1905 FORESTRY AND IRRIGATION 501 



Linville Gap to its mouth is about flood plains. Water powers could be 

 3,030 feet in a distance of about 36^ developed at many places along these 

 miles, the average fall per mile being rivers, the fall in the upper part reach- 

 about 83 feet. i n g } j n some cases, 100 feet in an al- 

 The Wautauga River also rises near most vertical drop, though the quan- 

 Lmville Gap, and flows first in a north- tity of water at these points is corn- 

 easterly and then in a northwesterly paratively small. When the rivers 

 direction, its length from its source to reach the plains lying at the edge of 

 Butler, ^ Tenn., where it leaves the the mountain system their fall is very 



mountainous region, being about 33 much less, yet at frequent intervals 



miles. The total fall in this distance decided drops occur, and the flow is 



is about 2,000 feet, and the average so increased by the numerous tributa- 



slope, therefore, about 61 feet per mile, ries that water powers of considerable 



Of this 2,000 feet, between 900 and magnitude and value can be developed. 

 1,000 feet are found in the first 6 miles, 



where the stream rushes down the TH * RAINFALL AND RUN - F * IN THIS 

 slopes of Grandfather Mountain. REGION. 



As is the case with most of the other In this region the influence of eleva- 

 streams rising on the western slope and tion on climate is supreme ; the sum- 

 flowing westward across the elevated mers are colder, the winters more se- 

 plateau, this stream has its channel for vere, and the climate is drier and more 

 a part of its course in a rather broad salubrious than at points not far dis- 

 and smooth valley before entering the tant, but outside of the high mountain 

 steep and rocky gorge of its niiddle area. The trend of the mountains to 

 course. Here it cuts its way through the southwest influences the prevail- 

 the Unaka Mountains in a deep can- ing winds, while the great diversity 

 yon, about 8 miles in length, where in topographic features gives rise to 

 the fall averages about 65 feet per many interesting climatic peculiarities, 

 mile, but is very much greatei at nu- On the mountains near the southern 

 merous places, the channel being ex- end of the Appalachian system the 

 tremcly rough and broken. The depth rainfall is very heavy, but, on the other 

 of the gorge through the Unakas is hand, in many central valleys the rain- 

 nearly 2,000 feet, but the walls slope fall is as light and the climate as mild 

 down much more gently than those as at many points east of the Blue 

 of the Linville just described, though Ridge. 



they often show precipitous rock cliffs The area embraced in the proposed 



several hundred feet in height. " reserve belongs to that portion of the 



The Unaka range on the western eastern United States characterized 



edge of this plateau, unlike the Blue by the greatest annual rainfall, there 



Ridge, has slopes equally steep on both being places along the southeastern 



sides, descending often some 4,000 feet slopes of the Blue Ridge which receive 



from the crest of the mountains to the an annual precipitation not exceeded 



stream beds. In the upper part of elsewhere in the United States, except 



their courses all of the rivers of the along the northwest Pacific Coast. The 



Unakas partake of the nature of moun- average rainfall for a period of more 



tain torrents, with the greatest fall than ten years at various places in the 



near their sources, and in their lower southern Appalachian Mountains in 



courses they flow in valleys where northern Georgia and western North 



there has been much clearing, the Carolina and South Carolina has been 



amount of water increasing rapidly at nearly 73 inches, while at times the 



the time of rain on the mountain sides, precipitation for a single month has 



In many parts the stream valleys are been between 20 and 30 inches, the 



simply mountain gorges, with steep, greatest amount falling in the three 



vertical sides, and with very small summer months and the least in an- 



