The Daily Missoulian., 1909-01-23

walton which will endure. This needs
the definite commitment of state gov
ernments and the federal government
to their inherent duty of teaching the
people how to care for their forests.
The final responsibility both for in
vestigative work in forestry and for
making it's results known rests upon
the states and upon the nation.
BY reasonable thrift, we can produce
a constant timber supply beyond our
present need, and with it conserve the
usefulness of our streams for irriga-
ton, water supply navigation and
power.
Under right management our forests
will yield over four times as much as
now. We can reduce waste in the
woods and in the mill at least one
third, with present as well as future
profit. We can perpetuate the naval
stores industry. Preservative treat
ment will reduce by one-fifth the
quantity of timber used in the water
or in the ground. We can practically
stop forest fires at a cost yearly of
one-fifth the value of the merchant
able timber burned
Waters.
The sole source of our fresh water
is rainfall, including snow. From this
source all running, standing and
ground waters are derived. The
habitability of the country depends
upon these waters. Our mean annual
rainfall is about 80 inches; the guam
tity about 215,000, 900, 900, 900 cubic feet
per year, equivalent to 10 Mississippi
rivers.
OF the total rainfall, over half is
evaporated; about a third flows into
the sea; the remaining sixth is either
consumed OF absorbed. These portions
are sometimes called, respectively, the
fly-off, the run-off and the cutt-off
They are partly interchangeable
About a third of the run-off, or a
tenth of the entire rainfall, passes
through the Mississippi. The run-off
is increasing with .deforestation and
cultivation.
OF the 10000, 900 100000 cubic feet
annually flowing into the sea, less
than 1 per cent is restrained and util-
lied for municipal and community
supply; less than per cent Cor some
10 per cent of that in the arid and
semi-arid regions) is used for irriga-
ton; perhaps five per cent is used
for navigation, and less than five per
cent for power.
For municipal and community water
supply there are protected catchment
areas aggregating over 100000 acres,
and over $250,0O0 900 are invested in
waterworks, with nearly as much
more in the appurtenant catchment
areas and other lands. The popula-
tion thus supplied approaches 10,000,-
OO0,. and the annual consumption is
about 37,5O00OO,O0O cubic feet. The
better managed systems protect the
catchment areas by forests and grass;
the water is controlled and the storm
product used, but there is large waste
after the water enters the mains.
For irrigation, it is estimated that
there are 5000, 100000 invested in dams.
bitches, reservoirs and other works
for the partial control Of the waters;
and that 1900, 900, ,OO0,OO0 cubic feet an
nually diverted to irrigable lands, ag-
gregating some 10000 square miles.
Except in some cases through fores-
try, few catchment areas are con-
trolled, and few reservoirs are large
enough to hold the storm waters The
waste in the public and private pro-
jects exceeds 60 per cent, while no
more than % per cent of the water
actually available for irrigation Of the
arid lands is restrained and diverted
improvements Needed.
There are in continental United
States 2S2 streams navigated for an
aggregate Of 26,115 miles, and as much
more navigable if improved. There
are also As canals, aggregating 2,1s9
miles, besides numerous abandoned
canals. Except through forestry in
recent years, together with a few res
ervoirs and canal locks and movable
dams, there has been little effort to
control headWaters or catchment
| areas in the interests of navigation,
and none of our rivers are navigated
to more than small fraction even Of
their efficient low-water capacity.
| The water power now in use Is
| $3.50 900 horsepower; the amount run
ming over government dams and not
used is about 100000 horsepower;
the amount reasonably available
| equals or exceeds the entire mechan-
ical power now in use, or enough to
operate every mill, drive every spin
| die, propel every train and boat, and
light every city, town and village in
the country. While the utilization of
water power ranks among our most
recent and most rapid industrial de-
velopments, little effort has been made
to control catchment areas or storm
| waters in any large way for power,
though most plans effect local control
through reservoirs and other works
Nearly all the freshet and flood
waters run to waste, and the low
waters which limit the efficiency Of
power plants are increasing in fire.
quency and duration with the increas-
ing flood run-off.
Practical Utility.
The practical utility of streams for
both navigation and power Is meas
ured by the. effective low-water stage.
The volume carried when the streams
| rise above this stage Is largely wasted
and often does serious damage. The
direct yearly damage by floods since
1900 has increased steadily from $45,s
100000 to over $23S,000,000 The indi-
rect loss through depreciation of prop
erty is great, while large loss
arises in impeded traffic through nav