The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1914-01-30

ny ever worse ones may not he AK
tbc 'ne future. II tho heaviest OF
~ obt' rainfall had been entirely fn
-" phlo basin. Of 30 the preoirtfsffor
had occurred with snow ON ina ern,,nd
49, ~ surface Of the earth frozen re
luh-ou into the Ohio woulJ h.v.
stSa'er anu more sudden and the results
even more disastrous. The onIV fartcr-
y severe Hoods present in this instance
nels T ialh.ail aud o~bstructed chan
~ ~ not improbable that there
I've been equal precipitations In ~
me reason why like results were
not produced Is that the drainage chan
hels We're In better condition in fba 80
years than they are at present.
rlo1as IN general are caused CaD by
Issue precipitation. 90 rapid rum
pm tcl insufficient channel csnacftv
"leauH 10 prevent Hoods or to protsct
Ts1tnst them must then deal with the
MAXIMUM amount OF water 10 be carried
ana NE capacity Of the Channels when
must carry it.
Cause OF Floods.
corime primary cause Of floods f.. Of
some advocates or forestry claim 49,
lIeclpitation Is increased by foresfs
which would tend. IL true. 10 incres-s
Hood heights. the evidence does naf go
tam the claim. ana II may be safely
Soncsuded that human control OF the
Ianula4 or snow. either As to the total
rolpttatloh or as TO Its distribution
the year. whether bv for-
eSts or Otherwise. Is impossible. The
0plnloh on his point OF the National
waterways Commission is as follows.
'Whatever influence forests NAV
TaHJ upon precipitation. it Is GER
a4hIy not sufficient 70 appreciabiy
3nect stream How ami tile naviga-
blllty OF streams. and thus is not
essential TO this discussion
50 Tar as known, reforeStation Is th.
1Hly method that has been seriously
PIoposed Tor controlling rainfall. un-
less we consider the C-auEouadiuu ~ ia,
heavens. with a view OF reducing rair
ago. S'"'a
For controlling run-on many sc.
nave been proposed. OF which rcforesf.-
tlon and reservoirs are the most i'm
~ ~ tant me euect Of forests on run
on Is more marked than precipitatfon but
not great enough 20 have any parficr-
isr value in reducing flood heights
Careful study shows under orTi.r
conditions "a good forest subso1 will ~
TAN about 1900 inches OF raInf4II ,rf
under favorable conditions 23-i0O inch
crophi meg reat Hood Of 1913 the
luIHu nau bten soaked by previous
rains. IL cauuOt. therefore. be aestr1r5
that more than 16-10O OF an inch ~ no
.alhtall IN this Hood was retained by
the forested areas. For the purDoses ~
comparison. IL may be assumed fh.f 3D..
VW,l"he Ialhlali on the watershed above
watershed f. $4,000 square miles -
N.ich 1850 square miles. porf{ors 81
Sr'Th mlght be considered as available
lor IeI~ofestation, nave been cleared IN
der the extreme Assumption that ~. -
IRE cleared area might have been -
US Stsa the hood Of March, 1919. at
HE|A NNNNM||.N
thefeby less than one per cent. IL may
Iut sald. therefore. while admitfir-
Nlthout question. the a~dvieabiftv Of r.-
InTestttlpu FOR Its obvious proper bene-
hts. that IL has virtually no value n,
iar - prevention OF floods H. concerned
Reforestation. ~ has been srg"e
@nuuld be undertaken 90 prevent eNces.
1--WE erosion. n applicable az All r,r
ms purpose n Is IN the southern Appa-
~nchian Regions. where erosion 10
lahcn place. This erosion apnenrs how
80, 70 nc due rather 20 the destruction
~ mo layer or forest humue or eofr 3D..
ilrc Hna 10 improper methods OF land
cultifatiou than TO dcforcstaftou. no.
unef " seem Co. have been aufr.i,rt t,
amount. at least in this country o.. have
,ueterlaiy affected navigation or flood
geltnt- ~ need not. therefore. be hero
Reservoirs.
reservoirs az the headwafcra Of rfy,r.
ElNe promise Of success. aara.Iaff- -
small streams The ohferffare ft-tr,
ana uujustlv urged against Thorn ,-.
ihtlr expense. difficulty of ouer4fI.r