-i i >. -Supply and Irrigation Paper No. 90 o . 0 / B, Descriptive Geology, 36 

benes Underground Waters, 22

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

UNITED STATES GEOLOGICAL SURVEY

CHARLES D. WALCOTT, DIRECTOR

GEOLOGY AND WATER RESOURCES

OF PART OF THE

RIVER 111 I JUli

BY

J. E. TODD and C. M. HALL

WASHINGTON

GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE 

1904
PUBLICATIONS OF UNITED STATES GEOLOGICAL SURVEY.

The publications of the United States Geological Survey consist of (1) Annual Reports; (2) 

Monographs; (3) Professional Papers; (4) Bulletins; (5) Mineral Resources; (6) Water-Supply 

and Irrigation Papers; (7) Topographic Atlas of United States, folios and separate sheets 

thereof; (8) Geologic Atlas of United States, folios thereof. The classes numbered 2, 7, and 8 

are sold at cost of publication; the others are distributed free. A circular giving complete lists 

may be had on application.

The Bulletins, Professional Papers, and Water-Supply Papers treat of a variety of subjects, 

and the total number issued is large. They have therefore been classified into the following 

series: A, Economic geology; B, Descriptive geology; C, Systematic geology and paleontology; 

D, Petrography and mineralogy; B, Chemistry and physics; F, Geography; G, Miscellaneous; 

H, Forestry; I, Irrigation; J, Water storage; K, Pumping water; L, Quality of water; M, General 

hydrographic investigations; N, Water power; O, Underground waters; P, Hydrographic 

progress reports. The following Water-Supply Papers are out of stock, and can no longer be 

supplied: Nos. 1-14,19, 20, 22, 29-33, 46, 57-64. Complete lists of papers relating to water supply 

and allied subjects follow. (B=Bulletin; PP=Professional Paper; WS=Water-Supply Paper.)

SERIES I IRRIGATION.

WS 3. Irrigation near Phoenix, Ariz., by A. P. Davis. 1897. 98 pp., 31 pis. and maps.

WS 5. Irrigation practice on the Great Plains, by E. B. Cowgill. 1897. 89pp., 11 pis.

WS 9. Irrigation near Greeley, Colo., by David Boyd. 1897. 90 pp., 21 pis.

WS 10. Irrigation in Mesilla Valley, New Mexico, by F. C. Barker. 1898. 51 pp., 11 pis.

WS 13. Irrigation systems in Texas, by W. F. Hutson. 1898. 68 pp., 10 pis.

WS 17. Irrigation near Bakersfield, Cal., by C. E. Grunsky. 1898. 96 pp., 16 pis.

WS 18. Irrigation near Fresno, Cal., by C. E. Grunsky. 1898. 94 pp., 14 pis.

WS 19. Irrigation near Merced, Cal., by C. E. Grunsky. 1899. 59 pp., 11 pis.

WS 23. Water-right problems of Bighorn Mountains, by Elwood Mead. 1899. 62 pp., 7 pis.

WS 32. Water resources of Porto Rico, by H. M. Wilson. 1899. 48 pp., 17 pis. and maps.

WS 43. Conveyance of water in irrigation canals, flumes, and pipes, by Samuel Fortier. 1901.

86 pp., 15 pis. 

WS 70. Geology and water resources of the Patrick and Goshen Hole quadrangles, Wyoming,

by G. I. Adams. 1902. 50 pp., 11 pis.

WS 71. Irrigation systems of Texas, by T. U. Taylor. 1902. 137 pp., 9 pis.. 

WS 74. Water resources of the State of Colorado, by A. L. Fellows. 1902. 151 pp., 14 pis. 

WS 87 Irrigation in India (second edition), by H. M. Wilson. 1903. 238 pp., 27 pis.

The following papers also relate especially to irrigation: Irrigation in India, by H. M. Wilson, 

in Twelfth Annual, Part II; two papers on irrigation engineering, by H. M. Wilson, in Thirteenth Annual, Part III.

SERIES J WATER STORAGE.

WS 33. Storage of water on Gila River, Arizona, by J. B. Lippincott. 1900. 98 pp., 33 pis. 

WS 40. The Austin dam, by Thomas U. Taylor. 1900. 51 pp., 16 pis.

WS 45. Water storage on Cache Creek, California, by A. E. Chandler. 1901. 48 pp., 10 pis. 

WS 46. Physical characteristics of Kern River, California, by F. H. Olmsted, and Reconnaissance

of Yuba River, California, by Marsden Manson. 1901. 57 pp., 8 pis.

WS 58. Storage of water on Kings River, California, by J. B. Lippincott. 1902. 100 pp., 32 pis. 

WS 68. Water storage in Truckee Basin, California-Nevada, by L. H. Taylor. 1902. 90 pp., 8 pis. 

WS 73. Water storage on Salt River, Arizona, by A. P. Davis. 1902. 54 pp., 25 pis. 

WS 86. Storage reservoirs of Stony Creek, California, by Burt Cole. 1903. 62 pp., 16 pis. 

WS 89. Water resources of Salinas Valley, California, by Homer Hamlin. 1904. pp., 12 pis.

The following paper also should be noted under this heading: Reservoirs for irrigation, by 

J. D. Schuyler, in Eighteenth Annual, Part IV.

[Continued on third page of cover.] 

IBB 90 2
Water-Supply and Irrigation Paper No. 90 Series { jj l Waters, 22

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

UNITED STATES GEOLOGICAL SURVEY

CHAKLES D. WALCOTT, DIBECTOB

GEOLOGY AND WATER RESOURCES

OP PAET OP THE

BY

J. E. TODD and C. M. HALL

WASHINGTON

GOVERNMENT FEINTING OFFICE 

1904

CONTENTS.

Page.

Letter of transmittaL___________--.____-._----_._-.._---_._-_.-.----_----- 7

Location and importance of the region...__.___.._______--._.-..---. ._...- 9

Topography .............. _.......................................... 9

Geography -__._______.___._._....._.._._.__.__ __.._._-....__--.-....__ 10

Geology ----.................................................-.---.---.-- 10

Algonkian ................................................^.--.....-, 10

Bed-rock contour ...............................-...------..--... 12

Paleozoic gap....--......----.............. ....------.....--.-------.- 13

Cretaceous ........................................................... 14

Dakota formation______..-._____.__.-..____.____.____-__---._-.._ 14

Thickness....-.-.-.........-........---.-.-..-.---_-.--.. 15

Fossils ................................................... 18

Benton formation..____._.._._______.-_._______--_____--.------.. 18

Thickness ............................................... 19

Fossils __..._..--_._.______..-.___-__-.-.._----.-----..-. 19

Niobrara fpimation ............... ..............-....--..--..-.-. 20

Thickness ...........................................^... 21

Fossils ._._.__-_._._..__.._-.___.....-.-...-_.-.--._.-... 21

Pierre shale -..- .----..---...-.-.--.-.........-.....--.-----..-... 21

Tertiary gap....-........---.-..........--.....-----...-----_-.....-. 22

Quaternary....--_-.........-............-.... .----....-.-.--.-.--.- 22

General description of glacial action.................------.-....- 22

Till or bowlder clay.. ......................_..... ................ 23

Surface of the till......................................... 24

Thickness of the till...................................... 24

Moraines ..-...._....-.........._...-......-.....-.----...------- 25

Ancient channels and terraces.....-.......-..-.--...--.-.---..--. 28

General character...........--......-_.--.--..--.------.- 28

Origin.................................................... 29

Ancient lakes .................................................... 30

Geologic history............ -.._______..._________..._.___._._-...._. 30

Economic geology ------....-.-..--.........---._....--...--.-----------.- 34

Water supply.... --.._..--.---.___.__..__._..___-..--.__-_--.---..-._ 34

Surface waters .---...-------------------.---......---.-.-----.---. 34

Lakes ........................................................... 34

Streams -.-----.-___-_----..._..._.-.-__._..._--.__.-------.-..._ 35

Springs.......................................................... 35

Subterranean waters............... ................................ 36

Wells ........................................................... 36

Shallow wells...-.-.-...-...-...-..........__.-.....-.-...-... 36

Pump wells-..--...--........--......'.......-...._........... 37

Artesian wells -.-----------.--.---.---...-..-.-.-..-..--.-._. 39

Pressure --.-.-.---..-...-----.-..-.---.-.---..---....-... 40

Limits of the artesian area .-.......-....-.-----.-.--..... 41

Causes of apparent decline in pressure.---..---.---....... 42

Closing of wells........................------.---........ 43

3

ILLUSTRATIONS.

Page. 

PLATE I. Map of a part of southeastern South Dakota, showing artesian

conditions __,_..__._.. ._-_--.-_-.--_-.------.-----.---.- In pocket.

II. Index map of eastern South Dakota, showing area under consideration. ..___..-.--._--.-----.----.-.-.----.-_--_-..-.-------- 10

III. Geologic map of a portion of eastern South Dakota. ------------- 12

IV. Artesian well at Woonsocket, S. Dak.___...-_____-___--___ ------ 14

V. Cross sections through portions of Beadle, Kingsbury, Davison,

Hanson,- and Sanborn counties, S. Dak .__._.__________.__-._.__ 16

VI. Risdon artesian well, near Huron, S. Dak., throwing a 10-inch

stream to a height of 12 feet '.................................. 18

VII. A, Upper Benton sandstone on Firesteel Creek in T. 104 N., R. 60

W.; £, Artesian spring in T. 104 N.. R. 60 W._............... 20

VIII. Logs of wells in Davison County, S. Dak..__.-__-..-..-..-..--.. 22

I.. Logs of wells in Davison County, S. Dak. ..... ..^............... 22

X. Logs of wells inDavison County, S. Dak.--..-,,--------------.. 24

XI. Logs of wells in Sanborn County, S. Dak........................ 24

XII. Logs of wells in McCook County and eastern Sanborn County,

S. Dak-..-.----------..-----.--,-.-.----------..---.-..-...,.- 26

XIII. Frazier artesian well, 10 miles northeast of Mitchell, S. Dak., 295

feet deep...-..-.----.........--------.---.-.--.--.--.--.--... 28

XIV. Artesian well on Schlund farm, Davison County, S. Dak., 390 feet

deep, 40-gallon flow --..-.....-.-.-.----..-...--.----_--...-.. 30

XV. Logs of wells in eastern Aurora County, S. Dak.-..:.--.--.----. 32

XVI. Logs of wells in Hanson County, S. Dak. ..................^..... 34

XVII. Logs of wells in Miner County, S. Dak........................... 36

XVIII. Logs of wells in western Beadle County, S. Dak................. 38

XIX. Logs of wells in eastern Beadle County, S. Dak- -............._.. 38

XX. Logs of deep wells in Kingsbury County, S. Dak ................ 40

XXI. Logs of wells in Jerauld County and northeastern Aurora County,

S. Dak..............-..-...-.-..-.-.......,..--.-..-..--..-.. 42

XXII. Map showing depths to bed rock........................... In pocket.

XXin. Map showing depth to water at base of till.................. In pocket.

5

LETTER 'OF TRAKSMITTAL.

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR, 

UNITED STATES GEOLOGICAL SURVEY,

HYDROGRAPHIC BRANCH, 

Washington, D. C., July 21, 1903.

SIR: I have the honor to transmit herewith, for publication in the 

Water-Supply and Irrigation series, a paper on the "Geology and 

Water Resources of a Portion of the Lower James River Valley, South 

Dakota," prepared by Messrs. J. E. Todd and the late C. M. Hall, 

acting under the direction of Mr. N. H. Darton.

The region is a portion of the territory of which Mr. Darton made 

a reconnaissance several years ago. Professors Todd and Hall have 

obtained a large amount of new data, and this is presented in maps 

and diagrams which, it is believed, will prove of interest and value 

to many persons.

Very respectfully, F. H. NEWELL,

Chief Engineer. 

Hon. CHARLES D. WALCOTT,

Director United States Geological Survey.

7

GEOLOGY AND WATER RESOURCES OF PART OF THE 

LOWER JAMES RIVER VALLEY, SOUTH DAKOTA.

By J. E. TODD and C. M. HALL.

LOCATION AND IMPORTANCE OF THE REGION.

The region treated in this paper includes the Alexandria, Mitchell, 

Huron, and De Smet quadrangles. It is bounded by parallels 43° 30' 

and 44° 30' north latitude and meridians 97° 30' and 98° 30' west longitude. It embraces the whole of Davison, Hanson, and $anborn 

counties, the most of Beadle and Miner, and portions of Kingsbury, 

Jerauld, Aurora, and McCook counties, S. Dak. It is traversed from 

north to south by James River Valley, along which it extends for 

about 75 miles.

The peculiar geologic interest in this region arises from the presence 

in its southern portion of a low buried mountain range, carved out 

of pre-Cambriaii rocks, over which Cretaceous strata were laid down 

until the whole became a plain. The way in which this was accomplished has been revealed clearly by the numerous borings made for 

artesian wells. The region also exhibits representative portions of 

the Gary and Antelope moraines of the Wisconsin age of the Glacial 

epoch.

The economic value of the investigation here presented is mainly 

connected with the underground water resources, for the greater part 

of the region lies in the artesian basin. The number of water-bearing 

strata, the pressure of the water, and various other questions connected with the development of this resource have been studied with

care.

TOPOGRAPHT.

In general the surface is very even, none of it being too rough or 

too steep for plowing except in the immediate vicinity of the larger 

streams and in a few ravines which are cut in its steeper slopes. 

Much of the region is nearly level, but as a whole it presents considerable range of altitude. James River crosses it near the center in an 

almost direct south-southeast direction. Its northeast corner lies on 

the western rim of the Coteau des Prairies, at an altitude of over 1,800 

feet above sea level, and its southwest corner rises on the opposite 

side of the valley to an altitude of nearly 1,700 feet, while the general 

level of the wide valley between averages about 1,300 feet.

The highest point is about the middle of the east line of sec. 12, T. 

Ill N., R. 57 W., where an elevation of about 1,850 jCeet above sea 

level is reached. Near the southwest corner the highest point is at an

9
10 LOWEE JAMES ETVEK VALLEY, SOUTH DAKOTA. [NO.90.

altitude of 1,690 feet, on the middle of the south line of sec. 9, T. 107 

N., R. 63 W. The lowest points are along James River, the surface 

of which has an altitude of about 1,200 feet in the southern and 1,230 

feet in the northern portion of the region.

GEOGRAPHY.

The whole surface was originally prairie with the exception of a few 

small groves along James River. One of these which attracted much 

attention in the early settlement of the country lies in a bend of James 

River near Forestburg. The whole surface is underlain by a clayey 

subsoil with the exception of some sandy^ areas in the vicinities of 

Letcher, Forestburg, and Huron. North and northwest of Forestburg 

the sand is so extensive that sand hills 15 to 30 feet in height have 

been formed. One of these opposite the mouth of Redstone Creek is 

known as Belchers Mound.

The area is drained mainly by James River arid its tributaries. 

None of the tributaries contain flowing water throughout the year 

except Sand Creek for 7 or 8 miles above its mouth and Pearl Creek 

for half that distance. James River flows in a trough about half a 

mile wide and from 50 to 80 feet deep. It is a sluggish stream, having a width of 80 to 100 feet in ordinary stages and a depth of 3 to 10 

feet. Its bottom land is fertile, but much of it is subject to occasional 

overflow.

The arrangement of the streams has been mainly determined by the 

movements of the ice sheet during the Glacial epoch, as will be 

explained in a subsequent section.

' GEOLOGY.

The geology of this area is simple. Nearly the whole surface is 

covered with the glacial clays and stream deposits of the Quaternary. 

The rocks lie nearly horizontal and there are no traces of recent igneous action, exposures of older rocks occurring only in the southern 

quarter.

The following rocks occur in this area: The Algonkian, the Dakota, 

Benton, Niobrara, and Pierre formations, and the glacial deposits of 

the Quaternary. (See PL III.)

ALGONKIAN.

The crystalline rocks are represented by two formations, which were 

possibly formed at widely separated times. The first is the granite, 

which is nowhere exposed but has been struck in drilling wells at several points, and the other is the Sioux quartzite, which outcrops east 

of Mitchell and is often found in drilling. There are two theories 

concerning the relation of the granite to the quartzite. According to 

the first it is a much older formation, corresponding in age to the 

granite extensively exposed along Minnesota River belowT Bigstone 

Lake, which is believed to antedate the schists and quartzites of Minnesota and the Black Hills. According to the other view this granite
U. S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY WATER-SUPPLY PAPER NO. 90 PL. II

INDEX MAP OF EASTERN SOUTH DAKOTA, SHOWING AREA UNDER 

CONSIDERATION.

TODD AND HALL..] KQCKS. 11

is an eruptive rock, which has been intruded into the qnartzite in the 

form of dikes or sheets. If this is the case, it corresponds to an 

igneous rock forming a dike in the quartzite north of Corson, S. Dak. 

In favor of the latter view may be urged the evident unevenness of its 

surface. For example, it has been struck at the depth of 500 feet, or 

860 feet above the sea, in sec. 25, T. 103 N"., R. 61 W., while at Mitchell, less than 5 miles away, at a depth of 710 feet, or 590 feet above 

the sea, the quartzite, which according to the first view must lie above 

it, had not been penetrated; or, in other words, the granite had not 

been reached.

Besides the instance already mentioned, the granite has been struck 

in two or three wells about 5 miles north of Farmer, and a little beyond 

the north line of this area near Hitchcock. In the latter case it seemed 

to be overlain by several feet of quartzite.

The granite from the Budlong and Motley wells north of Hitchcock 

and frOm wells north of Farmer, in Hanson County, is a fine-grained, 

light-gray rock abounding in transparent feldspar, while that from 

the wells southwest of Mitchell is darker and coarser.

From wells at Huron and near Esmond it appears that below the 

water-bearing rock there are several feet of secondary deposits from 

granite, such as arkose, impure kaolin strata, and the like, then 

weathered granite before the sound rock is reached.

The deepest well at Huron, city well No. 4, opposite the college, 

according to the report of Mr. F. H. Holton, who drilled it and submitted specimens of the lower strata, shows the following record 

Record of deep well at Huron, S. Dak.

First strong flow, probably top of Dakota _ . . . _ . . _ ... . . . . .

Unreported, but doubtless mostly shale . . . . _ _ . _ . . . . . ... .

Hard rock . .. .... _-._--__._...._.. ... ..............

Sandstone and water flow ................ . . . . ......... . .

Unreported, but mostly shale .................. ... . ... ...

Sandstone and water flow ............... ...... .... ...

Black shale ....... -.-.---.... . . . . . . .......... ...^...

Coarse sand with rounded grains about the size of No. 6 

shot, largely reddish-brown concretionary grains with 

some white quartz-like material struck at corresponding 

levels in the Wilcox well and city well No. 3. The brown 

grains are apparently siderite, or carbonate of iron ......

Gray sandy rock with green and brown specks and whitish 

opaque grains, like weathered feldspar (arkose), and 

lumps of coarse red granite ....... ... .-.---... _....

Soft, fine-grained, kaolin-like clay. ........... ...............

Hard rock, probably granite . .... . ....... .... ..... . ...

Thickness.

Feet.

124

6

3

60

3

125

9

30

36

9

1

Depth.

Feet. 

740

864

870

873

933

936

1,081

1,070

1,100

1,136

1,138

1,139
12 LOWER JAMES RIVER VALLEY, SOUTH DAKOTA. [NO. 90.

The Sioux quartzite, which is exposed in the southeastern portion 

of the area under consideration, is commonly a dense and firmly silicified rock. It is usually fine grained and thick bedded, but in some 

cases a few feet of it contains numerous pebbles, while not infrequently the rock is so thin bedded as to be worthless for building* 

purposes. Moreover, at some points it is so imperfectly consolidated 

that it may be dug with a pick. A case of this sort occurs southwest 

of Bridgewater, iu the valley of Wolf Creek. This soft rock, however, is very limited in extent, the normal hard quartzite occurring 

within a few feet of it. Associated with the quartzite and interstratified with it are occasional thin beds of a red, hardened clay, called 

"pipestone." When this has been exposed to the weather it becomes 

chalk-white. Examples of the latter condition are found at the Wolf 

Creek locality.

The peculiar interest of the quartzite in connection with the subject 

under consideration is the fact that it is the bed rock over all the 

area. The water-bearing strata rest upon it and its presence marks 

the lowest horizon at which a flow may be obtained. Hence it is of 

importance to be able to recognize it and to have a general knowledge of its depth below the surface.

