A NATIONAL PLAN FOK AMERICAN FORESTRY 395 



The irregularity of stream flow is directly increased by man- 

 made causes. The increase in run-off and period of low stream 

 flow has been caused by deforestation, in clearing large areas of 

 nonagricultural land, by uncontrolled forest fires, by grazing, and 

 by unregulated cutting with no care for the future. Since 1921 

 over 660,000 acres have been burned over annually. The forests 

 of this basin have been so depleted that production of lumber has 

 declined from 5 billion feet in 1899-1910 to 2 billion feet in 1929. 



In the agricultural sections of the basin, the solution of these 

 problems is to be found in using better agricultural practices and in 

 the elimination of harmful grazing from wood lots. Fire is a small 

 factor. On the forest lands, the permanent regulation of streams 

 demands a rebuilding and improvement of the forest through the 

 elimination of fire, harmful grazing, and unregulated lumbering. 

 The extension of organized fire protection to the entire area needing 

 protection with higher standards and better organization is essential. 

 The return of forests to 4 million acres of land of nonagricultural 

 character must be accomplished in part by planting. Because private 

 initiative is incapable or unwilling to attempt these measures, a 

 vigorous policy of public acquisition of cut-over, abandoned, and 

 marginal land amounting to 28.6 million acres is essential. Of this, 

 probably 6 million acres will be in abandoned farms, and 22.6 million 

 acres will be forest land. Most of this latter area is located in the 

 higher and rougher portions of the drainage and including the moun- 

 tainous sections at the headwaters. Only through good protection 

 and management of these forests can favorable conditions of water 

 flow be restored. Part of this public ownership must be Federal, 

 because of differences between States in wealth and ability to meet the 

 task. An enlarged program of public education through extension 

 under active leadership and with full participation by all agencies is 

 highly desirable. 



Ashe writes (op. cit.): 



The work of the engineer to protect the large river becomes useless unless it is 

 protected by the forest. In the Appalachians * * * and indeed wherever 

 forest influences are high, the river engineer and the forester must work hand in 

 hand. 



MISSOURI RIVER BASIN 



The total drainage' area of the Missouri River is about 525,000 

 square miles, including all or parts of 10 States and some 13,000 square 

 miles in Canada (fig. 10). Of the 28,642,000 acres of forest, some 

 20,515,000 acres is classed as having a major influence and 6,769,000 

 acres a moderate influence upon watershed conditions. The remain- 

 der is rated as exerting comparatively slight influence. 



Topographically the Missouri Basin is most varied. About one 

 twelfth of the surface is mountainous, one sixth plains, and the 

 remainder rolling. Because conditions vary so widely, the drainage 

 is considered as in two parts, the upper Missouri, or semi-arid section 

 to the west, and the lower Missouri, or humid sections to the east. 

 The dividing line between these approximates the one hundredth 

 meridian. 



UPPER MISSOURI RIVER 



The headwaters of the upper Missouri River lie in the Rocky 

 Mountains, a region of rugged topography. The mountain area 

 consists principally of a strip of high mountains, varying in width from 



