332 



THE IMPORTANT FEATURE. 



THE IMPORTANT FEATURE IN; THE POLICY EM- 

 PHASIZED BY THE FOREGOING REPORT IS THE 

 RADICAL DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE FORESTS 

 WHICH ACT AS A REGULATOR OF THE FLOW OF 

 WATER AND FORESTS FRO'M WHICH THERE IS NO 

 WATER FLOW. 



Whether forests affect climate, especially rainfall, or not, is 

 a disputed point. 



My personal belief, based on personal knowledge of a large 

 part of this Territory, is that it does have a strong effect 

 thereon in many parts of this Territory. 



There is, however, no dispute, and can be no dispute that 

 a thick forest cover not only helps, but is absolutely essential 

 to the maintenance of an even flow of water from a given 

 water producing area. 



I go further and claim that a forest on a water producing 

 area in this Territory, with its heavy rainfalls and short water- 

 sheds, is absolutely essential to any economical flow of water 

 at all. 



HAWAIAN WATERSHEDS ARE SHORT. 



The Hawaiian streams, which furnish water for irrigation 

 and other economic use, all rise in forest areas with water- 

 sheds of from five or six to less than thirty miles in length. 



It requires no scientific study or reasoning to demonstrate 

 that water flowing upon an area of land averaging not over 

 12 to 15 miles in length and; on a grade of from 5 to 50 per 

 cent., will not hold water for more than a few hours after 

 rainfall has ceased, unless there is not only a forest, but a 

 thick jungle of ferns, moss and debri& to prevent its rushing 

 in a torrent to the sea. 



The forest is not enough under such circumstances. There 

 must be a subsiduary growth of small trees and shrubs ; under 

 that a growth of ferns and creeping vines and in addition to 

 that an undisturbed matting of leaves, sticks and moss creat- 

 ing a mass of material so thick as to hamper and almost pre- 

 vent the flow of water. O^ice a clearing is made sufficient for 

 the water to wear a course for itself and the heavy torrential 

 rains, with the steep grade, will cut innumerable water courses 

 to the sea, denuding the land of soil and draining off the 

 water supply. 



The almost constant standing water and semi-swampy con- 

 dition existing in Hawaiian water-producing forests is essen- 

 tial to the very existence of this character of forest, as the 

 existence of this character of forest is necessarv to the con- 



