374 REPORT OF THE COMMISSIONERS OF 



THE SANITARY BEARING OF RESERVOIRS. 



People owning cottages on the margins of natural lakes likely to be made into 

 reservoirs, object very strongly on the ground that the raising of the water will be 

 prejudicial to health. On this point the author cannot but think that the popular 

 opinion is based on misinformation, although it is freely admitted that the Adirondack 

 region is now extremely healthful and the State ought not to either do anything 

 itself, nor permit anything to be done which would deteriorate it. The popular view, 

 however, that the construction of reservoirs must necessarily produce unhealthful 

 conditions is thus far not sustained by any considerable amount of well attested facts. 

 Without wishing to reflect upon anybody in any way, shape or manner, the author is 

 disposed to look upon such view as largely a fad. Indeed, he has taken special pains 

 to study the question both in this country and abroad, and has thus far to learn of a 

 case where well attested facts show that any considerable amount of ill health has been 

 caused by properly constructed reservoirs. 



In the Adirondack region, where at the heads of nearly all the lakes there are now 

 extensive marsh areas, the conditions will be materially improved by cutting the 

 timber and covering the marsh areas with water, the more especially when the new 

 water surface is high enough to cover the entire marsh area, a condition which in the 

 majority of cases may be easily attained. Moreover, the Adirondack lakes and ponds 

 have at their sides mostly sand, gravel, boulder or natural rock beaches, on which the 

 annual fluctuation can have absolutely no effect. The marsh areas are usually in the 

 continuation of the valleys at the heads of the lakes. As just stated, as soon as we 

 attain an elevation of about 1,800 feet, July is practically the only month without frost; 

 but, the reservoirs will ordinarily be full or nearly full of water during July. It is 

 mostly only in the cooler months of September and October that the conditions of run-off 

 are such as to require their being greatly drawn down. There seems little reason to 

 doubt, therefore, but that the effect of constructing the reservoirs will be, on the whole i 

 to increase the healthfulness of the region by doing away with numerous marsh areas 

 which are now, during the warm weather, possibly the source of malarial influences. 



A striking illustration of how unreasonable public prejudice in the North Woods 

 may be was afforded by the author's experience at Indian Lake in the fall of 1897. 

 At that time investigations as to the foundation of the new Indian Lake dam were in 

 process, and in order to expedite the study it was proposed to draw the water out of 

 the lake. This fact becoming known, violent protests were made by people living 

 several miles away, who urged that if the lake were drawn down there was certain to 

 be serious sickness, diphtheria among other diseases being mentioned as likely to 

 occur. Time was an element of importance and inasmuch as it would require at least 

 ten days to draw the water to a level low enough to be of any special assistance in the 



