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NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM 



7) As regards the upper Genesee catchment area, the forest 

 has been removed by landowners who have commercially profited 

 by such removal; the effect, however, has been to injure per- 

 manently every riparian owner on the stream; hence it is proper 

 that the State should spend money either in partially reforest- 

 ing the area or in constructing river regulation works. The 

 latter is preferable, because the benefits can be realized in a 

 few years. If the State does not desire to construct such works, 

 there should be no obstacles interposed to their construction 

 by a private company. 



8) The proposed Portage reservoir will impound 15,000,000,000 

 cubic feet of water at an estimated cost in 1904 of $3,250,000, or 

 at a cost of $216.67 per million cubic feet stored. It will afford 

 a permanent, continuous power above the present low-water 

 flow of the stream of 50,496 gross horsepower, while the reser- 

 voir at Mount Morris will afford only 11,600 horsepower above 

 the present low-water power of the stream. 



9) Based on manufacturers' ratings, the present total devel- 

 oped water power of Genesee river from Portage to Rochester, 

 inclusive, is 19,178 net horsepower; or, basing the amount of 

 water power on the manufacturers' ratings of water required, 

 and assuming 75 per cent efficiency on the wheels, the total 

 power is 17,248 net horsepower, of which about 16,650 net horse- 

 power is within the limits of the city of Rochester. These 

 figures apply to conditions as existing in 1897. 



Early History 



Erie canal in its relations to txenesee river. In order to show 

 why the State was originally asked to build a storage reservoir 

 on Genesee river for the benefit of private parties, the following 

 from the early history of the Erie canal in its relations to the 

 Genesee river is given: 



The first mention of the Genesee river as a source of water 

 supply for Erie canal is in the report of James Geddes, who 

 was employed by Simeon DeWitt, the then Surveyor General 

 of this State, to make the first examinations for the Erie canal. 

 His report, which wns submitted on January 20. 1809. may be 

 found in the official history of the New York State canals (1825) 

 page 13 and following. 



