Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1908-07-30
IMPORTANCE OF OUR WATER svP-
FLIES.

quent necessity of changing from
by complications which for the time
being completely paralyzed electric
car transit in Burlington. with all
which that implied for our citizens in
general, TO say nothing OF the dele
gates to the democratic county con-
vention who were stranded Mt Essex
Junction.
This was merely an incidental limit
of what Is constantly occurring In
different parts of the country in
more protracted but none the less
vexatious manner. People are con-
stanty being confronted by the neces-
sity of making good failing or mad
euuate water powers and the expert
ence is certain to multiply with the
drying up OF streams AMI the extern
sion Of Industries.
water power by any reason. Tho
water supply OF the United states is
of more Importance to the life md
pursuits Of the people than any other
natural resource. In the arid states
the limit of agricultural development
is determined by the amount OF water
available for irrigation, while in all
parts of the country tho increase In
the population OF cities and towns
makes necessary additional water
supplies for domestic ana industrial
uses. In procuring which both the
may be obtained must be considered.
The location OF manufacturing plants
may depend largely on the water
power facilities md on the character
of the water. The notable advances
made in the electric transmission of
power have led TO the utilization of
water powers for the operation Of
manufacturing establishments. rail-
roads. and municipal lighting plants.
from the places at which the power Is
developed.
The Intelligent establishment and
maintenance Of enterprises or indus
tries that depend on the use OF water
demands a thorough knowledge of the
flow OF the streams and an under
standing OF the conditions affecting
that flow. This knowledge should ne
based on data showing both the total
flow and the distribution OF the now
throughout the year, in order that
normal fluctuations may be provided
for. AS the flow of a stream Is vari-
able from year TO year. estimates of
future flow can be made only from a
years.
The rapid increase in the develop
ment of the water resources of the
United States has caused a great de-
mand by engineers for information in
regard to the flow of streams. ms II is
now generally realized that the failure
OF many large power. irrigation. and
other projects has been due to the
fact that plans were made without
sufficient trustworthy Information In
respect 10 the water supply.
owing to the broad scope of these
ty,yo pff evof try, py,1 h.. 90
they should cover in order that the
records may be OF greatest value. 1t is
in general impossible for private In
dividaais 10 collect the necessary data
and as many OF the streams traverse
more than one State. this work does
not properly fall within the province
OF the State authorities. The United
States Geological Survey has there-
fore, by means OF specific appropri-
ations by Congress. for several years
made systematic studies of stream
flow, with a view to determining ulti-
tanning to the flow OF the principal
streams OF the country. In carrying
on this work stationssare Established
on the streams and maintained for a
period long enough to show their
regimen or general behavior. When
a record that is sufficient for this pur
pose has been obtained for any stream,
the work on that stream Is discon-
tinued. The order In which the
streams are measured Is determin ed
by the degree of their Importance.
In 1906 the regimen Of flow was
| studied at about 700 stations distrib-
uted along various rivers. and data
In regard TO precipitation. evapora-
| tion, water power and river prohlcs
| were collected In many sections of the
| country. These data have been as
| sembled by drainage areas and will be
| published in a series OF fourteen
Water Supply and Irrigation Papers,
| each OF which will relate to the sur
| face water resources OF group OF
| adjacent areas. In these papers are
| embodied not only the data collected
at the stations. but also the results OF
computations based on these data and
other information that has n direct
bearing on the subject. such as de.
| scriptions of the basins and the