304 
^y FATHER BUREAU RIVER AND FLOOD SYSTEM 
Illinois, Tennessee, Cumberland, Mississippi, Missouri, Arkansas, 
and Red rivers of the central valleys ; the Columbia, Sacra- 
mento, and San Joaquin of the Pacific coasts and the Hudson, 
Susquehanna, Potomac, Savannah, Chattahoochee, and Alabama 
of the Atlantic and east Gulf coast. Gauging stations are most 
numerous on the rivers of the central valleys, and rainfall sta- 
tions are more numerous throughout the catchment liasins of 
these rivers than they are on the combined rivers of the Atlantic 
and Pacific coasts. 
The river-flood service of the Bureau was reorganized on July 
3, 1893, and the duty of warning communities resident along 
the great rivers i>laced in the hands of local forecast officials at 
the {irincipal river centers. Each forecaster in charge of a river 
center has a definite section of the river system of his district to 
watch and forecast for. He receives the necessary telegraphic 
reports of rainfall tliat has occurred over the tributaries in his 
river district, the daily telegraphic data as to gauge readings 
nearer the source of the main river than his own station, and 
also gauge readings on many of the tributary streams. Each 
forecaster is familiar with the area of the catchment basin from 
which his rainfall reports are received, the contour and configu- 
ration of the surface, and the jiermealhlity of the soil. A slowly 
falling rain of considerable volume on a nearly level and perme- 
able soil may cause little rise, while a ra})idly falling rain of the 
same amount on an impermeable and greatly inclined surface 
will gather quickly in the channels of tributaries and soon be- 
come a rushing torrent in the main stream. Local forecasters 
are furnished with all the data available relative to the histoiy 
of previous floods, and are consequently equi[)ped as completely 
as possible for the work before them. In view of this fact and 
of the ability and experience of the men employed on this im- 
]>ortanty duty, it is believed that no disastrous rise can occur in 
the future without adequate warning of the same having been 
given to all concerned. 
The territory assigned to each forecast district is as follows : 
New Orleans : Mississiiqh river from Vicksburg to its mouth 
and the Red and Ouachita rivers; Vicksburg: the river from 
Memphis to Vicksburg ; Cairo: that section of the Ohio from 
Evansville to Cairo and of the Mississii)pi from St. Louis to 
INIemphis; St. Louis: the Mississip|)i from Davenport to St. 
Louis and the Missouri east of Kansas City; Omaha: the INIis- 
souri from Kansas City northward ; Cincinnati : the Ohio and 
