauging
streams and determining the water supply
Of the country The details Of field work
in the East have. as far as practicable, been
entrusted to local men.
Maine New York, Pennsylvania, North
Carolina and Alabama are among the States
which have thus cooperated with the gem
eral Government In measurement of the
volume Of streams and investigation Of
their water powers, and Government mono
graphs have thus far been published in
the water supply papers on the water
powers of New York. Maine, Alabama and
the southern Appalachians.
The results OF these studies in our East
ern States within the past ten years have
led TO some very interesting conclusions.
They have surprised us with their estimates
OF the vast amount Of water power that is
still going to waste. They show, for ex-
ample, that the possible development of
water power in New York is over 500 900
gross horsepower. We may get some idea
of what this means when we remember that
the productive value of one horsepower
is estimated at about 500 year. These
measurements include the special investi-
cations of tho Hudson River in 1895. the
Genesee River in 1900 and Niagara Falls in
1897. The present permanent power in the
Genesee River is only 0,727 gross horse
power, but the construction Of the pro-
jected reservoir Mt Portage will increase it
to more than 81 900 horsepower The Hud-
son and its tributaries may be made TO con-
tribute nearly one-nfth of the water power
available for industrial purposes in the
State.
The fact il that We have only begun TO
tap this great facility for the creation Of
wealth. and the electrical transmission Of
water power will tend more and more to
stimulate efforts to develop t.