In drilling, the quartzite may be distinguished from pyrite, which 

is of about the same hardness, by its thickness, the latter being rarely 

more than a few inches thick. Greater thickness also serves to distinguish it from some of the hard layers of the Dakota formation, 

which are rarely over 4 or 5 feet thick. Moreover, the Dakota rocks 

are usually cemented by carbonate of lime, which effervesces with 

acids, or by iron oxide or carbonate of iron, which is of a dark or rusty 

color, while the quartzite is uniformly of a light pinkish shade. However, in some cases a compound microscope is necessary to detect the 

difference. When so examined quartzite is recognized by clusters of 

sand grains cemented together so firmly by glassy silica that usually 

the original grains divide along the fractures as easily as they separate 

where cemented. Similar examination suffices to show the presence 

of granite, which, as has already been stated, has been struck at several points in this area.

BED-ROCK CONTOUR.

In general the quartzite underlies the whole area under consideration and has the configuration shown by the contour lines in PI. III. 

The most conspicuous feature of the bed-rock surface is a high ridge, 

having a breadth of about 12 miles, which enters the east side of the 

area, affording surface exposures in the vicinity of Spencer and 

Bridgewater. Its outcrop area narrows rapidly toward the west, so 

that the westernmost appearance of the rock on the surface is on 

Enemy Creek, in the western part of T. 102 N., R. 59 W. In the 

triangle between the limits indicated it lies next underneath the 

drift and shows frequently in the bottom of the valleys of the larger
TODD AND HALL.] ABSENCE OP PALEOZOIC ROCKS. 13

streams. It has an altitude of 1,380 feet at Spencer and about the 

same near Bridgewater. On Enemy Creek it rises to only about 1,200 

feet. Its most extensive exposure is in the bottom of James River 

Valley at Rockport. It has been traced farther west at lower levels 

in a zone of considerable width, and about a mile southwest of 

Mitchell has been struck at a depth of nearly 258 feet, or about 1,087 

feet above sea level. At Plankinton it was found at a depth of 800 

feet, or 700 feet above sea level.

This ridge is not a smooth anticline, but is composed of strata dipping in different directions at from 2° to 5°. It seems to be much 

eroded in places, where portions of the original surface are left as 

peaks between the valleys. Differences of elevation of 300 feet or more 

have been found within the distance of a mile. The northern slopes 

of this ridge seem to be generally rougher than the southern, and the 

valleys are correspondingly deeper and narrower. Toward the north 

the general surface of bed rock drops 600 feet in 8 or 10 miles from 

the last-observed outcrops. Then by a gentler slope it reaches a 

depth of 1,000 feet, or 300 feet above sea level, and continues northward till it rises slightly near the northwestern part of this area. 

Southward the slope is more gentle and a depth of 600 feet is not 

reached within 20 miles of the last outcrop, which carries the observation much beyond the limit of this area. These general facts are 

derived from well records, as the wells strike the quartette very frequently in the vicinity of the ridge, but rarely far from it. The 

various sections and maps published in this paper exhibit such details 

as are available concerning the relations and distribution of the 

quartzite.

PALEOZOIC GAP.

In this region there are no traces, even in the numerous borings 

which have reached ^the Algonkian, of any Paleozoic formations or 

of any Triassic or Jurassic strata. The nearest occurrences of Paleozoic rocks that have been discovered are in the borings at Ponca, 

Nebr., and Sioux City, Iowa. During Paleozoic times, when great 

masses of sediments were being deposited in many other regions, this 

area was probably an elevated land surface. It is possible that soils 

and vegetation may have extended over it, and possibly some thin 

deposits which were removed by the advance of the sea during Cretaceous and earlier times. At any rate no traces of such deposits have 

been found in this vicinity on the surface of the quartzite. Since 

several hundred feet of strata of marine origin representing all the 

ages of Paleozoic times are found in the Black Hills, the shore of the 

Paleozoic sea probably extended across South Dakota from north to 

south, west of the present course of Missouri River. Moreover, the 

deep erosion of the intensely hard Sioux quartzite indicates that it 

was subject to erosion for a ,^reat length of time.
14 LOWEE JAMES EIVEE VALLEY, SOUTH DAKOTA. [NO.90.

CRETACEOUS.

Resting upon the Sioux quartzite are sands, sandstones, chalk, and 

clays belonging to the Cretaceous series, comprising the Dakota sandstone, Benton formation, Mobrara chalk, and Pierre shale. As these 

are intimately connected with the sinking of artesian wells, it is 

desirable to describe them at some length, although some of them are 

exposed only in very limited areas over a surface of perhaps 150 

square miles, mainly west of James River and between Firesteel Creek 

and the southern limit of this area. These exposures are usually 

near the water level of the larger streams, but in some cases they rise 

20 or 25 feet higher.

DAKOTA FOEMATION.

This is the principal formation which supplies water to the important artesian wells of North and South Dakota. It nowhere comes 

nearer the surface than about 200 feet. Judging from well records, it 

consists of alternate beds of sand and sandstone, 50 to 100 feet in thickness, with masses of clay or shale iuterstratified between. It possibly 

includes in this part of the State, at least in its thickest developments, 

the formations which in the Black Hills were originally included in it, 

but which have more recently been separated under the names Fuson 

and Lakota, and are believed to represent the lower Cretaceous.

The Dakota formation, as exhibited in the rim of the Black Hills, 

is usually a brown sandstone, hard and massive below but thinner 

bedded above. There it is rarety over 100 feet in thickness, according to Darton. It is of medium grain, though finer and coarser grained 

layers are found. From material thrown out of many wells in the 

eastern part of the State it may usually be described as a fine-grained 

gray sandstone.

It extends partly over the lower portion of the ridge of red quartzite 

above described to an old shore line which has been uplifted to about 

1,100 feet above the sea a few miles southwest of Mitchell, but owing to 

flexure declines toward the east and north several hundred feet before 

it passes beyond the eastern margin of the area under consideration. 

The top of the Dakota sandstone drops in all directions from this old 

shore line with a slope which is steep near the quartzite ridge and 

gradually diminishes until the formation is nearly horizontal. North 

of the quartzite ridge it reaches an altitude of about 675 feet at Woonsocket and less than 600 at Huron. West of Huron it seems to rise 

again toward the northwest in the vicinity of Wolsey. Southward 

from the ridge the decline is more gentle and the Dakota probably does 

not fall below about 800 feet above the sea, even in the remote southwest corner of the region.

The shales of the Dakota resemble those of the formations higher 

up, and, like them, occasionally contain calcareous concretions which 

may be mistaken in drill holes for limestone strata. Sometimes, also, 

there are concretions of pyrites large enough to cause considerable
U. S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY WATER-SUPPLY PAPER MO. 90 PL. IV

ARTESIAN WELL AT WOONSOCKET, S. DAK.

TODD AND HALL.] DAKOTA FORMATION. 15

i

hindrance in drilling. The different layers of sandstone are often 

harder near the top, and this has given rise to the expression "cap 

rock." Frequently the drill has to penetrate several feet of hard rock 

before the water-bearing strata are reached.

The various sections exhibit the character and thickness of the 

Dakota sandstone and associated formations. In the discussion of 

the sources of artesian water further light will be given on the number, thickness, and subdivisions of the sand strata in these formations. 

The information is mainly derived from the reports of well drillers, 

who unfortunately do not all agree in their interpretation of facts. 

Most drillers use jet drills, which mingle the drillings in such a way 

that it is often difficult to determine the character of the formation 

worked upon, and frequently also the driller is not disposed to examine 

with much care the character of the deposits or to measure carefully 

the exact position or thickness of any of the strata, points which would 

be of special interest to geologists. The driller is interested chiefly in 

the water-bearing strata, and of these only in such as produce a flow 

sufficient for his purpose. When asked for the history of a particular 

well, he is apt to remember only the depths of the flows struck and of 

the levels where he found the most serious obstacles. Hence it may 

reasonably be supposed that the deeper sandstone strata are often 

thicker than is reported in the logs and that the upper water-bearing 

sands especially are probably more numerous than usually reported.

Thickness. Before the thickness of the Dakota can be determined 

it must be decided what shall be assumed as the division between this 

formation and the overlying Colorado. If the second important sandstone below the chalk is taken as the top of the Dakota, the formation 

has been penetrated to a depth of 300 or more feet in the deepest borings. It is possible that 50 or even 100 feet may be added to this 

before the crystalline rock is reached in the region between Huron and 

Woonsocket, where the formation seems to reach its greatest depth. 

North of Mitehell a thin and comparatively unimportant sandstone 

bed intervenes between the upper sandstone stratum of the Benton 

and the top of the Dakota.

Two wells at Huron, Beadle County, have been bored through the 

Dakota sandstone into the underlying quartzite and granite, and the 

following is a combined record:

Section of Dakota formation in city wells Nos. 3 and 4, Huron, S. Dak.

Feet. 

Sandstone, strong flow (at depth of 740 feet).__._..___.....____._-_-_-.--.-. 5

Sandy shale ...--.-...-.-.-....-..-......................._......_.--..-..- 50

Hard sandstone .....--------..-..-............-....-....I.-..-.--.--------- 12

Sand rock (much water) ------.--._...........___.....__._-_.-.-.-_------_- 65

Gray limestone ?. / 

Shale.-.:....-..

Sandstone,thin.._' ------------------------------------------------------- 58

Shale...........
16 LOWER JAMES RIVER VALLEY, SOUTH DAKOTA. [NO.90

Section of Dakota formation in city wells Nos. 3 and 4, Huron, S. Dak. Cont'd.

Feet. 

Sandstone ------_-_-_-.-____._._.__..__._-.-_-.-.-.-.._-....__.-.__...____. P

Black shale...................................... ......................... 12f

Pebbly sand and water..--.......-.-...-.....-.--..---.--.-................. £

Coarse sandstone on quartz rock or granite ..----..-.-.-.-_--.--.-.-.....-_. 30

At De Smet, on the highlands 30 miles east of Huron, a deep boring passed through a thick series of sandstone with shale intercalations, probably comprising the greater part of the Dakota formation 

and possibly including in its upper beds the lower portion of the 

Benton formation.

Section in lower part of boring at De Smet, S. Dak.

Benton?: Feet. 

Hard sandstone (at depth of 840 feet) ...-.-.--.-.-.-.--......-.---....- 25

Sandstone..----.-.....--.........-.--.-...-...-...._...-.-...-...--... 120

Shale.................................................................. 200

Dakota:

Sandstone -.____._. .................................................... 271

Hard sandstone.....-................-.-.-----.--.....,.. -..-..--..... 14

Sandstone _--........_............_....-.....-.-_---.._-...._--..-_.... 140

In a well 2 miles southwest of Letcher it is reported that Dakota 

beds have been penetrated from 500 to G83 feet without reaching 

their base. The material is mainly clay, including several sandstone 

layers with flowing water.

In the Ashmore well, southwest of Artesian, the Dakota sandstone 

appears to have been entered at a depth of 626 feet, and its upper 

members include 6 feet of sandstone and 67 feet of shale, lying on 

sandstone which was penetrated 2 feet.

In Sanborn County many wells have reached the Dakota sandstone, 

and the well at the mill at Woonsocket penetrated a solid mass of it 

from 697 to 775 feet, but had no need to go to the base. In Davison 

County the thickness is variable, and the formation grows thinner and 

disappears entirely in an irregular area on the higher slopes of the 

underground ridge of quartzite south and southwest of Mitchell. At 

Mitchell it appears to extend from 440 feet to the quartzite at 540 

feet, comprising 39 feet of sandstone above and 11 feet of sandstone at 

base, separated by 50 feet of shale. In the Smith & Davison well, 4 

miles southwest of Mitchell, in a valley in the buried quartzite ridge^ 

the formation is represented by 40 feet of sandstone and 10 feet of 

shale, lying on quartzite of which the top is at a depth of 475 feet. 

At Ethan there are onty 8 feet of sandstone on the quartzite, and this 

may belong to the Benton. In the Lowrie well, northwest of Ethan, 

the Dakota appears to be 92 feet thick. It lies on quartzite at a depth 

of 477 feet, and consists of a top member of sandstone about 30 feet 

thick and a lower series of shales. The formation thickens rapidly 

to the west and south, and in the J. K. Johnson well, 3 miles due north 

of Mount Vernon, where the underlying bed rock was not reached, the 

section is as follows:
U 5. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY WATER-SUPPLY PAPER N0.90 PLV

^f^Ptfft5^^ 'l^t7^^r/^1r\T^^^^ 5e«??vcY\c-7\ // /^lyNrrX-^T^^xV^r///^^^^

f South SECTION FROM HURON" TO DESMET, SOUTH DAKOTA

Huron Wel

NorthRichards Well

Till

_^Clay }PiERRE 

m Chalk >NIOBRARA

Sandstone j

BENTON

SECTION FROM NE.i^ SEC. 19, T.112,11,61, TO S\\r. IT SEC. 14, T. 1O6, R.62

- '." ' " .' r^^'~V^^!3ZJI;:3;i/--j;.;7'^:^^^2-II'~":?:^;^^/;\^ " f j * \ 

 -" ' '. ' .' - ' " - "~^^^^:^SiS-''^~-~^:£^^^^^£i4^^:: "v-^-"^^^-^I!^J:j Sandstones I

> PLEISTOCENE 

Chalk }NIOBRARA Shale - 

Sandstone

IENTON

DAKOTA

Granite etc.

SECTION FROM ELM SPRINGS TO ME.4; SEC.19, T. 106, R.59

S.and D-ranch

Till } PLEISTOCENE

BENTON

""'and "DAKOTA

Clays J 

Qtartzite } SIOUX OUARTZITE

FEET 

1600 

1400

SECTION"FROM SEC. 13, T.106, R.62 TO SEC.34, T101, R.60

Southwest / -ip \

... EnemyCr. Northeast-

^l__ SiernanWell Mitche||We|l Firestee, Cr.

SOO. ~:"-'".-^r-T-"--'I'-'-"-.'-:-:: :.''-!:]:'' L~Aiiri=^

7OO. ^^-^^^g-^T^T^^^f^^'^i^lJJ^-' '* '- "-J <"'';1

PLEISTOCENE 

N106RARA

DAKOTA 

}SIOUX OUARTZITE

SECTIOXPROM SW:4 SEC. 33, T. 101,R.62 TO NE.i SEC. 14, T.1O, R.60

JULIUS BIENSCO.UTI-

TODD AND HAI.L,] DAKOTA FORMATION. 17

Section of Dakota formation north of Mount Vernon, 3. Dak.

Feet. 

Sandstone (at depth of 350 feet) ... ........................................ 70

Shale................................................................. ...... 50

Sandstone ................................................................. 36

Shale........................................................................ 90

Sandstone ----...-----______-__...____.__.___.-___.._.__...____..._._-..._. 44

In eastern Aurora County several wells penetrate the formation a 

hundred feet or more and find alternate beds of sandstone and shale. 

The well at Plankinton is reported to have reached granite at 756 

feet, and the overlying Dakota appears to comprise 218 feet of beds 

(from a depth of 538 feet), reported to consist largely of shale, with 

several thin sandstone bodies.

From the Storla well, in the southwest corner of the county, are 

reported beds, apparently Dakota, from a depth of 457 to 7uO feet, as 

follows:

Partial section of Dakota formation in Storla ivell. Aurora County. S. Dak.

Feet. 

Sandstone ...-.......-.........................._.-........................ 13

Shale.... ............................^......................... .......... 60

Sandstone ................................................................. 5

Shale.--....-......-....................................................... 30

Sandstone ..--............_....__....................-..._-.---._._----._.- 10

Shale...................................................................... 45

Sandstone ___________.___.__..______......_____. ....... .-____._.._________._ 10

Shale.............................. ........................................ 110

Sandstone _.-.__._.._.__.__ ..__._-_..________.__.____________-_____.--_..- 20

In the Dongan well, 4 miles northeast of the Storla well, there were 

23 feet of sandstone on 60 feet of shale lying on sandstone.

In the Bartow well, 3 i^iles northeast of Plankinton, the following 

beds are reported:

Partial section of Dakota formation in Bartow well, near Plankinton, 8. Dak.

Feet. 

Sandstone (at depth of 455-516 feet)..-_...____.....__....__._---___---___-. 61

Shale,.... ............................................................... 104

Sandstone .--..........__.........-..........._-......,..... .-.-..-..-... Few

Shale, etc........... ..................................................... 133

Sandstone ...^............................................................ 2

In the Raesley well, 4 miles southeast of Plankinton, the section is 

as follows:

Partial section of Dakota formation in Raesley well, near Plankin to ;. S. Dak.

Feet.

Sandstone (at depth of 477 feet).............. ............ ...........-....-.' 12

ShPle..-..._-.. ............................................. .J............ 116

Sandstone -___._--.-_.._..-__......._.....__.__..____._....--_...._.-_._... 5

(?)--___....-.-.-...--.-._..-.____-..-_.____.-.__.-.--...__.-.......__.._-_ 24

Shale.----.--.....---.....----.......-......--......--.....-.-,....---.---. 45

Sandstone ................................................................... 39

IRR 90 04 2
18 LOWER JAMES RIVER VALLEY, SOUTH DAKOTA. [NO.90.

The formation is absent in the central and southern portion of 

Hanson County, but in its northern and northeastern part it has been 

penetrated by several deep wells and found to consist of 20 to 53 feet 

of sandstone lying on granite or quartzite. Apparently it thickens 

rapidly northward under the western part of Miner County and in the 

southeastern part of Sanborn County.

Fossils. The Dakota formation is considered to be a fresh-water 

deposit from the fact that fossils occur rarely and that a few distinctly fresh-wrater species have been found in it.

A species of Goniobasis v as obtained in quantity from wells around 

Esmond at a depth of 785 feet, or about 30 feet above the main flow. 

Mr. T. W. Stanton, to whom the specimens were submitted, declares 

them identical with a species found in the Dakota of Jefferson County, 

Nebr.«

BENTON FORMATION.

The Benton formation consists mainly of dark shales, with thin beds 

of sandstone and limestone. In an area of considerable extent in 

Sanborn and adjoining counties the Niobrara chalkstone lies on a 

bed of sandstone 10 to 85 feet thick, sometimes with a thin intervening mass of shales. This was formerly supposed to be a portion of the 

Dakota sandstone, for it often contains considerable water, sometimes 

under pressure, but it has been found to be underlain by a thick mass 

of typical Benton clay containing marine fossils. This upper sandstone outcrops at several localities along Firesteel, Enemy, and 

Twelvemile creeks, and along James River at intervals from north of 

Mitchell to beyond Elmspring. ' The most northern point where it 

appears on the surface is in the bottom of the valley of James 

River, in sec. 22, T. 104 N., R. 60 W. A mile or two farther south 

it is exposed at several points along Firesteel Creek, particularly near 

the crossing of the railroad north of Mitchell, and at points as far west 

as sec. 36, T. 104 N., R. 62 W. The outcrops near the railroad rise 

about 20 feet above the stream, or to an altitude of 1,280 feet above 

sea level. It is exposed also along Enemy Creek south of Mitchell, 

and between that point and James River, and forms low cliffs along 

the river below Rockport, rising 30 to 50 feet above the stream. It is 

a rusty-brown sandstone, usually hard and of dark color on the surface, but softer below, varying much in character, sometimes being 

coarse and containing small pebbles and at other times extremely fine 

grained. It frequently shows oblique lamination in strata 3 or 4 feet 

in thickness.

No fossils have been found in these outcrops except sharks' teeth, 

which in some places are very numerous. Traces of wood and leaves 

have also been found at a few points. Its upper surface is uneven, 

but this is not merely due to erosion. It seems rather to have been

"Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., vol. 17,1894, p. 135, pi. viii, fig. 10.
U. S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY WATER-SUPPLY PAPER MO. 60 PL. VI

RISDON ARTESIAN WELL, NEAR HURON, S. DAK., THROWING A 10-INCH STREAM 

TO A HEIGHT OF 12 FEET.

TODD AND HALL.] BENTON FOBMATION. 19

caused by unequal deposition, which may correspond to sand reefs, 

or possibly dune action, although there are no distinct traces of the 

latter.

The shale which overlies the upper sandstone of the Benton in part 

of the area attains a thickness of 50 feet in its greatest development. 

It appears not only in wells, but in a few exposures in sees. 25 and 26, 

T. 103 N., R. 60 W., near the railroad, on opposite sides of the ravine 

leading into James River.

Fossils characteristic of the Benton have been reported in wells 

on the east side of James River, near the south line of Hanson 

County, more than 100 feet below the surface, and in several wells 

in the northeastern part of Hanson County. In sec. 36, T. 104 N., 

R. 62 W., there are several feet of dark clay intervening between the 

chalkstone and the sandstone in an exposure on the south side of 

Firesteel Creek. Wells in that vicinity, also those near and south of 

Plankinton, disclose a dark clay next below the chalk, which is 

probably the same member.

Below the sandstone lie about 200 feet of gray and black shales 

indistinguishable from similar deposits in other formations of the 

Cretaceous. There occurs in this shale, in the vicinity of the quartzite 

ridge near Mitchell, another stratum of sandstone which seems to be 

thicker, more porous, and therefore more water bearing. North and 

west of Letcher it apparently becomes very thin and is often overlooked by drillers. Nevertheless, when carefully looked for it may 

usually be found, and will furnish a meager supply of water.

