)

B, Descriptive Geology, f 1 

I, Irrigation, 20 

0, Underground "Waters, 51

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

UNITED STATES GEOLOGICAL SUEVEY

CHARLES D. WALCOTT, DIEECTOE

THE

GEOLOGY AND WATER RESOURCES

EASTERN PORTION OF THE PANHANDLE

OF TEXAS

BY

CHARLES

WASHINGTON

GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE 

1906

CONTENTS.

Page.

Introduction _,_._....._-._--.----.------_..-----.----------.------------ 7

Area covered_..__ __.....___.__.__._.__.-.----_--------.--. 7

Sources of data ..............^............................... 7

Topography .__._.__.__.._...--_._..___..__._.__._.__------.---.---------- 8

General features...-...---.----------____---_--_------------------.- 8

High Plains .................^...............-...-....-...-..^....... 8

Surface features .----__-.---_.___._.___.- .....--..-.---.-..- 8

Valleys and canyons.__.----..__.____.__.--._--.-.---_-----.- 9

Escarpment .................................................. 9

Eroded plains-_...--_..-.-..-_------_.___..._---.- .................. 10

Interstreamhighlands ._----,__.______..------------..------- 10

Valleys and canyons -._____________.______-._..--.-.-----._.. 10

Sandhills .___...__._..._-_...-_--.-....-..._....- .--..--.-----. 11

River plains _____..-----.----.-.----._--------_--------------------.- 11

Canadian River Valley. ...............L...................... 11

Wolf Creek Valley....__. ._._-..--.-..---.-- -. ------- 12

Washita River Valley__......______..__.__..._......_-.---_-_ 12

Forth Fork of Red River Valley----------------------------- 12

Elm Fork of Red River Valley ........ .__-_-....-...------... 12

Salt Fork of Red River Valley...._......-............._...... 12

Prairie Dog Fork of Red River Valley-..-..-.-......... ------ 12

Minor stream valleys ....---...........---------..-.....--... 13

Geology.......... _.._...___.---..___.-.___.._._..__-.___.-.....-_..-... 13

General relations -..--.-.-..----_--.-...--...--..--.-. ............... 13

Permian red beds .............................^...................... 15

General statement-......... ----.......-...--------.---_----..... 15

Permian in the Panhandle region,.-..........--.....-.--..--.-... 18

Greer formation..---.-.-.--.......-.....-.......-.--.-..-... 18

Quartermaster formation..................................... 31

Triassic red beds................................--.-.....----....-... 28

Dockum formation.....----,._.....-...-..-.-.--.-.------.... S3

Tertiary and Quaternary formations ................................. 24

Reference list of publications .............. --------------------- 34

Stratigraphy .__..________......_.____.__..._.-....--..._........ 35

General statement..............................-...---...... 25

Loup Fork formation.....--..................-.---..-...-... 25

Goodnight formation._._._..__.__.._....._......-.___....._. 26

Blancoformation -..-.._..--..............-....--.-..-..._... 26

Tuleformation ........._.................................... 26

Age of beds--...----.---.--.....-.---.-.-.-----.-_---.._.,... 27

Origin.-.........--.---.......--...-..-..-...-......-...-.-...... 27

General character ................................................ 28

Sandhills ..............................._........................ 30

Alluviiim................._ ...................................... 30

3
4: CONTENTS.

Page.

Water resources ..._--._...---.,..._.__--._.._.__.__-..____._,.____.______ 31

Underground waters. ................................................ 31

General conditions.. _ _.__..._..____.___________ .. .............. 31

Water from the red beds--.___.._._._______________.___.._... .... 31

Character ....................._........... ................. 31

Occurrence ............................................^..... 32

Water from Tertiary rocks................. ..___.....___..-....._ 32

Character ................................................... 32

Occurrence........ ..........._.............-.....-......-. 33

Source ...--.-.--.._._____..._.__...____._. .._____-_____._ __. _. _ 35

The water table-..-..___-...__-_--_._. _._...____...__.._...__._ 36

Use of windmills ..................... ............ ............. 36

Deep-seated waters --..-__-___._-_--__-._---__._-_-_-..---.._.- 37

Springs..-......----..-.-..,.-..-..-....-.--..---..... __..___-._____ 38

Red-beds springs ...................... ..........---....---...-. 38

Salt springs....--...---....--....---....---.....-.-.------..- 38

Gypsum springs ___.-._____..____._..__.____._____._-..._._-- 39

Fresh-water springs --.--._.-.-.-..---.-..---____-----_-__-___ 39

Tertiary springs ----------- ................_-.....--.....-.-..... 40

Streams ----..-.------.-....-. -.____--_.--.-.--.-.-.____--._--__.--- 40

Classification of drainage. .......... ...---...---.-.--....---.-.-. 40

North Fork of Canadian drainage --.-...--......--.....-..... 41

Canadian drainage.-.___-.-___-_--,_.--..-. .._._.-.---_._.-_ 41

Bed River drainage-------.--_.-.--------.-.-.--------,-..--- 41

Streams in detail...--...---....----..----.-....-.._-_..-.____-__ 41

Coldwater Creek.....-....._......----.,-----.___--...-- ..__ 41

Palo Duro Creek........................-......-.___-.--_..__ 41

Wolf Creek.................................................. 42

Canadian River.......---...---....-.....---._-__-__--.------ 42

Washita River. ........'..................................^... 43

North Fork of Red River. __---_..-_.--._.-.-._--_...-----.--- 43

EhnFork of RedRiver............._. ............ -....-..-. 44

Salt Fork of Red River ....-...-.-.--..-.-......---....--.--- 44

Prairie Dog Fork of Red River....-_.__... .... .___.___ .. 44

Drainage of the High Plains. ......... ^.............. ........^. -.. . 45

Irrigation ... ...--.-...--.-----.-.-----------------.---.------------ 46

Need of irrigation.-..-...-_.-_.._---..___-.______.-_..._.---- 46

Possible methods of irrigation. ................................ 46

Irrigation from streams.......__.-..-.-.. .-....-..--....-.... 46

Irrigation from springs. ........ ^.............. .. .......... 47

Irrigation from storm waters. __..._-_.--.--....____-. _.__.._ 48

Irrigation from wells-..----,--_- -----...-.-..-....--.-_-.... 48

Future of irrigation......--............-.--..--.--.-.-.----..-.-. 49

Water conditions by counties.......---...--.---.--..---.-.------...-- 49

Lipscomb County --_---_,.-__--.-_.--.-.-__-._.__-. ___._._.--._ 49

Topography .......................-....-_-.....----.......-. 49

Geology ..^.............................................. - . 49

Water supply...... -.-----.-.---.-.---...-..----------.--.-.-- 50

Ochiltree County .-.---..--,--.--.---.-----------.-------..---.-- 50

Topography ......................J._........................ 50

Geology .........................-......-.-..-.-----.-.-..-. 50

Water supply............................... ..--........-..- 51
CONTENTS. 0

Water resources Continued. Page. 

Water conditions by counties Continued.

