528 



ANNUAL REPORTS OF DEPARTMENT Ul-' AlIKICULTURE. 



the regulation of stroam flow by storage. Numerous excellent reser- 

 voir sites are available. 



The regulations adopted bv the department on December 28, 1010, 

 have now been in force long enough to demonstrate their practi- 

 cability. On the whole, they are favorably received by developers. 

 The propriety of making a charge for the use of the land occujned 

 and the reasonableness of the amount fixed by the regulations is gen- 

 erally conceded. That feature of the permit which requires develop- 

 ment to be made wnthin a reasonable time is working satisfactorily 

 and is serving to keep out speculators who have hitherto sought to 

 appropriate sites only that they might later dispose of them to the 

 real developer. 



The following table shows the extent to which water-power 

 development is taking place on the national forests: 



Much dissatisfaction exists with that provision of the act of Feb- 

 ruary 15, 1901, which authorizes the revocation of permits at the dis- 

 cretion of the Government. It is urged that on account of this clause 

 great difficulty is experienced in obtaining capital for developments, 

 and that when it is secured it is only on terms of most liberal returns 

 to capital. This ground for apprehension should be removed through 

 legislation authorizing term permits, revocable only for breach of the 

 conditions set out in the permit. There seems to be some doubt 

 whether the existing law fully protects a power permittee against a 

 later appropriator of the same land under the mineral or other 

 public-land laws. All doubt on this question should be removed. 

 Land once appropriated for power development should not be subject 

 to any further approjDriation which will interfere with the power use. 



Stream measurements were made on various national forest streams 

 in cooperation with the Geological Survey. Gauges which had been 

 installed under the direction of the Geological Survey were read 

 regularly by forest officers, who forwarded to the survey the data 

 thus obtained. Unfortunately the survey was unable to continue the 

 work owing to the lack of an appropriation. 



