206 



ami destructive floods in this state and elsewhere is the wholesale destruc- 

 tion of the forests. 



Another jtroof of the ellicienc.v in controlling,' the "i-nn-ofl"" has been 

 furnished by Tourney/ He made a study of a number of small areas with 

 reference to precipitation and run-off in the San Hernardino Mountains. 

 California. He found in vvi'vy case tliat tlie foi'est had a very decided 

 effect in re.srulating the run-off of the water and in the regulation of stream 

 flow. In this way tlie forests ol southern Indiana espe:-iaUy have been of 

 •^reat value. Within the last (|uarter of a century by fnr the greater part 

 of the Indianti forests have been removed, so that now but few areas of the 

 primeval foi'ests remain. That raiii therefore, which falls, has in juost 

 cases, nothing on the steep sctil to check it and disastrous floods are the 

 result. 



In the forest the heavy rain is lii'st checked i)y the large trees and 

 tlieir foliage. From these the water next falls to the smaller ti'ees and 

 bushes, then to tlu' thick carpet of leaves. The lower jiart of this bed of 

 leaves is in partial decay and here again niuch of the water percolating 

 through is temporarily arrested, from here the w:itei- is further arrested 

 by the generally deep humus soil. In this way e\'en most long-coniinu(>d 

 and heavy rains are effectually checked and a disastrims flood cannot well 

 occur in a region possessing such a covering of the land. In addition most 

 of the water which Is checked in this way instead of rushing off as on 

 barren land, gradually runs oi- seeps away, thus reiiulating the flows of 

 streams and maintaining the nearly even and continued flow of spi-ings. 



'"I'licre Imve been later floods in the ()hio I{i\'ei- than the one of li>07. 

 and the same applies to the streams of Indiana, due to dcfoi-estation which 

 has taken place wherever tinflier was available. 



•V iccent and severe jienaltx due mostly to reckless deforestation was 

 gi\en the slate of Indiana and the whole ( >bio \alle\ in the dis.istrous 

 flood of the (»hio Kixcr and its tributaries in the spring of the jiri'sent 

 .\'ear. This e(|ualed or surjiassed in some jthices the record of any |)re\i(nis 

 Hood ;in<l was especially I'enia rkidile I'oi- the suddenness ^^{' its ai>pe:(rance. 

 The pi-eeipitat ion onci- iiui'-li of Indiana .•ind I lie (»liio \allcy in general 

 was enormous and much abo\'e the a\ci';ige. I'"or example Ke\ nobis' states 



<Touiney, Jmmic's W. 'l'\tv \{r\:t\um ol' l''(iiv;ts lo S(i\-;ilii l''l()U . ^■<•Ml■l.clclU iif I lir 1 )i'|)ail nu'Ill 

 of .\uriculturo, lllO:;. 



nU'.vnold^s, Koborl f. K. rii.- Ohio I'looils; 'nirii- Cmusc and I'hr li.Miicdx . AjiKTicaii I'or- 

 <"s1r,\, May. lili:;, p. L'NS. 



