11^ CLASSIFlCAtlON OF THE PUBLIC LANDS. 



greatly complicated, and considerable thought and good judgment 

 are required to determine on a plan whereby the stream may be uti- 

 lized to a reasonable capacity and the vested rights already acquired 

 by private owners may not be violated. Many of the power plants 

 already installed use only a small percentage of the maximum avail- 

 able power. In such cases either the plans for ultimate maximum 

 power development involve the utilization and enlargement or im- 

 provement of such plants or they are omitted from consideration, it 

 being assumed that when the demand for power increases to a certain 

 point ordinary commercial procedure will settle all questions relative 

 to the destiny of- power plants in operation. 



In case a railroad is already constructed parallel to the stream, 

 plans for immediate development must avoid any interference with 

 the railroad rights. Few plans that would require relocation of rail- 

 roads are feasible under present market conditions, but the future 

 demand for power will probably change the aspect of the case, and 

 on this account the problem is treated as if the railroad did not exist, 

 it being assumed that whenever the demand for power is sufficient to 

 justify the expense of railroad relocation the power will be de- 

 veloped. It is quite as desirable to provide means for future control 

 by the Government in such an event as it is to provide such control 

 in situations where no complications of this kind exist. Therefore, 

 an important part of the field work consists in the determination of 

 possible relocations, so that in fixing the value of any land reserved 

 for a power site the department may have information whereby it 

 can render an opinion as to the possibility and cost of relocating such 

 lines as are already constructed or as to the feasibility of requiring 

 the relocation of rights of way for which application may subse- 

 quently be made. 



SETATLED FIEIiS INVEBTiaAIIONB. 



Investigations of detailed character are made to obtain data for 

 final departmental action. The statements in the preceding section 

 indicate that the chief object of the reconnaissance work is to locate 

 lands suitable for power sites. The capacity of the power sites is 

 determined in connection with such work largely for the purpose 

 of justifying the preliminary withdrawal of the lands from entry. 

 Incidental information of a more or less final character is collected 

 during the reconnaissance examination, for the most part with a 

 view to convenience and economy in the final detailed surveys. The 

 withdrawals of lands for power sites on the basis of a reconnaissance 

 examination are usually made liberal in extent, the purpose being to 

 restore to entry any of the legal subdivisions which on detailed sur- 

 vey prove to be of no value in connection with the plans finally 



