DISCUSSION : FORESTS, RESERVOIRS, AND STREAM FLOW 383 
second than even Owens River which has a drainage area from one-_ Messrs. 
. : Leffingwell 
sixth to one-ninth as large, and no forest cover. Pen Seong: 
TABLE 12. 
1906. Merced River, | Kings River, | Kern River, | Owens River, 
i 1 090 sq. miles.} 1742 sq. miles.| 2 345 sq. miles.| 450 sq. miles. 
nell 
Total discharge, in acre-feet. 2 090 000 3 920 000 1 900 000 260 000 
Maximum daily HiRChETeA, Jan. 19 June 20 June 22 June 25 
in second-feet .. eee 18 400 26 600 9 505 839 
Minimum daily discharge, in Oct. 30 Jan, 2 Jan. 3 Jan. 8 
second-feet.............008 62 205 230 162 
Ratio of minimum to maxi- 
mum daily discharge..... 1 to 297 1 to 129 1to 41 1to5 
Month of maximum dis- 
June June June July 
epee aleneinciie MLL 26% 24% 16% 
Month of minimum dis- 
Oct. Nov. Nov. Feb. 
5 penta iaereren MOL 1 0.58% 1.59% £380 
Ratio of minimum to maxi- 
mum monthly discharge. . 1 to 67 1 to 44 1to14 1to4 
Total depth of run-off, in 
INCHES weiss ss Beeeeiees 5 35.92 42.26 15.18 10,97 
Depth of run-off during first; June 16-25 J me a J naa es Ju te pa 
3.9 
ten days of warm weather. 98 E 
and percentage of total.. 10.6% 11.8% 9.6% oy “305 
Depth of run-off during 
month of minimum fall ee ; pa for fore 
ii | a 0.59% 1.59% 5.474 
The present intention of the Forestry Bureau to plant forests on a 
large portion of the Owens River drainage area would seem to be 
unwise, in view of the foregoing conditions. This is particularly true 
as this stream is the intended source of the water supply of Los 
Angeles, and at no very distant day every drop of its water will be 
carefully hoarded. 
Plates XLIV and XLV show the snow fields of the upper levels 
of the Owens River drainage on the east side of the Southern Sierras. 
Particular attention is drawn to the fact that all snow has melted 
from under the trees or around them and only remains in the drifts 
in the bare areas between the clumps of trees. 
