WATER POWER, TELEPHONE, TELEGRAPH, AND POWER TRANSMISSION LINES

Along the streams within the National Forests are many sites suitable for power development. These are open to occupancy for such purposes and have the advantage of being on streams whose headwaters are protected. The aggregate capacity of the water power sites on the National Forests is estimated at 12,000,000 horsepower.

Figure 77. North Clear Creek Falls, Rio Grande National Forest, Colorado. The National Forests contain about one-third of all the potential water-power resources of the United States.

Figure 78. The power plant of the Colorado Power Company, on the Grand River, Holy Cross National Forest, Colorado. Every fiscal year there is a substantial increase in water power development on the National Forests.

The Government does not permit the monopolization of power in any region or allow sites to be held for speculative purposes. The objects of the regulations are to secure prompt and full development and to obtain a reasonable compensation for the use of the land occupied and the beneficial protection given the watershed.

Permits for power development on the National Forests usually run for a term of 50 years and may be renewed at their expiration upon compliance with the regulations then existing. Such permits, while granting liberal terms to applicants, contain ample provision for the protection of the public interests.

Applications for power permits are filed with the District Forester of the Forest Service District in which the desired site is located. Preliminary permits are issued to protect an applicant's priority against subsequent applicants until he has had an opportunity to study the proper location and design of the project and to obtain the data necessary for the final application. Operation is allowed under the final permit only. The permittee is required to pay an annual rental charge under the preliminary and final power permits and definite periods are specified for the filing of the final application, beginning of construction and of operation. The rental charges are nominal in amount, the maximum being about 1/16 of a cent per kilowatt hour. The amount of annual payment for transmission lines is $5.00 for each mile or fraction thereof if National Forest land is crossed by the line. No rental charges are made for small power projects (under 100 horsepower capacity), or for transmission lines used in connection therewith, or for transmission lines which are part of a power project under permit or for any power project in which power is to be used by a municipal corporation for municipal purposes.

The Secretary of Agriculture has authority to permit the use of rights-of-way through the National Forests for conduits, reservoirs, power plants, telephone and telegraph lines to be used for irrigation, mining, and domestic purposes and for the production and transmission of electric power. No rental charges are made for the telephone and telegraph rights-of-way, but the applicant must agree to furnish such facilities to Forest officers and to permit such reasonable use of its poles or lines as may be determined or agreed upon between the applicant and the District Forester.

Figure 79. This is only one of the thousands of streams in the National Forests of the West capable of generating electric power. It has been estimated that over 40 per cent. of the water power resources of the western states are included in the National Forests. Photo by the author.

Figure 80. View in the famous orange belt of San Bernardino County, California. These orchards depend absolutely upon irrigation. The watersheds from which the necessary water comes are in the National Forests and are protected by the Forest Service. Some of the smaller watersheds in these mountains are said to irrigate orchards valued at $10,000,000.

[APPENDIX]

