The Influence of Forest Lands Upon the Water Resources in the Missouri Basin

Some people believe that the problems of harnessing and utilizing the waters which flow down the Missouri River and its tributaries are solved with the construction of a series of large dams, supplemented by other engineering works. Unquestionably these structures play an important role in the solution but so do the conditions of the lands on which the rain and snow fall. The heaviest precipitation in the Missouri River Basin occurs in the regions where most of the forest lands are located: in the Rocky Mountains along the western rim and in the Ozark highlands of the State of Missouri. In this presentation are pointed out the contributions from the forest lands to the availability and usability of water, the measures which should be taken to increase the beneficial contributions, and a justification for such a program.