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NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM 



penetrates and the wind effect, even in a gale, is only slight. On 

 a catchment area where there are only scattered patches of forest, 

 the effect is practically the same as on a deforested area. The 

 same proposition is generally true on a catchment with young 

 trees. What is wanted for the maximum effect is a mature ever- 

 green forest. 



This proposition, however, though definitely stated here, has 

 been nevertheless the subject of considerable discussion, and owing 

 to its complex nature, it is improbable that a final conclusion 

 concerning it will very soon be reached. 



The subject of the influence of forests on runoff has assumed 

 considerable importance in New York because of the policy of the 

 State government to purchase large tracts of land in the Adiron- 

 dack and Catskill mountains (1), for the creation of extensive 

 State parks, and (2), for the purpose of conserving the runoff of 

 the streams issuing from these regions. The creating of State 

 parks is commendable and does not enter specially into the present 

 discussion, but whether the creation of forest areas in the Adiron- 

 dack and Catskill mountains will materially increase stream flow 

 is a question on w T hieh widely varying views have been expressed. 

 It is proposed, therefore, to give an indication of the probable 

 bearing of forests on stream flow, and in order to make the dis- 

 cussion as valuable as possible, numerical values will be used. 



The Forest preserve. In 1893 the Legislature passed an act 

 creating the Forest preserve and the Adirondack park. The For- 

 est preserve is defined as including : 



The lands now owned or hereafter acquired by the State within 

 the counties of Clinton, except the towns of Altona and Danne- 

 mora, Delaware, Essex, Franklin, Fulton, Hamilton, Herkimer, 

 Lewis, Oneida, Saratoga, St Lawrence, Warren, Washington, 

 Greene, Ulster, and Sullivan, except (1) , lands within the limits 

 of any village or city; and (2), lands, not wild lands, acquired by 

 the State on foreclosure of mortgages made to the commissioners 

 for loaning certain moneys of the United States usually called the 

 United States deposit fund. 1 



lChap. 332, laws of 1893. 



