22 



THE UTILITY OF FORESTS. 



heads a clear and able discussion of this whole subject as applied 

 to conditions in West Virginia, from The Report of the West 

 Virginia Conservation Commission: 



"The Forest's Influence Over Floods and Droughts." 



"Forests exercise a considerable influence over the behavior 

 of rivers. This influence is not the same in all climates and 

 countries. Each river system must be studied by itself, for 

 deduction under one set of conditions may not hold true under 

 another. Generally speaking a woodland soil absorbs more 

 water than naked ground. The decaying leaves, the roots and 

 stems, and the more porous nature of the upper layers of the 

 forest soil, take up the rain and melting snow, and hold it for a 

 time, permitting it to filter away slowly and enter the streams 

 gradually. Sudden rushes of water down steep slopes after a 

 rain are thus hindered, and the streams rise more slowly, flow 

 more regularly, and seldom reach excessively low stages- When 

 the same has been laid bare and packed by its own weight and 

 under the unobstructed beating of rain drops, its surface 

 hardens, its porosity is lessened, and it sheds water like a roof* 

 The streams catch it quickly and floods follow. That is the 

 difference between a forested and a treeless region. A country 

 well cultivated, and producing farm crops, may have a soil 

 almost or quite as effective in preventing storm water from flow- 

 ing too quickly to the streams. The dangerous region is the one 

 with steep, bare slopes. The West Virginia mountains would, 

 if denuded, be a constant menace to all the lower valleys. Floods 

 surpassing everything known in this region heretofore would be 

 sure to follow. On the other hand, streams would speedily be- 

 come dry after the rains had ceased. 



' ' Public opinion has long held that the floods are increasing 

 in .number, not only in West Virginia but in other regions where 

 rapid deforestation has been going on, but only recently were 

 figures compiled showing just what is taking place in this state. 

 Records of river stages and rainfall have been kept daily during 

 many years, at numerous points, by the United States Geological 

 Survey, the War Department, and the Weather Bureau. A 



