﻿632 
  

  

  NEW 
  YORK 
  STATE 
  MUSEUM 
  

  

  In 
  order 
  to 
  show 
  the 
  approximate 
  relative 
  proportions 
  of 
  

   virgin 
  forest, 
  culled 
  area, 
  from 
  which 
  merchantable 
  softwood 
  

   timber 
  has 
  been 
  removed, 
  together 
  with 
  the 
  cleared 
  and 
  water 
  

   areas 
  of 
  Schroon 
  river 
  catchment, 
  the 
  following 
  data 
  have 
  been 
  

   compiled 
  from 
  several 
  of 
  the 
  United 
  States 
  Geological 
  Survey's 
  

   topographical 
  sheets, 
  including 
  territory 
  either 
  wholly 
  or 
  partly 
  

   within 
  Schroon 
  river 
  catchment 
  : 
  

  

  Virgin 
  Culled 
  Cleared 
  Water 
  Total 
  

  

  forest, 
  area, 
  area, 
  area, 
  area, 
  

  

  square 
  square 
  square 
  square 
  square 
  

  

  Topographic 
  sheet 
  miles 
  miles 
  miles 
  miles 
  miles 
  

  

  Bolton 
  153.00 
  43.55 
  19.85 
  216.4 
  

  

  Paradox 
  lake 
  171.55 
  38.60 
  5.35 
  215.5 
  

  

  Schroon 
  lake 
  1.10 
  182.10 
  35.80 
  6.50 
  215.5 
  

  

  Total 
  1.10 
  506.65 
  117.95 
  31.70 
  647.4 
  

  

  The 
  large 
  water 
  area 
  of 
  the 
  Bolton 
  sheet 
  is 
  due 
  to 
  the 
  fact 
  that 
  

   this 
  sheet 
  includes 
  a 
  considerable 
  portion 
  of 
  Lake 
  George. 
  

   Aside 
  from 
  this, 
  the 
  Bolton, 
  Paradox 
  lake 
  and 
  Schroon 
  lake 
  

   sheets, 
  covering 
  a 
  total 
  area 
  of 
  647.4 
  square 
  miles, 
  are 
  considered 
  

   to 
  be 
  — 
  as 
  regards 
  forestation 
  — 
  fairly 
  illustrative 
  of 
  Schroon 
  

   river 
  catchment 
  area. 
  The 
  figures 
  show 
  that 
  the 
  cleared 
  area 
  

   is 
  only 
  about 
  18 
  per 
  cent 
  of 
  the 
  whole. 
  The 
  northern 
  part 
  of 
  

   Schroon 
  river 
  catchment 
  area, 
  which 
  is 
  included 
  in 
  Mount 
  Marcy 
  

   and 
  Elizabethtown 
  sheets, 
  is 
  substantially 
  all 
  in 
  timber, 
  and 
  for 
  

   the 
  entire 
  catchment 
  area 
  probably 
  the 
  cleared 
  surface 
  does 
  not 
  

   exceed 
  about 
  15 
  per 
  cent. 
  

  

  The 
  topography 
  of 
  Schroon 
  river 
  catchment 
  area 
  is 
  rugged. 
  

   The 
  low- 
  water 
  surface 
  elevation 
  of 
  Schroon 
  lake 
  is 
  807 
  + 
  T. 
  W., 
  

   and 
  the 
  extreme 
  northern 
  tributaries 
  issue 
  from 
  the 
  base 
  of 
  the 
  

   highest 
  mountains 
  of 
  the 
  State. 
  

  

  The 
  foregoing 
  brief 
  statements 
  in 
  regard 
  to 
  physical 
  character- 
  

   istics 
  of 
  Schroon 
  river 
  catchment 
  area 
  show 
  that 
  it 
  is 
  an 
  ideal 
  

   region 
  from 
  whence 
  to 
  draw 
  a 
  municipal 
  water 
  supply. 
  The 
  

   forest 
  covered 
  granitic 
  rocks 
  and 
  interspersed 
  sand 
  areas 
  insure 
  

   a 
  water 
  of 
  extreme 
  purity, 
  and 
  when 
  we 
  further 
  take 
  into 
  ac- 
  

   count 
  the 
  economy 
  of 
  reservoir 
  construction 
  which 
  can 
  here 
  be 
  

   attained 
  we 
  have 
  a 
  combination 
  of 
  favorable 
  conditions 
  only 
  

   rarely 
  excelled. 
  

  

  An 
  approximate 
  estimate 
  made 
  in 
  1895, 
  before 
  all 
  the 
  condi- 
  

   tions 
  were 
  known, 
  placed 
  the 
  cost 
  of 
  Schroon 
  valley 
  reservoir— 
  

  

  