1905 



FORESTRY AND IRRIGATION 



315 



age facilities. It reduces the flow of 

 that mountain stream to a regularity 

 almost equal to that of a lowland type 

 of stream where exactly opposite to- 

 pography conditions prevail. That 

 the deforestation of a mountainous 

 basin like that of the Esopus must, 

 therefore, greatly increase the irregu- 

 larity of stream flow there can he no 

 doubt. In other words, the compact 

 'forest cover of the Esopus has the 

 same general equalizing effect as the 

 moderate topography, natural reser- 

 voirs, and favorable geological con- 

 ditions of the Wallkill. 



As far then as the investigation of 

 these two basins will permit, a gen- 

 eral conclusion may be stated as fol- 

 lows : 



Conditions of temperature and pre- 

 cipitation being the same, the relative 

 regularity of stream flow from dif- 

 ferent drainage basins will be deter- 

 mined 



First, by the topographic and geo- 

 logical conditions and facilities for 

 natural storage in swamps and ponds. 

 This factor must be placed first as 

 having the more general and far 

 reaching importance. 



Second, by the character and ex- 

 tent of forest cover. Forest cover, 

 while secondary as a factor governing 

 stream flow to the first named, exerts 

 a very direct and powerful influence 

 in moderating the effects of the first 

 factor when unfavorable to equable 

 stream flow, and in aiding and ex- 

 tending its influence when favorable. 



THE RECLAMATION SERVICE 



Progress of Government Irrigation in 

 the Western States and Territories 



Work on Salt River Project 



The heavy rains and excessive and 

 unusual spring floods in Arizona 

 greatly retarded the work of the re- 

 clamation engineers, but during the 

 month of May most of the damage to, 

 roads was repaired. Although the 

 water had gradually subsided for sev- 

 eral weeks, the flow of Salt River on 

 June 2 was thirty times that of the 

 same day last year. 



Work has progressed rapidly de- 

 spite the fact that until the latter part 

 of May it was necessary to ferry all 

 lumber from the mill and supplies for 

 the mill near Livingstone. The ca- 

 pacity of the saw mill in connection 

 with the Salt River project has been 

 increased to nearly 11,000 feet per day, 

 and the lumber is being moved to 

 Roosevelt as rapidly as possible. Sixty 

 teams hauling continually are required 

 to keep up to the output of the mill. 



Progress on the tunnel at the power 



plant is being made at the rate of 

 about 8 feet of finished tunnel per 

 day. Cement manufactured at the ce- 

 ment mill has been furnished to con- 

 tractors since the early part of May, 

 and the quality of the output is very 

 satisfactory. Work on the power ca- 

 nal has progressed slowly on account 

 of scarcity of available men and 

 teams. 



During the past month a number of 

 contracts for the purchase of land 

 have been made, and the Secretary of 

 the Interior has approved the pur- 

 chase of other tracts. 



A contour ma]) showing the condi- 

 tion of underground water in the Salt 

 River Valley was prepared this spring, 

 and since the floods a new set of maps 

 with contours representing the new 

 position of the water plane has been 

 drawn. 



Reconnaissance surveys of Pinto 

 Creek and the San Carlos project have 