Hansf ord County _-_.__--__.____ _ _ _____________ __._-..-_ 51

Topography _ _ _ _. ...... ......_... .. _. ___-,_.___ -__._._ 51

Geology.... _..........- __._____-______--.-_-_-__----_-.--- 51

Water supply__--..___.--._-.---__--_--._--.-- . .....---..'--- 51

Hutchinson C , unty_-._______._-___-__________- ___.-___-_--__-_. 52

Topography ................ ... _____.-____-_----_----____- 52

Geology-_--..___---___-_.______ _-.-____--_----_--_----_ 52

Water supply.._-_-_.- .................................. 52

Roberts County.......................-...-..-...--..---.-.-.-- _ - 53

Topography .. _______ ..................---.-.----....--.--- 53

Geology ..........^....................... -......... ..... .. 53

Water supply.-.. ........... ................................ 53

Hemphlll County----,---.. ....- ---.-...--..... _--______--_-._-- 53

Topography -..-__..._ _......... ........................... 53

Geology.......-...-...-...-...-. ...-.--. ---------- _ - .... 53

Water supply. _.-__-._______._.____--___-_--_ .. ..^........... 54

Wheeler County ...--_--.--- _-_ ............................... 54

Topography ...--..-._...... ..__.______-____........ ..... 54

Geology -......--..-..--......--.-.------.-----------....--. . f 4

Water supply .......^............................ .......... 55

Gray County ..._..--....---..--...-.-..---_-_-.---.----.-.------ 55

Topography .......................... .----..,....-, .-.---. 55

Geology -...-..--.-....-.---..-..-.--------.----------.----.- 55

Water supply..-,.- .................................... ..... 56

Carson County.--.----------..-__.---__.._- .-.-... .............. 56

Topography ..........................-._-..-.---....-..----- 56

Geology ..................................................... 56

Water supply. - -__--_-.___- ...........-.---..-----._.--.---.- 56

Armstrong Co nty...................................... _______ 57

Topography -.___.-__--..--__-________-_--------_- -_-__-__.. 57

Geology_....--...-...-..-.-..-..--.-------..- _._.-.____--_- 57

Water supply.. .............................................. 57

DonleyCounty....---...-._- ._... ........................ ... 58

Topography _.-...--..-.. _.---._____.___.----_---__.--.,_-... 58

Geology ........ T ............ _ _ -__._.-.--_-..-.,...--_-_ _ _ 58

Water supply ............................................^... ' 58

Collingsworth County. - -...-..-......---------,-----..-.--.--.--- 59

Topography .............................................. .. 59

Geology ..................................................... 59

Water supply. .............. ................................ 59

Index................^................................. ................. 61
ILLUSTRATIONS.

PLATE I. Map of the Texas Panhandle and adjacent regions showing

area treated in this report _----.-...--..-----------..-..--- 7

II. Geologic sections across a portion of northwestern Texas.... 8

III. The High Plains ........................................... 10

IV. A, Sand hills blown from Canadian River; B, Gyps'im ledge,

showing banded structure --.----..---..--..-..----.----.. 12

V. Geologic map of the eastern portion of the Panhandle of Texas. 14

VI. A, Gypsum cave; B, Spring issuing from a cave in Greer

gypsum.................................................. 18

VII. A, Undermining of gypsum ledges; J5, Erosion in the Quartermaster sandstone in Palo DuroCanyon...-....-...-.-.---. 20

VIII. A, Rocking Chair Mountains; J5, Sandstone memlor of the -

Dockum formation in Palo Duro Canyon....-.-.-..._.---. 22

I.. A, Erosion forms in the Dockum sandstone in Tule Canyon; B,

Sandstone and shale member of the Eockum forrration-... 24 

X. A, Edge of Tertiary escarpment; B, Peculiar weathering of

Tertiary clay in Palo Duro Canyon........--....--.--...-. 28

XI. A, Windmill and tank at Ochiltree, Tex.; B, Typical windmill

and tank.................................-_.._.....-.---- 36

XII. .4, B, Freshet on Red Deer Creek at Miami, Tex ............ 42

XIII. .-1, Buffalo wallow; B, Lake on High Plains................. 44

XIV. A, Orchard and garden at Claude. Tex.; B, Jacob's well, in a

deep basin near edge of High Plains ...................... 46

XV. Map showing locations of lakes on a portion of the High

Plains-..-.-...........-....-...............-.---.------- 48

PIG. 1. Generalized section of Oklahoma red beds ....-...----------.. 16

2. Section showing members of Greer formation on Elm Fork of

RedRiver,Salton,Okla.------.--------.-----------------.-- 19

3. Ideal section of Tertiary, showing first and second she«t water. 34

4. East-west section of High Plains, showing ground-water level.. 36 

6
U. S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY 
GEOLOGY AND WATER EESODRCES OF THE EASTERN 

PORTION OF THE PANHANDLE OF TEXAF.

By CHARLES N. GOULD.

INTRODUCTION.

Area covered. The area described in this report lies in the northeastern part of the Texas Panhandle, and includes the following 12 

counties: Lipscomb, Ochiltree, Hansford, Hutchinson, Roberts, 

Hemphill, Wheeler, Gray, Carson, Armstrong, Donley, and Collingsworth, each of which is approximately 30 miles square. It is an area 

90 miles east and west and 120 miles north and south, situated south 

of the center of the Great Plains. The total area is approximately 

10,800 square miles. It extends from 100° to 101° 35' west longitude 

and from 34° 45' to 36° 30' north latitude. On the north s.nd east 

it is adjoined by Oklahoma.

Sources of data. The field work upon which this report is based 

was done during the years 1903 and 1904. During the forme" season 

little more was accomplished than a general reconnaissance in the 

region adjacent to Canadian River, through Carson, Hutchinson, 

Roberts, and Hemphill counties to the Oklahoma line, thence south 

through Hemphill, Wheeler, and Collingsworth counties as far as 

Elm Fork of Red River. On this trip the writer was assisted by 

Messrs. Charles T. Kirk, Chester A. Reeds, Charles A. Long, and 

Pierce Larkin, students in the University of Oklahoma. During the 

field season of 1904 the writer made an examination of the area to 

which this report relates, assisted by Prof. E. G. Woodruff. Most of 

the counties were studied in detail, excepting on the broade^ plains 

areas, of which only a reconnaissance was made. The well records 

were mostly secured from farmers and ranchmen by correspondence. 

Professor Woodruff has assisted in the preparation of the manuscript, " Topography " and " Water conditions by counties " being 

principally his work.

7
O EASTERN PANHANDLE OF TEXAS.

TOPOGRAPHY. 

GENERAL FEATURES.

The region here described lies in the southern part of the Great 

Plains. Its general slope is to the east, with only a slight gradient 

to the south. The topography is properly divisible into two classes 

the High Plains and the eroded plains with local modifications produced by dune sands. A third and more local phase IP found in the 

river flood plains. The location is shown on PL I, and the general 

features are indicated in the two general cross section? of the Great 

Plains shown on PI. II, and on PL III, which includes the general 

region of the High Plains.

HIGH PLAINS.

Surface features. The region here treated as the High Plains includes not only the northern portion of the Llano Estac?do or Staked 

Plains of Texas and New Mexico, but also the high, level plains in the 

region north of Canadian River. It seems probable that this area 

was once a great plain extending far to the east, with moderate slope 

covered by the deposits of the meandering rivers which were flowing from the mountains and depositing their load of pediment. By 

this deposition of material the stream beds were filled and the water 

forced to a new channel. By continued shifting of streams, irregular 

layers were deposited with much less uniform bedding than those of 

marine deposition. It is thought that the material composing the 

High Plains was laid down in this way upon the red beds, the basal 

formation in this region.

In later times the High Plains have been extensively cut into by 

stream erosion, until at present, in the region under discussion, the 

original level surface remains only in those localities more remote 

from the larger valleys. From a geological standpoint the erosion of 

the High Plains has been rapid and is still vigorously in progress. 

In the region comprised in this report High Plains constitute portions of the following counties: Western Lipscomb, most of Ochiltree 

and Hansford, southwestern Hemphill, southern Roberts, northwestern Hutchinson, western Gray, nearly all of Carson, and portions of 

Donley and Armstrong, including the greater part of the region 

mapped as Tertiary on PL V, an area of approximated 4,000 square 

miles.

In general the surface of the High Plains is so nearly level that 

railroads require little or no grading, and wagon roads go directly 

from point to point. With a surface so nearly level drainage is 

wholly undeveloped. Rain water can not run off, but either evaporates or collects in broad, shallow depressions, known in some locali-
U. S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY 

CRETACEOUS

CROSS SECTION OF THE.HIGH PLAINS ALONG 

CROSS SECTION OF/THE HIGH PLAINS ALONG 

GEOLOGIC SECTIONS ACROSS A PORTION OF NORTHWEST
TOPOGEAPHY. 9

ties as playa lakes, from which it escapes by evaporation or seepage. 

