﻿110 
  NEW 
  YORK 
  STATE 
  MUSEUM 
  

  

  of 
  the 
  writer 
  is, 
  therefore, 
  that 
  such 
  diagrams 
  are 
  at 
  the 
  best 
  

   crude 
  approximations. 
  Such 
  study 
  is, 
  however, 
  very 
  fascinating, 
  

   and 
  it 
  is 
  not 
  surprising 
  that 
  different 
  hydrologists 
  have 
  attempted 
  

   at 
  various 
  times 
  its 
  solution. 
  Two 
  lines 
  of 
  work 
  may 
  be 
  men- 
  

   tioned. 
  One 
  is, 
  by 
  a 
  combination 
  of 
  a 
  large 
  number 
  of 
  streams 
  

   and 
  their 
  rainfall, 
  to 
  attempt 
  to 
  produce 
  a 
  universal 
  formula. 
  

   This, 
  however^ 
  as 
  has 
  been 
  already 
  shown, 
  leads 
  to 
  what 
  is, 
  in 
  

   effect, 
  a 
  hodgepodge. 
  Averages 
  so 
  applied 
  il 
  bring 
  out 
  class 
  like- 
  

   nesses, 
  to 
  the 
  exclusion 
  of 
  individual 
  features." 
  

  

  The 
  other 
  method 
  is 
  to 
  plat 
  rainfall 
  and 
  runoff 
  appearing 
  

   monthly 
  in 
  inches, 
  as 
  abscissas 
  and 
  ordinates, 
  respectively, 
  and 
  

   in 
  this 
  way 
  to 
  preserve 
  the 
  individual 
  peculiarities 
  of 
  each 
  stream. 
  

   In 
  some 
  respects 
  the 
  most 
  satisfactory 
  way 
  is 
  to 
  plat 
  the 
  rainfall 
  

   and 
  runoff 
  of 
  the 
  storage, 
  growing, 
  and 
  replenishing 
  periods, 
  

   thus 
  grouping 
  similar 
  characteristics. 
  

  

  Storage 
  in 
  lakes. 
  The 
  runoff 
  of 
  a 
  stream 
  is 
  very 
  materially 
  

   influenced 
  by 
  the 
  number 
  of 
  lakes 
  within 
  its 
  catchment 
  area. 
  If 
  

   there 
  are 
  many, 
  flood 
  flows 
  may 
  be 
  expected 
  to 
  be 
  much 
  smaller 
  

   than 
  they 
  otherwise 
  would 
  be. 
  Oswego 
  river, 
  as 
  a 
  marked 
  stream 
  

   with 
  large 
  lake 
  pondage, 
  may 
  be 
  discussed 
  in 
  this 
  connection. 
  

   The 
  total 
  catchment 
  area 
  of 
  this 
  stream 
  is 
  5002 
  square 
  miles. 
  It 
  

   issues 
  from 
  a 
  region 
  with 
  a 
  mean 
  annual 
  rainfall 
  of 
  from 
  30 
  to 
  

   40 
  inches 
  and 
  with 
  heavy 
  snowfalls, 
  frequently 
  melting 
  suddenly 
  

   at 
  the 
  end 
  of 
  winter. 
  Nevertheless, 
  the 
  ordinary 
  flood-flows 
  do 
  

   not 
  exceed 
  4 
  cubic 
  feet 
  per 
  second 
  per 
  square 
  mile, 
  and 
  even 
  

   extreme 
  flood 
  flows 
  are 
  only 
  6 
  to 
  7 
  cubic 
  feet 
  per 
  second 
  per 
  

   square 
  mile. 
  As 
  to 
  why 
  this 
  is 
  so 
  is 
  an 
  interesting 
  question 
  

   which 
  may 
  be 
  answered 
  by 
  considering 
  the 
  large 
  temporary 
  

   storage 
  on 
  the 
  surfaces 
  of 
  the 
  lakes, 
  marshes 
  and 
  flat 
  valleys 
  in 
  

   the 
  Oswego 
  area. 
  In 
  order 
  to 
  show 
  this, 
  the 
  writer 
  has 
  prepared 
  

   the 
  following 
  tabulations, 
  in 
  which 
  appear 
  the 
  names 
  of 
  the 
  sev- 
  

   eral 
  lakes, 
  with 
  their 
  approximate 
  catchment 
  areas, 
  areas 
  of 
  

   water 
  surface, 
  areas 
  of 
  flats 
  and 
  marsh, 
  and 
  total 
  area 
  of 
  water 
  

   surface, 
  flats 
  and 
  marsh. 
  

  

  