Thickness-. The upper surface of the Benton, as has already been 

stated, rises nearly 1,300 feet above sea level in the vicinity of 

Mitchell, and north and south of Plankinton it rises higher than 1,300 

feet, judging from the reports of wells. It rarely falls below 1,000 

feet in the region around Huron. Its thickness, therefore, may be 

estimated to be 350 to 400 feet, or nearly double the estimate given 

by Doctor Hayden from his observations along Missouri River.

Fossils. Besides the sharks' teeth and traces of vegetation already 

mentioned, special note should be made of a stratum of fossiliferous 

limestone discovered in several wells in the vicinity of Woonsocket. 

Though reported from several wells, our most definite knowledge 

comes from a well 2 miles north of Woonsocket. From a break in the 

pipe, which was afterwards proved to be 580 feet below the surface, 

fragments of a fossiliferous limestone were frequently thrown out. 

These were submitted to Mr. T. W. Stanton, of the Survey, and he 

reports that at least three different kinds of fossils were represented, 

of which one was a small Nucula with striated surface that may be 

the young of N. cancellata, M. and H. Another is possibly a young 

Mactra, and the third, the most common form, was probably a Lucina. 

The specimens were too imperfect to permit more definite determination. They were found 250 feet below the chalkstone and about 100
20 LOWER JAMES RIVER VALLEY, SOUTH DAKOTA. [NO.90.

feet above the main flow. These are distinctly marine in character, 

and hence form a strong reason for considering this stratum as part 

of the Benton, In the well at Farwell sharks' teeth were found in 

large number in the shales -iOO feet below the surface. In the Ashmore well, southwest of Artesian, fossils were obtained a short distance above the top of the water-bearing Dakota sandstone, comprising a Madra and a Fasciolaria.

From the black clay above the sandstone north of Mount Vernon 

a saurian vertebra about 4 inches in length was obtained.

NIOBRARA FORMATION.

The most characteristic feature of this formation is the chalkstone, 

which merges into calcareous clay and shale. It is of drab cclor, but 

on weathering becomes white, cream-colored, or often a light-straw 

color. As the formations both below and above are clay, it follows 

that the limitations of this formation can not be very sharply denned 

where the more impure deposits are dealt with. The recognition of 

this formation is especially difficult in wells, for where the chalk has not 

been exposed to atmospheric action it presents a leaden color, closely 

resembling the gray clays of the Pierre and Benton. Many well drillers do not recognize it north of the vicinity of Woonsocket.

The most definite distinction between the chalkstone and the clay is 

that when pulverized the chalkstone does not become plastic and sticky 

like the clay, but behaves more like a fine sandstone, from which, 

however, it is usually readily distinguished by its softness and lack 

of grit. From the evidence obtained it remains doubtful whether real 

chalkstone extends into the northern part of the area around Huron 

or into the western part about Plankinton, farther south. Perhaps 

the strongest evidence of its presence there is the fact that valuable 

pump wells are obtained at points where we should expect to find it. 

These wells are commonly said to derive their water from "soapstone," but it is difficult to see how that can be, for clay shales are 

commonly very impervious. It is well known that similar waters 

are obtained from chalkstone in the shallower soft-water wells west 

and southwest of Mitchell. Moreover, the wells said to be from the 

soapstone in the Huron quadrangle are soft-water wells like those 

from the chalk farther south. In the southern half of the area the 

chalk is often conspicuously developed and outcrops in many exposures. They appear at intervals of a mile or so along Firesteel Creek 

from its mouth to a point north of Mount Vernon. In some cases the 

chalkstone and sandstone of the uppermost Benton appear in the 

same vertical section. For o or 6 miles west of the railroad bridge 

over Firesteel Creek, sections of chalkstone and sandstone alternate at 

about the same level, indicating unconformity. Whether this is due 

to erosion or flexing or to some irregularity in deposition has not 

been surely determined, but it is probably the latter. Exposures of
U. S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY WATER-SUPPLY PAPER NO. GO PL. VII

A. UPPER BENTON SANDSTONE ON FIRESTEEL CREEK, IN T. 104 N., R. 61 W.

B. ARTESIAN SPRING IN T. 104 N., R. 60 W.

TODD AND HALL.] NIOBKABA AND PIEKRE. 21

chalkstone appear along a channel of Enemy and Twelvemile Creek 

in T. 102 N., R. 61 W. ; also on the lower portion of Twelvemile Creek 

east of Ethan. It is exposed also along James River near Rockport, 

at the mouth of Redstone Creek, and above the mouth of Firesteel 

Creek. In several places it lies only a few feet above the Algonkian. 

Many feet of it are found in wells 3 or 4 miles north of Alexandria, 

but, in general, the summit of the quartzite ridge from Alexandria 

eastward seems not to be overlain by it.

Thickness. Over most of the area under consideration the Niobrara 

has been much thinned by erosion. In a strip running through the 

Alexandria quadrangle from Farmer northward wells fail to show 

the presence of chalkstone. Instead, there is a deposit of sand, presumably of Pleistocene age. The outlines of this have not been very 

clearly determined, but it seems to be several miles in width. East 

of this strip it would appear from the reports of some well drillers 

that the chalkstone comes in as if in the form of a buried escarpment. 

It seems not unlikely that the pre-Glacial course of James River may 

have been in that direction.

The thickest deposits of chalkstone yet reported are in the southwestern part of the Mitchell quadrangle, where a thickness of more 

than 200 feet is given. This may include some shale below. In some 

of the sections in the northern part of the Huron quadrangle what 

has been reported as gray shale has been indicated in the figures as 

chalkstone. It is not unlikely that, if carefully examined, the chalkstone of a bluish gray color might be found as thick in that portion as 

anywhere. At any rate, the beds including clay, which-belong properly to the Niobrara, may be considered to be at least 200 feet in 

thickness.

Fossils. The chalkstone frequently contains teeth and scales, 

mostly of bony fishes, although sharks' teeth are also found. Occasionally quite perfect specimens of bony fishes have been found.

The most common fossil is a small oyster about an inch in length, 

called Ostrea congesta, which is especially characteristic of the Niobrara formation. These fossils occur in thin layers of limestone and 

are frequently clustered on fragments of large shells, either Pinna or 

Inoceramus.

PIEKKE SHALE.

This formation consists almost entirely of dark, plastic clay or soft 

shale, with occasional calcareous concretions. It is very uniform in 

character, but varies slightly in color. It underlies the drift in the 

northern half of the area to which this report relates, but has been 

eroded from the uplifted area about Mitchell. It dips northwestward 

and increases in thickness in that direction and in the northern portion of the area, especially in 'the highlands between Huron and 

De Sinet, it is several hundred feet thick.
22 LOWER JAMES RIVER VALLEY, SOUTH DAKOTA. [NO.90.

TERTIARY GAP.

No traces of the latest Cretaceous, or Laramie, nor of the Tertiary 

beds found farther west have been recognized in this area. It is not 

improbable that the thin edge of the Miocene may have extended over 

this region, but the Pliocene and early Pleistocene erosion which excavated the James River Valley before the advent of the ice must have 

removed them.

QUATERNARY.

As already stated, the earlier Quaternary was an epoch of erosion. 

James River Valley at that time had attained approximately its present form and relative altitude, but the peculiar distribution of certain 

water-bearing strata below the till north of the quartzite ridge may 

have taken place in that period. The fact that from some wells in 

that region pieces of peat and numerous fresh-water shells have been 

thrown up strongly suggests that they came from a pre-Glaeial marsh 

deposit which may have been connected with the flood plain of James 

River of that time.

With the exception of these beds most of the formations we have 

considered thus far have been of marine origin. In the remainder 

of the Quaternary deposits there is a marked contrast, not only in 

the cause and method of deposition, but also in the way in which 

they overlie all earlier formations without respect to altitude.

GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF GLACIAL ACTION.

To understand the conditions under which the Pleistocene deposits 

were laid down, it is necessary to know something about ice sheets, 

such as are now found in Greenland or Alaska. The beginning of a 

glacier is due to the accumulation of snow. As it accumulates from 

year to year, partial melting and the pressure of superincumbent 

material compresses it into ice and it commences a slow, flowing movement down a valley. The ice moves like the river, except that the 

motion is sometimes independent of local valleys or channels, and 

is very much slower. Its form is more lobate, with the breadth often 

nearly as great as the length, and the movement is everywhere toward 

the edge.

The limit of the ice is determined by the relation of the melting to 

the velocity. If these influences are just balanced in other words, if 

the ice at any point melts as fast as it moves forward the edge will 

remain constant, and as the ice transports much gravel and clay, a 

ridge or moraine will be formed at the edge. If the ice moves more 

rapidly because of rapid accumulation of snow at the fountain head, 

or if the melting diminishes, as in winter or in a succession of cool 

and cloudy seasons, the ice will advance, overriding the moraine, 

if such has been formed. If the converse in either of these cases is 

true, the edge of the ice will recede, and if continued sufficiently the
U. S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY WATER-SUPPLY PAPER NO. 90 PL. VIII

SE.

97'

10'

17'

252'

4' 

60'

60- 

50-

NW 

45'

60'

iy

93' 

6'

IMS'

67'

5V

30'

96'

2' 

1' 

6' 

35'

B. B. NlCHOLSON. NlCHOLSON. W. H. SCHLUND. DATS. GLEASON. 

K sec. 8, T. 104, R. 62. SE. J£ sec. 9, T. 104, R. 62. NW. K sec. 26, T. 104. R. 62. SW. % sec. 8, T. 104, R. 61. NE. ^ sec. 8, T. 104, R. 60.

Tff 

OT 

fcft 

:fe

g§==

zSfOS-

^==s

SE=3

28'

Yellow and 67' 

blue till.

Chalk. W

Sand rock. 

124'. 3V

Black shale. 239-

flow, 380". 20" 

Sandstone and 

shale. 401

440'.

Shale and pyrite. 

500". 100' 

Sandstone, 

flow.

KEMV

J. K. JOHNSON. 

% sec. 3, T. 103, R. 62.

jf f f

rr

1 1

' 1

iVnrh?

r=rS

mi

iTf.Tyv

pSr=

=-=r=

H

Till. SE. 

40'

Chalkstone.

105'. 

Soft water. ia&,

Shale.

210<. 

Ironstone.

Shale.

Sandstone. 330' 

350'. 

Sandstone, 

first flow 45 

gallons. 

4201 .

Shale, with 

hard layers.

Sandstone.

Shale.

Red sand. 

602'. 

Lignite. 

Sandstone. 

Flow. 700 galls. 

646'.

W.-

¥& 

US

s-sss

.-^r-_^=.

=?= =?=

i.Hj.7%

j. j

Ji sec.

^qp

i=-i=-:

HH

E^

Hp^l

:£§£=

l^-=

Till. 36'

4' 

Drift.

96' 

95'. 

Chalk.

Sandstone. 

145'. 7'

100'

Shale and 

clay. 90'

2'

Sandstone. 

4101 . 

Shale and

clay. 

457'. NEFlow.

Sandstone. 63 

15'

Flow, 557'. 30'

121'

OHNSON. 

3, T. 103, R. 62.

Clay. 80/

JO1 . 

25'

Chalk.

165' 

SW.

80' 

10'

Water, shale, 

and clay.

160"

67' 

Flow, 495'.

'P4v-v

m

I

H. T

J^sec.

~ ( "^

^H

1^1 z^-=±

==s

==!.^

Drift. 

Sandstone.

Shale.

136'. 

Sandstone.

Shale.

1 i m e s t one, 

flow, 243'. 

Shale.

San dstone, 

flow, 40 galls. 338'

KlLBOKN. 

23. T. 104, R. 62.

Drift, till, and 

sand.

Chalk. 105' 

78'. 

Sandstone. 

108'.

Shale. 

SE.

3W

flow, 232'. 

Shale, with , 

some sand. °"

Sandstone, %fy 

strong flow.

S. E. KlLBORN. uo, 

Ji sec. 25, T. 104, R. 60.

 >W7'fS'

^= -

 f

;|^^

Drift.

40' 

Sandstone. 10,

Shale. 

SW.

14' 

14' 

8'

250'.

Sandstone, 

flow. 1M,

317'. 

20-

112' 

1'

J. 

\i sec.

=5=S

----.

rSS

r^ur^r

B

30' 

45'

15' 

20-

142'

Flow. 

2'

NE. 

40'

85' 

25- 

26' 

Flow, W.

164' 

Flow, 485'.

JACOBS. 12' 

15, T. 104. R. 61.

Yellow clay. 00,

Blue clay. 11>

110'. 

Sandstone. .,_

?Ni!j.

160'. 

SV

Shale. 

15'

30V. 105'

flow, 350'. T 

21

TYLKR. 

X sec. 34. T. 104, R. 61. gE

"^12^

E..- -

?=^r^

^8

 Hr=

^9

: 

Drift. 

Chalkstone. 35' 

Sandstone.

45'

Shale. 

WS

Sandstone. 2'

105' 

Shale.

Sandstone. 17'

f T f

fist!:.

fc^4

Till.

Drift.

75'. 

Chalk. 

Shale and clay

Shale and 

clay.

F........JS; andstone, 

flow, 258'.

MARTIN. 

X sec. 17, T. 104, R. 60.

pB'»-|>

W

T^T^

4^W

==^±=

ffi

====

^is^

^r-=^=^=

g==^

:r^r~ ' 

%sec.

'K-'Si-t'j

ife'Xi

:i\V-:^V.<:

BmB

v^\\\\w

E.

 m- » rr i-'r

=-i=-^:

=^==

rn-iiT..-.

r=jr=

£^ £1

flow, 313'.

Yellow till.

Blue till. 

75". 

Chalk.

100'. 

Sandstone, 

water.

Shale. 

290'.

dry(?) 

Shale.

Sandstone, 

flow, 401'.

26. T. 104. R. 60.

Drift. 

Sandstone.

Shale.

300'. 

S andstone, 

Shale. [flow. 

Quartzite.

E. Cox. 

25, T. 104, R. 61.

Till.

Sandstone. 

80'.

Shale.

Sandstone, 

flow, 183'.

Shale.

S a ndstone, 

flow, 370".

LOGS OF WELLS IN DAVISON COUNTY, S. DAK.

U. S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY WATER-SUPPLY PAPER NO. 90 PL. IX

irw

90'

140'

80' 

40'

140'

16'

SE. 

50'

100'

240' 

22'

65' 

100

260

20'

A. GEEKIN. 

. % sec. 6. T. 101, R. 62. SE.

im

i i i

i

I

1 ..!

||

£=£^=

=3=S

=J

25' 

Drift.

80'. 5. 

Chalk, hard in

middle.

200"

230'.

Sandstone, 

with shale.

' 32'

Hard shale. 

**" 60'

Shale.

- p'a.flO'-

:' " ' ..a and stone, 

flow. 506'.

BEEEE. 

Jisec.l9,T.101.R.62. SW

'TRI1

: '.* £

K

F r r

1 1

i \ .

i i

-tt

??i:VXV

65' 

50'.

45' 

Drift.

150'. 60 

140'

Chalk.

98'

390'. 

Water, no 

412. [flow.

\~APPE.

227' 

65'.

Drift. 

165'.

125'

Chalk.

425'. 

No flow. 

445'.

C. AELAND. 

Xs;ec.l5,T.103.R.62. SW

i ' i -

 -=-^±

~^^=.

RS=§^

-_=--=:

b^x=

Till. 20' 25'.

Chalk. 

110'

ICC'. 

35'

Shale. 

115'

305'. 

Flow. 

337'.

Sandstone. 

Flow.

397'. 

2C'

100'

WAGNITZ. 

U sec. 15, T. 101, R. 62. 60

Iks w&

?i^S

i i

=^=]

^P5

Till. 

lOff 

65'

Drift.

C

t,c.e » ^

*£ =

==i

E^Er

=^EHE;

S 

. J£ sec

S

m^=^^

Hg=

110'.

Shale and 

clay.

170'. 

Sc 

NW. sec.

310 ' 125' 

Sandstone.

408'. 

100'

Ttflt

Shale and 

clay.

135' 

Flow, 635'.

9' 

Sandstone.

760- . ' in, 

14'

Vr

J r

~r y

- -

)LSON.

18, T. 103, R. Cl. N\

Drift. 

20'. ^

Chalk. 65'

ISO'. 40' 

Sandstone, 

water. 

165'.

110'

Shale and 

clay. 15' 

280'. 20' 

Cmartzite. 1' 26' 

1'

HANE.

. 26, T. 102, R. 62.

Drift.

20'. 

SW 

Chalk. 15'

120'- 

llo

Sandstone.

180'.

35' 

Shale a )i d 

clay.

280'. 

Quartzite.

HKAUB. 5, 

14, T. 101, R. 62. 11' 

15' 

Till.

40'.

Chalk.

M

40' 

165'. 10'

Shaly chalk.

265'. 15S 

Sandston e, 

water. 

315'.

35' 

Shale.

450'. 

Sandstone, 160 

flow.

Shale. 20' 

C(C 

630'. 15'

GRAFF. Cox. 

V. cec. 17. T. 103, R. Cl. SW. % sec. 22, T. 103. R. 61.

^ P' \ll 

]!' V1 j\»

i i i

"" ' ' ',

=^j

=1^

=^s^

Si 

. % cec

(I- |" |l

i i .

- -

^=

==

D 

-Jisec

|i> f''f

i

' i

i

 =

^ii=5=

~^~° flow, 644'. ** . : - -'-! :"-J

Till. 25' 

35'- 28

Chalk. 2°

ico'. 28'

Sandstone, 

water. 

140'.

120 

Shale.

250'. 7' 

Sandstone, i/'

Sandstone, 

flow, 286'. 

Sandstone, 

flow. 313'. 

Quartzite.

EVEXK.

22.T.102,R.C1. KETill. go' 15'.

40'

Chalk. CO130'. 

Sandstone, 

water. 

165'. 110-

Shale. 6

305'. 

Limestone. 

Shale. 

Sandstone, 

flow, 336'.

SE.

UJIELS. 3°

.7,T.101.R.C1. 

Till. 1CQ

Sand and 

gravel, 50'.

50'

Chalk.

85'

205'. 

Sandstone. 

240'.

165' 

Shale.

400'. 

420'. 7'

480". 

495'. 

518'.

^

---:

,-=^

C''.:.'.-;-'.;<

Till. 25'. 

Chalk. 

Shale and 

clay. 73'.

water, 101'.

Shale and 

clay.

220'. 

Flow. 

Sandstone.

244'.

HATHAWAY. 

\'. sec. 14. T. 102, R. 61.

|r f )»|Till

-V^20'.

1 1

<=^=-=s

Jisec.

wr.

==

; ;.?.: . -' :

Chalk. 

60'.

Sandstone, 

water. 

120'.

Shale.

Sandstone, 

flow. 236'.

15, T. 101, R. 61.

Till. 

30'.

Drift.

130'. 

Chalk.

180'.

Sand stone 

water.

265'.

Shale and 

clay.

430-. 

Sandstone. 

Shale and 

clay, 478'. 

Sandstone, 

flow, 495'.

LOGS OF WELLS IN DAVISON COUNTY, S. DAK.

TODD AND HALL.] .GLACIAL DEPOSITS. 28

ice will gradually withdraw until it entirely disappears. Such has 

been the case with the vast ice sheets which comparatively recently 

covered this region.

As the ice proceeds the debris under the thicker central portions 

will be pushed along, producing scratches and grooves upon the underlying rocks, but toward the edge, where the ice sheet is thinner because 

of rapid melting above and below, the debris below, consisting of bowlders and clay, will cease to be moved, and, like the sediment of a 

river when the current slackens, will build up a bar. Moreover, the 

material carried in the lower part of the ice sheet will gradually be 

dropped and become more or less assorted by the waters which result 

from the melting of the ice. The resulting deposits will be of fluvial 

character where drainage is free, and lacustrine where escape is hindered. In the latter case especially portions of the ice mass will 

become detached and buried in the debris and their melting will 

be delayed until after the surrounding material has become permanently settled, so that eventually pond holes, and even lake beds of 

considerable size, will result.

From this sketch of the glacial action one can readily understand 

how the first advance of the ice is preceded by a flooded condition of 

all streams. In case they flow from the ice, their waters will be 

swollen by the melting ice and their sediment increased by the mud 

and sand contributed by the glacier. In case their course is toward 

the ice sheet or parallel with the edge, they will become dammed and 

changed temporarily into lakes in which the material from the ice will 

be deposited.

From this explanation also it may be seen that the pre-Glacial surface will be more or less covered with a layer of sand or gravel before 

the bowlder clay or regular glacial till is deposited upon it.

