Each year glacial recession studies are made of some of the more prominent rivers of ice upon the slopes of Mount Rainier. Since 1918 annual records have been taken by the Educational Department staff on the Nisqually Glacier while fairly accurate historical records give us a good record of the position of the snout of this ice sheet as far as 1857, when Lieutenant A. V. Kautz made the first mention of the position of the Nisqually's ice front. The results of this data are exceedingly interesting for they give us an insight into the behavior of the best known glacier Mount Rainier.

In the fall of 1930 similar recessional measurements were begun near the snout of the Emmons Glacier, largest in continental United States, and the following year the first tabulation was made. Then to further round out this experiment, which will be culmulative and continue from year to year, points were established and base lines run at the snouts of the Carbon and South Tahoma Glaciers. These are all living glaciers - that is they move down the mountainside slowly but surely throughout the year and each is located on a different exposure upon the mountain's flanks. The first recessional measurement will be made on these last two this fall. In addition to such data it was decided to make similar studies on some dead (one that does not move downward) glacier and the Paradise Glacier, being the better known, more easily accessible and the one about which past records could most likely be obtained, was selected. Points will be placed for the first time along the edge of the ice of this glacier this fall and the first results will be computed next year after 12 months have elapsed. Recessional measurements as taken on the Nisqually Glacier this fall follow. The next issue of Nature Notes will contain results of measurements taken on the Emmons, Carbon, and South Tahoma Glaciers.

Total recession for the years 1857 to 1932 was 3,155 feet. The average recession for this period is 42 feet per year. The average recession since actual tabulations have been taken is 68 feet per year.