The independent-reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1909-1955, 1913-05-29

usefulness ID greatly umlt0Q Dy tn>
fact that during the freshet season
they are under water, while later II
the year they are all but arid, ant
the streams themselves completed,
dried up"
Henry s. Graves, chief of the Fores
service, Is another official enthusiastic
In his desire to make use of the pres
ent. conditions before public attention
| Is turned to other subjects of inter.
est.
"Reforestation at the headwateri
of streams" he said, lis not neces-
sarily a solution OF the problem pre-
scented in Ohio and Indiana; but II
is of very great Importance as par
Of the whole subject of flood control
and should be much better understood
by the public than 1t Is at present
The foliage of forests at the head.
waters of streams, especially in the
mountain and hill country, Is invalu-
able in retarding the run-off OF fresh
ct waters due to melting OF SHOWS
and the heavy spring rains. I'm
doubtedly, disastrous floods have beer
due to the reckless deforestation a.
the headquarters OF streams.
But In country such as that which
has been visited by the floods of the
past few weeks, deforestation woulc
not necessarily be the remedy. Those
are agricultural lands, and 1t would
not be desirable to devote them tc
forests. There must be general
program of water storage all along
the rivers. as well as of conservation
of forests in those parts OF the coun-
try which are of no use for agricul-
tural purposes.
The program must be three-fold
particularly in parts of the country
/ like the comparatively fiat lands OF the
Ohio and Mississippi valleys. There
must be conservation of present for
ests and reforestation at the head
waters, and in suitable territory along
the course of streams, to retard the
run-off. Then there must be sys-
TENS of storage along the stream.
And to these must be added adequate
systems OF bikes and leyees to pro-
tect tho. land that Is not sufficiently
above. t. normal water level to es-
cape ordinary freshets.
at may be that no human device
or precaution. can wholly guard
against such things as | understand
to have been the principal cause OF
these foods-unprecede rain
storms within restricted area, COM
ing on suddenly and with enormous
amount of precipitation. But scien-
tific and thorough scheme Of conser-
walton along these lines certainly
would reduce the danger and the dam
age to the practicable minimum.
Thus far in the United States no
reservoir system has been constructed
by the Federal government with the
combined purposes of storing water
for irrigation, the Improvement OF
navigation, the development of water
power, and to some extent, for flood
prevention. The only instance in
operation is that at the headquarters
of the Mississippi river; but Its effects
as recorded, greatly encourage the be-
lief that systems can be constructed
which will, on the one hand, greatly
diminish the danger of disastrous
floods. and on the other, increase the
utility of streams both for power and
for navigation during the dry season.
The original project at the Mlsslss-
ippi headquarters contemplated a
system of forty-one reservoirs; thus
far, only five have been completed
J and put in operation, sixth is now
under construction.
These reservoirs control the run-off
from about II per cent. of the drain
age area above ST. Paul, but the engi-
neers report that they have increased
the stage of the Mississippi at st. Paul
during the dry season by an average
maximum of Is inches. During the
unprecedented dry weather of 1910,
when the rainfall In Minnesota was
less than half the normal, these reser-
yoirs supplied more than two feet oil
water at st. Paul which, in the month
of August, was 70.3 per cent. OF the
total flow of the river. During the
summer of 1911, they were equally
effective
If the damage of the floods In the
Middle West during the past season
has reached the many millions re-
ported. a tremendous argument FOR
the adoption of a national program
exists. 1t Is Of much interest In this
connection also to note the state
ment that the direct annual value OF
the reservoir system at the M1ssis-
sippi headwaters to present and pros
pective power enterprises, has been
estimated at 100000, the total cost
of the system to June 30, 1910, having
been only little over $1,500,O00.
OF course, the classic example OF the
utility of dam systems In controlling
floods and impounding waters for use
during dry seasons Is that of the vast
Assouan project on the Nile. The
American mind has not yet fully ad-
justed itself to the idea of expendi'
lures running perhaps into the bill
lions. 1t will require long cam
paign of education to accustom the
people of the states and their repre-
sentatives in Congress to the thought
of q national scheme Of such magni-
tude. The complication Of the water
power subject, and the unhappy ex-
periences of the states with corpora
ton grabs in that field, make the
problem one very difficult OF solution
Nevertheless, the large-scale trag'
edy in the Ohio watershed, with Its
widespread publicity enforced by un'
usually dramatic circumstances, gives
the whole subject an instancy and at
mosphere Of pressing necessity which
1t might have gained In no other way
and at no less cost.