It is also seen how the pre-Glacial surface divides the course of the 

ice sheet and decides the character, in a measure, of the deposits laid 

down by it. The axis of the ice flow will coincide with the central 

portion of the pre-Glacial valley, and over it the ice will be thickest 

and its surface most elevated. The divides between the valleys and 

other elevated points will be the last to be covered by the ice and the 

first to be uncovered. From this fact it might be expected that the 

glacial deposits are thinner there, but such is not often the case, 

because of the tendency for the deposits to accumulate more rapidly 

under the thinner portions of the ice, as before explained. These 

facts are well illustrated in this area.

TILL OR BOWLDER CLAY.

This deposit is the accumulation formed underneath the ice, as has 

already been explained. It is generally of unstratified character, 

being a heterogeneous mixture of sands, clay, gravel, and occasional 

bowlders. It is usually distinguished from ordinary stream deposits
24 LOWER JAMES BIVEE VALLEY, SOUTH DAKOTA. [NO. 90.

by its unassorted character arid the absence of stratification. It 

frequently contains pockets or lenses of sand of considerable extent, 

which is often stratified. In some cases these are portions of the 

accumulations of subglacial streams, which have become broken up 

and buried in the till. They sometimes contain abundant water, but 

are often dry and filled with air, which is sometimes under pressure. 

The ingredients of the till vary in different localities according to the 

rocks over which the glacier has passed. In this area the clay comprises perhaps 90 per cent of the whole.

Surface of the till. The surface of the till in lower places is more 

or less covered with silt, laid down by the waters escaping from the 

ice soon after its deposition, and also by the wash in more recent 

times, especially upon hillsides. In some localities, also, considerable silt has been deposited from the atmosphere; but both of these 

influences have not modified the till of this region to any great extent, 

except in the lower portions bordering James River, of which mention will be made in a later section. The surface of the till in general may be said to be much more even in this area than is f requently 

the case in other regions. This is mainly the result of its having 

been deposited far within the principal moraines upon a surface 

already smoothed by former and more vigorous ice sheets.

The till of this region exhibits the usual basin and swell surface, 

but in a very mild degree. Few of the basins are of sufficient extent 

to hold water through the summer time. As a whole, however, they 

have a most important influence in retaining the surface water. 

When snow melts, or after rains, they hold the water so that over 

much of the surface very little of the rainfall escapes into the streams.

An area around Huron, covering perhaps 100 square miles or more, 

seems to have been, during the recession of the ice, a shallow lake. 

So, also, at an earlier stage there was an area of similar character and 

equal extent east of Woonsocket; and also another northeast of 

Mitchell. All of these will be discussed more in detail under the 

heading "Ancient channels."

Thickness of the till. The average thickness of the till can be 

roughly estimated to be about 75 feet over the whole area. Southwest, west, and south of Mitchell, within a radius of 10 or 12 miles, 

the thickness is often less than 50 feet. This includes the region in 

which the Cretaceous strata outcrop. So, also, in the valleys of all 

the principal streams the thickness of the till is often less than 20 

feet. On the contrary, in the elevated region about De Smet depths 

of 200 or 250 feet may occur, although but few drillings have been 

made to show this fact. Southward from that region the till gradually 

diminishes in thickness, until in the vicinity of Spencer it is generally 

less than 50 feet. In the region south of Plankinton, also, wells show 

a frequent thickness of 150 feet, while some attain over 200 feet.

In the flat lands east of Woonsocket the depth of the till is nearly
U. S. GECI-O3ICAL SURVEY WATER-SUPPLY PAPER NO. 90 PL. X

- f

SE

50' 

4'

45 1

84'

1

I

240

40'

35'

S 

25' 

20'

300'

62' 

20'

S^

28'

102

30

4 

32 

15

jMTH

Ji f.ec

ill l|« \r

9

HH

!SE:=

^=^

IS

i

E. sec.

ES^Eir

ill

gr=:=;

3S

rOl

^="=

p^=

=nli

ISD DAVISOK. STEMEN. 

25, T. 103, 11. Cl. SW. }{ sec. 28, T 103, R. 60.

nn.

Sand.

Chalks tone. J'j'.

Sandstone. 280' 

IKS'.

sandstone btrata

20 ft. thick.

123'. 

Sandstone, water

Hard sandstone 

(quartzite) ami 

dark granite at ^^ 

bottom. "

vDDAtL. 30r

11. T. 1C1, R. 61. 

Till. 20 

Chalk.

120'

Shale, sandy at 

top.

S4.y.

Shale. 50'

 ':".':"- .Sandstone, flow. 

433'. 75' 

V. 3X tec. 6, T 101, R. 60.

1 ! ' ' 'Chalk.

IfISO'. Sandstone, water.

IKS^G

SrEiC

14

1 

Shale and clay.

330'. 

Sandstone.

Shale and clay.

Sandstone, fl o w .

381.' .

?

_^-Z_=-=-

1

m

40'

90'

Shale. 40' 

115'

Sand and water.

Quartzite. 

2M4.' 80?

61'

1' + 

63'

39'

CHKISTIANSOK. 

. % sec. 20. T. 1CS, R. 60. 50'

F' f':f.

Y;]°ff

^^

Bis

i^

ir

Drift.

Sandstone, water. 

TJ.

Shal^ and clay. 225' 

Quartzite, 195'.

K

GAETZ. 85' 

. % sec. 20, T. 101, R. 60.

I" f 1" 

'VV

°o°c o

- 

E^rSi

Yellow till. 

63'

Blue till. 55'

Sandstone, water.

Shale. 180

Sandstone, flow.

320'. 

80

MlTCHELL. KE. % sec. 2, T. 103, R. 60.

:w

:':':-X-V

=sis

fellow till. 

0' 85'

60' 

ISO'.

170'. i6' 

6

Shale.

-.-- ...-.'. Sandstone, water. Ogj

rt^ate.

~j~_ Water rock, flow. 

=^= Shale.

>%^

3-S===

a^

3' 

440'. 

Sandstone, flow. 

479'. 

Shale. 

W. 

Sandstone, fl o w ,

"4° ' SE 

SO'

Quartzite, softer I-Q 

below.

76.V.

182'

LownrK. 

W. M sec. 9. T. 101, R. 60.

%

1

m-=-=^= =-^=~

[S

~_TT^

8'

Till. r +

85'. 

Chalk. 

145'. SW

Shale. 

200'. 50

100

Shale.

Sandstone, flow. 170

Shale.

Very hard rock 

(quartzite), 477'. 

6C

33

^' ' ' '-i;

S'.Sv

^ ^

1

::^=s

Drift.

R5'. 

Chalkstone.

145'. 

Shale. 

1!T. 

Sandstone, flow.

-Jhale.

SSS Sandstone, fl o w . 

431'.

ETHAN. 

\i sec. 14, T. 1C1, R. 60.

¥??

<S^

P T

^^

t^^==

Drift.

Cbalkstone. 

ISO'.

Shale. 

312'.

quartzite, 381'. 

T. ] { sec. 25, T. 101. R. 60.

"I )'.*.

1^£

£3??^

K

?

Till.

^Chalk.

q q!50'.

Shale and clay.

LOGS OF WELLS IN DAVISON COUNTY, S. DAK.

%&$ $£$$&:$! Wffiffinffiffi

I

TODD AND HALL.] GLACIAL DEPOSITS. 25

100 feet, and this thickness prevails generally under the morainic 

belt north of Sand Creek and Redstone Creek. Southeast of Wolsey, 

in the flat country, the till usually has a thickness of 60 or 70 feet; 

it probably has about the same thickness in the flat lands around and 

east of Huron.

In considering these statements it should be remembered that the 

separation of the till from the "underlying clay of the Cretaceous is 

often very indistinct. Well drillers very frequently do not distinguish the two formations; hence the reports upon which the preceding 

statements have been made are few and far between. In the region 

near the Cretaceous outcrops no water is found between the till and 

the underlying chalkstone or sandstone. Hence in drilling wells the 

till is not looked for in such portions of the region. Elsewhere, also, 

in this area, more frequently than farther south, there seems to be an 

absence of the sand stratum which separates the till from the underlying clays, and even in some cases where sand is found it is so fine 

that it can not be utilized for water supply. It is nearly impossible 

to separate the fine sand from the water, even when the casing is 

covered with very fine-meshed screen.

Another consideration also tends to produce confusion, especially 

in the northern part of the area. There exist in the upper part of 

the Cretaceous one or two water strata, which join the bottom of the 

till at a very small angle. Hence, where the thickness of the till is 

estimated from the depth of wells, by an oversight the measurement 

may extend below the till to the Cretaceous clays. This danger is 

especially strong in the northern half of the area.

Another source of error, against which it is impossible to guard, is 

the irregular thickness of the till in some localities. Two wells sunk 

only a few rods apart are frequently reported to find the bottom of the 

till at very different depths. Sometimes such reports may arise from 

the sand pockets which we have already referred to as occurring in 

the till, but in some cases the statements refer to the striking of soapstone, or Cretaceous clay. In this case there could be little doubt that 

the bottom of the till had been reached. On the whole, therefore, the 

statements concerning the thickness of the till must be taken as only 

very general estimates.

MORAINES.

The till sheet already described is sometimes called the ground 

moraine, but the moraine spoken of here is always the system of hills 

believed to have been heaped up around the edge of the ice sheet. It 

is sometimes more definitely called a terminal moraine. Such hills 

are recognized more by their relative position than by any one characteristic which they bear individually. Each one is usually lengthened parallel with the course of the system, abounds in bowlders, and 

has somewhat abrupt sides, but all of these characteristics are not 

always found together. 

IKR 90 04 3
26 LOWEK JAMES KIVER VALLEY, SOUTH DAKOTA. [NO.90.

As a system, the moraine usually presents these stony, knobby hills 

mingled confusedly with circular and winding basins which often contain water, but sometimes both basins and hills are very faintly developed, so that the whole constitutes a broad swell. The moraine is 

traversed here and there by valleys through which water escaped from 

the ice sheet. These may be of trifling size or many rods in width, 

and cut down through the whole height of the moraine.

The height of the moraine at any one point is due to several conditions :

1. The relative height of the pre-Glacial surface.

2. The amount of material pushed forward by the ice at that point, 

which depends again on the transporting power of the glacier and the 

time its edge remained stationary.

3. The amount of material washed away.

4. The consistency of the material an excess of clay or sand tending to produce a low and even moraine, while excess of stony material 

is favorable to the formation of a high and rugged moraine.

The moraines of this area are mapped on PL III; consequently it 

will be unnecessary to speak definitely of their location. With few 

exceptions they are not conspicuous features. Generally they consist 

of low, broad swells, showing the usual surface of the till, except that 

occasional peaks which rise more or less abruptly 15 or 25 feet above 

the surrounding surface are scattered over the general level. The 

swell may have a height of 20 or 30 feet above the till, into which it 

insensibly merges. The intervening depressions and basins are also 

more numerous and larger than elsewhere. Moreover, the moraines 

usually present a large number of bowlders, beds of gravel, and other 

marks of abundant and free-flowing waters.

In the area under consideration are portions of two principal moraines, both of which present three or four minor subdivisions. The 

moraines belong to the Wisconsin stage of the Glacial epoch and are 

commonly known as the Second, or Gary moraine, and the Third, or 

Antelope. The former name is derived from the town of Gary, 

S. Dak., where it was first studied, and the second from a ridge in 

Minnesota Valley. In general it may be stated that these moraines 

were formed.as portions of loops extending southward across the axis 

of James River Valley. Previous to their formation the ice had 

covered the whole area to a depth of several hundred feet, and pushed 

south and west to the vicinity of Missouri River, where it rested for 

a time and formed the First, or Altamont moraine. Hence the 

moraines in this area were formed on a fairly smooth and level surface. For the same reason, also, they are less irregular and prominent.

These loops show higher hills upon the southwest side, while upon 

the southeast and east they are sometimes not easily traced.

The Gary moraine enters the west boundary of the area north of 

Firesteel Creek, near the north boundary of Jerauld County. It is
U. S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY WATER-SUPPLY PAPER NO.

81'

38'

195'

5' 

152'

103'

19'

RE. 

140'

40' 

20' 

36'

12'

8'

100'

8'

100'

*sec

HOB

1 i' ' i '

P=q

R?^

sgii

sgi

18!

P£=;

US

pHE

==£^£

>7--:-'?:j

4, T. 105. R. CO. E. !

Yellow clay. 

iV. co.

Blue clay. 

112'.

Chalk. 

150'. ^ 150

Shale. 7g.

345'. 

Hard rock. 120

Shale.

NE.

>02'. 

Hard rock.

ISO'

611'.

Sandstone. 52 

gal. flow, 630'. 50'

X sec. 33. T. 105, R. 59. 62'

'-T-"'~:-'~.

38s

s?s

.__

Sr=3r

*

Drift.

140'. 263' 

Chalkstone.

Shale. 

Sandstone.

Shale.

Sandstone,

Soft shale. 

99'

356'. 

Sandstone. 6'

^ , 67' Shale.

2' 

464'.

4 sec. 13. T. 108, R. 59. VICIXITY OF ARTKSIAN. ARTESIAN 

 ii i _| ll'i_---"-'-^Sc

w

N

^ j ^==.

^^

Clay.

60'.

Shale.

210/- 60'

285'. 

120'

Sandstone, 

water to 33'. 10'

405'.

=BH

* -

E. ASHMORE. 

% sec. 18, T. 106. R. 50.

 ^ JTTT.'

&.

 TV.Vr

^T-'?

=^-=^

?£=^

BE

===

==-^i

 -=;

^^=T

SH

=- 

SW 

Drift. 7-,

130'. 

Chalkstone. 60/ 

150'.

Shale. gj.

Msec

=^S^

Sandstone.

25/- 50'

Blue clay. 

60'

and gravel.

127'

Water, 190'.

Dark shale. 

Water. 250'.

Dark shale.

425' 

. 5, T. 106, R. 59.

Clay.

75'.

Sand.

135'. 

Chalk. 

Shale, 156'.

33'

ifil

*=±2^

ir-:

H^H

=^ 2

s=s

^?£?

I?=Ir= '^B

 

--^=^i

E^ ^£3

=

HI

B

63

D

12 

D

St

D

67

«n

CITY WELL. 

Hand yellow 

clay, 13'.

ue clay.

irk shale.

ard water. 3'.

ark shale 

w i t h limestone and pyrites, 

ft water. 0'.

irk shale.

5'. 

ndstone.

mdstone, 120 

jal. flow. 70S'.

H O" AN.

SW. % sec. 31, T. 105, R. 59.

Shale. 30' 

12'

20' 

15'

25'

526'.

Sandy stratum, flow.

Shale. 1s3 '

626'. 

Sandstone.

main flow. 

Shale. 20' 

Sandstone.

7C1'.

^=^

 -=^=

f-ri^L

M

fe.-,r>

Yellow clay. 

Sand, 42'. N1 

Blue clay. 

Chalk, 77'. 

Sandstone. 

102'.

16E

Shale. 

0,"

Sandstone. 25 

gal. flow, 31V. 5

ft'. X sec

.=--==

EASTERN SANBORN COUXTY.

. 7. T. 103,11.56

Drift.

165'. 

Shale anc

Sandstone 

flow, 261'.

F. J.

Sec. 6, 1

74' 

11'm

N. G 

Sec. 21, 1

1J3'

1=^=

S. J4 sec. 21

105'

35'

37'

32' 

11'

85' 

50'

27'

30'

25' 

11'

454'

18 

18

/^v.

$^

s.

fe^ae^;

BRIDC

ill

a-ff?

BUTLER. 

. 104, R. 56. 

prift. 10'.

Blue clay.

Chalk, 40gal. 

flow, 95'.

. HALL.

P. 104, R. 56.

Yellow clay. 20'.

Blue clay 

with sand

streaks.

Coarse sand. 

l-10gal. flow, 

175'.

),T.104,R.56.

Drift.

105'. 

Chalkstone. 

flow at 108. 

140'.

ILKM.

Yellow clay.

37'.

Blue clay. 

69'. 

Quicksand.

Blue clay.

165'. 

Shale, 215'.

Loose sand, 

waterto 75'. 

" Sioux 

quartette."

247'.

EWATKR.

3 SYellow clay. 

530'. 

I Blue clay. 

^Sand. 

"Sand and 

^ clay. 111'. 

1 S a n d and 

1 rock. 

iClay (light 

= colored).

1 189'.

5 Hard sand- 

: stone. 207'. 

'Soft sandstone, 226'.

McCooK COUNTY.

LOGS OF WELLS IN JAMES RIVER VALLEY, SOUTH DAKOTA.

TODD AND HAI.L.] MORAITSTES. 27

there usually developed in an irregular ridge, rising more than 100 

feet above the valley of the stream outside, or west. It continues 

southward along the east side of Firesteel Creek, soon becoming a 

low swell, and so continues across the main channel of Firesteel 

Creek into Davison County. Here it follows a tributary from the 

south, which connects by a valley with the upper portion of Enemy 

Creek, and again with the upper part of Twelvemile Creek. The outer 

margin of this moraine still follows this channel in a southeasterly 

direction till it crosses the north line of Hutchinson County east of the 

ninety-eighth meridian. This outer member does not reappear in this 

area until it crosses the northeast corner in a north-northwest direction, 

west of De Smet. Branching from this, near the north line of Davison 

County, is the second member, which passes more to the east along the 

main channel of Firesteel Creek and James River, crossing the latter 

near the south boundary of the area. This does not appear again 

until it is found in connection with the first member near De Smet. 

A third member leaves the other two southwest of Woonsocket, and 

takes a course approximately parallel with the last, passing south and 

a little southeast of Mitchell, forming a short but high reentrant angle 

just east of James River, northwest of Bard, thence continuing 

along the east side of James River until it is lost in the plain east of 

Rockport. Its eastern limb reappears near Epiphany and continues 

north in a low ridge west of Wolf Creek and west of Howard, keeping the same direction till it joins the older members west of De Smet. 

A fourth member, rather more clearly defined in its western portion 

than the last, leaves the preceding member northwest of Woonsocket, 

and about 3 miles west of that place is developed into a high, narrow 

ridge, known as the "Pony Hills." It diverges still more from the 

former members so that it crosses the railroad in scattered knolls about 

5 miles northwest of Letcher, and north of that place forms a rough 

strip about 2 miles in breadth nearly to James River. East of that 

stream and north of James Creek its main portion turns northeast. 

Its course northeast of Artesian is so faintly developed that it has not 

been traced. This member seems to have formed the main barrier 

which produced a shallow lake east of Woonsocket. From its southern side this lake had three or four outlets through the moraine: 

Long Lake, northwest of Letcher; a similar channel east of Letcher; 

and James River.

The Third or Antelope moraine lies along the west side of the area 

west of Wolsey in the form of a conspicuous ridge. It turns southeast 

and later to the east north of the main course of Sand Creek. It 

crosses James River on the north line of Sanborn County, becomes 

less prominent, and gradually curves in a northeast direction, becoming still less prominent, but is faintly developed west of Iroquois, 

where it has a north course, which continues beyond the limits of the
28 LOWER JAMES BIVER VALLEY, SOUTH DAKOTA. [NO.90.

area. This may be considered the first member of the Third moraine 

and the most conspicuous part of it.

Lying approximately parallel with the first member are two or three 

lines of scattered knolls, beginning near the northern boundary, west 

of Broadlands, and curving around south of Huron. One of these is 

developed into a ridge 30 or 40 feet in height south of Cavour. As 

these have much of their course in a plain which probably was at one 

time a shallow lake, they are very feebly developed.

Along the inner side of the first member of the moraine, on the west 

side of James River, lies Cain Creek and east of it Pearl Creek. The 

portion of the moraine lying between Cain Creek and Sand Creek is 

traversed by two or three well-defined channels, reaching through the 

moraine from the valley of one stream to the other.

ANCIENT CHANNELS AND TERRACES.

Under this head are included all water-laid deposits of any considerable thickness except such as are in the immediate flood plains 

of present streams. In some of the shallow channels the older deposits 

may not be clearly separable from those of recent origin. In such 

cases the later are included under this head. The geologic map shows 

the location of these channels. They correspond generally with the 

present waterways, for the latter are the puny successors of the former, 

and yet the direction of drainage has been so changed in a few cases 

that some of the present valleys are connected by a network of older 

channels.,

General character. These channels vary from broad, shallow 

depressions, approaching lakes in character, through which streams 

passed for a comparatively short time, with a sluggish current, to 

troughs 20 to 40 feet in depth, in which the abundance of coarse 

material shows that they were occupied by vigorous streams for some 

time. In both cases the coarser deposit is usually sufficiently covered 

with finer material to afford rich soil. Where the channel deposits 

have been cut through by the deeper trenching of the later streams 

similar differences in the character of the deposits also occur. In 

some cases the old channel deposit is at a height of 50 or 60 feet 

above the present stream. In many cases, however, the old deposits 

have been only slightly eroded, because the later drainage has passed 

off in another direction.

We find the older channels changed to terraces, particularly along 

James River, where sometimes two, at different altitudes, appear. 

