Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1908-08-13
TO PREVENT FLOODS.
one OF the Objects Of the Conservation
of Americas water sunp,y.

Washington, Aug. two hundred
trilion cubic feet of water on an aver
age falls on the surface of the United
States every year" This startling state
ment was made by Dr. W, j. McCce.
secretary of the inland waterways com.
mission. and an expert connected with
the bureau of soils of the depart ment
OF agriculture.
This was not a hap-hazard statement
on the part of one whose original re-
search has made his name familiar to
scientists the whole world over but was
made in the course OF an Interview
which had for Its primary object n better
nowledge OF the conservation of water
and its uses for the benefit OF mankind.
Two hundred trilion cubic feet Of
water" said Professor MCGEE, lis, to
the average mind. but two and lot Of
ciphcrs. To he more explicit, 1t equals
about ten Mississippis. and that volume
of water is the entire basis of our pros
perity"
The United states has an area CT
three million square miles, but that area
could be cut directly In twain and with
the same amount of rainfall we could
sustain the same population that we
have to-day. conduct the same enter
prises and raise the same products. n
condition which | do not believe most
people appreciate. We know very WE'LL
IL we stop to consider, that the market
price OF any commodity is dependent on
the water supply. We buy land in the
eastern hall of the United States and
say that there arc so many acres In this
parcel or in that, but in reality we buy
water This is fundamental. Water Is
the nrst of our resources. 1t Is the
natural resolvent. 1t is power. fertility
everything And being fundamental.
values begin with the water supply
with the 10 Mississippis falling upon
the land OF the United States every year,
two NLssissippis run Off. thus one-fifth
Of the water fall from the heavens
flows into the sea. OF the eight Mis-
sissippls remaining about five Missis
sippis are absorbed, passing off into the
air to be prcciptated again and again.
"A fraction, in part, passes into the earth
and slowly reaches the ocean. while an
other fraction Is consumed passing into
chemical combinations, such as plant
growth etc.
what We want to do Is to minimize
the waste of water and maximize the
benefits which must accrue to the citi-
zens and country ny proper conservation
of water supply II We so control tho
water that the rivers shall! flow in uni-
form stage we will solve the problem of
inland navigation and make the United
States richer by a thousand per cent
than they are to-day. In order to do
this We must equalize the run of the
,a ut no 80 rft- "a
this may be done by dams and reservoirs
and scientific cultivation Of the soil along
the courses of both streams and rivers
The levees Of the lower Mississippi have
done q magnificent work. but the pre-
yention of floods is better far than all
the levees in the world.
What we want to do is to get back
to nature in dealing with water First
to prevent floods. and second to compel
the water to run clear and pure. 1t is
a fact that each year the rivers Of main
land United states pour into the SEA
thousand million tons of richest soil
matter in the form of suspended sedi-
ment. an impost greater than all our
land taxes combined and n commensurate
jury TO commerce in tho lower rivers
which are rendered ,eaprcious and diff
cult OF conttol by the unstable load.
The difference IN ths power value
alone between controlled and uncon-
troied streams would in 10 years pay
the entire cost of stream control in the
United States. And this. coupled with
the billion dollars loss every year
through soil erosion. due To floods. would
construct comprehensive system Of
water control In the United States
1T seems to me in view of these state-
ments that the Congress should author
lie the control over the waters in order
that this wealth might contribute a
thousand fold to mans happiness and
prosperity Notwithstanding all that has
been said | am in hearty sympathy with
the President when he said that there
was q twilight zone between the fed
eral government and the States. so far
rs water control Is concerned. Both the
federal government and the States have
shrunk from assuming control over in
land waters because they have been fear
full of invading each others rights, What
we should aim to do Is to so coordinate
the work on the principle Of the greatest
good to tho greatest number for the
longest time, and a comprehensive pol
icy such Ms Is urged by the national
rivers and harhors congress. toward the
navigahe waters Of the nation would
bring untold prosperity and add immeas-
urably to the nations wealth"