THE INFLUENCE OF FORESTS ON CLIMATE AND FLOODS 2 i i 



tains far more rapidly than they would nance of a forest cover on these moun- 



if these innumerable gullies, runs, or tains will not be a great expense to the 



natural ditches did not exist. Man, in people. The forests on these mountains, 



other words, is causing the natural dig- in due time, will be self supporting and 



ging of drains on land where no sane will amply pay back such capital as is 



man would wish to have a drain, but put into the purchase of the lands, 



where common sense would indicate the n. This forest cover is the only 



necessity of creating every possible ob- regulator which man can maintain in 



stacle and every means which would these mountains, which is assuredly 



keep the waters from gathering into feasible, practicable, and permanent. 



runs and from rushin.g into the streams Some artificial reservoirs, no doubt, will 



and out of the mountains. be built in time. An extensive set of 



6. The faster the waters collect and such reservoirs would mean displace- 

 rush down the slopes, the more they ment of railways, highways, farm 

 erode the land and the more powerful homes, etc., it would mean the making 

 they are to carry away the soil, so that of lakes out of the very bottom lands 

 this evil is one which not only continues which to-day are the only lands on 

 but is getting worse the longer it lasts, which farming is successful and perma- 



7. The earth which is thus washed nent. Such reservoirs would mean the 

 out in the creation of these gullies and building of many dams and bring with 

 in the removal of soils from the slopes them the dangers of flood catastro- 

 is rushed into the streams and sooner or phies. And in the end all reservoirs 

 later finds its way into the navigable would certainly fill up with mud unless 

 parts of the rivers below, where every the entire system is safeguarded by a 

 inch of depth of water is precious. forest cover on the mountains. 



8. With the forests and other obsta- 12. The forest cover is not taking 

 cles removed and with innumerable lands which should be used for other 

 ruts, gullies and runs facilitating its purposes, and does not prevent such 

 speedy run-off, the waters rush from use at any future time. Though 

 the mountains much faster and there- among the oldest settled regions of the 

 fore have less time to soak into the country, not five per cent of the real 

 earth. But in times of little or no rain, mountain lands are used agriculturally, 

 the streams depend for their supply Wherever farming is successful, it is in 

 largely, often entirely, on water which the valleys on good bottom and bench 

 has been stored in the soil and which lands which would never be disturbed 

 slowly, but steadily, seeps out to feed by the enterprise requested. 



the streams. The rushing off of the These mountain forests are valuable 



waters on the surface and in the drains in many other ways they produce tim- 



and runs reduces the storage of water ber, they serve as place of recreation to 



and this means less water during low thousands of people, and they are worth 



water times : it means less water in the millions for their beauty alone, but 



rivers, at the very time when most since Congress believes itself bound by 



needed. the Constitution to consider the matter 



9. The forests of these mountains from the standpoint of stream regula- 

 have been and should be a great and tion, the above reasons are the ones em- 

 permanent condition covering eighty- phasized in support of the "Weeks Bill." 

 five to ninety per cent of all the moun- These reasons have evidently appeal- 

 tain area. This is the natural condi- ed to Congress before, for the Senate 

 tion ; its establishment and maintenance has at three different times passed a 

 therefore are not matters of costly con- bill for this purpose, and the house has 

 struction and doubtful utility like artifi- done so once. But again the opposi- 

 cial reservoirs. It grows of its own tion appears and as its champion the 

 accord, and all it asks is that man Chief of the Weather Bureau, Willis L. 

 shall not wilfully destroy it. Moore, who in a "Report on the influ- 



10. The establishment and mainte- cncc of forest on climate and on floods" 