The evaporation is very great, but since the showers are generally 

vigorous, much of the water finds its way into these flat basinr 

this reason the agencies which in most regions are carving valleys 

hill» are here having little effect upon the plains, and the 

surface level remains intact.

Valleys and canyons. There are, however, upon the surface of the 

plain a number of streams which have their sources far in from the 

escarpment, and there are all gradations of topographic form from 

the almost featureless surface of the High Plains down through valleys and canyons to the general escarpment facing the lower eroded 

plains.

In the northern part of the Panhandle the High Plains are being 

rapidly dissected by a number of small streams, of which Cold water, 

Palo Duro, and Wolf Creeks, tributaries of North Fork of Canadian 

River, are the most important. Besides these, the main Canadian, 

which rises in the mountains of New Mexico and flows east across the 

plains, traverses this region in a great valley that is from 5 to 20 

miles wide and 600 feet deep. Numerous small streams tributary to 

Canadian River are now cutting back into the plains and giv: ng the 

edge, when viewed as a whole, a ragged appearance.

To the south several tributaries of Red River, particularly North 

Fork, Elm Fork, Salt Fork, Spillers Creek, and Mulberry Creek, 

have their headwaters in the steep slope of the escarpment, and on 

account of the relatively low level of the main stream are able to erode 

more quickly. The level surface of the High Plains is generally 

retained, but the edges are being rapidly eroded by the streams which 

find their source either in the escarpment or on the plains.

Escarpment. From the High Plains to the eroded plains there is 

in most places an abrupt descent. The escarpment is usually steep, 

in places being a distinct cliff, 200 to 500 feet high above the eroded 

plains, but ordinarily the descent is more gradual, occupying a distance of 5 or 6 miles. It is usually a distinct topographic unit, varying in width from 1 mile along Palo Duro Canyon to 6 miles cr more 

in Lipscomb County. Along the larger streams, particularly the 

Canadian and the branches of Red River, the escarpment is usually 

sharp and steep, while along the smaller streams it has a gradual 

slope.

The escarpment (PL X, J.), which is known locally as "the 

breaks," marks the limit of the High Plains. It margins the valleys 

and passes in a broad curve from one drainage system to another. 

The region abounds in bad-land erosion forms, short ridges', steep 

talus slopes, isolated conical hills, buttresses, peaks, and numerous 

narrow, V-shaped valleys, which on becoming larger develop into 

impassable canyons. The breaks, particularly along the steep slopes.
10 EASTERN PANHANDLE OF TEXAS.

have a sparse vegetation, since the very rapid erosion prevents most 

kinds of plants from obtaining a foothold. Bunch grass, yucca, and 

dwarf mesquite are often present. Such a region is most difficult to 

traverse, and in localities where the breaks are conspicuous it can be 

crossed with a wagon only at infrequent intervals over specially 

selected routes. This escarpment is most typical along the Canadian 

and in Palo Duro Canyon, in Armstrong County.

ERODED PLAINS.

Interstream highlands. From the High Plains the escarpment 

forms a descent' to the lower level of the eroded plains, which occupy 

the entire eastern part of the region to which this report relates. 

From the eroded plains the Tertiary and Pleistocene rocks, which 

compose the High Plains, have been entirely removed, and the 

streams, both large and small, are now cutting deep valleys into the 

subjacent red beds. This part of the Panhandle is a rolling plain, 

which is now being eroded rapidly, yet without the conspicuous badland forms that mark the escarpment. The streams are confined 

almost entirely to rather deep, steep-sided valleys; the plains between 

are rolling and well drained.

Standing on this plain not far from the escarpment are outlying 

hills, generally conical, but often elongated, and joined into irregular 

ridges. They sometimes attain a height of 100 to 200 feet. These 

hills have resulted from the thickening and hardening of certain of 

the upper members of the red beds, usually ledges of sandstone, 

gypsum, or dolomite, which resisted erosion and protected the relatively softer clays and shales beneath. A line of such hills extends 

from near Shamrock, in Wheeler County, southwest to beyond Memphis, the county seat of Hall County. South from Shamrock the 

ridge reaches its maximum width near the post-office of Dozier, at 

which place the range is 10 miles wide. Here it consists of a number 

of isolated mesa-like hills rising 100 feet above the eroded plains and 

capped by a ledge of sandstone, described under " GeolcTy," 6 to 14 

feet thick. The most typical of these hills are Rocking Chair Mountain, north of Elm Fork; Antelope Hills, northeast of Dozier; the 

Dozier Mounds, southeast of Dozier, and Flat Top, northwest of 

Dozier. The range is interrupted in northern Collingsworth County 

by Salt Fork of Red River, but again becomes conspicuous in the southwestern portion of the county, where the creeks are rapidly trenching 

the valleys between the mesas and bringing the hills into strong 

relief.

Valleys and canyons. Crossing the eroded plains at intervals are a 

number of streams which have their rise on the High Plains, and, 

after cutting through the escarpment, find their way into the larger
U. 8. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY WATER-SUPPLY PAPER NO. 154 PL. Ill

THE HIGH PLAINS.
TOPOGRAPHY. . 11

rivers which receive the drainage of the Panhandle. For the most 

part these streams have carved valleys averaging 3 miles wide and 

100 to 200 feet deep in the eroded plains. These stream? have 

already been mentioned, and they will be discussed in more or less 

detail under " Kiver plains."

SAND HILLS.

The sand hills form an important topographical feature of the 

Panhandle. In size the hills range from small mounds to ridges 30 

to 40 feet high; in shape they are oval, crescent, or elongated, but 

when parallel they are separated by trough-like depressions, The 

hills extend in various directions, although, in certain localities those 

ranging S. 15° E. appear to predominate. Within the sand-dune 

regions are broad, shallow, basin-like depressions which are probably 

large blow-outs covering 1 to 10 acres. There are a few localities 

containing migratory dunes. One such is on the south s;de of 

Canadian Kiver, in western Roberts County, where the dunes Ere approaching the river. Another is north of Prairie Dog Fork of Eed 

Kiver, in southwestern Donley County.

The sand composing these dunes is derived from two sources, 

chiefly from the sandstone ledges of either the red beds or th^ Tertiary disintegrating in place, or from the river sand which in times 

past has been transported from farther west. These make two classes 

of sand hills, both of which are frequently found in the same region. 

The subject is treated more fully under " Geology."

Sand hills occur chiefly in the escarpment region or along the 

streams, as in western Lipscomb and northern Roberts and Hemphill counties, in Wheeler County south of Mobeetie, and in Donley 

and Collingsworth counties along the south side of Prairie Dog Fork. 

A typical sand hill is shown in PI. IV, A.

RIVER PLAINS.

Canadian Valley. The north central part of the Panhandle of 

Texas is traversed by Canadian Elver, which rises in the mountains 

of New Mexico and in its eastward course crosses the region under 

discussion in a valley 5 to 20 miles wide cut deeply into the High 

Plains. The sides of this gorge constitute a portion of the escarpment, with its bad-lands structure of short, sharp ridges, often destitute of vegetation, separated by V-shaped valleys. The flood plan, 1 

to 5 miles wide, occupies the bottom of the gorge, 600 feet below the 

level of the High Plains. The river runs over a sandy bed varying 

in width from a half mile to more than a mile. It is constantly shifting, excavating sand in one place and depositing it in another.
12 J3ASTERN PANHANDLE OP TEXAS.

Wolf Greek Valley. Wolf Creek has cut a wide valley in the High 

Plains in the northeastern portion of this region. It rises in western 

Ochiltree County, at an elevation of 3,300 feet, and descends to 2,350 

feet at the Oklahoma line, 45 miles east a gradient of 21 feet per 

mile. The width of the valley varies from 1 to 4 miles, and the breaks 

which adjoin it are less rugged than those along the Canadian. Sand 

hills occur along this creek and its tributaries.

