THE POTENTIAL FOR WATER YIELD AUGMENTATION FROM FOREST MANAGEMENT IN THE EASTERN UNITED STATES1

Generally high rainfall and extensive forests in the East combine to produce excellent potential for managing forests for increased water yield. Models are presented that allow prediction of streamflow increase from hardwood and pine forests on a year-by-year basis. They are being routinely applied in land management planning on National Forests in the Southeast. A recent, independent test indicates that cumulative water yield increases can be predicted within about 14 percent of the actual value. However, because of the diverse land ownership patterns and the economic objectives of owners, realizing the potential will be difficult at best. The opportunity for realizing the full potential appears greatest where the land is publicly owned, but demand for water in the East has not reached the point where need for water dictates management prescriptions.