160 Alaskan Science Conference 



tion of its "Alaska" report, in which it reviewed water power 

 development possibilities, was forced to make extensive esti- 

 mates of probable yields of watersheds. 



2. The Corps of Engineers, in their current investigations of 

 water resources of Alaska, have found a serious lack of stream 

 discharge data. As a result, the Corps and the Geological Sur- 

 vey are collaborating in stream-flow studies in order to provide 

 reasonably adequate bases for their studies. 



3. In connection with development of water supplies under 

 the Community Facilities Bill, many communities will require 

 appraisal of the nearby surface and ground water sources. As 

 indicated previously, the availability of ground water deserves 

 more study. 



4. In the construction of highways, bridges, and railway 

 structures data on the magnitude and frequency of floods, par- 

 ticularly the flood heights at proposed bridge sites, would per- 

 mit more economical design. Both under-design and over- 

 design can be wasteful of material and funds. 



5. The Territorial Department of Health and the numerous 

 small communities need and can use more hydrologic informa- 

 tion to work out the best solutions to their water supply, sewer- 

 age and street problems. Arctic water supplies are a particu- 

 larly pertinent problem. 



6. In areas such as the Matanuska Valley, agriculture may be 

 benefited by supplemental irrigation in those years when pre- 

 cipitation is deficient. Supplemental water may be of consider- 

 able value because of the short growing season. Presumably 

 much of the water so used would come from ground water 

 sources and be applied by sprinklers. 



The deficiencies in hydrologic data have been met usually by 

 application of estimates or criteria developed elsewhere. In 

 some instances specific observations have been made to provide 

 data of a reconnaissance nature. There is no doubt but that 

 some of the deductions have been faulty but, since they repre- 

 sent the best possible estimates, they have served a useful 

 purpose. 



The more significant deficiencies are slowly being overcome 



