266 THE FOEESTS OF ALLEGANY COUNTY 



mountain sides. All are tributary to the Potomac river. The 

 most important of these streams are Sideling Hill Creek, Fifteen-Mile 

 Creek, Flint river, Town Creek, and Georges Creek. They vary in 

 width from twelve to twenty-five feet and carry from six to fifteen 

 inches of water. At high water their volume is increased to two or 

 three times the normal flow. 



The water of most of these streams is pure and wholesome. That 

 of Georges Creek and several of its tributaries is, however, so strongly 

 impregnated with iron, sulphur and drainage from coal and fire-clay 

 mines as to be unwholesome. ISTo fish exist in these waters. 



In earlier days these streams supplied waterpower for small saw- 

 mills and flour-mills throughout this region. Few of these mills are 

 in existence now. The flow of streams is chiefly important to farmers 

 in affording an abundant and convenient supply of water for stock. 

 The small transient steam sawmills also depend on this source of 

 water supply. The maintenance of the numerous springs peculiar to 

 this region is of prime importance to nearly all farmers and residents 

 of the smaller towns, many of which depend on this source of water 

 supply. 



At present these resources are well protected by forest cover, as 

 are also the headwaters of all the streams draining the county. 



As indicating the close relationship, however, between water flow 

 and forest cover it is interesting to note in this connection that the 

 oldest inhabitants of this region assert the existence of a greater rush 

 of water in the spring and fall of recent years than was formerly 

 observed, when the country was more continuously wooded. In 

 earlier times the larger streams are said to have carried a uniform 

 flow, with little or no sudden increase during spring and fall. The 

 heavy rains and melting snow under present conditions, however, 

 occasion an immediate and often dangerous rise of water in the larger 

 streams at certain points. The rise of water sometimes prevents 

 farmers crossing fords for a week or more, thus cutting off their 

 communication with markets, etc. To obviate such difficulties, the 

 county has built a few new roads to avoid impassable fords. 



The explanation of this rush of water is simple. Increased, indis- 



