DRAINAGE MODIFICATIONS IN WASHINGTON AND- 



ADJACENT COUNTIES. 



By G. W. Tight. 



INTRODUCTION. 



The study of the region treated of in this paper was under- 

 taken as the natural out growth of the work previously done im 

 the surrounding sections. The correlations of the preglacial 

 drainage in the areas to the east, north and west left this region, 

 of the lower Muskingum somewhat isolated and very naturally 

 raised the question as to its preglacial conditions of drainage. 

 On account of the position which the region occupies, the resto- 

 ration of the old drainage has a very important bearing on the 

 interpretations already worked out for the surrounding regions., 

 The problem is one which was recognized by Prof. E. B. Andrews 

 and referred to in the second volume of the Ohio Survey, where- 

 he says: "The drainage features of the county (Washington) 

 present some very interesting facts. The Ohio River, Little 

 Muskingum, Duck Creek ,and the Muskingum all converge 

 towards a common center, th© last three uniting with the former- 

 in Marietta township." "The slopes of nearly half a circle find 

 their lowest point at a common center in Marietta township." 

 And after a brief description of the stream courses he further- 

 states : "Thus it will be seen that the county presents a great 

 variety of surface slopes. In the eastern half of the county the 

 slope is southwestern and southern, while in the western, i. e.,. 

 west of the Muskingum, it is chiefly northern and southwestern. 

 While the general drainage of southeastern Ohio is to the south- 

 east, the large streams, like the Muskingum and Hocking, flow- 

 ing in a direction approximately at right angles to the direction; 

 of the Ohio, yet in Washington county we have almost every 

 variety of direction." "What originally determined the flow of 

 streams in these different directions it is impossible now to deter- 

 mine. In some parts of the state the dip of the strata 

 determines the direction of drainage, but this can not be 

 the case to any large extent in Washington county." And 



