| Show forests would have greatly reduced dis disaster aster from the recent floods by W L HALL prominent forest engineer if the ozark country had been covered with lie heavy a vy forests in good condition tile recent flood would have been less disastrous in that section forests greatly increase tile the water holding capacity of the soil ti they 0 also iso retard tile the surface runoff run off on this is true in all kinds of country lint but particularly so in hill regions 0 such as the ozarks of missouri and Ark arkansas much depends also on 01 the condition of the forests forest with leaf co cover ve r clean burned is not of much value forest with lica boavy y growald cover which has flag accumulated through years cars undisturbed by fire has the greatest retarding influence on water ater i such forests iu in the ozarks ozark s would have greatly retarded the heavy rains tho the same is true for the headwaters of the ohio and the other streams which recently have poured great quantities of water into the mississippi j issis sippi it is hardly to be believed such euch forests would have entirely prevented the flood but reforestation would greatly help |
