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Show Forests Would Have Greatly Reduced Disaster From the Recent Floods By W. L. HALL, Prominent Forest Engineer. If the Ozark country had been covered with heavy forests in good condition, the recent flood would have been less disastrous in that section. Forests greatly increase the water-holding capacity of the soil ; they also I retard the surface run-off. This is true in all kinds of country, but particularly so in hill regions, such as the Ozarks of Missouri and j Arkansas. i Much depends also on the condition of the forests. Forest with ! leaf cover, clean burned, is not of much value. Forest with heavy ground ; cover, wh;ch has accumulated through years, undisturbed by fire, has the greatest retarding influence on water. Such forests in the Ozarks would have greatly retarded the heavy rains. 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. It is hardly to be believed such forests would have entirely-prevented entirely-prevented the flood, but reforestation would greatly help. |