I 



WATER/POWER 



Our Unappreciated Resource and Our Future Refuge 



By M, O, LEIGHTON, Chief Hydrographer, United States Geological Survey 



N THE closing- days of August there It is unlikely that the estimate included 



were featured in the daily press ac- depreciation of property values, arising 



counts of floods in some southern from the menace and uncertainty of fu- 



Appalachian rivers. The descriptions ture recurrent floods, though this is 



contained nothing new. The story of often a larger item of flood damage than 



some earlier flood would have been all those above cited. Finally, it is cer- 



quite as satisfactory if a few names and tain that the estimate did not include 



figures were changed to correspond with the most serious loss of all : The loss of 



local conditions. The really important the flood zvater. It swept by Augusta 



facts were, as usual, omitted. To il- unrestrained, carrying with it far more 



lustrate this, a single instance will be astonishing possibilities of ultimate 



discussed. benefit than can be measured by the 



Augusta, Ga., is situated on the Sa- devastation resulting from its unre- 



vannah River, at the head of naviga- straint. For the purpose of measur- 



tion and at the foot of a series of falls ing this most serious loss, let us scale 



and rapids that surmount forty-four is oflf in terms of water-power, 



feet in seven miles. A water-power During the August flood there 



privilege is thereby afforded, which, if passed by and through the city of Au- 



fuUy developed, w^ould furnish a min- gusta approximately 62,000,000,000 



imum of about 15,500 horse-powers, cubic feet of water in five days. If the 



Bear in mind that this is the develop- water so lost had been conserved in 



ment which, under present conditions, forests and reservoirs on the upper 



limits the value of the privilege. With drainage area of the Savannah and re- 



an accommodating market, more power leased uniformly throughout, say, the 



might be sold during seasons of high six low-water months of the year, the 



water, but 15,500 horse-powers are all flow past Augusta would have been in- 



that could be guaranteed throughout creased during these months by about 



the year. In other words, until a 4,000 cubic feet per second. We know 



greater flow can be secured during low- from observation of flow in the Savan- 



water seasons the Augusta privilege nah, that the remaining six months of 



must be classed as 15,500 horse-power, the year will furnish at least as much 



Newspaper reports fixed the dam- as this, in addition to the usual low- 

 age of the August flood at Augusta at water flow. Now. this amount of 

 about $500,000. For present purposes water, falling over the forty-four feet 

 it matters not whether the proper fig- at Augusta, will produce 14,500 horse- 

 ure be one-half or twice the newspaper powers. All this assumes a condition 

 estimate. The items of damage in- under which the entire flood could have 

 eluded loss to real property, raw ma- been stored. But we know that all 

 terials, and finished merchandise, ma- could not have been stored. With 

 chinery and other equipment necessary proper conditions of forestation, and 

 to manufacturing and commerce. Pos- with available reservoir sites utilized, 

 sibly the estimate included losses due about sixty-five per cent, of this flood 

 to interruption of traffic, delay in pro- could have been withheld. Therefore, 

 duction cessation of wages, and other we must reduce the power above given 

 circumstances consequential in nature, by the same proportion. The final re- 



649 



