in 1S95 and in the neighborhood of St. retei-sl)urg in 1897 and later, 

 all agree in the following, at least as far as Europe is concerned. 



(a) AVatev level is never higher under a forest cover than under 

 hare soil, (b) The surface of ground water is always found farther 

 from the surface of the ground under a forest than outsid? of it. this 

 being true for both sunnner and winter, (e) Fluctuatiors iu ground wr.ter 

 are smaller in forests than outside of them, (d) Water level is lower 

 in old forests, (e) Depressions of water level is greater in dry olimntes. 



Wysotski. a Rus.'^ian. finds that forests lower ground water level and 

 also streams in summer time, l»i;t that this effect is reduced in moun- 

 tainous regions. Buffault (4) in a paper gives tlie work of others. The 

 Russian, Lakhtine, gives the statement of Sclireiner and C ipeland re- 

 garding conditions in Monroe County, Wisconsin, where in .'■eventy yea;s 

 the forest area was reduced from .S3 per cent, to <>9 per cent., and the 

 effect was noticeable in ISST in a striking manner by low river l)eds and 

 abandonment of mills. Results of a special commission m the I) lieper 

 and its tributaries show the deforested basin as retaining from 3-20 per 

 cent, less water than the forested basins, in pro]>orlion to the def> resta- 

 tion. In the Soma, a gradual decTease of the average water level has been 

 observed from 1888 in proportion to progressive deforestation. Similarly 

 on the upper Bielaja at Oufa, where deforestation has been going on from 

 1S87-1900, the average water level has decreased, while on the lower 

 Bielaja at Grouzdecka, where the forest cover has remained undisturbed, 

 the water level has remained practically the same. Like observations 

 are cited for the Volga basin. Experiences were also given by the depart- 

 ment of Aude in 1893. The main river r(is(- fifteen feet. In t!ie two 

 branches which passed through a country mostly deforested, great d image 

 was done. In another brancli which ran through a well forested region, 

 little damage resulted. From these evidences, it is seen that although the 

 water level under a forest may be lower than in the surrounding land, 

 it is evident that deforestation causes a lowering of the ground water 

 which is very detrimental to the continued flow of springs, streams and 

 wells. 



MONTGOMERY COUNTY. 



We have discussed the general relationship which exists between for- 

 ests and water level. We shall now take up our own particular problem 

 and consider the effect which deforestation has had in this county. 



