FOREST PRESERVATION 



217 



These conditions have been met in 

 our state by two methods, artificial 

 storage in ponds and auxiliary steam 

 stations. Probably every lake in New 

 Hampshire is controlled by a dam, 

 which retains the excess water for use 

 in dry times. Little more can be done 

 in this direction, because of damage to 

 shore property by flowage ; but the 

 possibilities of artificial reservoirs are 

 large, and are yet little employed in 

 this state. 



It has been found economical in 

 manufacturing plants to develop water 

 powers to an extent which demands 

 the use of steam auxiliaries during 

 nine months in the year ; but as the 

 price of coal advances the operation of 

 steam relays will become more and 

 more costly. The inevitable exhaus- 

 tion of fuel supplies will compel atten- 

 tion to storage reservoirs, natural and 

 artificial. The wisest plan is to con- 

 serve our fuel by the immediate use of 

 available water powers to the utmost, 

 employing them in connection with ar- 

 tificial power in such proportions as 

 will give us the largest supply of use- 

 ful water power. Any such plan 

 necessarily involves distribution by 

 electricity. 



While the matter of minimum flow 

 is of most conseciuence, the correla- 

 tive conditions of increased freshets 

 and erosion of soil are troublesome. 

 The former involves heavier expense 

 in building dams and protective walls, 

 while the latter requires the removal 

 of sediment from mill ponds and from 

 supply and discharg channels. A 

 water plant in Concord has had its 

 flumes one-half filled with silt in two 

 years. 



What has forest preservation to do 

 with all this? 



There are probably few interested 

 persons who have not seen the summer 

 flow of some small stream destroyed 

 by removing the forest growth from 

 its source. Trees, especially ever- 

 greens, provide a spongy soil for re- 

 taining moisture and dense shade for 

 retarding evaporation of water and 

 melting of snow and ice. We know- 

 that forest preservation tends to equal- 

 ize the stream flow. 



It is fortunate that forestry methods 

 which will produce the best financial 

 returns from timberlands are most ef- 

 fective in maintaining the water supply. 



These suggestions apply with spe- 

 cial significance to our own state and 

 particularly to the White Mountain re- 

 gion, in which rise the Connecticut, 

 the Merrimack, the Androscoggin and 

 the 'Saco. Upon these streams and 

 their tributaries are water powers cap- 

 able of developing thousands of horse 

 power now running to waste. Many 

 of these are small, but to these the 

 protection of the woodlands is of more 

 relative importance than to the larger. 

 Small powers can be used by those of 

 comparatively slender resources, who 

 would be financially unable 10 develop 

 artificial storage basins in distant 

 places; while the larger streams in 

 most cases, particularly the Merri- 

 mack, are already provided with such 

 facilities. The larger unused powers 

 are principally located at a distance 

 from centers of populations needing a 

 supply of electricity; but $1,000 will 

 build a mile of transmission line, which 

 may be run hundreds of miles Avithoui 

 ])rohibitive loss of energy. 



The fact that these idle powers have 

 remained unused, or if ever developed 

 have been abandoned, indicates in most 

 cases that they are not adapted or 

 needed for manufacturing in that par- 

 ticular locality. This suggests at once 

 the idea of transmitting the power to 

 places where it may be needed — a 

 miracle which can be performed only 

 through the aid of electricity. 



Instead of building cities in remote 

 locations where the idle water powers 

 are located, we will carry the power to 

 our existing cities and towns which 

 are now paying heavy tribute to the 

 "barons" who own the coal fields and 

 railroads. 



So we find in this most practical 

 subject an additional reason for urg- 

 ing forward a work the ultimate suc- 

 cess of which depends upon securing 

 the cooperation of every interest af- 

 fected by forest destruction. I may 

 safely promise some assistance to this 

 end from the electric companies of 

 New England. 



