504 



NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM 



for one day 979 cubic feet per second. In September, 1899, the 

 flow for one day was 711 cubic feet per second. For short periods 

 the flow has been less than for August, 1899. Thus, August 14-19, 

 1890, the mean flow was 1080 cubic feet per second, and October 

 2-6, inclusive, 1891, the mean flow is also given at 1080 cubic feet 

 per second, or at the rate of 0.24 cubic foot per second per square 

 mile. Taking the diversion for the supply of the Ohamplain canal 

 into account, we have about 0.29 cubic foot per second per square 

 mile as the actually observed flow. 



The figures show, however, that the flow of 0.29 cubic foot per 

 second per square mile has occurred for only two periods— one 

 of six days and the other of five days — a total of eleven days for 

 the whole period covered by the measurements. For July, 1888, 

 1he mean flow, including the diversion which was then occurring for 

 The supply of the Ohamplain canal, ma}' be taken at 0.37 cubic foot 

 per second per square mile. For October, 1891, the mean flow 

 for the whole month was 1472 cubic feet per second, or, including 

 the diversion to the Ohamplain canal, 0.36 of a cubic foot per 

 second per square mile. In July, 1890, the mean flow for the 

 month was 1950 cubic feet per second, and in several other months, 

 as July, 1893, July, 1895, and September and October, 1895, the 

 mean monthly flow varied from about 2600 to 2700 cubic feet per 

 second. Hence we may say that for any business where it is not 

 absolutely indispensable to have permanent power, water power 

 on Hudson river may be developed up to the limit of about 0.4 

 of a cubic foot per second per square mile, with a prospect of not 

 being interrupted on account of low water more than a few days 

 in each year. For electric power, however, or any application of 

 water power requiring a permanent power every day in the year, 

 the development ought not to be based, under present conditions, 

 on more than about 0.24 to 0.25 of a cubic foot per second per 

 square mile, these latter figures relating specially to that portion 

 of the river from which water is diverted for the supply of the 

 Ohamplain canal. As is shown in the section on the water power 

 of the Hudson river, nearly all of the plants on that slream are 

 developed far beyond these figures. 



Above the mouth of the Hoosic and Battenkill rivers somew hat 

 different conditions obtain from those occurring at Mechanie- 

 villc. The Hoosic and Battenkill rivers flow from eastern Ver- 