East of Huron, for example, these are found at about 40 and 60 feet, 

and east of Mitchell at about 80 and over 100 feet above the stream. 

They are not always distinctly marked, but may merge one into the 

other. The usual indication of such a terrace is a sharp, stony edge 

capping the river bluff and a generally flat surface extending for 

many rods.
U. S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY

FRAZIER ARTESIAN WELL, 10 MILES NORTHEAST OF MITCHELL, S. DAK., 295 FEET DEEP.

TODD AND HALL.] OLD CHANNELS AND TERKA.CES. 29

Origin. These ancient channels were developed during the presence of the glacier, and served to carry off the water from the front 

of the ice sheet in its different stages. The arrangement of the channels is evidence of the former existence of an ice sheet over this region. 

The size, and particularly the course, of some of the channels and the 

amount of coarse material found in them can not well be explained 

in any other way.

The order in which these channels were occupied may be learned 

from the map, where they are numbered; but it should be remembered 

that it is impossible to represent the order of their occupation with 

minute accuracy. In some cases the same channel has been used in 

opposite directions, and this change has perhaps occurred more than 

once. It will be noticed that the numbers are generally wide apart, 

but are sometimes found near each other, especially along the course 

of James River. In such cases it is intended to indicate that the 

channel had been used at times corresponding to the occupation of 

channels bearing those numbers and that the altitude of the formation does not clearly distinguish the order of time. Usually the later 

terraces are lower than the older, but this is not always the case. During the rapid unloading of debris from the ice the streams might at 

one time erode and at another time fill, so that waters are conceived 

to have been at nearly the same level at widely different times.

To give an example of the way in which the channels record the 

presence and different stages of the ice sheet and at the same time 

the varying directions in which the water flowed, attention is called 

to the channels west and south of Mitchell. (See PL III.)

When the ice occupied and was building the outer member of the 

Gary moraine, the drainage about the western edge was discharged 

along a channel which follows the course of Firesteel Creek and a southern tributary, and which leads west of Mount Vernon; then through 

the main branch of Enemy Creek to the center of T. 102 N., R. 61 W., 

when it passed by another intermediate channel into the north branch 

of Twelvemile Creek, thence by another crosscut to the south branch 

of the same stream. Into this the water from the ice sheet discharged 

by several outlets through the moraine. Since the course of this 

stream was on a higher level than the laud farther east a short distance within the edge of the ice sheet, as soon as the ice began to 

recede the waters at several points, particularly near the north line 

of Aurora County, turned eastward through the outlets and followed 

for a time the edge of the ice, while it formed the second member in a 

way analogous to that already sketched. When the ice receded to 

the third member a similar change took place by the main stream, 

following the present course of Firesteel Creek to a point northeast of 

Mount Vernon before turning south. The course of Firesteel Creek 

was not occupied as at present until the ice had withdrawn beyond 

the junction of this stream with James River.
30 LOWER JAMES KIVER VALLEY, SOUTH DAKOTA. [NO.90.

ANCIENT LAKES.

In connection with the channels, certain extensive areas which may 

be called ancient lakes should be considered. The use of this term 

does not imply that they were occupied at one time by water, although 

this may have been the case. It is probable that as the ice receded 

over them from the south toward the north the southern portion was 

first occupied by more or less ponded water and filled by the accumulating sediment from the streams draining the adjacent ice sheet; as 

the ice uncovered one portion after another these areas were successively filled with sediment in the same way, until, on the recession 

of the ice, they became flat plains, covered with sand or clay, with 

points of the underlying till rising above it like islands, and shallow 

channels winding about irregularly upon it. In some cases shallow 

lakes may have continued for an indefinite period. The largest and 

best example of this sort lies between Woonsocket and Forestburg, 

and extends from the outer portion of the third moraine to the fourth 

member of the second moraine. It covers an area of perhaps 50 miles. 

Over this area the surface is poorly drained and covered either with 

fine clay, commonly called gumbo, or with sand which is sometimes 

gathered in dunes by the wind. The gumbo seems to have been 

formed by the settling of clay in comparatively quiet water. The 

sandy areas from their position overlying the gumbo and till seem to 

have been formed as deltas by Sand Creek and Redstone Creek.

A similar area, not so clearly defined, surrounds Huron, especially 

on the south and east. This does not present so much of the gumbo 

surface, and the sand is also less marked.

Between Letcher andMitchell and extending eastward across James 

River is another flat area which presents more of the usual surface 

of the till and less of the sand and gumbo.

GEOLOGIC HISTORY.

The granite which underlies most of James River Valley is considered to be part of the very old surface which existed before life 

appeared upon the earth. Whether it may be, in some cases, part of 

the original substance of the globe or whether it was first laid down 

in an ocean and afterwards changed to a crystalline rock by heat and 

pressure has not been satisfactorily ascertained.

The Sioux quartzite, which is exposed in the region east of Mitchell, 

belongs to a later epoch, and certainly was deposited in the ocean, 

probably upon the margin of a land area which existed farther east 

in Minnesota and Wisconsin. From that land, the waves, ocean currents, and tides, which were probably more vigorous then than now, 

derived the sands and spread them out over the bottom, much as now 

takes place on the seashore. As the material accumulated there was 

a gradual sinking of the ocean bottom till a thickness of several hun-
U. S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY

ARTESIAN WELL ON SCHLUND FARM, DAV1SON COUNTY, S. DAK., 390 FEET DEEP, 40-GALLON FLOW.

TODD AND HALL.] GEOLOGIC HISTORY. . 31

dred feet had been laid down. There is no clear evidence that there 

was any animal life in that ancient ocean.

In the succeeding age there was a disturbance which resulted in 

the eruption of molten rocks which may have reached the surface and 

penetrated the sand strata in both dikes and sheets. It was probably 

during this period that the sand became consolidated into the hard 

stone we find to-day. Some of the igneous rock which appeared at 

that time has been found at Hull, Iowa; near Corson, in Minnehaha 

County; in Hanson County, sec. 26, T. 104 N., R. 58 W., and at Yankton. Probably in earh* Cambrian time this region was above sea level, 

and then followed the long period of erosion which is mentioned above 

as the Paleozoic gap. It may have been that the first upheaval of 

this region was a few hundred or a few thousand feet, but more likely 

the rise was by several successive elevations. It is probable that 

during the erosion of Paleozoic time several hundred feet of rock 

were carried away, and that the buried ridge extending through the 

Mitchell region is but a small remnant of the original rock mass. The 

land surface at this time may have been clothed with vegetation 

and occupied by animals of various kinds. During the last of the 

Paleozoic and the early part of the Mesozoic the seashore must have 

been beyond Missouri River on the-west.

At the beginning of Jurassic time the land besvn to subside and the 

sea gradually advanced in central South Dakota, but apparently in 

this region a land surface continued until much of the Cretaceous 

period had passed, for the first deposits appear to have been the sediments of Dakota time. These were mainly sands deposited on beaches 

and in estuaries, but in intervals of quieter and deeper waters clays 

were also laid down. It is likely that the sands were carried by 

vigorous tidal currents and probably came in part from the disintegration of the quartzite along the adjacent shore. The clay may be 

traced with considerable confidence to the soil and fine material which 

were being washed from the land as the waters continued to advance 

toward the east.

At the end of the Dakota epoch the ocean waters overspread the 

region as far as southeastern Minnesota and the deposition of the 

Benton shales began. There were some short periods of shallow 

waters with strong currents, which deposited local layers of sand, but 

clays were the predominant sediments. In Niobrara time the waters 

were deep and clear in the greater part of the area, and great deposits 

of carbonate of lime accumulated, now represented by the chalkstone. 

At this time there was abundant life in the waters, including fish, 

huge reptiles, and mollusks. Deep waters and clay deposition continued during Pierre time, and probably several hundred feet of 

Pierre sediments extended across southeastern South Dakota. In the 

latter part of the Cretaceous there were at first shallow ocean waters 

of Fox Hills time, and then brackish and fresh waters in which the
32 LOWEB JAMES EIVEB VALLEY, SOUTH DAKOTA. [NO.90.

Laramie sandstones were laid down; but as these formations are 

absent to the southeast there is no evidence as to the conditions 

in southeastern South Dakota in this epoch, and presumably it was 

then a land surface. Probably the, land surface continued during the 

Tertiary period, and some of the streams of later Tertiary time spread 

local deposits of sands in some portions of the region, but it is impossible to affirm what the conditions were in this area, because subsequent erosion has removed all such deposits. During the later part 

of the Tertiary period there was doubtless a large stream somewhere 

near the present position of James River, flowing toward the south.

The remarkable area furnishing artesian waters from underneath 

the till near Artesian may be considered as some evidence that the 

former course of James River lay along that line. The prominent 

range of knolls east of Mitchell suggests the presence underneath of 

a prominent point in the underlying rock which may have existed on 

the west side of the pre-Glacial James River. The lower land 3 or 4 

miles east of the James, south of Alexandria, continuing to Hutchinson County toward the mouth of Wolf Creek, and the apparent 

recency of the trough of James River west of it below Rockport, as is 

indicated by the prominence of sandstone cliffs at several points, also 

the absence of chalk in a strip passing Farmer, Hanson County, 

combine to at least suggest that the pre-Glacial course of James 

River lay east of its present course through the southern part of this 

area. This suggestion has not, however, been tested by a comparison 

of significant well borings.

Into James River probably came White River, through the valley 

of Red Lake, White Lake, and Firesteel Creek. Those rivers doubtless 

had many small tributaries which had rapidly cut down the soft materials composing the surface. The elevated region in the southwestern part of Davison County may be considered a remnant of the old 

divide south of it.

Such were the drainage conditions until the Ice Age began, when it 

is supposed the climate became moister and colder. During the 

earlier stages of the Ice Age the ice had not broken over the divide 

between James River and Red River, and hence the streams, although 

swollen by rains, did not receive water directly from the ice. If the 

ice reached the boundaries of the State at any point, it probably did 

so in Minnehaha County, coining over from the Minnesota Valley, 

and Big Sioux and Vermilion rivers carried off the water.

During the Wisconsin stage the ice finally extended over the divide 

east of James River near the north boundary of the State, and steadily 

progressed down the valley until it had filled it to a depth in the center of 1,000 to 2,000 feet. At this time the ice extended as far west 

as Kimball, southwest of Lake Andes, south to Yankton, east to 

the East Vermilion, and southeast to Canton and Vermilion. During 

this stage the region was being ground down, chalkstone and softer
U. S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY WATER-SUPPLY PAPER NO. 60 PL. XV

ANDREWS. COOK. BARTOW. 

8E.J^sec.S7,T.104.R.63. NW. J£ sec. 26, T. 104, R. 63. 8W. J£ sec. 8, T. 103, R. 63. SW

140'

50' 

60'

238'

67 

10

SE.

112'

38' 

701

22'

sos- is'

89'

21' 

39'

61'

23'

59'

1' +

ffil

:tsS *v£V: S.-vis

££fe

Hlj

i§=§i

IS

Piil

Drift. 

180

140'. 

Chalk

L90'. 

Sandstone. 

250'. 162

Shale. U

73'

480'. 

Sandstone, 

flow. 

Shale.

A. D. DOUGAN. 

J£ sec. 21,T.104,R. 63.

sfeff iJs5*5i

^¥i

picb

ta2J&- 

-f*!>T-.-W

EE*

=^=^

=rS=

=_r-^=-

rS=r=

=^=!

- -

250'

Yellow and 

blue sandy 

clay.

112'. 

Chalkstone. 

150'.

Sandandsandstone.

! Sandy shale. 148' 

243'. 

Sandstone. 

Shale. 

Darksand.290'.

Blue and black 

shale with 

pyrite.

400'. 

Sa nds tone, . 

flow below. 200

Shale and pyrite.

500'.

523'. 2 , +

Sandstone,

JOH>

w .-; ;.;

ij7^';

f=S;

ly.-L?:

%

35

w^

nnf

^-^" 1

r^Hrrd

=!

125'

180'. HO' 

2°0'

flow, 356'. 

429'.

61-

AsMUSS. 

. 1, T. 101. R. 64. 104'

1QO

Drift, water at 93'.

250'.

Shaly chalk. KE

398'. 125' 

Sandstone, 

water. 

430'.

Shale.

Sandstone, 

flow, 632'.

TIM

W'°i "."!? ;

4?^

w

iHi

§3p3

38

90' 

Drift.

125'. 

140'

185'.

235'. 

Sandstone, so' 

water.

48'

20'

Shale.

149' 

455'.

516'. 

116'

Flow. 5' 

620'.

65'

30' 

11

jandstone,

flow, 755'. KW

35' 

10'

Xsec

T.f.?.l 

4f;«;

ss==

y=^~

m

20, T. 101. R. 63. 135'

Drift.

75'

125'.

Shale. 

185

270'.

290'. 

15' 

30'

5'

RABSMY. J. W. RYAN. 

M sec. 28, T. 103, R. 63. NE. M sec. 10, T. 102, R. 63.

' r 

J-^

I. ' 1 

I 1

-Vr 

^-UrL

m

f~ ' £'!

^C=rS2

£7f?S-'

 iliS

22!2f£

' : ' : ':

 ~

Lou

.^sec

ITT wA

i i i i ^rhtti i i i

rVHS

Drift. go' 

9°'- 

3ialk. 110 ,

230'. 

Sandstone, 

soft water. U(),

Blue shale. 

308 . 

Sandstone.

Shale. 

812'

Sandstone,

flow.

Sandy shale.

10'

Shell rock, 04, 

flow. 610'. 

Shale with 

hard rock. 

675'. 

Sandstone, 

flow. 

Shale, 716'. 

NE.

MABBOTT. 18 

. 26, T. 103, R. 63.

Till. 10 

Black shale.

100

Gray and 

white chalk.

45

170'. 

20

12 Sandstone, 

with soft 

water.

195 

Very hard.

20 

430'. 

Sandstone.

Sandstone.

480'.

%i

i i

rHH

V-r 

Vr

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^==.

HI=-=

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m^

JA'

K secSiE

' > '- 

1 1 1 1 1

M

;I=^I^

=-^i£3

ES-E^S

^S

ffl

Till, yellow 

and blue.

80'. 

Shale. 

104'.

Chalk.

214'. 

Sandstone.

Clay. 

324'.

Shale.

536'. 

Sandstone.

Sandstone, 

flow, 580'. 

Shale. 

614'.

. RYAN.

11, 'T. 102. R. 63. 

Yellow till.

Blue till. 

58'.

Chalk.

168'. 

Shale. 

'13'. 

Sandstone.

Shale. 

liO'.

Sandstone. 

Sands t one.

LOGS OF WELLS IN EASTERN AURORA COUNTY, S. DAK.

TODD AND HALL.] GEOLOGIC HISTORY. 33

deposits were carried away, and the surface of the quartzite was 

planed and grooved as is found southwest of Bridge water and at 

numerous other exposures.

This condition probably continued for hundreds of years, but in 

due time, possibly from a sinking of the northeastern part of the continent or from some general climatic change, the strength of the ice 

current was checked, and it gradually melted back, possibly until a 

portion of this region was uncovered. It is barely possible that the 

marsh deposits before referred to, found near the southwest angle 

of this area, were laid down at that time; but this does not seem 

likely, because they seem rather to be Cretaceous clays than till 

underneath them.

Again the ice sheet advanced and formed the first member of the 

Gary moraine. At that time the southwest angle of this area was 

uncovered, and also tiie northeast angle, and the drainage from the 

west side of the ice sheet passed through the valley west of Mount 

Vernon, and that from the east side through the valley east of De Smet. 

The southern point of the ice must have extended into the northeastern part of Yankton County. When the ice receded to form the fourth 

member of that moraine, the west branch of Sand Creek drained 

down the channel west of Pony Hills west of Woonsocket, while the 

drainage from the east side was largely by Rock Creek.

While the Third or Antelope moraine was forming, the North Fork 

of Sand Creek, fed by several streams from the ice sheet, washed 

much debris into the basin east of Woonsocket. At the same time 

Redstone Creek sustained a similar relation on the east side of the 

James.

The last appearance of the ice in this area was an almost stationary 

glacier. The ice probably lay in extensive blocks in the basins east 

of Huron, even after James River was running near its present course, 

a little northwest, perhaps with icy banks. A portion of the basin 

north of Huron seems to have been more open and to have received 

much sand and silt from the melting ice sheet farther north, not only 

through the James, but by a channel which led past the present 

location of Broadland.

Afterwards the streams assumed their present courses, and, though 

somewhat larger than at present, had little effect upon the surface of 

the country except to deepen the channels which were occupied by 

permanent water. It is believed that James River had cut nearly to 

its present depth before the ice had disappeared from the State. The 

main geologic development'of the country since the disappearance of 

the ice has c ;on in the formation of the soil, which has gone on by the 

accumulation of alluvium along the principal streams. To this may 

be added the deepening of fine material over the general surface by 

the burrowing of animals, the wash from the hillsides, the settling of
34 LOWER JAMES EIVEE VALLEY, SOUTH' DAKOTA [wo.90.

dust from the atmosphere, and the accumulation of the. remains of 

vegetation.

ECONOMIC GEOLOGY.

There are 110 deposits of mineral ores or of coal in this area. Fragments of coal are sometimes found in the drift, but they have been 

brought by the ice or by streams from the northern part of James 

River Valley.

Valuable quarries of red quartzite have been opened near Spencer 

and Alexandria and quarries might be operated at perhaps a dozen 

other points. Their location may be learned from the geologic map 

(PL III) by noticing the outcrops of Algonkian, or quartzite. Chalkstone and the upper Benton sandstone have also been used for the 

construction of buildings, but the material is not considered sufficiently durable. Much of the stone localljT used for foundations and 

other rough buildings is derived from the drift. It consists of granite, 

limestone, and greenstone bowlders, which are very durable and with 

a little care may be neatly laid.

Deposits of clay of economic value are not certainly known to exist. 

A bed was opened southeast of Mitchell, from which brick were manufactured at that place, but the frequent occurrence of lime nodules 

in it rendered the preparation of it too expensive for practical purposes. It is not improbable that diligent search would find beds of 

silt near James River, or of gumbo in the lake basins, in sufficient 

quantity to be of some local value in making brick, but there is apt to 

be so much lime and coarse material mingled with it that brickmaking 

will not be extensively carried on in this region.

Sand and gravel deposits may be found very generally in the more 

important old channels.

WATER SUPPLY.

This resource is not only of prime importance, but considerable 

knowledge of its distribution, character, and accessibility is directly 

obtained by geologic investigation. Its occurrence may be classified 

first into surface waters and subterranean waters. The former will 

include lakes, streams, and springs, and the latter wells both pump 

wells and artesian wells.

Surface Waters.

LAKES.

The numerous basins found upon the surface of the till form 

important natural reservoirs for holding the rainfall, and doubtless 

assist much in diminishing the evil effects of droughts. Only the 

largest of them retain water from year to year. Only a few of those 

marked upon the map (PL III) have areas of open water. More frequently they are filled with grass or reeds. Some of them have 

become convenient reservoirs for the overflow of artesian wells.
U. S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY NO. 90 PL. XVI

Cen 

68'

72'

17'

93'

SE.

75'

50'

300'

45' 

NW

GO

30'

F. E. EDWARDS. G. W. KNAPP. W. OZANNE. 

tersec.l8,T.103.K.59. SE. % see. 7. T. 104, R. 58. Sec. H. T. 104, R. 58. Sec. 13, T. 104, R. 58. NE. 3-4 sec. 8. T. 104, R.57.

ufi-fi ' i

i i vs

1 1

ts-=^

I3-=3,

^1==^.

% see.

i

i

iMiii

§gs

Drift. 85'

Oft'

Chalkstone. j~

140'. 

96

Shale

75'

300'. 

Sandstone. 

317'.

Shale.

410'. W. 

Sand.

135' 

6, T. 103, R. 59.

Drift.

87'

75'.

125'. 

143'

Shale.

S

425'. 83 

Sandstone.

22

112' 

# sec. 5. T. 101. R. 58.

C.T">S

i i,l

-jL^J-=

Drift. n, 

W. 

Chalk. 

ivy. 

Shale. Ifi5, 

130'. lb&

H?.:vv.

 *>-"! : '

mus-^-SJ

Drift.

85'. 15°' 

Chalk.

125'.

10' 

Sandstone. ^>

221'. 

Shale.

rf-±5-i=

ESS 296'.

330' 

y,. sec. 21. T. 104. R. 58.

SB

W

Sgri

3H

Drift.

8'

iw

: 

====

£P

^

r 3£=

B^l

B^

w

Yellow clay. 20'

103' 

Blue clay.

Sandstone, rre, 

water. 

Sandstone, 

with pyrites. 10' 

200'. 10'

5' 

'100'

Shale, with 

pyrites.

200- 

Very hard

^L-x~'%

3=S=

H

H

mv sandstone, 15' : ' ' >'. :'. : 

' 528'.

