The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1908-06-05
Storage Reservoirs To Prevent
Floods And Aid Navigation.

Storage Reservoirs To Prevent
Floods And Aid Navigation.
/ A plan has been proposed to stop for
ever the costly spring floods at Pittsbnrg
and other places along the rivers which
drain The Appalachian Mountains. These
annual devastations are so certain in their
recurrence that they have come to be con-
sidered almost inevitable. All the efforts
walls. and other engineering works have
proven inadequate to control the streams
when they have swollen with the melting
winter SHOWS. On the other hand, the
Government projects have proved un-
availing to maintain the same river at a
depth great enough to permit unhamper-
ed navigation later on in the year, when
the food waters have spent themselves.
This latter trouble possibly causes a
greater financial loss to the South than
the foods but as it is not concentrated
4 into a brief spectacular outburst. less is
heard of it through the newspapers. 1t
was, indeed, the problem of navigation
that gave rise to the present scheme.
It is now proposed to go 10 the seat of
the evil-to the headwaters of-the river
and apply there two remedies First, the
maintenance of forest cover which will
keep the ground porous so that it will not
shed all the water from its surface at once
but will soak it up and release ii gradual.
ly; second, to establish storage reservoirs
at strategic points which willretain sur
plus flow when it is not useful but only
does damage by being allowed to run free,
and will pay it out, little by little. later
on, when it is sorely needed.
The United States has spent $50, ooo,-
900 to improve navigation on the rivers
which have their upland sources in the
Southern Appalachians and work already
undertaken will cost at least $4,000, 900
before it is finished. This does not in
clude the Ohio proper. which is largely
supplied with water from these sources,
on which more than 5000, 900 has been
spent. Despite this outlay navigation is
so preearious ON many of these rivers,
especially in the upper stretches, during
several months every year that steamboat
lines have to suspend operations and
many companies have abandoned the
field because with the light.draft vessels
they are forced to use they cannot CON-
pete with railroads, although steamboat
transportation is normally much cheaper
than railroad rates. The Government
has striven for a foot depth or even. in
some places, for 3-foot stage and been
unable TO maintain it throughout the
year.
Experts from the Geological Survey,
with the storage reservoir scheme in
mind, last year made careful study of
the rivers which flow from both sides OF
this watershed, located reservoir sites,
computed the amount of water they
would hold, the height of theN necessary
dams, and the periods during which the
river could be maintained at various
depths above their low water levels during
the dry seasons. The results of this
study are published under the title THE
Relation of the Southern Appalachian
Mountains to Inland Water Navigation"
as Circular I43 of the Forest Service, and
can be obtained free by writing to the
Forester at Washington. The initial cost
of these reservoirs would be greater than
the works under the present system, but
the authors of the circular say that the
storage reservoirs would give the relief,
both in regard to navigation and to floods,
which the present projects fail TO supply
and they point out that the relief so gain
ed would he permanent, whereas under
the system now in operation there is
continuous expense in dredging the
channels which become clogged with
sand and silt washed down by the spring
floods, especially from the interested
areas around some of the rivers.
In the long -run the storage reservoir
method would be cheaper as we'll as more
, effective, for. as one Of the sponsors of
the plan says. it is better business to add
to the tops of the rivers and get what you
want than 10 keep digging out the
bottoms in an attempt to get a river deep
enough to float boat in.