Forests and Snow. 
9 
ted line shows the probable course of the fluctuation, as judged from the 
records of co-operating observers, had there been no storm and the 
weather remained clear. 
The different effect of a local shower on the river is shown in Fig. 7 . 
Two local storms are in evidence on this record; one on the afternoon 
of May 18, and the other beginning to show on the afternoon of May 
20, with a marked rise during the night. 
The storm of May 18 was a sudden violent shower over a small area. 
As it was near the river, the effect was very marked. The rain-gauge 
at the Station recorded only .03 in. A shower of .20 in. on May 19 does 
not show; but there was a storm on the night of the 19th and extend¬ 
ing throughout much of the forenoon of the 20th, amounting to 1.28 
inches. This was heavy in the mountains also, especially at the lower 
elevations. The effect is seen in that the river continued to rise on the 
morning of the 20th, instead of falling. The sudden rise about midnight 
was due to the access of the flood from one of the important tributaries. 
Figure 7. 
The dotted line shows the probable fluctuation of the stream if there 
had been no storms. Neither of the storms extended to the higher ele¬ 
vations and did not cause general cloudiness, and the general course 
of the river was but little affected. 
As snow is most evident on the high peaks, undue importance is 
attached to high elevations. The run-off from the forest fringes below 
timber line is of far more importance. The precipitation at the high 
elevations is not much, if any, more than at lower elevations. The rain¬ 
fall on Pike’s Peak, standing as it does on the edge of the Plains, can¬ 
not be considered representative of the other high elevations, and is 
undoubtedly much greater than that on other peaks equally as high. 
Even if a great amount of precipitation falls on the top, it is confined 
to a small area of relativey little importance. Thus, for instance, I have 
had occasion to examine the watershed tributary to the Rio Grande. 
While this has an area of 4,611 square miles above 8,000 feet eleva¬ 
tion, there is less than 200 square miles of it above 12,000 feet, although 
this watershed has a large number of the highest peaks in the State. 