Sandstone. , ^vnux. 

E. M sec. 35, T. 104, R. 59.

Shale. 152,

Flow, 365'. 

38'

68' 

ELMSPKING.

ec. 13, T. 101, R. 58. g,

v^4T?K'

.-^"/S

^-3a

Psi^

- 

^=^=

 ^

Drift. 83'

Shale.

17

Shale. 27' 

20

230'. 25'

Sandstone. -,

R' 

7'

lied quartzite. 

SW

412'' 114

41'

us

^=^=^

K==^

r=sr=

Sl=i

^^£B=

^

NW 

Drift.

152'' 180' Sandstone.

190'.

Shale.

858'. 

Sandstone.

Shale. m,

a5o'.

flow.

Shale, coal 3 6> 

feet. 3*'

Sandstone.

Shale, 460'.

Shale. 405'. 156'

Sandstone. 

Flow, 555'.

2' 

43' 

K sec. 1, T. 103, R. 57. 1'

X^.Vsv

£^

Drift.

114'.

Shale. 

Flow, 155'.

j

Msec

18

WSI

HISS;

=j^^j=

~-=~-=

s^

==S5

^=

Yellow clay. 20'.

Blue clay. 122'

123'.

Coarse sand, 

water. 

198'. 100' 

Black shale.

Sand, 233'. 

40' 

Dark shale. 20' 

45'

Lighter shale. ^W

Sandstone, 0 , 

How, 550'. ^° 

22'

lOTH. 

30, T. 104, R. 57.

SE.

Drift. 194'

180- .

Shale. 

103'

306'. 

Sandstone. 2' 

Shale. 

Sandstone, 

348'.

Shale. NE'

)04'. 

Sandstone.

184' 

Sandstone.

Granite, 558'.

771

 r..-a==

W

Xv'-'p1.'

Ellsf

^i'-i'-'

^B

=%=^

^8

^ sec

 '.*T'!^'' 

:T;=t;i:T:

i^i_i

22'. 

Red clay.

Blue clay.

142'.

Sand and 

gravel.

242'. 

Sh'ile.

Sand a 11 d 

gravel. 302'. 

Hard shale.

347'.

Soft shale, 

with thin 

layer of pyrite.

Red sand 

stone, 50 gal. 

rtow. 567'. 

Unreported. 

589'.

3, T. 104, R. 57.

Drift.

i

Chalk. 

194'.

Shale. 

Flow, 296'.

X sec. 12, T. 104, R. 57.

^ T:>

R

115

i§i

Drift.

184'. 

Chalk. 

204'.

Shale. 

Flow, 281'.

LOGS OF WELLS IN HANSON COUNTY, S. DAK.

TODD AND HALL.] WATEK SUPPLY. 35

Some of the largest cover an area of 2 or 3 square miles, as a lake 

5 or 6 miles northwest of De Smet.

STREAMS.

Mention of these has already been made under the heading 

"Geography." Attention is here called to an interesting feature 

which is usually manifest in the upper and middle courses of the 

smaller streams. Most of them show the occurrence at irregular 

intervals of deep pools, sometimes 5 or 6 feet deep and a rod wide, 

and extending in length for several rods. These are separated by 

deposits of sand and gravel, which, in the latter part of the season, are 

often dry and grassed over. These pools usually contain water, which 

is kept comparatively pure by a slow circulation which passes down 

from pond to pond through the gravel bars. In time of rain these 

bars are overflowed and the decomposing vegetation in the ponds is 

apt to be swept out.

SPRINGS.

The pond holes just mentioned might be named in this connection, 

as they are supplied from ground water which drains in below the 

surface. But there are also clearer examples of springs, and the 

springs of this region are supplied from three more or less distinct 

sources.

One source is the sand or gravel capping the terraces. Springs of 

this sort abound near James River in the ravines south of Rockport 

and for a few miles north and south of Forestburg and on the Firesteel north of Mitchell. Another source, scarcely separable from the 

first, is from sand strata considerably below the surface. Several fine 

springs of this class are found along the lower course of Pearl Creek 

and along the east side of James River, between Huron and the 

mouth of Shue Creek. These all furnish clear, cool, hard water, which 

deposits in some cases considerable travertine or limestone.

One spring, at least, is known to come from the Benton shale. It is 

found on the west side of Twelvemile Creek, about 2 miles north of 

Hutchinson County. It is known that the chalkstone is often saturated with water, but at no point in this area are circumstances such 

that it is brought to the surface in the form of springs.

A third source of springs, producing some of the finest to be found 

anywhere, is the Benton sandstone. All that are known from this 

source probably spring from the first sandstone below the chalk. It 

is possible, however, that near the quartzite leaks from deeper strata 

may reach the surface. One of the most notable of these springs is 

found about 3 miles east of Ethan. It has been impossible to measure the quantity of water escaping here because of its discharge 

through a mass of moss covering an acre or more; but some idea of 

the amount of water discharged may be obtained from the fact that

IKK 90 04 4
36 LOWER JAMES EIVEB VALLEY, SOUTH DAKOTA. [NO.90.

after cold weather, with a temperature of 20° below zero, it kept open 

a pond several square rods in extent and sustained a stream a 

quarter of a mile long, free from ice in the middle. In the lower 

course of Enemy Creek, extending 2 or 3 miles above its mouth, are 

several large springs supposed to be fed from this source. It is possible, however, that some of them may be supplied from water high 

up in the same stream through crevices in the quartzite. Another 

fine spring, one of the best examples of this class, is found in the 

northeast corner of sec. 27, T. 104 1ST., R. 60 W., on the east side of 

James River.* It is a circular basin about 30 feet across, in the flood 

plain of James River. Its depth has not been determined, but it 

keeps flowing a stream 4 or 5 feet wide and 3 to 6 inches deep.

Subterranean Waters. 

WELLS.

Reference has been made already in the discussion of surface waters 

to the close connection between water holes along watercourses and 

the motion of waters near the surface in old channels and in the upper 

part of the till. Thus far natural waters only have been discussed. 

We will now consider those obtained artificially. Wells may be conveniently classified into shallow wells, pump wells, and artesian wells.

SHALLOW WELLS.

This term includes wells supplied from waters which have recently 

fallen upon the surface and which can be obtained without penetrating any impervious layer. Such wells are easily obtained closely 

adjacent to any of the present watercourses, whether these contain 

any standing water upon the surface or not. They may be found 

also frequently in the vicinity of basins, especially after a wet season. Such wells in this area may obtain water at a depth of 10 to 

30 feet, but do not afford a copious or permanent supply except 

when located near the bottom of a large depression or near a channel 

draining a considerable area. The reason for this is obvious, since 

the water comes from the rainfall only and the region is subject to 

long-continued droughts. Of this class only those can be counted 

upon as a permanent supply which are so situated as to draw from a 

large catchment basin. In digging such wells, if no water is reached 

before the blue bowlder clay is struck, none will be found until the 

clay is passed through:

As regards the area under consideration, it may be suggested by 

what has already been stated that extensive areas where shallow wells 

are permanent may be found in connection with the flat areas about 

Huron and Woonsocket. In the sand of the Woonsocket basin copious wells are found in the eastern and southern part, west of Sand 

Creek, at a depth of 10 to 20 feet. So, also, north and northwest of
U. S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY WATER-SUPPLY PAPER NO. 00 PL. XVII

SE. 

40'

200

la' 

115 

5

£ 

30'

50'

74' 

17'

S 

40'

70'

13' 

17' 

8' 

12'

40'

30'

20' 

53' 

8'

NE. 

120'

126'

19'

64' 

1'

&sec.

US

~ii".~iT

I . ' . " I . ' " ^^ 

:f^

' ' ~r ZZEZZLZZ ' 1 ' " > 

 » ' 

j p .}.

ARTHt

ec. 9. 1

=-=

G. L. 

ec. 28.

S

i

1

«

^=^

Msec.

' .Ti-W-t-

=^ss

" 

SO, T. 108, R. 58. SE

Dlay. 

40'.

110' 

Shale. 5,

w 155'

ilate. 

;55'.

Shalk.

1**0' 

jandstone. 

water to 30', 

375'.

R FOSTER. 30 . 

P. 1C5, R. 58.

Yellow clay.

30'. 

Blue clay. 

70'.

Shale. 3.0 ,

144'. 

Sandstone, 

flow. 100 gals., 

161'.

F. JOHNS. 

T. 105, It. 58. 

Soil. 68' 

Yellow clay.

40'.

Blue clay.

110'. 96 ' 

Sand, gravel. 

Quicksand. 

Gravel. 20' 

160'. 

Quicksand.

Shale. NE. 

Sand.

350'. 

Shale.

Pink sand, 

311'.

2' 

32. T. 103, R. 58.

NW

Drift. 

80'

120'. 

80'

Unreported.

246'. go' 

Sandstone, 

flow, 265'.

Shale. 10

CAI

Msec

ig=?g

, i , .

i i 

i i

i ' i '

T^

F

Liij^

Msec.

£:£

 :~£

ITHAGE. 

6, T. 108, R. 57. E65'

Clay. 55'

HO'. 

Sand, water.

Shale. 

NW

300'.

154' 

Chalk.

420'. 

Sand, water.

*50'' 80'

86'

Shale, pyrite 

bands.

NE.

108' 

700'.

Sandstone,

flow, >35 ,

768'.

57' 

Shale, with

864'. 

Sandstone, S 

flow, 884'.

22, T. 105, R. 57. 102'

100 

Chalk, flow.

127'. 2 18'

. M sec. 19, T. 106, R. 57.

i i

i i

^=-=^=

===^5.

\4 sec.

SB 

tons

tSH

Msec

Vr1"

i i 

M sec.

^

=J5=

W. I 

ec. 27,

 =- 

P

X^ 1 1

1 1

35. T. 107, R. 57. SW

Clay.

"' no

Blue clay or 

shale. 

Water to 73'. 

120'. 8'

Chalk

Sand, water to 

-8' at 210'.

21, T. 105, R. 57. 202 '

Drift.

154'. 

Chalk. 233

234'. 

Shale.

Flow, 320'. 

27, T. 105, R. 57.

S 

Drift. 40,

108'. 

Chalkstone. 70' 

143'.

Shale. 20 ,

20)'.

. MEADB. 

T. 105, R. 57. Nw

White clay.

154' 

102'.

Chalk.

; : : ."-'-.':Sand stone, 

flow, 100 gals., 

220'.

V. KKNESCHER. 

Sec. 34, T. 105. R. 57. »T

18' iS5=--=a Vellnw nlnv.

80'.

Ohalkstone. 10°

160'. 14 -

Shale. 100' 

350'. 

San dstone,

Sandstone, 

flow. 330'.

^^=

=====

_4dr=j

18'- 1' + 

Blue clay.

. E 

Sand. 25' 

132'. 

35' 

Blue shale.

90'

Rock, shale, 

flow, 1 gal., 

242'. 4'

 Msec 

fcttfct £**

Bffi

s-=sj

%=r=5

.,>.,!..,

W. J 

ec. 12,

VV :'?r

. 4, T. 107, R. 56.

Clay. 160'

Sand. 

148'.

Shale.

288' 

350'.

2' 

Chalk, with 

sand and

S 

40'

Sand and wa- 35' 

ter to -140' 

583'. 65' 

. OWENS. 

T. 105, R. 57. 45';

Soil, etc. 

40'. 46'

Bine clay.

| j ' j 'I Chalk. 

Ll' r'JFlow. 10 gals.. 

160'. 120'

^ sec. 20, T. IK, R. 56.

'i~xv

 y^;

i t

iV-ri i

^S

Drift. 

154'. . 193'

Chalkstone. 

234'.

Shale. 

£

ssssf Sand, fl o w , 

321'. 30'

K. VOSBERG. 55'

ec. 24,

rtz':V^-; 

;S'-:S:-f

T. 105, R. 57.

Subsoil. 

25 . 

Blue clay.

w. 115'

J 1 a y , sands,

and gravels, gg- 

'^halk 154'

How

i^

r^^J?S

?

ec. 15. 

asr^v

^£3=3

ARD ClTV.

Clay. 

160'.

Shale. 

Granite? 450'.

T. 105, R. 56.

Red clay. 

40 . 

Blue clay, 

sand layers. 

75'. 

Sandstone.

135'. 

Blue clay.

CANOVA.

i^ .' .-T'-

:?:';': £ ;

i^;#; 

' i

JsM

p=s=

=-J^JT^

- -

 Ss^K

C. H. ( 

ec. 30,

§

':-:!-.;x\

Drift.

120'. 

Chalk. 

170'.

Shale and 

quicksand.

363'.

HORNWELL.

T. 105, R. 56.

Subsoil. 30'.

Blue clay.

85'. 

Flow, 10 galls.

Shale.

Sandstone, 

flow, 100 gals., 

226'.

LOGS OF WELLS IN MINER COUNTY, S. DAK.

TODD AND HALL] WATER SUPPLY, 37

Huron, in the vicinity of the broad, meandering channels, abundant 

water is found, except in very dry seasons, by digging 10 or 15 feet. 

In the area southwest of Huron, where the stratum of sand is found 

about 80 feet below the surface, permanent wells occur, which may ,be 

considered as belonging to this class. They are from 30 to 35 feet 

deep.

PUMP WELLS.

Under this head we include the deep wells in which a tubular or 

force pump is often necessary, or where the water supply is reached 

only after passing through an impervious layer. Three distinct geologic horizons supply such water in this area, particularly in the 

northern part viz, (1) the sands below the till; (2) either a porous 

stratum or crevices, probably in the chalk, and (3), of most importance, the sandstone below the chalk, which is the first regular waterbearing stratum of the Benton-Dakota series.

As before explained, there is usually below the till a stratum of 

sand or gravel. This is also commonly filled with water. As soon, 

therefore, as the till has been drilled through at ordinary level, the 

water rises several feet, sometimes very nearly to the surface. The 

water from this source is heavily charged with lime, and sometimes 

with iron. It is commonly cool and wholesome. In some regions, 

however, either at first or soon after the well is dug, the water becomes 

so impregnated with the soluble salts which abound in the bowlder 

clay that it becomes offensive and sometimes injurious. . This has 

been especially true of the wells in the plains west and north of Woonsocket. It has not been ascertained whether this is due to the abundance of mineral salts accumulated in this basin before the deposition 

of the till or to organic matter deposited there, or whether it is due to 

the water standing in the till after the well is dug. Similar cases 

are reported occasionally from other places.

A few localities of limited area have failed to furnish water from 

this horizon. It may be supposed that they occur where the original 

surface of Pierre and Benton clay was so elevated that it was not submerged by the waters attending the advance of the ice sheet, so that 

the till was deposited in close contact with the Cretaceous clay. Such 

a locality as this is reported from sec. 24, T. 110 N., K. 64 W. Another 

is near the southwest corner of sec. 31, T. 112 N., K. 63 W., and 

doubtless others occur, but they are not so frequently reported since 

more desirable horizons have been discovered, and this one is less 

relied upon.

Similar failure to find water occurs over the chalkstone, \vhere it 

lies so high that the water has drained away to the surface, as southwest and south of Mitchell. On the other hand, in certain areas the 

water in this horizon is under such pressure that it produces valuable 

flowing wells. Such an area begins in the southern part of Floyd 

Township (T. 108 N., R. 60 W.) and extends southeast past Artesian,
38 LOWEE JAMES EIVEE VALLEY, SOUTH PAKOTA. [NO.90.

which place derives its name from the early discovery of this fact. 

Here the flowing water is obtained by simply penetrating the till. In 

Piano Township (T. 104 N., R. 59 W.), also water is obtained from 

beneath the till, but it is probably derived from the upper Benton 

sandstone beneath.

In theiiiDirfchern part of the area another horizon is much relied upon 

for furnishing pump wells. It seems to lie in the shales above or 

beyond the chalkstone, but this has not been clearly proved. East 

and southeast of Huron it lies at a depth of 115 to 175 feet, the depth 

increasing toward the north, but it seems to lack the regularity of 

most water strata. Some of the shallower soft-water wells about 

Plankinton are from this horizon rather than from the sandstone a 

little below. These wells may be due to crevices in the shale or chalkstone which supply water from more extensive horizons lower down. 

The water from this, source is commonly spoken of as from the '' soapstone," and is soft.

The third and most important pump-well horizon is in the widespread sandstone at or near the top of the Beiiton formation, which 

throughout this area seems to lie just below the chalk, but south of 

the latitude of Mitchell a mass of clay or shale is found between the 

chalk and the water stratum. In some localities this sandstone furnishes flowing wells, particularly in the trough' of James River, and 

along the valley of Firesteel, Enemy, and possibly Twelvemile 

Creek, except where the altitude of the land is too high for the water 

to come to the surface. Here again there is an irregularity, especially 

in the northern part of Sanborn County, for the waters seem in 

some cases to have escaped upward into the chalkstone, so that in 

many localities water appears as soon as the chalkstone is reached. 

Some well drillers have the idea that the chalkstone alternates 

with the sandstone in the same horizon, and where the chalkstone 

is present the sandstone is either absent or reduced to an insignificant thickness. This opinion has gained some strength from the 

observed relation of the chalkstone to the sandstone where it is 

exposed along Firesteel Creek; but it is probable that the sandstone 

extends underneath the whole, but with unequal thickness, and that 

the chalkstone lies in the depressions of its upper surface, and wherever it is not too much permeated with clay it becomes a medium of 

water distribution from the sandstone, which is the main course of 

the water.

The waters from this horizon are universally, so far as known, 

soft i. e., the mineral salts dissolved are those of soda, which do not 

interfere with the use of soap. The water is also more palatable than 

that from the lower horizons of the Benton or Dakota. It supplies 

what are known as " soft-water wells" throughout this area, except in 

the more elevated portions, where it lies so deep that few have sunk 

wells to it. Moreover, the pressure in it would only be sufficient to
U. 8. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY WATER-SUPPLY PAPER NO. 90 PL. XVIII

WOLSEY. 

NW % sec. 24, T. Ill, R. 64. SW.

65'

10' 

300'

8 

30 

20 

20 

15

2

2

&1

==-=-=

S==

 

SB

RH

"=^=r=

SB^

HE==

= =:= =

SF^S

m

E3-E^

=HE^

^p-^r 

aaaa

20' 

Yellow and 

blue till. 45' 

65'. 15'

36'

79' 

20'

bly in part 

chalk and 

sandstone). 245'

490'. 20'

small flow. 50' 

1'

Light-colored ia> 

shale.

30

Limestone

Sandstone, flow" 

Limestone.

Sand rock, 

flow.

Sandstone.

"Rotten lime." 

Very dark 

rock, 930'.

HURON CITY WELL No. 3, 

BELL. ON SW. Is. LT. HURON CITY WELL No. 4, ' R!C 

J£ sec. 31, T. Ill, R. 61. SE.J£ sec. 1, T. 110, R.6L. OPPOSITE COLLEGE. SB. sec. 30

Jo'0

<&>£

==£=:

 

i *~~

~fr *

HR

Hj

~ 

%%%.

===j

^M

HI

££S

Red clay.

Bowlders. 80'

Gravel.

Shelly shale.

195'. 18e/ 

Crumbly shale 

(chalk?). 

215'.

7'

Gray shale.

460'

Hard rock. 

00'. 17'

Blue shale. 

Pyrites.

Shelly shale.

cosy

238' 

Blue shale

727'.

Sand rock, 10'

flow. 7«O'.

Hard rock 50' 

below.

12' 

65'

89'

10 

61

15'+ 

15 

25 

1

ssss =SJ^s^J

=3=g| ^i**;lS

E=SS=

^H

^=r=

= 

~=^=^=

js=^

^B

~T77T.T^

S^S

-i'.'-'-'^_

- 

Drift clays.

Sand and 

gravel, water, 90'.

Shale and 

probably 

gray chalk.

276'. 

Sandstone, 

soft water.

Gray shale. 7*°'

Hard sand 

rock and water, 500'.

Shale.

Sandstone, 

flow. 5 ' +

Sandy shale(!) 

798'. 

Sandstone. 

125'

Sandstone, 

flow. 

875'. 6'

Not definitely e0' 

reported. , 

964'. 

Sandstone,

flow. 

Unreported. 

San dstone,

flow.

Shale.

White quartz

Hard rock 30 

(granite!). 

1,091'. ge 

2 1'

 -=-=-=

=^^-=.

r= 

i' &' ''.

it

15'

40' 

45'

280'

Unreported, 

but like well 20' 

No. 3.

362'

740'. 

Sandstone, 

strong flow. 7' 20' 

Unreported. 10- 

but doubt- on , 

less mostly 

shale. 90' 

864'. ,", 

Hard rock. *" 

Sandstone, , , 

flow. 31 

Unreported. 17' 

but mostly 

shale, 933'. 

Sandstone, 

flow.

Black shale.

1,061'. 

