FORESTS, RESERVOIRS, AND STREAM FLOW 301 
A recent example of projected storage is that presented by the 
late George Rafter, M. Am. Soc. C. E., for the Genesee River near 
Portage, N. Y. Owing to the moderate height of dam (apparently 
less than 150 ft.) and the large capacity of reservoir (15 billion cu. 
ft.), this is believed to compare favorably as to unit cost with the 
Ohio system. The estimate was $216 per 1000000 cu. ft. If it 
were to be built under the present conditions of the market, it would 
doubtless cost $250. It is understood that later investigations have 
shown that Mr. Rafter’s estimate is only one-half large enough. 
In 1895 the writer made an extensive examination of storage 
possibilities in Ohio, near the divide between Lake Erie and the Ohio 
River, for the purpose of providing a water supply for certain pro- 
jected canals. He prepared estimates for two sites on the head-waters 
of the Cuyahoga, for one site at the head of the Scioto, and for one 
at the head of the Great Miami. The estimates were based upon 
actual surveys, and are given in detail in the report upon the subject.* 
The type of construction was not expensive. The total capacity was 
11000 million cu. ft. and the unit cost $300. To-day it would be at 
least $350. 
Most of the proposed sites for the Ohio reservoirs are not advanta- 
geous sites. The topography of the country is unfavorable. The sites 
are not compact basins, like those occupied by lakes or ponds or moun- 
tain meadows, but are, for the most part, trunk valleys with numerous 
tributaries, nearly all of them quite narrow. They may be roughly 
compared to the form of the hand with the fingers outspread, the 
dam occupying the position of the wrist. The ends of the fingers 
are frequently many miles from each other and from the dam. Nu- 
merous villages occupy the valleys. The road systems of the local com- 
munities traverse them. The disadvantage that will result to public 
travel, by forcing it out of these natural routes over the hills and 
around the ends of the fingers, will be very great. The lands lying 
between the fingers, in some instances, will be so far cut off from 
convenient access that their value will be much impaired, and dam- 
ages-will have to be paid on that account. In several instances the 
necessary changes in railroad alignment in the hilly country will be 
extremely costly, if not impracticable. A great many cemeteries will 
have to be removed, which means, not only the cost of removal, but 
*House Doc. 278, 54th Cong., 1st Sess., pp. 78. 83, 86. 
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