Year: 1879

! ifornia, fall into the Sacramento and the
San Joaquin, the one flowing south
and the other north, and at length empty
into the bay OF San Francisco. Through
these rivers must pass all the moisture,
not absorbed by the sell, which tho Sier-
ras attracts from the ocean lying almost
at its feet. The annual precipitation OF
moisture in these mountains exclusively
confined to the Winter mcnths, is still
very large, fall Of sixty feet of snow
during an exceptionable severe Winter
having been reported in the high Sierras.
1t results that during the Summer months
when snow is melting, these mountain
streams become large and rapid rivers,
carrying off immense volumes OF water,
and then almost entirely disappearing
with the snow. As they are not replAn-
ished by Summer rains, the length Of their
annual duration must depend on the slow
ness with which the snow at their sources
melt. 1t is a we'll established fact that
snow melts much less rapidly, and that
much more of it is absorbed in the forest
than in the open ground; while the forests
on mountain side offer great m Mechanical
resistance, especially by their undergrewth
and coating Of fallen leaves, to the rapid
running of water or melting snow. II
the forests OF the Sierra are destroyed, the
annual snowfall will probably not be ma
terially diminished. The length Of time.
however, required to melt II will be much
shorter and the absorbing power of the
forest being gone, the volume OF water
passing through tho rivers will be greatly
increased. 1t is not difficult to forctell
the results. Every season, earlier at the
south, ,ater at the north, torrents more
terrible and more destructive than the
history of the worlds records, will carry
during few weeks death ond desoaton
from the mountain sides down over the
foothills, covering the plains with debris
and holding the cities lying along tie low
banks Of the large rivers at their mercy.
And then, when this terrible rush of
few days is over, it will be found that the
whole supply Of water for the Summer is
exhausted. Tho foothills and the plains
will no longer produce fruit or vegetables,
or any Summer crop for which irrigation
is essential, for no water to irrigate with
will come down from tie mountains.
"Placer mining" will be a thing Of tho
past, and even the navigation Of the great
rivers will be either interrupted or aLand-
oned. During the last fifty years more
thar one country in Europe has beon vis-
tied by caamitics sim liar in origin and
exten: to those which now threaten CALI
fornia, but in none Of them were the
physical reasons for the danger 80 great.
Tho mountains from which the destruct-
i've torrents Of Europe have sprung arc
lower than the Sierra, less heavily forest
clad, and enjoying n moro regular precip-
i,ation of moisture with a much sma Her
snow fall, and so less able to produce
sudden and disastrous torrents.


There is one remedy for the dangers we
forotell, and on its adoption depends the
future Of California. A strip of forest
must be set aside along the western slope
of the Sierra extensive enough TO secure
the natural flow of tho rivers. and these
reservations must be strictly guarded
from Ere, the ak and especially from all
browsing animals. 1t is in her boasted
millions Of sheep that California's great
est danger lies. These, with countless
herds Of browsing animals. are driven up
every summer from the plains into the
mountains to feed during the dry senson.
The damage they are inaicting in the ST.
ezra forests is terrible and indescribable.
One can ride for days at certain eleva-
ton through tho mountains along the
sheep trails without seeing outside of tho
bare ranch enclosures a single rninjured
shrub or seeding tree OF any sort. Every
thing the sheep can reach is eaten clean.
This means that there is nothing left of
the forest but its older trees, and that it
has lost or is fast losing its best element
for holding back melted snow and it
means, chat there are ne new trees coming
on to take the place in their turn of their
parents. AS the number OF animals
driven 10 the mountains increases, forest
fires increase also, set by the shepards
either accidentally or purposely to increase
the next years feed. A forest annually
wasted by fire, on which the AK is always
making terrible inroads, and in which
no young trees are allowed to sping up
is clearly doomed. When that of the
Sierra, the noblest of our continent, has
gone, nothing will stand between Califor-
mia and the dangers which threaten her.
To preserve California is the first and
greatest duty of American forestry. The
task is difficult one, but it can be ac-
compished if hor people desire it,
Nation.