There is no reason whatever why special interests should be allowed to use them for profit without making some direct payment to the people for the valuable rights derived from the people.

This is important not only for the revenue the Nation will get.
It is at least equally important as a recognition that the public controls its own property and has a right to share in the benefits arising from its development.

There are other ways in which public control of water power must be exercised, but these two are the most important.
Water power on non-navigable streams usually results from dropping a little water a long way.

In the mountains water is dropped many hundreds of feet upon the turbines which move the dynamos that produce the electric current.

Water power on navigable streams is usually produced by dropping immense volumes of water a short distance, as twenty feet, fifteen feet, or even less.