﻿450 
  NEW 
  YORK 
  STATE 
  MUSEUM 
  

  

  Had 
  the 
  same 
  precipitation 
  which 
  occurred 
  in 
  Allegany 
  county 
  oc- 
  

   curred 
  on 
  the 
  northern 
  portion 
  of 
  the 
  catchment 
  area 
  with 
  reason- 
  

   ably 
  high 
  water 
  from 
  the 
  southern 
  district, 
  the 
  flood 
  wave 
  would 
  

   not 
  have 
  been 
  elongated 
  as 
  it 
  was 
  by 
  its 
  flow 
  through 
  the 
  alluvial 
  

   valley 
  north 
  of 
  Mount 
  Morris, 
  and 
  as 
  a 
  result 
  the 
  wave 
  would 
  

   have 
  been 
  shorter 
  but 
  with 
  a 
  higher 
  maximum 
  discharge. 
  

  

  This 
  flood 
  of 
  July 
  is 
  unique 
  in 
  the 
  matter 
  of 
  the 
  date 
  of 
  its 
  

   occurrence. 
  The 
  other 
  great 
  floods 
  have 
  occurred 
  in 
  March 
  or 
  

   April, 
  with 
  minor 
  severe 
  floods 
  occurring 
  later. 
  Occurring, 
  as 
  

   this 
  did, 
  in 
  July, 
  with 
  the 
  crops 
  well 
  advanced 
  toward 
  maturity, 
  

   the 
  resulting 
  damage 
  was 
  greatly 
  in 
  excess 
  of 
  what 
  would 
  have 
  

   occurred 
  under 
  similar 
  conditions 
  in 
  the 
  early 
  spring. 
  The 
  

   destruction 
  of 
  crops 
  was 
  in 
  itself 
  serious. 
  But 
  it 
  was 
  a 
  greater 
  

   disaster 
  to 
  agricultural 
  interests 
  that 
  the 
  season 
  was 
  then 
  too 
  far 
  

   advanced 
  to 
  permit 
  of 
  replanting. 
  1 
  

  

  The 
  effect 
  on 
  floods 
  of 
  Genesee 
  river 
  flats. 
  Considering 
  Genesee 
  

   river 
  as 
  a 
  whole, 
  the 
  following 
  conditions 
  govern 
  : 
  Between 
  Roch- 
  

   ester 
  and 
  Mount 
  Morris 
  and 
  between 
  Mount 
  Morris 
  and 
  Dans- 
  

   ville, 
  in 
  the 
  broad 
  valley 
  of 
  the 
  Ganaseraga 
  creek, 
  there 
  are 
  ex- 
  

   tensive 
  flats, 
  amounting 
  for 
  the 
  whole 
  to 
  from 
  60 
  to 
  80 
  square 
  

   miles. 
  The 
  effective 
  catchment 
  area 
  at 
  Rochester 
  is 
  2365 
  square 
  

   miles, 
  as 
  against 
  1070 
  square 
  miles 
  at 
  Mount 
  Morris. 
  The 
  por- 
  

   tion 
  of 
  the 
  catchment 
  area 
  below 
  Mount 
  Morris 
  also 
  contains 
  

   Honeoye, 
  Canadice, 
  Hemlock 
  and 
  Conesus 
  lakes, 
  which 
  altogether 
  

   provide 
  a 
  large 
  volume 
  of 
  surface 
  storage, 
  while 
  above 
  Mount 
  

   Morris 
  there 
  are 
  few 
  flats 
  and 
  only 
  one 
  small 
  lake 
  (Silver 
  lake). 
  

  

  There 
  are 
  extensive 
  flat 
  areas 
  in 
  the 
  catchment 
  of 
  Black 
  and 
  

   Oatka 
  creeks, 
  which 
  are 
  tributary 
  below 
  Mount 
  Morris. 
  

  

  The 
  preceding 
  discussion 
  shows 
  that 
  the 
  upper 
  section 
  of 
  the 
  Gen- 
  

   esee 
  river 
  has 
  a 
  rapid 
  runoff 
  and 
  is 
  subject 
  to 
  sudden 
  and 
  excessive 
  

   flood-flows. 
  These 
  flood-flows 
  are 
  received 
  in 
  the 
  extensive 
  flats 
  

   below 
  Mount 
  Morris, 
  where 
  they 
  are 
  partially 
  retained 
  and 
  grad- 
  

   ually 
  delivered 
  to 
  the 
  extreme 
  lower 
  river. 
  The 
  flood-flows 
  at 
  

   Mount 
  Morris 
  are 
  greater 
  than 
  at 
  Rochester, 
  although 
  the 
  dry- 
  

   weather 
  flow 
  at 
  Rochester 
  is, 
  proportionately 
  to 
  catchment 
  area, 
  

   usually 
  greater 
  than 
  at 
  Mount 
  Morris. 
  The 
  flats 
  then 
  act 
  to 
  de- 
  

   crease 
  the 
  flood-flow 
  at 
  Rochester 
  and 
  to 
  increase 
  the 
  dry-weather 
  

   flow 
  there. 
  At 
  Mount 
  Morris 
  we 
  may 
  expect 
  flood 
  -flows 
  of 
  from 
  

  

  Abstract 
  from 
  the 
  Report 
  of 
  the 
  Water 
  Storage 
  Commission. 
  

  

  