CHAPTER III 

 FORESTS AND FLOODS 



Forests are necessary at the headwaters of 

 streams. The trees break the force of the rain 

 drops, and the forest floor, acting as a large 

 sponge, absorbs rainfall and prevents run-off 

 and floods. Unless there are forests at the 

 sources of streams and rivers, floods occur. The 

 spring uprisings of the Mississippi, Ohio and 

 Missouri Rivers are due largely to the lack of 

 forests at their headwaters. In the regions 

 drained by these streams the run-off water is 

 not absorbed as it should be. It flows unimpeded 

 from the higher levels to the river valleys. It 

 floods the river courses with so much water that 

 they burst their banks and pour pell-mell over 

 the surrounding country. Many floods which 

 occur in the United States occur because we have 

 cut down large areas of trees which formerly 

 protected the sources of streams and rivers. 



A grave danger that threatens western farm- 

 ing is that some time in the future the greater 

 part of the vegetation and forest cover on the 



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