DEVELOPMENT OF PULPWOOD RESOURCES. 17 



In developing the timber resources it will be possible to produce cheap steam 

 power by the use of sawmill waste as fuel. The ultimate development, how- 

 ever, for both lumber and pulp will be through the establishment of mills at 

 accessible power sites. 



A great drawback to water-power development in this region is the difficulty 

 of transmission. The country, as already stated, is cut by numerous channels, 

 has a rough topography, and is covered with dense forests. Therefore trans- 

 mission lines are difficult and expensive to construct, and this practically pro- 

 hibits development at sites where the power can not be utilized at the point 

 of development. In view of these difficulties, the possibilities at the present 

 time for large power development in southeastern Alaska are hot great, and 

 such projects should be closely scrutinized as to their feasibility both from 

 an engineer's standpoint and from that of an investor. 



The opening of new mining districts and the development of the timber 

 interests in this region will create a more widely distributed demand for power 

 and enable the utilization of sites which at the present time can not be con- 

 sidered as available. As already stated, the success of any large water-power 

 development, to be run during the entire year, will depend on the possibility 

 of an adequate storage. The meager topographic data available indicate that 

 there are probably many lakes throughout the region which will offer excellent 

 storage facilities. 



A number of power sites available for large-scale pulp and paper 

 manufacture have been noted. In order to ascertain whether or 

 not the powers on these sites will be fully satisfactory and how they 

 can best be adapted, either alone or in conjunction with one another, 

 definite surveys and other engineering investigations will be neces- 

 sary, including stream-gauging through a period of years. 7 Of the 

 specific powers noted, the more promising are those at Fish Creek, 

 Shrimp Bay, Mill Creek, Warm Spring Bay, Speel Eiver, Bailey 

 Bay, Cascade Bay, Silver Bay, Swan Lake, Thomas Bay, Tease 

 Lake, and Sweetheart Falls. The Warm Spring Bay, Mill Creek, 

 and Speel River powers are known to receive glacial drainage and 

 on this account are expected to be especially susceptible to tempera- 

 ture changes and to have wide extremes in summer and winter flow. 

 This is known to be true of the Speel River powers, which have 

 been gauged continuously throughout for several years. 



There is no assurance that the powers mentioned above will be the 

 best ones obtainable in southeastern Alaska. The country is so new 

 and unexplored that no one now knows just what specific power 

 possibilities may eventually be located. There are numerous known 

 streams whose power head and summer flow would probably be 

 satisfactory, and some of them may possibly have ideal sites for 

 storage reservoirs sufficiently large to insure a sustained winter flow 

 of 10,000 horsepower at a comparatively small cost; but until re- 



7 In the summer of 1915 the Forest Service established a number of stream-gauging- 

 stations in cooperation with tbe U. S. Geological Survey to ascertain the Alaskan power 

 possibilities for pulp-manufacturing purposes. Twenty stream-gauging stations had hem 

 established in Alaska by 193 7, and the records are being maintained. The data, includ- 

 ing 1918, have been published as Bulletin 712-B of the Geological Survey. 



29729°— 21 3 