Washita River Valley. The headwaters of the Washita, which in 

Oklahoma becomes a river of considerable size, rise in Gray County, 

Tex., in a small creek not differing from many others in this part of 

the plains. It flows eastward in a valley 1 to 3 miles wide across 

northern Wheeler County and finally passes from Texrs into Roger 

Mills County, Okla.

North Fork of Red River Valley. North Fork of Red River rises 

among the High Plains in the southeastern part of Carson County, 

and flows east in a broad bend to the north, passing from the State 

almost directly east of its starting place. It flows in a narrow, sandchoked valley, with sand dunes flanking its south side &nd with redbeds bluffs guarding it on the north for a considerable part of its 

course. This river descends from an elevation of 3,000 feet on the 

plains to 2,050 feet at the State line, making a descent of 950 feet 

in a passage of 60 miles, or 16 feet per mile.

Elm Fork of Red River Valley. Elm Fork of Red River, which 

becomes a stream of considerable importance in Greer County, Okla., 

is in the Panhandle a mere creek, the greater portion of whose bed 

is entirely dry during the summer. It rises in the escarpment in 

northwest Collingsworth County and, flowing southeast in a deep 

valley cut in the eroded plains, makes its exit from the State 35 miles 

from its source.

Salt Fork of Red River Valley. Salt Fork of Red Pwer rises on 

the High Plains in northern Armstrong County at an elevation of 

3,250 feet, crosses the escarpment, cuts a valley in the eroded plains, 

and after a tortuous course passes from the State in the southeastern 

part of Collingsworth County at an elevation of 1,900 feet, a descent 

of 15 feet per mile. It flows in a sand-filled valley, and at times of 

low water the river is a narrow ribbon upon a sand bed half a mile 

wide.

Prairie Dog Fork of Red River Valley. Prairie Dog Fork of Red 

River crosses Armstrong County in Palo Duro Canyon (not to be 

confused with Palo Duro Creek, in Hansford County), which is 5 

miles wide and which has been cut 875 feet through the Tertiary and 

the red-beds rocks. The river flows in a narrow valley at the bottom 

of this gorge, the sides of which present an alternate precipitous and 

terraced structure according to the nature of the beds. 7!n Armstrong 

County there are 20 miles of this canyon.
U. S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY WATER-SUPPLY PAPER NO. 154 PL. IV

A. SAND HILLS BLOWN FROM CANADIAN RIVER.

B. GYPSUM LEDGE, SHOWING BANDED STRUCTURE.
GEOLOGY. 13

Minor stream valleys. Sweetwater Creek, in northern Wheeler, 

County; Spillers Creek, in Collingsworth; Mulberry Creek, in Armstrong; Mammoth Creek, in Lipscomb; Palo Duro and Cole5 water 

creeks, in Hansford; Kit Carson and White Deer creeks, in Hutchinson: Eed Deer Creek, in Hemphill, and McClellan Creek, in Gray 

County, are the largest streams of secondary importance. These 

smaller streams all form a part of the three major drainage systems, 

the North Fork of Canadian, the Canadian, and the Red River. Most 

of these minor streams are periodic, although numerous springs at the 

base of the Tertiary feed many of the smaller creeks, thus rendering 

them perennial.

GEOLOGY.

GENERAL RELATIONS.

The general geologic features of the Texas Panhandle are not 

complex. Most of the rocks belong to two great systems the Per 

mian and the Tertiary and there are small amounts of Quaternary 

deposits, all of which lie nearly level. The lowest formations exposed consist of extensive deposits of red clays and shales kncwn as 

the red beds, most of which are of Permian age. The greate" part 

of the upper formations are made up of sands, clays, and congSmerates belonging to the Tertiary system. Covering these two members 

in many places are beds of sand, gravel, and alluvium of Quaternary 

age. On the geologic'map (PL V) the distribution of these formations is shown. The relative age and general character of the various deposits are given in the following table:

Geologic formations of tJie Texas Panhandle,

System.

Carboniferous (P e rmian).

Name.

| Sand hills.. ......... .

[Tule formation ......--

f Blanco formation ____.. 

| Goodnight formation . _

[Loup Fork formation ._ 

Docknm formation

1 Quartermaster formation.

Predominant characters.

Sand, chiefly in dunes.

Sand, clay, and gravel.

Clay, sands, and conglomerates. 

Clays, sandstones, an-"! conglomerates.

Red sandy clay and soft sandstone.

dolomite.

IBE 154 06 M-
14 EASTERN PANHANDLE OF TEXAS.

A typical section of the Permian, Triassic, and Ceno^oic strata in 

Palo Duro Canyon, 15 miles south of Claude, Armstrong County, 

Texas, is as follows:

Typical section in Palo Duro Canyon, Te.ras.

System. Formation. Character.

Thickness in 

feet.

Tertiary

Unconformity.

Triassic - Dockum.

Unconformity.

Carboniferous 

(Permian).

Quartermaster.

Greer

Tertiary clays, varying in color from 

almost white to pink; usually with 

calcite concretions and a few pebbles; 

occasional harder bands fonring terGray to brown or reddish sandstone. 

Soft and friable, cross bedded; often 

changing into conglomerate with 

lenses of blue and red clay.

Variegated clays, maroon, vine-colored, drab, gray, bluish, and r^d, with 

ledges of sandstone, sometimes becoming hard enough to form an escarpment; often simply a gray arena-

. ceous shale.

Red clay shale, with bands of harder 

clays, sometimes forming a sandstone, and occasional bands of white 

or gray clay or sandstone, weathering 

into characteristic buttes or mounds. 

Seams of satin spar in the lovr^r part.

Red clay shale, with ledges of massive 

white or purple gypsum, inters tratified 

with bands of clay and sandstone.

Total ...................... ______

200

270

275

180

925
o

5

o

D 

O

2 

TJ

O 

 n

rn

m

TRIASSIC TERTIARY QUA
PERMIAN BED BEDS. 15

The following sections made on Palo Duro, Tule, and Mulberry 

canyons in the southwestern part of the region here discussed, where 

all formations are best exposed, indicate the relative thickness (in 

feet) of the various beds:

GeoJoffic sections in Palo Dnro, Title, and Mulberry canyons, Tearus PanJianiJlr.

System.

Tertiary and 

Quaternary.

Triassic .

Carboniferous 

(Permian).

Total

Formation.

Docktim _ _ _

rQuarterJ master.

1 Greer .____.

Palo Duro Cahyoii.

Silverton-Clarendon 

road.

Feet.

380

110 

305

175

970

Silverton-Claude 

road.

South 

side.

feet. 

220

175 

280

195

870

North 

side.

Feet. 

200

260

210

190

860

Tule Canyon. 

SilvertonClaude road.

Feet. 

.180

165 

50

Not exposed.

395

Mulberry 

Canyon. 

Silver tonClarendon 

road.

Feet. 

340

Eroded.

160

100

500

PERMIAN RED BEDS. 

GENERAL STATEMENTS.

The oldest rocks found on the surface in the Panhandle cf Texas 

are the Permian red beds. These rocks occupy a considerable part 

of the Great Plains from southern Kansas across Oklahoma and 

Texas as far as New Mexico and Arizona, and outcrop along the 

eastern flank of the Rocky Mountains as far north as the Black Hills 

of South Dakota.

In Oklahoma, where the Permian red beds are typically exposed, 

they have been divided by the writer into five formations, as follows: a

Quartermaster.

Greer.

fPermian___ Woodward. 

I Blame. 

| Enid. 

Pennsylvanian.

Carboniferous __

The rocks typically exposed around Chandler, now known to H Pennsylvanian, consist of red shales and red or gray sandstones. The Enid 

formation is composed largely of red clay shales, with an occasional 

ledge of soft sandstone. The Blaine is characterized by massive

" Gould, Chas. N., General geology of Oklahoma . Second Bien. Kept. Oklahoma Geol. 

Siu-vey. 1902, pp. 42-58. Revised in Water-Sup, and Irr. Paper No. 148, U. S. Geol. 

Survey, 1905, p. 39.
16 EASTERN PANHANDLE OF TEXAS.

