pulp it produces. About 100 gallons of water a day 
must be provided for every city dweller. In 1947, South 
Carolina produced 3,484,200 kilowatt hours of elec- 
tricity, roughly two-thirds of which was generated by 
hydroelectric plants. 
Well-stocked, properly managed forests help to assure 
an adequate supply of water. In many parts of the State, 
the original protective influence of forest cover has 
been largely destroyed by past land-use practices. In the 
Piedmont especially, rain water that once infiltrated 
down through the soil now runs directly into streams, 
carrying with it tons of soil from open fields and 
partially forested land. Many streams which once flowed 
clear along boulder-strewn water courses now are filled 
with sediment. This reduced channel capacity has 
increased the frequency and extent of flooding on rich 
bottomlands. As a result, these areas are becoming 
progressively wetter. 
Sedimentation and uneven stream flow threaten the 
life and utility of hydroelectric plants. Reservoirs behind 
many of the smaller dams in the Piedmont have become 
almost completely filled with sediment. Further, water 
supplies for municipal and industrial use become pro- 
gressively more expensive as the need for filtering sedi- 
ment-laden surface water increases. In some cases textile 
mills have had to abandon surface water supplies and 
drill deep wells. Some cities have found it necessary to 
purchase and manage land to protect their water supply 
— further adding to the cost of water to the consumer. 
Erosion from open fields and thinly stocked forest 
land in the Piedmont affects more than the surface water 
supply. The sediment carried by the surface water fills 
up many of the natural channels to the underground 
reservoirs. This tends to reduce the supply of under- 
ground water in the Coastal Plain, and makes it more 
difficult and expensive for industries and municipalities 
to obtain adequate supplies from deep wells. 
8 Forest Resource Report No. 3, U. S. Department of Agriculture 