TABLE OF LAND AREAS WITHIN THE NATIONAL FOREST BOUNDARIES
June 30, 1917

State and ForestDistrict
Number		Headquarters of Forest SupervisorNational Forest Land (acres)Patented and other lands (acres)Total area (acres)
ALASKA
Chugach6Ketchikan5,418,753113,6825,532,435
Tongass6Ketchikan15,451,71629,28415,481,000
ARIZONA
Apache3Springerville1,182,78293,6181,276,400
Chiricahua[1]3Tucson348,15710,691358,848
Coconino3Flagstaff1,601,598161,7991,763,397
Coronado3Tucson959,30439,676998,980
Crook3Safford870,13014,870885,000
Dixie[1]4St. George, Utah17,680......17,680
Kaibab4Kanab, Utah1,072,3755251,072,900
Manzano[1]3Albuquerque, N. M.27,70829,72457,432
Prescott3Prescott1,433,366186,5891,619,955
Sitgreaves3Snowflake659,337234,883893,720
Tonto3Roosevelt1,994,23939,5212,033,760
Tusayan3Williams1,602,750186,0681,788,818
ARKANSAS
Arkansas7Hot Springs626,746331,544958,290
Ozark7Harrison291,840237,338529,178
CALIFORNIA
Angeles5Los Angeles820,980240,7231,061,703
California5Oriental807,444255,1781,062,622
Cleveland5Escondido547,981265,635813,616
Crater[1]6Medford, Ore.46,97710,04557,022
Eldorado[1]5Placerville549,392286,408835,800
Inyo[1]5Bishop1,269,98067,8001,337,780
Klamath[1]5Yreka1,470,841263,8241,734,665
Lassen5Red Bluff936,877384,4661,321,343
Modoc5Alturas1,182,986399,8731,532,859
Mono[1]5Gardnerville, Nev.784,62090,241874,861
Monterey5King City316,05844,436360,494
Plumas5Quincy1,144,835288,0251,432,860
Santa Barbara5Santa Barbara1,688,571239,7231,928,294
Sequoia5Bakersfield2,194,926274,3442,469,270
Shasta5Sisson803,448783,4321,586,880
Sierra5Northfork1,489,934172,6261,662,560
Siskiyou[1]6Grants Pass, Ore.349,06952,726401,795
Stanislaus5Sonora810,399294,0131,104,412
Tahoe5Nevada City542,226666,8511,209,077
Trinity5Weaverville1,430,547315,6001,746,147
COLORADO
Arapaho2Hot Sulphur Springs634,90346,371681,274
Battlement2Collbran651,22726,113677,340
Cochetopa2Saguache905,72324,497930,220
Colorado2Fort Collins847,328302,2661,149,594
Durango2Durango614,12989,871704,000
Gunnison2Gunnison908,05543,255951,310
Hayden[1]2Encampment, Wyo.65,5986,40272,000
Holy Cross2Glenwood Springs576,90528,795605,700
La Sal[1]4Moab, Utah27,44417627,620
Leadville2Leadville934,017122,5031,056,520
Montezuma2Mancos700,082112,018812,100
Pike2Denver1,080,381175,7311,256,112
Rio Grande2Monte Vista1,136,88484,2561,221,140
Routt2Steamboat Springs833,45986,487919,946
San Isabel2Westcliffe598,91252,288651,200
San Juan2Pagosa Spgs.617,995127,005745,000
Sopris2Aspen596,98659,014656,000
Uncampahgre2Delta790,34977,511867,860
White River2Meeker848,01823,012871,030
FLORIDA
Florida7Pensacola308,268367,152675,420
IDAHO
Boise4Boise1,058,94159,1731,118,114
Cache[1]4Logan, Utah513,61731,447545,064
Caribou[1]4Montpelier681,54030,090711,630
Challis4Challis1,259,23710,7531,269,990
Clearwater1Orofino785,103122,743907,846
Coeur d'Alene1Coeur d'Alene662,611127,623790,234
Idaho4McCall1,193,43915,8411,209,280
Kaniksu[1]1Newport, Wash.198,757260,220458,977
Lemhi4Mackay1,095,9244,6381,100,562
Minidoka[1]4Oakley509,53621,584531,120
Nezperce1Grangeville1,624,58241,4971,666,079
Palisade[1]4St. Anthony283,4959,820293,315
Payette4Emmett831,92631,748863,674
Pend Oreille1Sandpoint676,014198,724874,738
St. Joe1St. Maries493,925481,743975,668
Salmon4Salmon1,621,70721,6531,643,360
Sawtooth4Hailey1,203,38716,7431,220,130
Selway1Kooskia1,693,711108,2891,802,000
Targhee[1]4St. Anthony283,4959,820293,315
Weiser4Weiser562,60998,291660,900
MICHIGAN
Michigan2East Tawas89,46674,412163,878
MINNESOTA
Minnesota2Cass Lake190,602121,874312,476
Superior2Ely857,255411,2831,268,538
MONTANA
Absaroka1Livingston842,467145,243987,710
Beartooth1Billings662,53719,393681,930
Beaverhead1Dillon1,337,22327,7771,365,000
Bitterroot1Missoula1,047,012108,8561,155,868
Blackfeet1Kalispell865,077202,0131,067,090
Cabinet1Thompson Falls830,676195,8741,026,550
Custer1Miles City428,92283,888512,810
Deerlodge1Anaconda833,178130,822964,000
Flathead1Kalispell1,802,905285,8152,088,720
Gallatin1Bozeman564,855344,575909,430
Helena1Helena687,983232,497920,480
Jefferson1Great Falls1,039,766135,9191,175,685
Kootenai1Libby1,336,061287,2791,623,340