Tertiary

Quartermaster 300

Greer 275

Woodward 425 .

Blaine 100

Dog Creek shales

Shimer (gypsum i 

Medicine Lodge » 

sFergason ' u

Enid 1500

Coar&e sandstone and

Delhi fdolomitei _____

Collingsworth (gypsum) (6Si^g_

Cedar Top (gypsumj

Haystack (gypsum) f ' ' '^^

Kiser (gypsum)

Chaney (gypsum)

'Day Cieek (dolomite) f ^Li'j^. LJ_^

Bed Bluff (sandstone)

FIG 1 Generalized section of Oklahoma red beds. In the above legend " Delhi" should 

read Mangum, and " Red Bluff " should read Whitehorse.
PEEMTAN RED BEDS. 17

ledges of white gypsum interbeclded with red shales. The Woodward is made up of red shales and sandstones and a ledge of white 

dolomite. The Greer is also a gypsum formation, in which tl o ledgen 

are interstratifiecl with reel shales. In the Quartermaster the rocks 

consist chiefly of reel shales and clays, with ledges of soft sandstone. 

Fig. 1 shows the general character and relative thickness of the red 

beds as exposed in Oklahoma.

Professdr Cragin classified the red beds in Kansas and northern 

Oklahoma, but he did not examine the lower nor the upper members. 

He divided the portion that he studied into the Salt Fork and Kiger 

divisions, each consisting of a number of formations.*

In comparing this authors classification with the one used by 

Professor Cragin it may be said that, in general, the Enid, Blr.ine, and 

Woodward formations correspond to his Salt Fork and Kiger. 

Neither the rocks near Chandler nor the Greer nor the Quartermaster 

formations, as they are now known, were described by F^ofessor 

Cragin.

Professor Cummins divided the reel beds into the Wichita, Clear 

Fork, and Double Mountain formations, without, however, sharply 

differentiating them.6 Doctor Adams, who studied the lower members of the Texas reel beds, found that the divisions made by Professor Cummins were unsatisfactory and recommended that they should 

not be retained. 0 He has also shown that the Wichita beds in Texas, 

like those near Chandler, in Oklahoma, are Pennsylvanian in age.J 

From the best available information it seems probable that the 

Wichita beds are approximately the equivalent of those near Chandler, the Clear Fork beds include about the same rocks as tl Q. Enid, 

Blaine, and Woodward formations, and that the Double Mountain 

beds are practically the same as the Greer and Quartermaster formations. The following table expresses the conditions:

Relationship of formation classifications.

Cummins's classification.

Clear Fork beds ______ _ _

Wichita beds_ _ .. . ..____.

Classification of the writer.

{

Quartermaster .-.._-__

Enid. ______------_---.

Cragin's classi4? cation.

^

Kiger division.

[Salt Fork division.

" Cragin, P. W., Permian system of Kansas: Colorado Coll. Studies, vol. 6, 18*>6, p. 3.

B Cummins, W. F., Kept, on the geology of northwestern Texas: Second Ann.' Kept. 

Texas Geol. Survey, 1890, pp. 400-402.

< Adams, George I., Stratigraphic relations of the red beds to the Carboniferous and 

Permian in northern Texas : Bull. Geol. Soc. America, vol. 14, 1903, pp. 191-200.

" Ibid., pp. 195-199.
18 EASTERN PANHANDLE OF TEXAS.

THE PERMIAN IN THE PANHANDLE EEGION.

Of the formations of the Permian red beds discussed above, only 

the Greer and Quartermaster are exposed in the Panhandle of Texas.

Greer formation. The Greer formation, the lowest, member of 

the red beds found in the Panhandle, has its type exposure in Greer 

County, Okla., along Elm Fork of Red River, a few miles east of 

the Texas line. It is here composed of 150 to 200 feet <*f brick-red 

clays and shales interstratified with ledges of white, bluish, and 

pinkish gypsum, with an occasional ledge of magnesian limestone 

and dolomite. In many places, however, the gypsum beds are entirely wanting or occur as single ledges, while in other localities 

there are six or more well-marked beds, ranging from 1 to 30 feet in 

thickness, besides one or two ledges of irregular gray, honeycombed, 

magnesian limestone, 1 to 3 feet thick. A number of localities in 

Collingsworth County, Tex., may be cited where these definite gypsum layers occur, but extensive study in the region hes shown that 

all of them are more or less lenticular and do not persist for any considerable distance. Indeed it is not an uncommon o?currence for 

two or more of these ledges to merge locally by the thinning out of 

the intervening clays, while at a short distance beyond the gypsums 

themselves become thin and disappear. In very few parts of the 

red beds is the tendency to form lenses better exemplified than in 

the Greer formation. Along North Fork of Red River, just east of 

the Panhandle line, the writer has named the following members of 

the Greer: Chaney, Kiser, Haystack, Cedartop, and Collingsworth 

gypsums and Mangum dolomite." The sequence of the beds is shown 

in fig. 2.

In view of the facts as presented above, it appears better not to 

indicate by name those lenses which persist only for a phort distance 

and which can not be correlated in adjoining regions; hence in the 

present paper no attempt will be made to subdivide the Greer 

formation.

Because of the lenticular nature of the beds it is no+, always possible to locate the exact limits of the various subdivisions of the red 

beds. In general, however, the upper limit of the Greer is placed 

either at the top of the highest prominent gypsum ledge or at the 

top of the ledge of magnesian limestone or dolomite, which appears 

10 to 20 feet above the highest ledge of solid gypsum.

The gypsum members of the Greer formation abound in caves 

and sink holes. In PI. VI, A, is reproduced a photograph of an 

opening on the surface of a gypsum cave in western Oklahoma. 

The soft shales which underlie the ledges are easily eroded, and the

" Gould, Chas. N., General geology of Oklahoma : Second Bien. Kept, Okla. Geol. Survey, 1002, pp. 55-56.
U. S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY WATER-SUPPLY PAPER NO. 154 PL. VI

A. GYPSUM CAVE.

B. SPRING ISSUING FROM A CAVE IN GREER GYPSUM.

*
PEKMIAN KED BEDS. 19

gypsum is gradually dissolved by water. It is not uncommon to find 

a prairie stream of considerable size which disappears in a sink 

hole. In such case, however, it usually comes again to the surface at 

110 great distance as a spring issuing from a cave (PL VI, B}. 

These sink holes are of various shapes, with the oblong and circular 

forms predominating. The oblong sink holes often terminate

Dolomite, honeycombed

Bed clay

Hard stratified gypsum 

Bluish aud red clay 

Hard gypsum

Bed and bluish shale, banded

20' . £^

Massive white gypsum -j-12'

Red and blue clay 6'

Massive white gypsum is' 

White and green and red clay 6'

Massive white gypsum 20

Bed and greenish clay 15'

Greenish selenitic gypsum 3

Bed clay 12'

Collingswor.tli

Cedar Top

Haystack

Riser

Chaney

FIG. 2. Section showing members of Greer formation on Elm Pork of Red River at 

Salton, Okla. In above legend " Delhi " should read Mangum.

abruptly in caves at one end, while the circular ones exhibit a 

conical hole in the center, through which the water escapes most 

freely. These sink holes vary in depth from a few inches to 20 feet 

or more and are 10 to 100 feet, in diameter. In general they are 

irregularly distributed; in some cases, however, they seem to occur 

in chains, evidently connected by an underground passage, thus
20 EASTERN PANHANDLE OP TEXAS.

marking the beginning of a drainage channel. These sink holes are 

probably formed by the subterranean drainage which dissolves the 

gypsum and clay below the surface, forming caves which eventually 

collapse and become stream beds. North of Shamrock, 2 miles from 

Xorth Fork of Red River, there is a typical sink-hole region in which 

hundreds of these openings occur in an area of a few square miles.

In various places the members of the Greer exhiHt a marked 

peculiarity of stratification not usually found in the rocks of the 

plains. The gypsum ledges are here often distinctly laminated, as 

shown on PL IV, B. Steep local dips, both anticlines and synclines, 

are often observed along the sides of a cliff.

