New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1910-08-08
STATE STREAMS VERY LOW
Mill Owners Face Heavy Losses
Third Drv Year.

| Albany, Aug. Unless copious rains fan
| throughout the state during the coming
month manufacturers who are dependen,
| wholly or in part on water power will facs
| a serious situation. Reports made 70 the
| State Water Supply Commission show that
| conditions are already serious and that IN
many places a shortage even of pu5ls
water supplies has occurred, while naviga-
ton has been impeded-
Interesting Investigations and measure
ments Of Stream flow have been made By
c. o. Covert, district engineer in charge %
the photographic work that IS being done
In New York State by the United States
Geological Survey in cooperation with tbs
commission. The report for the month Of
July made by Mr.. Covert indicates thar
while lack of rain has been severely felt
the underlying cause of the unusually low
water IS found in the fact that this is the
third successive dry year. The drouth d,
last summer so depleted the subsurfacs
water supply that it is now insufficient to
equaiize in any appreciable extent the fow
of streams.
Basing his conclusions on data collected
from all parts OF the state. Mr.. Cover,
says:
QTCUtn
maintained throughout the state during ths
month of June was continued through July.
being broken by slight rains. which how
ever, were insufficient 70 increase or 70 even
maintain the flow of the streams as II Ell
listed in June The streams in the southern
part of the state were somewhat affected
by the heavy rains in that section from ths
10th 10 the 18th of the month This Is eSpe-
Cially true in the Genessee drainage. Hhers
the mean flow for the month of July was.
perhaps. 3 per cent greater than for the
CORRESPONDING month in 1909
During the second and third decades fire.
GUent showers have occurred very gener.
ally throughout the state. but they have not
been of sufficient magnitude % do mOrs
than to maintain the low water stage. Ths
Hudson River streams have been from - %
y and 50 per cent lower than in 1879 and
II another drOuth should come during Az
gust. undoubtedly extreme low water rec
ords will be established on all Of thess
streams.
r * n uoticea BILE fact that the streams
which have numerous lakes in their Upper
courses. and which have sandy ularsny
drainage basins. are maintaining nuce
better 1ICw than those streams which hSys
precipitOUs. though well timbered. basins
Although We had a heavy snowfall during
the winter of 199-'f0 in the southern pan
If the SJi-te- the snow was removed .
quickly by rains and high Temperatures
that IRE &Tea ter portion of il ran of dUrns
The short rerind. and. while We did not hafs
high water records on the streams N tne
northern TART OF the state. the ground va,
ter lad been depleted by ITO drOuth 81
i90S-'O9 that there was not sufficient waisI
TO repIenish. and consequently. soon q
the streams began to draw from the Eroula
water supply. il was soon pulled down
its stage OF last year
In some instances the streams are 80
low that the mill owners are facing heavy
losses and the wage loss to employees VII
reach n large total The delegation Oh
mill owners on the Oswego and Senecs
rivers who came to Albany last week
appeal to the Water Supply Commissio.
reported alarming conditions there. anu
similar reports have been received from
the Black River. the upper Hudson anu
other power streams An effort is beihs
made TO bring together the various organ
izations interested. for agreement on legs
islation which will enable the state on tal5
terms 10 relieve Il situation which threSr
ems industries of Importance 70 its com
mercial supremacy. II has been shown
ConcluSively that with such legislation
comparatively small outlay for water stor-
age will be sufficient TO make impoSsioS
4 recurrence of existing conditions.