Conditions Governing Reproduction and Use

The copyright status of this collection is unknown. Copyright restrictions may apply. Contact Special Collections and University Archives for assistance in determining the use of these materials.

Reproduction or digitization of materials for personal or research use can be requested using our reproduction/digitization form: http://bit.ly/scuareproduction . Reproduction or digitization of materials for publication or exhibit use can be requested using our publication/exhibition form: http://bit.ly/scuapublication . Please contact Special Collections and University Archives (specref@vt.edu or 540-231-6308) if you need assistance with forms or to submit a completed form.

Conditions Governing Access

The collection is open for research.

Preferred Citation

Researchers wishing to cite this collection should include the following information: [identification of item], [box], [folder], Donald S. Wallace Collection, Ms2009-101, Special Collections and University Archives, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Va.

Source of Acquisition

The Donald S. Wallace Collection was purchased by Special Collections in June 2009.

Processing Information

The processing, arrangement, and description of the Donald S. Wallace Collection commenced in June 2009 and was completed in July 2009.

Biographical Note

Little biographical information is available on Donald S. Wallace. He worked as an engineer for the U.S. Geological Survey Water Resources Division until at least 1952, including several months on the Water Resources Committee and a related subcommittee. Wallace served as Commissioner of the Water Resources Division during his tenure, as well.

Administrative History

In 1926, the Virginia Division of Water Resources and Power was established. The name changed to the Virginia Division of Water Resources in 1943. Eventually, the division came under the control of the Virginia Department of Conservation and Economic Development until it ceased to exist as a single agency. Much of the same work is now under the jurisdiction of the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation and the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (established in 1993). Additional materials in the collection relate to the Virginia State Water Control Board , initially established in 1946 and now a part of the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation .

Scope and Content

The collection contains a selection of Donald S. Wallace's professional correspondence, U.S. Geological Survey Reports, Virginia state agency and local reports, and photographs from sites around the state.

A majority of the correspondence, dating 1943-1945 and 1951-1952, consists of letters received as carbon copies. The collection contains only a few letters to or by Wallace. As much of the correspondence relates to the drafting of division documents, enclosures are attached, including annotated versions of documentation and hand-drawn maps. The photographs depict a number of sites. Only a portion of them are identified, specifically those taken around the Roanoke and Smith Rivers in Virginia.

The collection contains several series of reports from 1943 to 1970, described in further detail below. There are published and unpublished U.S. Geological Survey reports about different regions in Virginia; published Virginia state agency reports; and county and local agency and individual reports. Most of the county and local reports were written by engineers or engineering firms from Virginia.

Arrangement

The collection is arranged in the following series: Series I: Correspondence, Series II: Photographs, Series III: U.S. Geological Survey Reports, Series IV: Virginia State Agency Reports, and Series V: Local Reports.

Series I: Correspondence contains business correspondence from portions of Donald S. Wallace's tenure with the Virginia Water Resources Division. Any enclosure are attached to the original correspondence. The 1943-1945 correspondence relates to trips and projects throughout Virginia. Much of it is copies of letters sent to individuals other than Wallace. Several of the letters were written by William M. McGill, the Assistant State Geologist during the period. Letters and memoranda from 1951-1952 are concerned with the creation of the Water Resources Committee and include drafts of committee documentation. The committee was disbanded, along with other state committees, due to lack of funding, in late 1952. Of particular interest is a thank you note to Wallace from Governor John S. Battle (October 15, 1952) in appreciation for his service with the committee.

Series II: Photographs contains a collection of approximately 80 items. In most cases, the negative image is available as well. The photographs have been left in their original order and the negatives placed with the matching images. Most of the photographs are not identified. The collection of 3¼ x 4½ photographs have handwritten captions on the back, identifying the sites along the Roanoke River near Buggs Island. Other select images with captions include such sites as the Appomattox River, the Smith River near Philpott, Virginia, and the Shenandoah River. Based on the few dated images and dates in the collection, the photographs were most likely taken in the 1940s.

Series III: U.S. Geological Survey Reports contains a collection of published and unpublished reports relating to water in Virginia. Publications are arranged alphabetically by author, regardless of publication status. The unpublished reports are written on specific rivers or flood regions in the state. Topics of published reports include water resource investigations, flood reports, and streamflow analysis. While all the reports in this series were distributed by the U.S. Geological Survey, several were written in conjunction with Virginia agencies or local Department of the Interior employees.

Series IV: Virginia State Agency Reports contains seven published reports, which are arranged alphabetically by author. Two are on specific regions (the James and York River Basins), and the remainder deal with aspects of water in Virginia (surface water and water and mineral resources). Most of the reports were created by the Virginia Department of Conservation and Economic Development, Division of Water Resources.

Series V: Local Reports contains several consulting reports by independent engineers or engineering groups, which are arranged alphabetically by author. Areas covered include Augusta, Bath, Chesterfield, and Fairfax counties, and the city of Alexandria. This series also contains a collection of reports entitled, "Results of spring trip, August 1962." Each report consists of several pages of spring locations and related data. The following Virginia counties have reports: Alleghany, Augusta, Bath, Botetourt, Craig, Frederick, Highland, Page, Rockbridge, Rockingham, and Shenandoah.

Subjects and Indexing Terms

• Appomattox River (Va.)
• Battle, John Stewart, 1890-1972
• Geological Survey. Water Resources Division (U.S.)
• Local/Regional History and Appalachian South
• McGill, William M.
• Roanoke River (Va. and N.C.)
• Science and Technology
• Smith River (Va. and N.C.)
• Virginia. Department of Conservation and Economic Development
• Virginia. Division of Water Resources
• Virginia. Division of Water Resources and Power

Rights Statement for Archival Description

The guide to the Donald S. Wallace Collection by Special Collections and University Archives, Virginia Tech, is licensed under a CC0 ( https://creativecommons.org/share-your-work/public-domain/cc0/ ).