A striking peculiarity of the Greer formation is tre erratic dip 

of the gypsum. Frequently in tracing a ledge along a small stream 

it is found that within a distance of perhaps half a mile the stream 

descends 50 feet, while the gypsum along the bluff still retains the 

same height above the water channel. On the opposite side of the 

stream the same ledge may be traced along another branch until less 

than a mile away it is 75 feet higher than at the main stream. In 

other words, the dip of the ledge is toward the stream on both sides, 

though the ledge is continuous. This peculiarity of dip gives the 

appearance of irregularly folded strata, yet there has been no general folding whatever. The phenomenon is not easy to understand. 

Perhaps the most plausible explanation is that the shales have been 

removed from beneath the gypsum ledges, permitting the latter to 

sink along the streams into the semblance of a local cUp- This fact 

is exemplified on PL VII, A.

The Greer formation being the lowest member of th«, red beds in 

the Panhandle naturally outcrops low in the stream valleys. It is 

well exposed along the branches of Red River, particularly on Elm, 

Salt, and Prairie Dog forks. On Elm Fork it outcrops along the 

valley of the stream from the Oklahoma line as far west as Shamrock, in southern Wheeler County. Between Elm Fork and Salt 

Fork the Greer forms the plain as far west as the post-of^ce of Dozier, 

while along the north side of Salt Fork gypsum ledges appear in the 

bluffs at intervals, finally disappearing in Donley County a few 

miles east of the center. South of Salt Fork a strip of sand hills 

covers the red beds, so that the Greer formation is not exposed north 

of the divide between Salt and Prairie Dog forks of Red River.

It is in the valley of Prairie Dog Fork of Red River and its tributaries, Spillers and Mulberry creeks, and in Palo Duro Canyon, in 

Collingsworth, Donley, and Armstrong counties, that the Greer formation attains its typical development in the Panhandle. In this locality 

it is exposed along the bluffs of the main creeks and caprs the slopes of 

the smaller side canyons that are dissecting the red-beds plain. In 

Palo Duro Canyon, in particular, the gypsums of the Greer are con-
U. S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY WATER-SUPPLY PAPER NO. 154 PL. VII

A UNDERMINING OF GYPSUM LEDGES.

B. EROSION IN THE QUARTERMASTER SANDSTONE IN PALO DURO CANYON 

Tertiary cliffs in the distance. ,
PERMIAN BED BEDS. 21

spicuous; here a number of narrow ravines have been cut out. In 

this locality creeks sometimes pass into caves and sink holes, F nd after 

flowing underground for half a mile or more reappear in a deep canyon. Ledges of white gypsum cap the bluffs and wind in sinuous 

white lines along the streams.

Quartermaster formation. Resting conformably upon the 'Greer 

are 250 to 300 feet of rocks, consisting for the most part of soft, red 

sandstones and sandy clays and shales. To this formation the name 

Quartermaster has been applied, the name being derived from a 

creek in Day and Custer counties of Oklahoma, along which the 

rocks are typically exposed. In the lower part of the formation the 

rocks are chiefly shales, usually red, but sometimes containing greenish bands or layers of clay and often (particularly near the base) a 

considerable amount of gypsum, which is usually in the form of 

white or pink satinspar or of rounded concretions. At a higher 

level the red shales become more arenaceous and not infrequently 

form a consolidated sandstone, which is rather thin bedded and 

prone to break into small rectangular blocks. These harder members 

of the Quartermaster formation often weather into long, narrow 

buttresses and more or less conical mounds, varying in height from 

10 to 50 feet, as shown in PI. VII, B. These conical mounds sometimes occur alone, but more often they appear in groups; occasionally there are hundreds of them on a single quarter section.

The sandstone members are further characterized by marVed and, 

very peculiar irregular dips and folds. Strata are often seen dipping 

at an angle of 20 to 40 degrees, but the dip is irregular, varying in 

direction to all points of the compass, even on a small area. These 

local dips often produce slopes which have the character of those 

formed by normal faults or by general folding. The cause of this 

phenomenon is not well understood, but apparently the erratic dips 

are caused by the erosion of some of the subjacent gypsum members 

of the Greer formation.

In certain parts of the Quartermaster formation there occur beds 

of hard, white, or pinkish dolomite. One such outcrops on Mulberry 

Creek, 10 miles southwest of Clarendon, as a ledge 5 feet thick. 

Another, which caps the bluff at the crossing of Salt Fork of Red 

River, 3 miles north of Clarendon, is 3 to 5 feet thick, ^Thite or 

pinkish in color, hard or even cherty, with characteristic dendritic 

markings. When traced east for several miles this ledge is found to 

be a lens changing into sandstone and sandy shale. Another locality 

where dolomite occurs is on Antelope Creek, in northwestern Carson 

County, and along the bluffs north of Canadian River, near F'emons, 

the county seat of Hutchinson County. The reel beds in this locality 

are provisionally classed as Quartermaster.
22 . EASTERN PANHANDLE OP TEXAS.

Throughout the greater part of this region the Quartermaster formation is overlain miconformably by the Tertiary or Quaternary 

deposits. In the localities where the Dockum beds are present the 

upper limit of the formation is located at the line where the color of 

the shales changes from brick red to maroon or wine color.

In general the Quartermaster formation outcrops in a belt 1 to 5 

miles wide at the base of the High Plains. It appears in the southern 

part of Wheeler County, between Shamrock and Dozier, occupies the 

northwestern part of Collingsworth County, and follows along the 

north side of Salt Fork as far west as Clarendon. Ir the southern 

part of Collingsworth County the Quartermaster is exposed south 

and west of Wellington, the county seat. It forms the dissected 

plain between Memphis and Giles in southern Donley and eastern 

Armstrong counties. Along Palo Duro Canyon, in southwestern 

Armstrong County, it exhibits a maximum thickness of 300 feet and 

forms the top of the intracanyon terrace, just above the Greer gypsum 

ledges.

The red beds are exposed along Canadian River in northern Carson 

and southern Hutchiiison counties. The most typical exposures are 

along Dixon and Antelope creeks, in Carson County, T^here 250 feet 

appear in vertical section. They contain some beds of dolomite and 

gypsum. These beds do not seem sufficiently uniform and persistent 

to warrant giving them definite names, yet they are more extensive 

than similar beds that occur in other portions of the formation. It 

is probable that a detailed study will reveal that these beds extend 

farther to the west along Canadian River. Plicated structure, noted 

elsewhere, is exemplified in this region. The following section was 

made in southwestern Hutchinson County, 2 miles from the mouth 

of Antelope Creek:

Section of red beds on Antelope Creek, Carson County, Tex.

Feet. 

Red clays, with sandy shale___________________________ _ __ 40

Gray sandstone _________ ___ 8

Red clay______________________ _____________ ____ 85

Gray dolomite, weathers out in blocks which are scattered over talus slope 

(this ledge forms a terrace)_________________________ 8

Red clay ___________________________________________ 130 

Gypsum, bluish in places; a fairly persistent uniform ledge__________ 2 

Red clay, lower portion covered______________ ____________ 6

For lithological reasons these beds as a whole are considered as 

belonging to the Quartermaster formation.

Near the middle of the Quartermaster formation, as exposed in 

Collingsworth and Hall counties, there is a ledge of rather hard, red 

or pinkish, more or less oolitic sandstone, which on werthering gives 

rise to a number of flat-topped buttes and ridges. Of these the most 

typical are Rocking Chair Mountains (PI. VIII, /I), southwest of
U. S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY WATER-SUPPLY PAPER NO. 154 PL. VII

A. ROCKING CHAIR MOUNTAINS. 

A hill capped by the Dozier sandstone.

