156 



voire, or levees, they are in jeoardy. In this case the State must exer- 

 cise some power to protect the people and see that these works are main- 

 tained. 



Sixth Pboblem. 

 Federal Action. 



In considering the question of floods the view is successively of city, 

 of county, of watershed, of State ; and finally the rights and duties of 

 the Federal Government come into view. Our present problem is to delimit 

 and properly apportion the action and responsibility as between the States 

 and the Federal Government. At present the Federal Government controls 

 all openings and obstructions in navigable streams. The logic of the situa- 

 tion would extend this to the upper reaches, because what happens there 

 will affect navigation below. 



For instance, if, due to obstructions, bars pile up on bridges and soil 

 is washed down and creates bars below, there is a real connection between 

 the upper reaches and the lower parts of the river. 



Again, the Weather Bureau is in the best position to take observations 

 of rainfall, and the Geological Survey can best and does make the topo- 

 graphic surveys, and the stream gagings. 



Thus in this problem, the complex question of the division of water 

 control, as between the States and the Federal Government, is to be de- 

 termined in the future. A watershed is a natural unit, and not a political 

 unit. There should be some coordination between the States in the Ohio 

 Valley, whose problems are very similar. 