Lewis and Clark1Chouteau811,16115,199826,360
Lolo1Missoula850,677330,3411,181,018
Madison1Sheridan958,69177,1691,035,860
Missoula1Missoula1,031,529336,6621,368,191
Sioux[1]1Camp Crook, S. D.96,74317,798114,541
NEBRASKA
Nebraska2Halsey206,07411,744217,818
NEVADA
Dixie[1]4St. George, Utah282,5437,807290,350
Eldorado[1]5Placerville, Cal.400......400
Humboldt4Elko690,56235,978726,546
Inyo[1]5Bishop, Cal.72,8172,51375,330
Mono[1]5Gardnerville464,31519,204483,519
Nevada4Ely1,220,92939,8711,260,800
Ruby4Elko342,40591,165433,570
Santa Rosa4Elko269,65830,302299,960
Tahoe[1]5Nevada City, Cal.14,85347,27462,127
Toiyabe4Austin1,907,28617,5141,924,800
NEW MEXICO
Alamo3Alamogordo603,779269,877866,656
Carson3Taos856,64768,654925,301
Chiricahua[1]3Tucson, Ariz.126,4782,674129,152
Datil3Magdalena2,670,412270,7902,941,202
Gila3Silver City1,463,708136,2921,600,000
Lincoln3Alamogordo551,42781,540632,967
Manzano[1]3Albuquerque754,772488,0071,242,779
Santa Fé3Santa Fe1,354,545122,1481,476,693
NORTH DAKOTA
Dakota1Camp Crook, S. D.6,0547,86613,920
OKLAHOMA
Wichita7Cache61,48016061,640
OREGON
Cascade6Eugene1,021,46173,0241,094,485
Crater[1]6Medford793,044286,2811,079,325
Deschutes6Bend1,292,423217,4371,509,860
Fremont6Lakeview884,49486,782971,366
Klamath[1]5Yreka, Cal.4,4014,4928,893
Malheur6John Day1,057,682205,1581,262,840
Minam6Baker430,75749,056479,813
Ochoco6Prineville716,564102,466819,030
Oregon6Portland1,031,926108,9941,140,920
Santiam6Albany607,099112,884719,983
Siskiyou[1]6Grants Pass998,044257,2061,255,250
Siuslaw6Eugene544,178289,263833,441
Umatilla6Pendleton485,78679,199564,985
Umpqua6Roseburg1,011,097210,2941,221,391
Wallowa6Wallowa964,601104,8101,069,411
Wenaha6Walla Walla, Wash.425,50436,540461,954
Whitman6Sumpter884,485115,008999,493
PORTO RICO
Luquillo7None12,44353,50765,950
SOUTH DAKOTA
Black Hills[1]2Deadwood483,403118,608602,011
Harney2Custer548,85479,093627,947
Sioux[1]1Camp Crook75,5247,74483,268
UTAH
Ashley[1]4Vernal982,4939,607992,100
Cache[1]4Logan265,59453,987319,581
Dixie[1]4St. George432,78426,106458,890
Fillmore4Ritchfield699,57979,711779,290
Fishlake4Salina661,24562,145723,390
La Sal[1]4Moab519,38416,286535,670
Manti4Ephraim781,80065,070846,870
Minidoka[1]4Oakley, Idaho72,12320,15792,280
Powell4Escalante689,92714,773704,700
Sevier4Panguitch729,06173,599802,660
Uinta4Provo988,60254,5331,043,135
Wasatch4Salt Lake City607,49256,913664,405
WASHINGTON
Chelan6Chelan677,42946,681724,110
Columbia6Portland, Ore.784,498157,702942,200
Colville6Republic754,88661,114816,000
Kaniksu[1]1Newport257,859118,904376,763
Okanogan6Okanogan1,486,32554,6751,541,000
Olympic1Olympia1,534,689117,3111,652,000
Rainier6Tacoma1,315,891245,5791,561,470
Snoqualmie6Seattle698,043343,9571,042,000
Washington6Bellingham1,454,21435,7861,490,000
Wenaha[1]6Walla Walla313,4348,397321,831
Wenatchee6Leavenworth665,276491,7241,157,000
WYOMING
Ashley[1]4Vernal, Utah5,987736,060
Bighorn2Sheridan1,119,72516,4751,136,200
Black Hills[1]2Deadwood, S.D.144,75934,362179,121
Bridger2Pinedale710,5707,407717,977
Caribou[1]4Montpelier, Idaho6,5478137,360
Hayden[1]2Encampment322,17543,445365,620
Medicine Bow2Laramie469,78641,596511,382
Palisade[1]4St. Anthony, Idaho250,5013,119253,620
Shoshone2Cody1,576,04332,9571,609,000
Targhee[1]4St. Anthony, Idaho84,97048085,450
Teton4Jackson1,922,94748,2451,971,192
Washakie2Lander852,65312,220864,873
Wyoming4Afton899,98012,020912,000
Aggregate for the 147 National Forests155,166,61921,085,541176,252,160
[1]Area of National Forest in more than one State.

PRINTED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

Transcriber's Notes

Simple typographical errors were corrected.

Punctuation and spelling were made consistent when a predominant preference was found in this book; otherwise they were not changed.

This text uses both 'Uncampahgre' and 'Uncompahgre'; the latter currently is the preferred spelling.

[Page 55] "sunlight; without it is useless." Probably should be "sunlight; without it, it is useless."

Cover created by Transcriber, using a photograph from the book, and placed in the Public Domain.