B. SANDSTONE MEMBER OF THE DOCKUM FORMATION IN PALO DURO CANYON.
TEIASSIC BED BKDS. 23

Shamrock; Antelope Butte, near the head of Elm Fork of Red River; 

Dozier Mounds, near Dozier post-office, and "Possum Peaks, Twin 

Mounds, and Ragged Top, a few miles farther west of Dozier. Between Salt and Prairie Dog forks of Red River, in the vicirity of 

Memphis, in Hall County, these buttes are conspicuous. Hogback 

Butte, 8 miles south of Memphis, is a noted landmark. These buttes 

persist for an unknown distance south of Salt Fork of Red River.

From the sandstone on Antelope and Dozier mounds, Dr. J. W. 

Beede identifies fossils belonging to the following genera: Dielasma, 

Schizodus, Alloris-ma, Pleurophorus, Edmondia, Avieulopecten, Leiopteria, Capulus? (Lepetopsis?}, Loxonema, Strophostylus, Murchisonia, Pleurotomaria, and Worthenopsis; indicating the Permian age 

of the sandstone.

TRIASSIC RED BEDS.

Dockum formation. The upper part of the Texas red beds was 

described by Professor Cummins under the name of Dockum beds," 

and afterwards by Drake.6 This formation, which is coriposed 

largely of clays, sandstones, and conglomerates, underlies practically 

all of the Staked Plains of Texas and southeastern New Mexico. 

According to Drake,0 the Dockum beds average 200 feet in thickness, 

and may be divided into three members, as follows: (1) A lower bed of 

sandy clay 0 to 150 feet thick, (2) a central bed or beds of sandstone, 

conglomerate, and some sandy clay 0 to 235 feet thick, and (3) an 

upper bed of sandy clay and sandstone 0 to 300 feet thick.

Along Palo Duro Canyon in Armstrong and Briscoe counties, 

where this formation was studied by the writer, it is difficult to 

divide it into recognizable members. The formation abounds-in local 

unconformities with clay, sandstone, and conglomerate lentils, with 

cross-bedded structure, and other features indicative of shallow-water 

deposition. In places the lower portion is made up of red, maroon, 

or wine-colored clays, while at higher horizons there are more or 

less lenticular sandstones and conglomerates, as shown in PL IX, B. 

On weathering, the sandstones of the Dockum beds give rise to unique 

erosion forms; the harder members protect the softer shales beneath 

and produces pillars, chimneys, toadstools, and other unusual figures, 

some types of which, exposed in Tule Canyon, 6 miles northwest of 

Silverton, are shown in PL IX, A.

The lithologic characters which justify the separation of the 

Dockum beds from the Permian are, (1) the gray and brown color 

of the sandstones and conglomerates and the abundance of the latter:

"Cummins, W. F., First Ann. Kept. Texas Geol. Survey, 1809, pp. 189-190; Second 

Ann. Kept., 1900, pp. 424-428.

6 Drake, N. F., Stratigraphy of the Triassic formations of northwest Texas; Third 

Ann. Kept. Texas Geol. Survey, 1901, pp. 227-247.

c Ibid., pp. 229-233.
24 EASTERN PANHANDLE OF TEXAS.

(2) the maroon, wine-colored, and yellow shales and clays, and (3) 

the extensive cross-bedding and local unconformities of the various 

members. Whether or not the Dockum formation is conformable 

throughout with the subjacent Quartermaster formation is still an 

open question. There is often local unconformity between the two 

formations, but on the other hand there are localities in which the 

brick-red shales and argillaceous sandstone of the Quartermaster 

grade so imperceptibly into the wine-colored shales and gray-brown 

conglomerates of the Dockum that the closest search fails to reveal .the 

line of separation between them.0

Concerning the age of the Dockum formation it mr,y be said that 

vertebrate fossils, found in these rocks and described by Cope,& as 

well as certain new forms of Unios named by Simpson,c indicate that 

the beds belong to the Triassic. In all, seven species of vertebrates 

and four of pelecypods have been secured from this formation.

TERTIARY AND QUATERNARY FORMATIONS. 

REFERENCE LIST OF PUBLICATIONS.

For extended discussions of the Tertiary rocks of various parts of 

the Great Plains the reader is referred to the following publications:

Cummins, W. F.^ Notes on the geology of northwest Texps: Fourth Ann. 

Rept. Texas Geol. Survey, 1893, pp. 190-203.

Dumble, E. T., Cenozoic deposits of Texas: Jour. Geol., vo? 2, No. 6, 1894. 

pp. 549-563.

Hay, Robert, Water resources of a portion of the Great Plains: Sixteenth 

Ann. Rept. U. S. Geol. Survey, pt. 2, 1895, pp. 5G9 et seq.

Haworth, E., Physical properties of the Tertiary: Univ. Geol. Survey Kansas, vob 2, 1897, pp. 247-284. Underground waters of southwestern Kansas: 

Water-Sup, and Irr. Paper U. S. Geol. Survey No. 6, 1897.

Darton, N. H., Report on the geology and water resources of Nebraska west 

of 103d Mer.: Nineteenth Ann. Rept. U. S. Geol. Survey, pt. 4, 1899, pp. 719-785. 

Also in Prof. Paper U. S. Geol. Survey No. 17, 1903.

Darton, N. H., Rept. on the geology of the central Great Plains: Prof. Paper 

U. S. Geol. Survey No. 32, 1905.

Johnson, Willard D., The High Plains and their utilization: Twenty-first 

Anii. Rept. U. S. Geol. Survey, pt. 4, 1901, pp. 601-741. Twenty-second Ann. 

Rept. U. S. Geol. Survey, pt. 4, 1902, pp. 631-669.

" Since the above was written opportunity has been afforded for studying these beds In 

the western part of the Panhandle of Texas, both on upper Palo Durc Canyon and along 

the valley of Canadian River. The writer finds that in this region the Triassic is 

everywhere separated by a pronounced unconformity from the subjacent Permian red beds 

and that it is clearly divisible into two formations, each consisting of well-marked 

members. These formations and members will be described in a forthcoming watersupply and irrigation paper.

b Cope, E. D., Vertebrate remains from the Dockum Terrane of the Trassic system: 

Fourth Ann. Rept. Texas Geol. Survey, 1903, pp. 11-17.

c Simpson, C. T., Descriptions of four new Triassic Unios from th? Staked Plains of 

Texas: Proc. U. S. National Mus., vol. 18, No. 1072, 1896, pp. 381-385.
U. S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY WATER-SUPPLY PAPER NO. 154 PL. IX

A. EROSION FORMS IN THE DOCKUM SANDSTONE IN TULE CANYON.

B. SANDSTONE AND SHALE MEMBER OF THE DOCKUM FORMATION. 

Showing lenticular nature of the strata.
TERTIARY AND QUATERNARY FORMATIONS. 25

STRATIGRAPHY.

General statement. After the deposition of the Permian and 

Triassic red beds in the Panhandle region the area was elevated and 

for a long period of titne the land was extensively eroded. Farther 

south and west extensive deposits of Cretaceous rocks rest on the 

red beds, but in the part of the Panhandle under discussion Cretaceous formations are absent.

Resting uncomformably upon the eroded surface of the red beds 

throughout the region described in this paper are extensive deposits 

of the Cenozoic age Tertiary or Quaternary which make up the 

rocks of the High Plains, These formations, which consist largely 

of loosely consolidated clays, sands, and conglomerates, typically 

white, but varying locally into gray, buff, brown, or other colors, 

constitute the " Tertiary grit " and the " Tertiary marl " or " r>ortar 

beds'" of the Kansas geologists. In Nebraska, Mr. Darton subdivides the beds of approximately this age into the Arikaree and the 

Ogalalla. In the Panhandle of Texas Professor Cummins hr.s distinguished four horizons, basing his classification upon the evidence 

afforded by vertebrate fossils obtained in the different beds and 

identified by Professor Cope.0

The following table sets forth the names of the members as used by 

Professor Cummins, the geologic age, and the number of specie? Professor Cope found in each:

fonsi1s distinguishiti!/ four horizons in the Panhandle of Tejrax.

Period.

Quaternary _ _ _ '. . . . .

