Southern Appalachian Digital Collections

Western Carolina University (20) View all

Report of the Secretary of Agriculture in relation to the forests, rivers, and mountains of the southern Appalachian region

Item
?

Item’s are ‘child’ level descriptions to ‘parent’ objects, (e.g. one page of a whole book).

  • SOUTHERN APPALACHIAN REGION. 137 These stations cover every stream rising in the southern Appalachian Mountain area. Besides measurements at the foregoing regular stations miscellaneous measurements were made in the watersheds of all of the larger rivers, on both the main streams and on their principal tributaries. The following large rivers were measured: Yadkin, Catawba, Broad (of the two Carolinas), Saluda, Tugaloo, Broad (of Georgia), Savannah, Oconee, Ocmulgee. Chattahoochee, Etowah, Coosawat- tee, Conasauga, Coosa, Tallapoosa, New, French Broad, Nolichucky, Holston, Watauga, Tennessee, Hiwassee, and Toccoa (or Okoee). A complete list of the measurements made, showing the discharge of the various rivers and their tributaries, has been published in Water Supply and Irrigation Paper of the United States Geological Survey No. 49. In some respects the summer of 1900 was a peculiar onetions^nwwand in the Appalachian region. Rain was abundant during1901, June, and the streams were moderately high during the early part of the summer, but later very little rain fell, and most of the rivers and their tributaries were at an extremely low stage, as low as they have been for a number of years. During the spring of 1901, however, the rivers were at a higher stage, and a number of high-water measurements were obtained, the results of which will be published in a later number of the Water-Supply Papers by the United States Geological Survey. With a view to making more than one measurement at the same place on each stream a bench mark was established at the time the first measurement was made, and the relative height of the water surface was noted at each succeeding gauging, so that in this way the relation between the rise of the stream and the discharge could be ascertained. Examinations were also made for the watermarks at the time of previous floods, and when the yearly fluctuations of the streams could be obtained they also were noted. With the numerous gauge heights, and measurements of flow that have now been made, fairly complete data of the flow from the various drainage basins are available. VALUE OF THESE MOUNTAIN STREAMS FOB WATER- POWER, PURPOSES. The greater part of this region is occupied by gneissic favoring water- rocks, having for the most part a characteristic northeast-g^f to-southwest strike, the irregular rock layers dipping
Object
?

Object’s are ‘parent’ level descriptions to ‘children’ items, (e.g. a book with pages).