388 



REPORT OF THE COMMISSIONERS OF 



Mill Acts of twenty to thirty years ago on Oswegatchie and other streams of the 

 northern Adirondack region have been of considerable value to the water-power 

 interests of those streams. The Cranberry Lake reservoir of this series is of consid- 

 erable extent, and, while no figures as to the increase of flow have been kept, it may 

 still be safely stated as having materially increased the summer flow. Unfortunately, 

 the Commissioners for these reservoirs did not realize the importance of taking the 

 matter up in a scientific manner, and the dams were not only cheaply constructed, but 

 were made entirely without reference to the fundamental data of rainfall and run-off 

 in relation to catchment area. As the result of the cheap and temporary character of 

 some of the dams they have been allowed to fall into decay and the reservoirs are now 

 practically out of existence, not because they were not of value, but because the 

 parties managing the affair did not know how to do the thing which they set about 

 doing. It is to be hoped that the increase of the scientific spirit will prevent further 

 erroneous practice on this line in the State of New York. 



BLACK RIVER RESERVOIR SYSTEM. 



Thus far Genesee and Hudson Rivers are the only streams in New York that have 

 been thoroughly studied with reference to storage possibilities. Something has, 

 however, been done on Black River, and since that stream presents an exceedingly 

 interesting case, because of the adoption there, by the State, of the principle of 

 compensation in kind, we will consider the main points of Black River reservoir system 

 as it exists at the present time. 



The ordinary diversion from Black River for the water supply of Black River and 

 Erie Canals is as per the following table: 



MONTH. 



May, 

 June, 



July, 



August, . 

 September, 

 October, 

 November, 



Mean, 



DIVERSION IN CUBIC 

 FEET PER SECOND. 



20I 

 2l6 

 209 

 183 

 164 

 130 



184 



