101 



in 1S'J5 and in the neigliborhood of St. retersl)nrt? in 18!»T and later, 

 all agree in the following, at least as far as Enrobe is cDneernod. 



(a) AVater level is never higher nnder a forest cover than nnder 

 bare soil, (b) The surface of ground water is alwaj'S found farther 

 from the surface of the ground under a forest than outside of it, this 

 being true for both summer and winter, (c) Fluctuations in ground w;;ter 

 are smaller in forests than outside of them, (d) Water level is l;)wer 

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



Wysotski, a Russian, finds that forests lower ground water level :i'.;d 

 also streams in summer time, hut that this effect is reduced in moun- 

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

 Russian, Lakhtine, gives the statement of Schreiner and Cjpehuid re- 

 garding conditions in Monroe County, Wisconsin, wliere in seveity yeais 

 the forest area was reduced from S3 per cent, to (lO per cent., and the 

 effect was noticeable in 1S87 in a striking manner by low river beds and 

 abandonment of mills. Results of a special commission on tJie Dnieper 

 and its tributaries show the deforesteil basin as retaining from 3-2(1 per 

 cent, less water than the forested liasins, in proporlion to the deforesta- 

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

 observed from 18SS in proportion to progressive deforestation. .Similarly 

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

 1SS7-1900, the average water level lias 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. I']xperiences were also given by the depart- 

 ment of Aude in 1893. The main river rose fifteen feet. In the two 

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

 was done. In another branch which ran through a well forested reiiion, 

 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 tlie 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 effei-t which defnreslation has had in this county. 



