152 Alaskan Science Conference 



development problems and techniques, and the needs lor such 

 development. Recognition of this principle brings current 

 policy into sharp contrast with that in an earlier period of our 

 history when the available resources were exploited without 

 regard to their extent, conservation or best utilization, par- 

 ticularly of the non-renewable resources. 



In the United States we have the foundation for efficient and 

 systematic development of our natural resources because in 

 recent decades much information regarding the extent and 

 utilization of these resources has become available. The re- 

 sources inventory program is still far from complete but tre- 

 mendous progress has been made. Much of the early develop- 

 ment in Alaska resulted from mining and fishing activities 

 without much consideration being given to establishment of a 

 permanent type of economy. Some resources investigations 

 have been in progress for many years although factors such as 

 the rugged terrain, remoteness, poor transportation, sparse 

 settlement and lack of adequate research funds have limited 

 these studies so that our present inventory of Alaska's natural 

 resources is far from complete and many serious deficiencies are 

 still present. 



Natural resources investigations cover a broad field of scien- 

 tific activity and include, among many others, studies of climate, 

 topography, geology, geography, botany, biology and hy- 

 drology. The relation of the science of hydrology to resources 

 development in Alaska is of particular interest to us today. 



According to the widely accepted definition hydrology is the 

 science that treats of the study of the occurrence and distribu- 

 tion of water over and in the earth's surface, and of the accom- 

 panying natural laws and phenomena. The science of hydrology 

 thus deals with the natural phenomena, mostly quite familiar, 

 which constitute the never ending cycle in which water evapo- 

 rated into the atmosphere from the oceans, lands, and fresh 

 water surfaces is returned to the earth as precipitation and then 

 (1) flows over the surface into streams and thus back to the 

 ocean, (2) percolates into the ground to join the ground water 

 reservoir, returns to the surface through springs elsewhere or 



