Southern Appalachian Digital Collections

Western Carolina University (21) View all

Secretary of Agriculture report on watersheds

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  • APPALACHIAN AND WHITE MOUNTAIN WATERSHEDS. 13 IMPORTANCE OF SOUTHERN APPALACHIANS AND WHITE MOUNTAINS FOR WATER POWER. The amount of water power in the Southern Appalachians frequently has been guessed at. The Geological Survey has been measuring the streams for seven years, and its report on the Relation of the Southern Appalachian Mountains to the Development of Water Power presents facts concerning the remarkable asset the nation has in the water resources of this region. Based on the lowest two weeks of the year an average for seven years shows that the streams afford 2,700,000 horsepower. This much power would be available the year round. In common practice it is found profitable to develop a water power to the minimum of the four high- water months of the year, depending upon steam power during low- water season to make up the deficiency. In order to be conservative in this estimate the time limit has been made six months. No streams or portions of streams were considered that did not flow out of the Southern Appalachians. No streams with less than 500 horsepower were considered. In all calculations only 90 per cent of the observed fall and 80 per cent of the energy of the falling water is used. Moreover, three important streams—the Big Sandy, the Cumberland, and the Kentucky—are not included. With these allowances and omissions the minimum power for the year and for the six high-water months is as follows: Table 2.—Minimum horsepower of Southern Appalachian streams. Horsepower. Stream. Minimum for the year. Minimum for six high-water months. 131,800 155,000 131,000 167,800 319, 590 209,000 145,000 104,580 58,900 335,000 973,600 349,556 236,474 215,709 256,945 472,000 314,600 228,800 177,880 235,715 853, 420 1,589,474 Total 2,740,700 4,929,673 The above table shows the power available under present conditions. Development of the storage facilities of the -various streams would increase the minimum from three to thirty times, depending upon the stream. It is estimated by the Geological Survey that at least 50 per cent of the indicated minimum horsepower, and probably much more, is available for economic development. On this basis the rental of 1,350,000 horsepower at $20 per annum is worth $27,000,000 per year. If we take in the same way 50 per cent of the power which is present for half the year we increase this sum by $11,000,000, bringing the total to $38,000,000.
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Object’s are ‘parent’ level descriptions to ‘children’ items, (e.g. a book with pages).