The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1915-04-12

1T best holding It's own. and in many
cases failing. This IL the striking
history or the water supply OF the
Y United States in many sections OF
the middle West.
Another proof of the widespread
change in the water supply or the
country was obtained through a stud,
Iof the flow of rivers by the United
States Geological Survey. There
We're many records available both of;
great floods and the total discharge
of. the rivers, but none which showed
the relation of their flow TO The rain
fall. The Geological Survey devised a
method whereby they divided the
number Of days upon which the stage
of he river passed certain point on
the gauge. chosen as being about.
normal, by the total annual RAINFALL
In this way they got ratio between
stream flow and precipitation. anu
these records We're kept from 4 IS 5 To-
1907. They show that throughout
that period the flow OF number OF
rivers in the East from Georgia to
and Ohio to the. coast,
has constantly. become more intermit-
tent and more irregular Even those
rivers which are not subjectEto Goods
rise quickly during rain and sub
side quickly after it, showing that q
large proportion of the WAFER is car
ried OFF to the sea instead of sinking
into the soil
The destruction OF our forests has
long been considered the chief cause
both Of floods and the diminishing
water supply Undoubtedly, this IL
one OF the causes. and the CHIEF
cause or he increased discharge o.
a r+Is
is by no means the only factor in the
situation AS more and more Of the
land has been put under cultivation.
there has been more and more de-
raand Up the reserve water supply.
Also, swamp lands which held i'm
mense reserve supplies of water have
been drained. In "a word we have
been spendthrift with our water sup
ply. as with many Of our natural re-
sources, and now we must pay the
price. 7.
Soil experts of the department OF
agriculture ire urging farmers to
practice individual conservation OF
Water----thaL is, to make all Of the
water available on each farm pro
Eductive. No water should be allowed
to go to waste by surface run-off. and
as little as possible should lie lost
through seepage and drainage. 'f5
The conservation or the nations
! water supply undoubtedly depends
largely upon restoring and. prese.y-
| ing the forests upon the principal
! watersheds OF thercontinent. and else.
where This is largely the fork OF
the United States forest service 1t
IS well known that fcresterd regions
viii hold water. while it " i'll quickly
f,f fF - :, IL VA -
1 denuded. But there is another
phase Of this question which is Just
| nov interesting the government
scientists a great deal.
| 1t Is known that through the action
fof their leaves, forests transpire a
great deal more water than either
/ bare soil or that which is covered by
heritage orscrowing crops. BY reason
I OF this power, Ill is believed that for
ests exercise an important influence
upon the rainfall Of the country.
Thus, the clouds which carry water
to the inland United States. come
from the Gulf of Mexico and the
South seas. being blown Snorthawrd of
westward by the prevailing winds.
These moisture-Iaden clouds drop the
bulk Of their burden near the sea
THE water reaches the earth in the
IOIIl8 VI 5Ittln ana #ueW,. ana the WlnuS
go on, becoming gradually drier. as
tthey get farther inland "A part or
the wafer which they lose. however.
hey pick up a gain as it is evaporated
from the earth.
Now in the case of open prairie
lands or farms. a large part Of this
fwateri is lost by run-off and goes back
ITO the sea. But if the water falls
upon n fOrestel region, 1T sinks into
the leaf mold and the roots hold it.
and through its living organism the
forest grad lily transpires lit into the
air, giving 1T back to the thirty winds
almost without loss.
ASE vOnr nnirrhhnr. + ~ no ~. ..ss9i u -