HYDROLOGY OF NEW YORK 



249 



The catchment of the Saranac river has an area of 628 square 

 miles, about one-half being wooded. The lakes on its headwaters 

 have a water surface of 21 square miles, and afford an opportunity 

 for considerable storage. This storage could be largely increased 

 at comparatively small cost for construction, but the land dam- 

 ages on the Saranac lakes would be considerable owing to the 

 large private residences and summer hotels on their banks. 



The quantity of merchantable timber likely to be cut on the 

 catchment of Saranac river is small, owing to the large area 

 owned by the State or by private parties as forest preserves. 



There are a few developed powers on Saranac river, the prin- 

 cipal ones being at Saranac Lake village, Cadyville and Platts- 

 burg. There is an undeveloped power at Franklin Falls with a 

 possible fall of 60 feet. 



Salmon river east. This river rises in the western part of Clin- 

 ton county and flows easterly into Lake Champlain near the 

 village of South Plattsburg. Its catchment area is 480 square 

 miles. 



Little Ausable river. This stream rises in the south part of 

 Clinton county and flows northeasterly to the village of Lapham, 

 then southeast, entering Lake Champlain about four miles south 

 of the mouth of Salmon river east. 



Ausable river. This stream has its source in the central part 

 of Essex county in Upper Ausable lake, which lies in a valley in 

 the midst of the highest mountains of the State, at an elevation 

 of 1993 feet above tidewater. It flows in a northeasterly direction 

 to Ausable Forks, from near which it is the boundary line between 

 Clinton and Essex counties. It then flows a little north of east, 

 entering Lake Champlain three miles above the village of Port 

 Kent. The length of the stream from its mouth to Lower Ausable 

 lake, the elevation of which is 1961 feet above tide, is about 42 

 miles ; hence we have a fall of 1860 feet in a little over 40 miles. 

 For several miles of its course the stream flows through Ausable 

 Chasm. The catchment has an area of 519 square miles of partly 

 wooded, mountainous territory. There are only a few small 



