HYDROLOGY OF NEW YORK 



45 



The great forest as a stream conservator. The great forest of 

 northern New York occupies the central part of the Adirondack 

 plateau, and deserves notice from its importance as a conservator 

 of the streams issuing from that region. The outlines of the great 

 forest are substantially as follows: Its eastern boundary coin- 

 cides quite closely with a line drawn through Keene Valley and 

 thence along the valleys of Schroon river and the upper Hudson; 

 its southern boundary is for the main part identical with that of 

 Hamilton county and the town of Wilmurt, in Herkimer county, 

 although in some places the forest extends a short distance into 

 Fulton county; its western boundary is the county line between 

 Lewis and Herkimer counties; its northern boundary runs in an 

 irregular line from a point near Harrisville, on the Lewis and St 

 Lawrence county line, to the Upper Chateaugay lake, which is 

 situated near the line between Franklin and Clinton counties. 

 This territory contains about 3.590,000 acres, of which 3,280,000 

 acres are considered to be covered with dense forests. Within 

 this region there are from 1300 to 1400 lakes and ponds, while 

 from it the eighteen important streams just enumerated diverge 

 in every direction. The general elevation of the Adirondack pla- 

 teau is about 2000 feet above the level of the sea. Little discus- 

 sion is needed, therefore, to show the great value of this elevated 

 forest-covered plateau as a conservator of the natural waters of 

 the State. 



One important utilization of the waters of this State formerly 

 was the carrying of logs to market through the various streams. 

 By reason of the clearing off of the forests, that business has grad- 

 ually declined until, except in the Adirondack plateau, it is now 

 of little importance. It has beeu the policy of the State for a 

 number of years to acquire, as far as possible, by tax title and 

 purchase, bodies of land in the Adirondack forest for the purpose 

 not only of conserving the forests in order to increase the yield 

 of streams, but for the further purpose of creating a forest park 

 worthy of the great Commonwealth of New York. In order to 

 cany out tli is project the Forest-Freserve Board has been empow- 

 ered to purchase lands within the forest, or, failing to agree on 



