﻿622 
  NEW 
  YORK 
  STATE 
  MUSEUM 
  

  

  constructed 
  of 
  timber, 
  very 
  much 
  after 
  the 
  plan 
  of 
  the 
  timber 
  

   dams 
  still 
  constructed 
  by 
  the 
  lumbermen 
  in 
  this 
  region. 
  1 
  

  

  In 
  1874, 
  when 
  Mr 
  Benedict 
  prepared 
  his 
  report, 
  the 
  demands 
  for 
  

   water 
  upon 
  the 
  Hudson 
  river 
  were 
  far 
  less 
  extensive 
  than 
  at 
  

   present, 
  and 
  even 
  in 
  1882 
  the 
  total 
  waterpower 
  of 
  the 
  stream 
  was, 
  

   according 
  to 
  the 
  statistics 
  of 
  the 
  Report 
  on 
  the 
  Water 
  Power 
  of 
  

   the 
  United 
  States, 
  Tenth 
  Census, 
  only 
  12,894 
  horsepower, 
  while 
  

   in 
  1895 
  the 
  total 
  horsepower 
  was 
  43,481. 
  Taking 
  into 
  account 
  

   additional 
  wheels 
  set 
  in 
  the 
  last 
  few 
  years, 
  as 
  well 
  as 
  the 
  extensive 
  

   development 
  of 
  the 
  Hudson 
  River 
  Power 
  Transmission 
  Company, 
  

   3 
  miles 
  below 
  Mechanicville, 
  it 
  is 
  probable 
  that 
  in 
  1898 
  there 
  were 
  

   wheels 
  set 
  on 
  the 
  Hudson 
  river 
  capable 
  of 
  furnishing, 
  at 
  full 
  

   capacity, 
  not 
  far 
  from 
  55,000 
  horsepower. 
  This 
  great 
  develop- 
  

   ment 
  has 
  led 
  to 
  a 
  very 
  strong 
  demand 
  in 
  the 
  last 
  few 
  years 
  for 
  

   increased 
  flow 
  during 
  the 
  low-water 
  period. 
  The 
  extensive 
  

   plant 
  of 
  the 
  Hudson 
  River 
  Water 
  Power 
  Company 
  at 
  Spier 
  Falls 
  

   is 
  now 
  approaching 
  completion. 
  In 
  1904 
  there 
  are 
  wheels 
  set 
  

   capable 
  of 
  producing 
  about 
  80,000 
  horsepower. 
  

  

  Recent 
  investigations. 
  In 
  1895 
  a 
  survey 
  of 
  the 
  upper 
  Hudson 
  

   valley 
  was 
  authorized 
  with 
  the 
  view 
  of 
  determining 
  what 
  lakes 
  

   and 
  streams 
  may 
  be 
  improved, 
  and 
  the 
  water 
  stored 
  and 
  diverted, 
  

   in 
  order 
  to 
  provide 
  for 
  the 
  enlargement 
  of 
  Champlain 
  canal 
  ; 
  for 
  

   restoring 
  to 
  the 
  water 
  of 
  Hudson 
  river 
  at 
  or 
  below 
  Glens 
  

   Falls 
  the 
  water 
  diverted 
  therefrom 
  for 
  canal 
  purposes; 
  and 
  for 
  

   improving 
  the 
  navigation 
  of 
  the 
  lower 
  Hudson 
  river. 
  The 
  

   proposed 
  reservoirs 
  are 
  all 
  in 
  the 
  upper 
  section, 
  above 
  Troy. 
  

  

  When 
  one 
  considers 
  the 
  scope 
  of 
  the 
  investigation 
  it 
  may 
  be 
  

   readily 
  seen 
  that 
  the 
  studies 
  must 
  necessarily 
  be 
  of 
  rather 
  wide 
  

   range. 
  Special 
  consideration 
  should 
  be 
  given 
  the 
  following 
  topics 
  : 
  

  

  1) 
  The 
  area 
  of 
  the 
  several 
  subdivisions 
  of 
  the 
  catchment 
  area, 
  

   together 
  with 
  the 
  locations 
  and 
  extent 
  of 
  the 
  reservoir 
  sites, 
  and 
  

   the 
  total 
  area 
  from 
  which 
  the 
  runoff 
  can 
  be 
  controlled. 
  

  

  2) 
  The 
  rainfall 
  and 
  mean 
  temperature 
  of 
  the 
  tributary 
  region, 
  

   as 
  well 
  as 
  its 
  physical 
  characteristics, 
  the 
  relative 
  amounts 
  of 
  

   timber 
  and 
  cleared 
  area, 
  etc. 
  

  

  1 
  For 
  further 
  particulars 
  of 
  Mr 
  Benedict's 
  reservoir 
  system, 
  see 
  Report 
  on 
  

   a 
  Survey 
  of 
  the 
  Waters 
  of 
  the 
  Upper 
  Hudson 
  and 
  Raquette 
  Rivers 
  in 
  the 
  

   Summer 
  of 
  1874, 
  with 
  Reference 
  to 
  Increasing 
  the 
  Supply 
  of 
  Water 
  for 
  the 
  

   Champlain 
  Canal 
  and 
  Improving 
  the 
  Navigation 
  of 
  the 
  Hudson 
  River, 
  by 
  F. 
  

   N. 
  Benedict, 
  Ass. 
  Doc. 
  (1875), 
  Vol. 
  I, 
  No. 
  6, 
  p. 
  85. 
  

  

  