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NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM 



permanent stone dam exists in the vicinity, with an opportunity 

 to construct a wasteway over natural rock at one side. 



Inasmuch as all the storage except that of the Sacandaga area 

 would pass through the Hadley reservoir, its construction would 

 simplify the management of the system very greatly. In the 

 summer season, as long as there is any storage above to be 

 drawn upon, this reservoir could be kept nearly full and just the 

 right quantity drawn out from day to day to keep the river at 

 the assumed flow of 4500 cubic feet a second at Mechanicville. 



The Water Storage Commission made surveys for several 

 reservoirs on the Hudson river, but as there is nothing of inter- 

 est about any of these, no special mention is made of them here. 



Effect of proposed storage on river flow. The foregoing quan- 

 tities of storage have been fixed upon on the basis that the water 

 yield of the year of minimum stream flow will furnish a storage 

 of at least 12 inches, the flow line of the reservoirs themselves 

 being located with reference to holding back 13.5 inches. If, 

 however, one examines the tables of runoff of the Hudson at 

 Mechanicville, and of precipitation in the catchment, it is seen 

 that much greater yields can be expected in an average year. 

 From this point of view, it may be asked, Why not make the 

 reservoirs somewhat larger than merely sufficient for the wants 

 of the year of minimum flow and carry some water over from one 

 year to another, thus more nearly attaining an absolute regula- 

 tion of the river — not for a single year, but for a series of years? 

 The chief objection to this method of procedure is that experi- 

 ence with other large reservoir systems is against other than a 

 moderate development on this line, it having been repeatedly 

 found that however high the flow line, reservoirs are likely to be 

 nearly empty at the beginning of the storage period of the mini- 

 mum year. Experience indicates that the rainfall and si ream 

 flow move in cycles, there being in each cycle several successive 

 years of flow above the average. The demands for water tend to 

 increase during the years of plenty, until those in charge appar- 

 ently forget there will ever be a deficiency. The best practice, 

 therefore, is to locate the flow line with reference to about the 

 minimum yield, thus forcing an economy in the use of water 

 from the beginning. By proceeding in this way provision may 



