A Drainage Peculiarity. — Burr. 371 
It appears from inquiry that the delta has changed notice- 
ably within the last century. There is now firm ground where 
once there were pond-holes, while in sheltered places the delta 
has pushed its way farther into the lake. When dams were 
built in the Rangeley lakes, the volume of water in time of 
flood was somewhat decreased. Thus the current at such times 
is somewhat less powerful and as a result the flood does not 
hold its velocity so far into the lake. The channels, which are 
said to have been once very strongly marked in the muddy 
shoals beyond the delta front, have become much less distinct, 
while the whole bottom in the vicinity of the delta has been 
silted up till it is very shallow. 
Already a large area, perhaps several scjuare miles, has 
been taken from the lake through the building forward of this 
delta. The encroachment will go on till the Androscoggin 
has cut so deep that its flood cannot rise to the lake's level. 
It is even conceivable that, before that time shall come, the 
lake will be completely filled, and there will be a river flowing 
through a plain of which the materials have been largely 
brought from down-stream. 
Aside from the interest which attaches to this unique delta 
in itself, .this offers a striking illustration of the well-known 
fact that the work of land sculpttu'e is largely done in time of 
flood. The transportation of this mass of material is the work 
of a few days. Almost the whole of the water which has borne 
the load from the river must pass out by the same way. A 
volume vastly greater finds its way out through the same 
channel during the time of normal conditions. Yet the work 
done by this great mass of out-flowing waters during all the 
rest of the year cannot undo, or even greatly modify, the work 
of the flood done in a few days. 
