MA.RXXAXD GEOLOGICAL SURVEY 273 



New York State, to the mountainous regions of central Pennsyl- 

 vania, where its tributaries have narrow and precipitous valleys, its 

 falling waters and rocky bed giving evidence of the possibility of 

 waterpower development in many places along their courses. 



Many waterpowers have been developed on the large tributaries of 

 the Susquehanna, but there are several powers possible of develop- 

 ment which, were they not located in the midst of the coal regions, 

 would have long ago been important for manufacturing purposes. 

 The main stream has a uniform declivity while in E~ew York State, 

 with a bed of gravel or sand and but few rocky ledges either in the 

 bed or banks of the stream, yet with banks moderately high and 

 seldom subject to overflow, representing in all respects a typical stream 

 of the north-central states. The Susquehanna, in flowing through 

 Pennsylvania, takes on more of the character of a mountain stream 

 flowing along the base of mountain ranges with high banks, and drift- 

 filled bed in which large boulders are frequently found. 



The fall is quite uniform until the junction of the West Branch, 

 when rapids and more decided falls become frequent with rocky bed 

 and banks at these places. As the Maryland line is approached the 

 river valley broadens out, sometimes being nearly a mile in width, 

 then narrowing to a few hundred feet. Rocky cliffs rise on either 

 side, so that one following down the stream on the immediate bank is 

 completely hemmed in by the rock walls. Along this part of its 

 course occasional rapids occur, some of which would furnish power 

 on a very large scale. Developments, however, on this portion of 

 the river would be expensive, owing to the width of the stream and 

 the heavy floods which frequently occur. On the other hand the 

 bed and banks are of solid rock and favorable for the construction of 

 dams. Railroad lines extend along nearly the whole lower course of 

 the stream, giving ample transportation but interfering with develop- 

 ment on a large scale, as a high dam would flood the tracks in many 

 places. 



The following profile of the course of the Susquehanna and its 



tributaries shows the steepness of the beds of the headwaters between 



the source and Williamsport, Pa., and the gentler slopes of the lower 

 18 