Coarse sand,

water.

bris.

1,139'. 

"Hard rock, 

granite.

V F P

:i'X

'y&iZ

<5A:r-!£

'-"

H

^B

-L^-v

=--=

= SS

=^=^

=^=±

y^f

HARDS. 

, T. 112, R. 61. 

Yellow till.

Blue till. 

55'. 

Sand and 

gravel. 

100'.

"Soapstone" 

(shale i.

Limestone 

and shale. 

400'.

" Soapstone. " 

762'.

Cap rock. 

Sandstone,

Sandstone, 

flow, 839'. 

Limestone.

Sand, etc. 

Sandstone,

Li mestone 

and shale.

917'.

LOGS OF WELLS. IN WESTERN BEADLE COUNTY, S. DAK.

U. S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY

NW 

240'

215'

88'

35' 

1'

49'

33' 

117'

20' 

20'

12' 

58'

A. H. RISDON. POOR FARM. A. M. THUKSTON. MURPHY. EVKRET. 

^sec.32,T.lll,R.61. NE.3^sec.l5,T.110,R.61. SE. % sec. 25, T. 112, R. 61. SE. ^ sec. 35, T. Ill, R. 59. NE. % sec. 25, T. 112, R. 59.

===

fSB

:_r-^=

r^=r=

^==^r

i i

^=

jg==;

EHi

tim

BO

^^=

r^rr-=

^m-.

HI

90' 

Unreported. *°'

100' 

240'.

rites, small 

flow (soft),

245'. 

Shale.

460'.

flow. 

512'.

610' 

Shale.

600'.

"shells" flow. 

Shale, 640'.

flow. 

Shale, 690'. 

Shelly lime,

flow. 

Shale and 

sand, flow, 

733'.

White shale, 

water.

850'

Flint. ! , 

Sandand slate. aa

Hard cap rock.

Sandstone, 

heavy flow. 

960'.

fc

m

pi

S*=EC

T-=~==

=-=

US

z^"=_r

"l^-^- ^

?T£^E

mi

HB

i=:l

^1=1

=^=r=

 

 ftSx

20'

2'

Drlft' 60' 

90'. 20'

Shale, with 

water in bottom, 130'.

Shale (possibly in part 

chalk or sand), copi- JNJi' 

o u s soft go*

water, 230'. g, 

22'

1

Drift. 

Sand, 22'. d8

Till.

82'.

G. C. BARNET. 331 ' 

A 1 sec. 29, T. 112, R. 60. 

 ^~ii Drift. 20'.

Sand. 

Clay, 44'.

R' 

CAVOUR.

72' 

18'

10' 

40' 

Shale. 32»

'NW

108'

2' 

13'

2'

840'. 

Sandstone, 

strong flow.

350'

2=2=2

Till.

72 . 1QQ'

Shale. la8

Sandstone, 

100'.

140'. 

Shale.

McCOY. 

.^sec.31,T.109,R.60. 191'

PFf

rrr

FFP

If fP

r^=~

=-=-=

E^=S

r^=rr3

^

^^

Hil

Till. 

Sand, gravel, 7 ,

Water, soft, to 

-23, 125'.

NW 

40

Shale, with streaks of 10° 

water in 

sand, at 150'.

10'

138'

Transient 

flow, 475'.

u-sa^=

=S=3r

===2

~=2^.

m£S^^?

^=

:-5==

y:. ;'^

.Msec

^

r=^r^r

Clay. 

36'. 

100'

Shale. 

340'

367'. 

Sandstone, 

water.

Shale.

573'. .,., Sandstone, lio° 

water.

Shale.

5'

766'. 

Sandstone. 181'

837'. 

Sandstone, 

flow, 854'.

11' 

21, T. 109, R. 59.

Clay. 40'.

Shale. 

140'.

water. 

Shale 

288'.'

n-v

HI

=^^3

^OH

^==

wan

=s==

EP===~-

E^^

Em

m

- ~

Yellow and 

blue till.

100'.

Shale and pyrite.

440'. 

Sandstone, 

water.

Shale. 

700.

Sandstone, 

flow.

Shale.

Sandstone, 

flow, W.

LOGS OF WELLS IN EASTERN BEADLE COUNTY, S. DAK.

TODD AND HALL.] WATER SUPPLY. 39

raise the water to from 200 to 300 feet below the surface in the elevated region around De Smet. Furthermore, in the southeastern part 

of this area, which is underlain by quartzite near the surface, this 

water horizon has not been recognized, probably owing to the fact that 

the stratum is absent, or is so confused with the sand below the till 

that it is not distinguished from the higher horizons underneath the 

drift.

It has been already noted that the same horizon furnishes flowing 

wells in one locality and valuable pump wells in another. It follows 

from this that some of the horizons, which are discussed more fully 

under artesian wells, are really a source of pump wells in the more 

elevated portions of the area. For example, the main stratum furnishing artesian water in James River Valley may furnish an unfailing source for pumping beyond the limits of the artesian area 

indicated upon the map.

ARTESIAN WELLS.

There have been considered water horizons as deep as the first one 

below the chalkstone, which is referred to the top of the Benton 

formation. Attention has been called also to the fact that this and 

the higher strata furnish artesian wells in certain narrow limits. In 

the further discussion under this head mention is made particularly 

of water strata lower down having such pressure that they are the 

source of artesian wells over extensive portions of this area, in fact, 

over most of the area.

The character of the Dakota formation has been discussed already, 

but perhaps the fact has not been emphasized sufficiently that the 

different strata of sand often are independent of one another. This 

is mainly indicated by the usually well-marked difference in pressure. 

For example, in the same well, one stratum may sustain a closed 

pressure of 75 pounds to the inch and another below it, separated 

from it by 15 or 20 feet of shale, or sometimes even by a less thickness of hard rock, may furnish a pressure of more than 100 pounds. 

Moreover, there are differences in the character of the water of 

different strata.

The second sand stratum in the Benton formation furnishes numerous wells from 250 to 500 feet deep in western Hanson County and 

Davison County, and the same horizon may be traced throughout 

the northern portion of this area, but it'becomes so thin and the 

water furnished so meager that it is usually overlooked or cased off. 

Its depth is about 500 feet at Huron, 600 near the southeast corner of 

Beadle County, about 350 feet in the region about T. 101 N"., R. 64 W., 

although it is now usually neglected except in Davisou and Hanson 

counties, where its supply is more copious. It nevertheless has good 

pressure, that may in years to come afford a supply when some of the 

strata which are now more drawn upon have become exhausted.
40 LOWER JAMES RIVER VALLEY, SOUTH DAKOTA. [NO.90.

The next horizon is the Dakota sandstone, which is mainly relied 

upon for the more copious wells throughout the whole area. The 

larger wells are nearly all supplied from this horizon. In order to 

obtain the largest amount of water, it is customary to penetrate deep 

into this formation, so as to gain the combined flow from1 several sandstones. The water is .usually hard, but suitable for all farm and 

household purposes. It is also used for supplying cities, not only for 

domestic purposes but for fire protection. In some cases the pressure 

is sufficient for fire protection, for instance, at Huron and Woonsocket. The depth at which this horizon is struck, of course, depends 

in part upon the altitude of the surface and in part on the depth of 

the beds. The stratum lies higher in the vicinity of the quartzite 

ridge and lower toward the north, so that it is reached at about 750 

feet at Huron, at about 650 at Woonsocket, at about 850 at Iroquois, 

at about 600 at Artesian, at about 900 near Manchester, at about i56 

at Mitchell, and 546 at Plankinton. The depths to the principal flow 

are shown on PL I.

Lower horizons of Dakota sandstone supply the Melville, Riverside, 

Wolsey, Plankinton, and T. O. Storla wells, and the lowest sandstones 

supply some wells in the vicinity of Huron, as the Risdon and the 

new city well, which reach a stratum lying immediately above the 

bed rock. The extent of the lowest stratum has not been widely 

explored. It is absent in the southeastern portion of the region, contiguous to the high underground ridge of quartzite.

Pressure. In general the pressure increases downward in the different flows. This is what might be expected, mainly because of less 

chance for leakage from these beds along the eastern margin of the 

basin. The lower water-bearing strata may be supposed to reach to a 

higher altitude along the intake zone in the Rocky Mountains and 

Black Hills, which would give a higher initial head, but so slight a 

difference would be lost in the great general loss of head eastward. 

The lower beds also have the first chance to become filled by the 

surface waters, for they lie farthest back on the mountain slopes. 

The pressures of the wells over much of this area have not been satisfactorily obtained. The reasons for this are several. The first pressures, or those of the first wells opened, were much higher than any 

that can be obtained at present, at least without closing all other 

wells in the vicinity, which is impracticable. For example, at Huron 

the pressure first reported, and this is believed to have been from 

the first main flow, was 120 pounds, but at present from none of the 

wells of the city can a pressure of more than 70 pounds be obtained. 

Another difficulty is that many of the wells have been finished in 

such a way that it is impracticable to apply a gage at the present 

time. On account of corrosion of the pipes the older wells can not 

safely be closed to obtain pressure. Another source of error comes 

from imperfect casing in the well, so that it is impossible really to
U. 8. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY WATER-SUPPLY PAPER NO. 90 PL. XX

IBOQUOIS. JJE

45'

555'

2' 

198' 

2'

245'

226'

S~W 

50>

330'

12' 

48'

X

UpR

H^

- -

i^- :

==» ?

=-==

" 

^g

^

 =^=

-=-=;

HI

3H

=~=s

.Jf se.

S

S

1ir £ " ?!

IS

Clay. 

*5'' 113'

Shale. 

287'

400'. 

Sand, water.

80' 

Shale.

Shale, water. aso'

Shale.

847'. 

Sand, flow. OOQ/ 

875'.

Shale. 

15'

M«o'.

e. 7, T. 110, R. 58. 

Clay.

Shale. 

380'.

Sandstone, water 

to 90'. 

Shale. 

140'.

BROOKS.

55=35 sjsvm aS9 ^g

 - ' ; 

=S~=

B

HI

: ''-v--'"-

=i=

s . 

=^=-

=^^=

s=|

r^rrr:

:F-=r=

^^

^ £3=

"' ' ' V'i

42'

Yellow and blue 

clay.

98' 

113'.

Shale. 

340'

400'.

480'. 6' 

94' 

Shale, main flow.

178' 

700'. 

Hud flow.

Ill'

Shale.

69'

Sandstone, flow. 

1,046'.

% sec. 20, T. Ill, R. 58. NW

Wn

""* ".

=~s

ij

==

M

^^

Soil and yellow 36' 

till. 42'.

Blue till. 104' 

140'.

250' 

Shale.

480'. 

Sandstone. ,.. SsO

Shale.

580'. 

Sandstone.

Shale. 357'

760'. 

I

Shale, with pyrites.

871'. 

Shale. 70'

943'.

SPEAR. 

% sec. 19, T. 110, R. 57. SE

gg

ill

HI

=: 

i i

i

B

--==

e==s

= = 

Yellow clay. 

36'.

Blue clay and 

sand.

140'.

Black shale.

390'.

485'. 

Sand, water. 900' 

505'.

Gray shale, with

pyrites.

Sand, water.

Shale. 16' 15' 

Sandstone, flow. 4'

Hard rock, 940'. 

130'

150'

10'

12'

. 3£ sec. 3, T. 109, R. 57.

prr 

fet

^

88

= =

S%s^

n

I

fek

8S5

JTT.S-SJ

^ V"'r'*^

44' 

Till. 

60'

736' 

Chalk and shale.

85'

900'. 

Gray sandstone. 

Shale. ISO' 

Hard sandstone.

Drab sandy shale.

1'065'- aw

Gray shale. 

Red arkose sandGray sandstone, 

1,1S7'.

an'

14' 

IKK

DB SMET.

w±

WiS.

$ --

zs=

 =

i=-=

~

p^=

==i

^s=

^

^

^

g^

^^

8

::£%>;-.>;

%%%%&&.

Uf

Yellow and blue 

till. 44'.

Sand. 

104'.

Dark shale.

840'. 

Cap rock.

865'.

Sandstone, water

985'. 

Shale.

M«6'.

Sandstone, water to -40'.

1,466'. 

Very hard rock. 

1,4.W.

Sandstone, water to -30'.

1,610'.

LOGS OF DEEP WELLS IN KINGSBURY COUNTY, S. DAK.

TODD AND HALL,.} WATEB SUPPLY. 41

close the well because of underground leakage. This applies either 

in taking the closed pressure with a gage or the pressure by allowing the water to rise in the standpipe. On the artesian map (PL I) 

the pressures, where determined, have been recorded by stating the 

number of feet above sea level to which the water would rise. There 

are also drawn upon the map contour lines which bring out graphically the slope of pressure or hydraulic gradient of the first main flow 

or the third water stratum below the chalk. This will be found not 

to agree with all of the closed pressures recorded, for some of them 

are from other horizons.

From a study of these contours it would be seen that the pressure 

diminishes toward the margin of the artesian area in all cases, but 

with a complexity which is difficult to express in language. For example, the slope of pressure in the southwestern part is toward the northeast. In the northern part of Hanson County it is toward the south. 

It will be noticed also that although the pressure diminishes mainly 

toward the east from Huron eastward there is a slight increase of 

pressure. This may at first be thought difficult of explanation, but 

when we remember that several large wells have been flowing in James 

River Valley, supplied from this source, for several years, we may 

explain the apparent anomaly by considering an extension of this 

local exhaustion so as to affect the area farther east. Moreover, since 

in the highlands, away from the larger streams, we may suppose the 

leakage from the different water-bearing strata is much less than in 

James River Valley, and that the region east of that stream may be 

supplied from the north, we have further light upon the subject.

Limits of the artesian area. The limit of the artesian area, as drawn 

on the artesian map, is estimated from the closed pressure observed 

in the few wells near it, and as these aro lacking toward the south the 

limit there is less reliable. Moreover, the pressure mapped by contours and used in making the estimate is that of the first main flow or 

the third water stratum below the chalk. It is probable that from 

lower strata, which very possibly underlie Miner County, a somewhat higher pressure may be obtained. If so, the limit will be correspondingly shifted toward the east. It is not probable, however, that 

the area will be much increased from this cause. The pressure of the 

Risdon well was 165 pounds when the city well of Huron was 120. 

That difference would be equivalent to an altitude of 104 feet, but the' 

difference of pressure would doubtless be much less near the margin.

It should be remembered that the limit in this area from the north 

line to the south line of Miner County is due to lack of pressure, not 

to the absence underneath of the water-bearing strata. Hence, deep 

pump w^ells may draw from the artesian supply eastward to an indefinite distance. In the counties farther south, however, the water strata, 

excepting one or two of the upper ones, are lacking. Moreover, the 

latter merge into the sand under the till, so that the waters are quite 

different in charactei.
42 LOWER JAMES RIVER VALLEY, SOUTH DAKOTA. [NO.80.

Causes of apparent decline in pressure. It is now generally admitted not only that the copiousness of the flow of wells diminishes, 

but also that their closed pressure declines. This becomes evident 

without the use of instruments; first, the distance to which the water 

is thrown from a horizontal pipe grows shorter; then, after a time, 

the stream, which first filled the pipe, fails to completely fill it. 

In some cases a test with a gage shows merely a decline in copiousness without material decline in pressure. It may be accounted for 

by the deposition of mineral matter about the bottom of the pipe in 

such a way as to clog the pores of the sand through which the water 

comes, but more commonly the pressure has been found really to 

diminish. Thus in the wells at Huron some that once showed a pressure of 120 pounds when closed now fail to reach 80. Similar facts 

have been reported from Mitchell, Mount Vernon, and Plankinton.

The unwelcome conclusion impressed by these facts has led many 

to search for reasons other than the one first suggested, viz., the partial exhaustion of the artesian supply. It is claimed, and apparently 

substantiated by facts, that new wells frequently have a pressure 

equal to that of early wells supplied from the same source. Since the 

closed pressures, however, are less frequently taken than formerly, 

and from the nature of the case liberal margins are sometimes made 

for leakage, it is difficult to prove the strict truth of this statement.

The first cause of apparent decline is a less copious flow, occurring either, at first, when a new well taps the same water-bearing 

sandstone, or by the clogging of a well that once flowed freely. The 

former case may result from the fine character of material or the thinness of the water-bearing stratum where penetrated; but the more 

significant examples are those which may result from the clogging of 

the well. As wells are usually finished by extending the pipe into the 

water-bearing rock and perforating it as high up as that formation 

extends, it will be readily seen that the surface opened for the delivery 

of water to the well is equal to the whole perforated portion of the 

pipe. As the water continues to flow, sand will gradually accumulate 

on the inside of, the pipe, and so gradually diminish the surface supplying water to the well. Something of the same sort may less frequently occur even when the pipe terminates in the cap rock. As 

time passes, sand gradually works in from the sides, and portions of 

the cap rock are undermined and dropped down, so that in such cases 

the free access of the water is considerably checked.

Theoretically the closed pressure would be the same whether the 

well is flowing freely or not so long as the head of the water is the 

same. If the well becomes clogged, as suggested above, the only difference in pressure would be that when a gage is attached it takes 

longer to reach a maximum point. As this rise may be very gradual, 

some errors of reading have doubtless resulted because the observers 

did not wait long enough.

Another cause of diminished pressure is leakage. This may be
U. a. citOLOcjICAL SURVEY 

NE. 

100' 

4

150

95 

20'

280'

185'

1'

E.g 

3£sec.

FFff

r f i"

rff p. fl |i'

r i" r

_L_, J 

=^^

h=I=3

. .

=-=:

E=-=H

^1

 =

 

CHMIDT. 

14, T. 108. R. 64. SE 

10'

40'

50' 

100'. 

Limestone. 10

100' 

8hale.

50' 

254'.

Chalk. .. 

i1 

349'. 

Sandstone,

water, 369'. 240'

Shale. 2'+

108'

2' +

M9'.

Flow. 

158'

Shale.

C. Br.ro. FEISTNBR. 

K sec. 25. T. 106. R. 64. SW. % sec. 2. T. 106, R. 63.

.c c; i1'

i^i'Ki*

i L-r-L-r 

i >

r=-=-=

§1==

^==

98

-r.,Tr-%

-^s

Sandstone, 

flow, 861'.

40' 

Sand, gravel. 

50'.

Blue till. 60' 

100'. 

Sand. 

60'

Shale. 10' 

210'.

Chalk.

860'. 

Sandstone.

330'

Shale, sandy 

at top.

500'.

Sandstone, J 

flow.

Shale.

610'. 2W 

Sandstone, 

flow.

Shale. 2Q,

Sandstone, 

flow, 771'.

ITI'7 

W.

) "I

=S=£

===

HH

====

e=:=

Till. 

40'. 

Shale. 

100'.

Chalk.

160'. 

Sandstone.

Shale.

500'. 

Flow.

Shale.

Sandstone, 

flow. 721'.

JERAULD COUNTY.

SE 

24.'

30' 

100'

30' 

150'

15'

110' 

20'

MOTT. WOOD. 

% sec. 22, T. 105, R. 64. SW. X sec. 28, T. 105, R. 63. N

?

?

£££

T^rr^

ffiV/.-'.'i

"^ ^

S3

100' 

50'

240'. 

Chalk. 232 ,

370'.

Sandstone. 10' 

400'

Shale. 160' 

550'.

580'.

NE 

Shale.

690'. 130' 

Sandstone, 

flow, 710'.

100'

2' +

/Turrf-

-hf 

i i

j 1_

i?=i

ffl

Isci

rp^^=

Jtf sec.

S£&-':

H^

i i 

i i p i

£P

lid:

Drift.

100'. 20

Chalk. 

150'. 

Sandstone.

Shale.

382'. 35

Sandstone, 

flow.

Shale.

Sandstone, 

flow, 562'.

34, T. 1C4, R. 64. 9

Drift. 

10

130'.

Chalkstone.

Sandstone, 

water, 232' +

NORTHE

LOGS OF WELLS IN JERAULD AND AURORA COUNTIES, SOU

TODD AND HALL.] WATER SUPPLY. 43

either visible from the imperfect closing of the pipe or it may be 

invisible below the surface of the ground. As is well known, pipes 

deteriorate rapidly under the influence of most artesian waters, and 

it becomes almost impossible to close the joints perfectly. Where 

there is a considerable extent of piping, as in the distributing pipes 

of a city, all joints are not certain to be stopped. Hence this may 

explain sometimes the apparently diminished pressure in older wells.

The diminished pressure in a particular well may sometimes result 

from the opening of another well not far away. The distance to 

which this influence may extend will, of course, be greater where the 

water-bearing stratum is of coarse texture, and therefore the usual 

supply of water more free.

In cases where water has been drawn freely from several wells, or 

even from one large well, there is no doubt a local depression in the 

head or lowering of pressure, which will take considerable time to 

restore. This might occur and yet cause no permanent decline of 

supply.

Notwithstanding all the considerations offered thus far, it seems not 

unlikely that the rapid multiplication of wells in a region may really 

reduce the pressure over the whole region to the amount of a few 

pounds. It is therefore important that facts should be collected and 

sifted to ascertain whether this is the case, and if so, the amount of 

diminution. In view of such a possibility of overtaxing the supply 

it would seem desirable to limit in some way the number of large 

wells allowed to flow freely. A single 1,000-gallon a minute well 

would be sufficient to supply 450 wells furnishing 100 barrels a day, 

which would be an adequate supply for an ordinary farm.

Closing of wells. Much damage is sometimes done by the free running of wells. In some cases large wells have been drilled with the 

intention of irrigating, and sufficient rainfall for a series of years has 

rendered that unnecessary. The water from such wells has been 

allowed to run to waste, thereby drawing unnecessarily upon the 

general supply. Moreover, it has often rendered considerable land 

in the vicinity unproductive. The practice, therefore, of closing wells 

when not needed should be recommended. The only objection to 

this is the possibility that wells when closed will become clogged. 

This danger may be avoided by the gradual closing of a well, even 

when it is known to carry some sediment. When the water runs 

clear, and especially where the well has never thrown sand, thepe is 

very little danger. Some large wells made to furnish power are 

habitually kept closed when not in use without serious injury. In 

case a well does become clogged by the settling of sand it may often 

be opened by letting down an iron rod and churning it up and down 

until the flow is started.

To avoid producing too sudden changes in the flow, which may 

produce injurious effects at the bottom of the well, the opening and 

closing should be done gradually. 

IRR 90 04 5

INDEX.

Page.

Algonkian rocks, occurrence and character of ............................... 10-13

Ancient channels, character of ............ 28

origin of................................ 29

Ancient lakes, occurrence and character

of................................... SO

Andrews well, log of....................... 32

Antelope moraine, course of................ 27-28

Area discussed, geology of ................. 10-34

location of.............................. 9

topography of .......................... 9-10

Arland well, log of......................... 22

Artesian, Dakota sandstone at, depth of ... 16 

horizon of flowing wells near ...._..... 37

wells at and near, logs of............... 26

Artesian area, limits of..................... 41

Artesian spring, view of.................... 20

Artesian wells, closing of, advantages of... 43 

horizons-supplying..................... 39

pressure in ............................. 40-41

views of ...............:.......... 14,18,28,30

Ashmore well, log of ....................... 26

Asmuss well, log of......................... 32

Aurora County, logs of wells in eastern.... 32,42

Barnet, G. C., well of, log of ............... 38

Bartow well, Dakota formation in, partial

section of........................... 17

log of................................... 32

Beacock well, log of........................ 24

Beadle County, logs of wells in ............ 38

section through ........................ 16

Bed rock, depth to, map showing,.. In pocket, 

surface of, configuration of............. 12-13

Bell well, log of ............................ 38

Beug, C., well of, log of..................... 42

Benton formation, fossils of................ 19-20

occurrence and character of ........... 18-19

springs in .............................. 35

thickness of............................ 19

wells furnished by ..................... 38

Benton sandstone, exposure of, plate showing ................................. 20

Bowlder clay. See Till.

Breer well, log of........................... 22

Bridgewater, bed rock near,- altatude.of.... 13

well at, log of .......................... 26-

Brooks well, log of......................... 40

Burk, Dick, well of, log of ................. 36

Butler well, log of.......................... 26

Canova, well at, log of ..................... 36

Cavour, well at, log of...................... 38

Carthage, well at, log of.................... 36

Chalkstone. See Niobrara formation.

Page. 

Channels, ancient, character of ............ 28

origin of................................ 29

Christianson well, log of................... 24

Clay, bowlder. See Till.

Coan well, log of ........................... 26

Cookwell, logof............................ 32

Cornwell, C. H., well of, log of ............. 36

Cox, E. E., well of, log of................... 22

Cox well, log of............................ 22

Cretaceous period, deposits in .............. 31-32

Cretaceous rocks, description of............ 14-21

Crystalline rocks, occurrence and character of ............................... 10-13

Dakota formation, fossils of................ 18

occurrence and character of ........... 14-18

thickness of ............................ 15-18

Dakota sandstone, artesian wells from..... 40

Daniels well, log of ........................ 22

Davison County, logs of wells in ........... 22,24

section through ........................ 16

Days well, log of............................ 22

De Smet, section at......................... 16

till near, thickness of................... 24

well at, log of .......................... 40

Dougan well, log of......................... 32

Drainage, description of.................... 10

Drown well, log of ......................... 24

Drum well, log of .......................... 24

Edwards, F. E., well of, log of.............. 34

Elmspring, well at, log of.................. 34

Enemy Creek, bed rock on, altitude of..... 13

springs on .............................. 36

Ethan, Dakota, formation near, thickness of 16 

spring near............................. 36

well at, log of .......................... 24

Everet well, log of......................... 38

Fasciolaria, occurrence of.................. 20

Eeistner well, log of........................ 42

Firesteel Creek, Benton sandstone on, plate

showing............................ 20

Foster, Arthur, well of, log of.............. 36

Frazier well, plate showing ................ 28

Gaetz well, log of .......................... 24

Gary moraine, course of.................... 26-27

Geography-, discussion-of................... 10

Geology-, discussion of...................... 10-34

Gerkin well, log of......................... 22

Glacial action, description of .............. 22-23

Gleason well, log of........................ 22

Goniobasis, occurrence of .................. 18

Graft well, logof ........................... 22

Granite, occurrence and character of, and

relation of quartzite to ............. 10-11

45
46 INDEX.

Hall well, log of..................

Hanson County, logs of wells in. 

section through .............

Hathaway well, log of...........

Hine well, log of ................

Page.

..... 26

..... 34

..... Iti

..... 22

..... 24

Holton, F. H., information furnished by... 11

Howard City, well at, log of................ 36

Huron, Dakota, formation at, section of .. 15-16

pump wells near, horizon of............ 38

well near, view of....................... 18

wells at, logs of......................... 11,38

Ice age, history of .......................... 32-33

Ice sheet. See Glacial action.

Inoceramus, occurrence of ................. 21

Iroquois, well at, log of..................... 40

Jacobs, J., well of, log of ................... 22

Jacobus well, log of ........................ 24

James River, character of.................. 10

Jensen well, log of ......................... 24

Jerauld County, logs of wells in............ 42

Johns, G. L. F., well of, log of.............. 36

Johnson, J., well of, log of ................. 22

Johnson, J. K'., well of, log of.............. 22

Kenescher, P., well of, log of................ 36

Kilborn, H. T., well of, logof.............. 22

Kilborn, S. E., well of, log of .............. 22

Kingsbiiry County, logs of wells in ........ 40

section through ........................ 16

Knapp, G. W., well of, log of............... 34

Knappe well, log of ........................ 22

Lakes, area and character of............... 34

-Lakes, ancient, occurrence and character

of............................./..... 30

Letcher, Dakota sandstone near, depth _,

of............................... 16

well at, log of .......................... 24

Lewis, H. P., well of, log of ................ 42

Logs of wells.......... 22,24,26, 32, 34,36, 38, 40, 42

See names of counties and places.

Lowrie well, log of......................... 24

Lucina, occurrence of...................... 19

Mabbott well, logof ....................... 32

McCook County, logs of wells in ........... 26

McCoy well, log of ......................... 38

McCurdy well, log of ...................... 24

Mactra, occurrence of... .................. 19

Martin well, log of ......................... 22

Meade, W. P., well of, log of............... 36

Miller well, log of.......................... 32

Miner County, logs of wells in.............. 36

Mitchell, ancient channels near ........... 29

bed rock near, altitude of.............. 1£

clay bed near........................... 34

Dakota sandstone at, depth of.......... 16

till near, thickness of................... 24

well at, log of .......................... 24

Moraines, description of.................... 25-28

Mott well, log of............................ 42

Mount Vernon, section of Dakota formation near........................... 17

Murphy well, log of........................ 24,38

Newell, F. H., letter of transmittal by ..... 7

Newman well, log of........................ 34

Mcholson well, log of...................... 22

Niobrara formation, fossils of .............. 21

occurrence and character of ........... 20

thickness of ............................ 21

Nucula, occurrence of............

Nucula cancellata, occurrence of 

Olson well, log of.................

Ostrea congesta, occurrence of..., 

Owens, W. J., well of, log of......

Page. 

19 

19 

22 

21 

36

Ozanne, W., well of, log of...;............. 34

Paleozoic time, conditions during.......... 13

Pierre shale, occurrence and character of.. 21

Pinna, occurrence of ....................... ' 21

Plankihton, bed rock near, altitude of .... 13

Dakota formation near, partial sections

of................................... 17

horizon of pump wells near ............ 38

till near, thickness of.................... 24

well at, log of .......................... 42

Pleistocene epoch, history during.......... 32-33

Pressure in artesian wells, decline in, causes

of................................... 42-43

variation in ............................ 40-41

Pump wells, horizons supplying ........... 37-39

Quartzite, occurrence and character of .... 12

relation of granite to .................. 10-11

Quaternary deposits, description of........ 22-30

Raesley well, Dakota formation in, partial

section of........................... 17

logof................................... 32

Richards well, log of ....................... 38

Risdon well, log of ......................... 38

view of................................. 18

Roth well, logof ........................... 34

Ryan well, logof........................... 24,32

Salem, well at, log of....................... 26

Sanborn County, logs of wells in ........... 24,26

section through ........................ 16

Sandstone. See Benten sandstone; Dakota

sandstone .......................... 14

Schlund well, log of........................ 22

plate showing .......................... 30

Schmidt, E.,well of, log of.................. 42

Schraub well, log of........................ 22

Shale. See Pierre shale.

Shallow wells, horizons supplying ......... 36-37

Shane well, log of ............:............. 22

Shefranek well, log of...................... 24

Siddallwell, logof......................... 24

Siemen well, log of......................... 24

Sioux quartzite, deposition of .............. 30

occurrence and character of ........... 12

Smith and Davison well, log of ............ 24

South Dakota, eastern, geologic map of part

of................................... 12

index map of part of................... 10

South Dakota, southeastern, map of part

of ............................ In pocket.

Spear well, log of........................... 40

Spencer, bed rock at, altitude of........... 13

till near, thickness of ........... '....... 24

Spring, artesian, view of ................... 20

Springs, character and source of ........... 35-36

Stanton, T. W., fossils identified by ...:.... 18,19

Stevens well, log of ........................ 22

Storla well, Dakota formation in, partial

section of........................... 17

log of................................... 42

Streams, character of....................... 10,35

Subterranean waters, discussion of ........ 36-43

Surface waters, dis-cussion of............... 34-36
INDEX. 47

Page. 

Tastad well, log of......................... 24

Terraces, character of...................... 28

origin of................................ 29

Thurston, A. M., well of, log of ............ 38

Till, formation of........................... 23

surface of, features of .................. 24

thickness of ............................ 24-25

water at base of, map showing depth

to............................. In pocket.

Topography, description of ................ 9-10

Tyler well, log of........................... 22

Vosberg, K., well of, log of................. 36

"Wagnitz well, log of........................ 22

Waldron well, log of ....................... 24

Warner wells, logs of....................... 24

Water, depth to, map showing ....... In pocket.

Water supply, discussion of ................. 34-43

Waters, surface, discussion of.............. 34-36

Page. 

Wells, discussion of ........................ 36-43

logs of............. 22,24,26,32,34,36,38,40,42

See also names of counties and of

places.

Wells, artesian, closing of, advantages of.. 43 

horizons supplying..................... 39

pressure in ............................. 40-41

views of........................... 14,18,28,30

Wells, shallow, horizons supplying......... 36-37

Wells, pump, horizons supplying........... 37-39

Wolsey, till near, thickness of.............. 25

well at, log of .......................... 38

Wood well, log of........................... 42

Woonsocket, artesian well at, view of...... 14

Dakota sandstone at, depth of.......... 16

till near, thickness of................... 24

wells at, logs of......................... 24

0

LIBRARY CAlfcLOGUE SLIPS.

[Mount each slip upon a separate card, placing the subject at the top of the 

second slip. The name of the series should not be repeated on the series 

card, but the additional numbers should be added, as received, to the first 

entry.]

Todd, J[ames] E[dward]

. . . Geology and water resources of part of the 

Lower James River Valley, South Dakota, by J. B. Todd 

and C. M. Hall. Washington, Gov't print, off., 1904.

47 p., 11. illus., 23 pi. (incl. maps in pocket). 23£cm. ~(U. 8. Geological 

survey. Water-supply and irrigation paper no. 90.)

Subject series B, Descriptive geology, 36; O, Underground waters, 22.

Todd, J[ames] E[dward]

. . . Geology and water resources of part of the 

Lower James River Valley, South Dakota, by J. B. Todd 

and C. M. Hall. Washington, Gov't print, off., 1904.

47 pi, 1 1. illus., 23 pi. (incl. maps in pocket). 23Jcm. (IT. S. Geological 

survey. Water-supply and irrigation paper no. 90.)

Subject series B, Descriptive geology, 36; O, Underground waters, 22.

U. S. Geological survey.

Water-supply and irrigation papers, 

no. 90. Todd, J. B., Geology and water resources of part 

of the Lower James River Valley. S. Dak., by 

J. B. Todd and C. M. Hall. 1904.

U. S. Dept. of the Interior.

1

§ see also **4

3 U. S. Geological survey.
-*£"'
SERIES K PUMPING WATER.

WS 1. Pumping water for irrigation, by Herbert M. Wilson. 1896. 57 pp., 9 pis.

WS 8. Windmills for irrigation, by E. C. Murphy. 1897. 49 pp., 8 pis.

WS 14. New tests of certain pumps and water lifts used in irrigation, by O. P. Hood. 1898.

91 pp., 1 pi.

WS 20. Experiments with windmills, by T. O. Perry. 1899. 97 pp., 12 pis. 

WS 29. Wells and windmills in Nebraska, by E. H. Barbour. 1899. 85 pp., 27 pis. 

WS 41. The windmill; its efficiency and economic use, Part I, by E. C. Murphy. 1901. 72 pp.,

14 pis. 

WS 42. The windmill, Part II (continuation of No. 41). 1901. 73-147 pp., 15-16 pis.

SERIES L QUALITY OF WATER.

WS 3. Sewage irrigation, by G. W. Rafter. 1897. 100 pp., 4 pis.

WS 22. Sewage irrigation, Part II, by G. W. Rafter. 1899. 100 pp., 7 pis.

WS 72. Sewage pollution in the metropolitan area near New York City and its effect on inland

water resources, by M. O. Leighton. 1902. 75 pp., 8 pis. 

WS 76. Observations on the flow of rivers in the vicinity of New York City, by H. A. Pressey.

1903. 108 pp., 13 pis. 

WS 79. Normal and polluted waters in northeastern United States, by M. O. Leighton. 1903.

192 pp.

SERIES M GENERAL HYDROGRAPHIC INVESTIGATIONS.

WS 56. Methods of stream measurement. 1901. 51 pp., 12 pis.

WS 64. Accuracy of stream measurements, by E. C. Murphy. 1902. 99 pp., 4 pis.

WS 76. Observations on the flow of rivers in the vicinity of New York City, by H. A. Pressey.

1903. 108pp., 13 pis.

WS 80. The relation of rainfall to run-off, by G. W. Rafter. 1903. 104 pp. 

WS 81. California hydrography, by J. B. Lippincott. 1903, 488 pp., 1 pi. 

WS 88. The Passaic flood of 1902, by G. B. Hollister and M. O. Leighton. 1903. 56 pp., 15 pis.

SERIES N WATER POWER.

WS 24. Water resources of State of New York, Part I, by G. W. Rafter. 1899. 92 pp., 13 pis. 

WS 25. Water resources of State of New York, Part II, by G. W. Rafter. 1899. 100-200 pp., 12 pis. 

WS 44. Profiles of rivers, by Henry Gannett. 1901. 100 pp., 11 pis. 

WS 62. Hydrography of the Southern Appalachian Mountain region, Part I, by H. A. Pressey.

1902. 95 pp., 25 pis. 

WS 63. Hydrography of the Southern Appalachian Mountain region, Part II, by H. A. Pressey.

1902. 96-190 pp., 26-44 pis. 

W3 69. Water powers of the State of Maine, by H. A. Pressey. 1902. 124 pp., 14 pis.

[Continued on fourth page of cover.] 

IRK 90 3
SERIES O UNDERGROUND WATERS.

WS 4. A reconnaissance in southeastern Washington, by Israel C. Russell. 1897. 96 pp

WS 6. Underground waters of southwestern Kansas, by Erasmu-Haworth. lfi/7. 65pp.

WS 7. Seepage waters of northern Utah, by Samuel Fortier. 1897 50 pp., 3 pis.

WS 12. Underground waters of southeastern Nebraska, by N. H. Darton. l&f 56 pp., I

WS 21. Wells of northern Indiana, by Frank Leverett. 1899. »2 pp.. 2 pis.

WS 26. Wells of southern Indiana (continuation of No. 21). by Frank L.>vt«rett 1819. 64 pp.

WS 30. Water resources of the lower- peninsula of Michigan, by A. C Lane ] --M9. 97 pp., 7 pie.

WS 31. Lower Michigan mineral waters, by A. C Lane 1899. 97 pp.. 4 pit.

WS 34. Geology and water resources of a portion of southeastern South Dak >ta, by J. E.

Todd. 1900. 34pp., 19 pis. 

WS 53. Geology and water resources of Nez Perces County, Idaho, Part I, by I. C. Russell.

1901. 8" pp.. 10 pis. 

WS 54. Geology and water resources of Nez Percos County, Idaho, Part II. hy I. <". Rus^rll.

1901. 87-141 pp. 

WS 55. Geology and water resource!* of a portion of Yakima County, Waoh., by G O. Smith.

1901. 68pp., 7 pis. 

WS57. Preliminary list of deep borings in the United 8tat<--, Part I, by N. H. Darton. IMttJ.

60pp. 

WS 59. Development and application of water in southern California, Part I, by J. B. Lippincott. 1902. 95 pp., 11 pis. 

WS 60. Development and application of water in southern California, Part II, by J. B. Lipyu:icott. 1902. 96-140 pp. 

WS 61. Preliminary list of deep borings in the United States, Part II, by N. H. Darton. 1903.

67 pp.

WS 67. The motions of underground waters, by C. S. Slichter. 1902. 106 pp., 8 pis. 

B 199. Geology and water reoourccn of the Snake River Plains of Idaho, bj I.

1902. 192pp., 25 pis. 

WS 77. Water resources of Molokai, Hawaiian Islands, by Waldemar Lindgren.

4 pis. 

WS 78. Preliminary report on artesian basins in southwestern Idaho and southeas

by I. C. Russell. 1903. 53pp., 2 pis. 

PP 17. Preliminary report on the geology and water re~ouro-» of Nebraska west 01 tut- on

hundred and third meridian, by N. H. Darton. 1903. 69 pp., 43 pis. 

WS 90. Gfrulogy and water resources of part of the lower Jainet, River Valley, South Dak- 'ta,by

J. E. Todd and C. M. Hall. 1904. - pp., 23 pis.

The following papers also relate to this subject: Underground waters of Arkansas Valley in 

eastern Colorado, by G. K. Gilbert, in Seventeenth Annual, Part II; Preliminary report on artesian waters of a portion of the Dakotas, by N. H. Darton, in Seventeenth Annual. Part II; Water 

resources of Illinois, by Frank Leverett, in ^evinto^nth Annual, Part II; Water resources of 

Indiana and Ohio, by Frank Leverett, in Ei&hti"'nth Annual, Part IV; New developments in 

well boring and irrigation in eastern South Dakota, by N. H. Darton, in Eighteenth Annual. 

Part IV: Rock waters of Ohio, by Edward Orton, in Ninety nth Annual, Part IV; Arte «aii \\vll 

prospfcotsin the Atlantic Coastal Plain region, by N. H. Darton, Bulletin No. ]!J8.

SERIES P HYDROGRAPHIC PROGRESS REPORTS.

Progress reports may be found in th-i following publications: For 1688-89, Tenth Annual, 

Part II; for 1889-90, Eleventh Annual, Part II; for 1890-91, Twelfth Annual. Part II: for 1891-92, 

Thirteenth Annual, Part III; for 1W3-94, B 131; for 1895. B 140; for 1896, Eighteenth Annual, Part 

IV, WS 11; for 1897, Nineteenth Annual, Part IV. WS 15,16; for 189",, Twentieth Annual, Part 

IV, WS 27. 28; for 1899, Twenty-first Annual, Part IV, WS 35 39; for 1900, Twenty-second Annual, 

Part IV, WS 47-52; for 1901, WS 65, 66, 75; for 1902, WS 82 *5.

Correspondence should be addressed to

THE DIRECTOR.

UNITED STATES GEOLOGICAL ST-RVKV.

IRR 90 4