Tertiary _-._.______

Epoch.

Pleistocene ..._____

f Pliocene _____

Formation.

Tule (Eqmis beds) ......_ -

Number of

STecies.

10

16

8

17

Loup Fork formation. -The term " Lotip Fork " has long been used 

to include a series of rocks, usually considered later Miocene in age, 

which are extensively exposed on the Great Plains, particularly in 

Colorado, Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, and New Mexico. 

The rocks consist largely of sands, clays, and conglomerates, tH latter made chiefly of smooth water-worn pebbles presumably derived 

from the Rocky Mountains. The thickness of the deposits varies, 

but the maximum is several hundred feet. The Loup Fork bed?1 constitute the lowest Tertiary formation known to exist in the Panhandle. According to Professor Cummins these beds do not extend

« Fourth Ann. Kept. Texas Geol. Survey, pt. 8, 1893, pp. 18-86.
26 EASTERN PANHANDLE OF TEXAS.

farther south along tire eastern edge of the Llano Estacado than 

the Prairie Dog Fork of Red River." On Mulberry Creek, 12 miles 

west of Clarendon, where Cummins and Cope obtained the fossils 

identified by the latter, the Loup Fork beds are 30 feet thick and 

u composed of alternating beds of bluish and almost pure white 

sand." 6

Goodnight formation. This division, named by Professor Cummins from the town in Armstrong County, Tex., consists of calcareous 

and arenaceous clays, sands, and heavy conglomerates. Lithologically, it is practically impossible to differentiate these beds from those 

of the Loup Fork or Blanco, and it is only by means of fossils contained in them that the beds are known to be of different age. Professor Cope identified eight vertebrates from these beds and assigned 

them to an age intermediate between the Loup Fork and the Blanco.0 

Professor Cummins states that the Goodnight beds have extensive 

development south of Mulberry Creek. "The maximum thickness as 

given by him is approximately 150 feet.d

Dall, on the authority of Dumble, has called these beds Palo Duro. 

He classes them as transitional between the Miocene and Pliocene, 

and says: "' These beds, identified in western Texas by Scott as transitional, also had the absurd name of Goodnight applied to them." e 

Certainly no one who has ever been in that portion of the Panhandle 

would consider the name of Goodnight as absurd, for it is the name 

of one of the largest of the old-time cattle ranches, as well as of a 

good-sized town, the seat of a flourishing college.

Blanco formation. Professor Cummins gave the name Blanco beds 

to those Tertiary rocks which rest unconformably upon the Dockum 

conglomerate at the type locality of the latter i. e., at Dockum, Dickens County, Tex. Vertebrate fossils from that region have been 

identified by Professor Cope, who states that " the horizon is more 

strictly and nearly Pliocene than any of the lacuetrine terranes 

hitherto found in the interior of the continent." f The rocks consist 

of alternating layers of sand, clay, and diatomaceous earth, approximately 160 feet in thickness.

Tide formation. These beds, described by Professor Cummins 0 

and by Professor Cope, were assigned by the latter to the Egtius-bed

" Cummins, W. F., Notes on the geology of northwest Texas : Fourtl Ann. Kept. Texas 

Geol. Survey, 1893, p. 203.

» Ibid., p. 204.

r Cope, E. D., Vertebrate fauna of the Loup Fork beds : Fourth Ann. Kept. Texas Geol. 

Survey, pt. 8, 1893, p. 46.

d Cummins, op. cit. pp. 201-202.

e Dall, Wm. H., Table of North American Tertiary horizons, etc. : Eighteenth Ann. Kept. 

F. S. Geol. Survey, pt. 2, 1898, p. 338.

f Cope, E. D., Vertebrate fauna of the Blanco beds: Fourth Ann. Rept. Texas Geol. 

Survey, 1893, p. 47.

« Cummins, op. cit. pp. 199-200.
FnH-W CF U, :.; , GICLOGFCAL SURVEY,

TERTIARY AND QUATERNARY FORMATIONS. 27

horizon of the early Pleistocene, on account of vertebrates from Tule 

Canyon in Swisher County. In general, the statement made by Professor Cope that u Equus beds form the superficial formation of the 

country at various points on the Staked Plains and about its eastern 

escarpment, 1" a may be considered as accurate. However, the Equus 

beds are by no means confined to the top of the Llano Estacado, but 

occur in other localities as well, notably north of Canadian Hiver. 

These rocks consist of coarse sand, clay, and gravel, with variable 

thickness.

Age of beds. It is the experience of the writer, after ten seasons 

ppeiit in studying these deposits in Kansas, Oklahoma, Texrs, and 

New Mexico, that it is practically impossible to separate either the 

Tertiary or Pleistocene deposits of the plains into mappable formations. From the bottom of the Loup Fork to the top of the Equus 

beds the general character of the rocks changes so constantly and 

with such extreme irregularity that they can not for the most part be 

differentiated in the field. Sections made at about twelve points in 

eastern Colorado, western Kansas, western Oklahoma, and in the 

Panhandle of Texas show such a marked similarity of structure that 

without the evidence of fossils it is impossible to determine whether 

the rocks belong to the Miocene, the Pliocene, or the Equus beds. 

Even Professor Hay, who studied these rocks in Kansas and rpplied 

to them the descriptive terms " Mortar beds," u Tertiary grit," " Tertiary marl," etc., did not succeed in differentiating them into definite 

horizons. If it were possible to distinguish formations stratigraphically, the matter of classification would be greatly simplified, but in 

the light of pre'sent knowledge, it seems not only inexpedient but even 

impossible to differentiate them structurally. In view of these facts, 

therefore, the general term Tertiary will be used to include the 

Loup Fork, the Goodnight, the Blanco, and in most cases also the 

Tule or Equus beds. The Equus beds are classed with Tertiary 

chiefly, as stated above, because these beds can not be distinguished 

in the field, nor, indeed, by any other means than that of vertebrate 

fossils, which are present only in scattered localities.

ORIGIN OF THE TERTIARY DEPOSITS.

With regard to the origin of the Tertiary deposits of the Great 

Plains two general theories have been advanced. The earlier geologists who studied these rocks considered them lacustrine in origin; 

Professor Marsh, for instance, described a great Pliocene lake covering practically the entire Great Plains area, in which deposits 1,500 

feet thick were laid down. 6 Professor Cummins, in speaking of the

" Cope, B. D., Vertebrate fauna of the Blanco beds: Fourth Ann. Rept. Te^as Geol. 

Survey, 1893, p. 75.

6 Marsh, O. C., Amer. Jour. Sci., vol. 9, Jan., 1875, p. 52.
28 EASTEEN PANHANDLE OF TEXAS.

Goodnight beds, says, " They seem to have been deposited in a lake 

much more extensive to the south than the Loup Fork, which latter 

seems to have had its southern termination here" (at Mulberry 

Canyon).a Professor Cope has already been quoted regarding " Lacustrine terranes." Professor Hay accepted the lake theory, although 

he did not account for the formation of these supposed bodies of 

water. 6 Later investigations, however, have led to the opinion that 

it is to fluviatile rather than to lacustrine agencies that we must look 

for the origin of the Tertiary deposits.

Professor Ha worth, in discussing the Kansas Tertiary ,c observes: 

" The relative positions of the sand, the gravel, and tho clay of the 

Tertiary over the whole of Kansas * * * correspond much better to river deposits than to lake deposits. The irregularity of 

formation succession, the limited lateral extent of the beds of gravel, 

sand, and clay, and the frequent steepness of the cross-beicling planes, 

all correspond to river deposits. * * * The materials themselves 

have many indications of river deposits and a very fev of lake deposits/1

Mr. Johnson, in his report on u The High Plains and Their Utilization,'"1 expresses the opinion that " The structure, an uneven network 

of gravel courses and elongated beds of sand penetrating a mass of 

silt and sand-streaked clay, is the normal product of desert-stream 

work under constant desert conditions. The coarse material is not 

regarded as the product of necessarily strong-running streams and 

the fine material of sluggish streams, in alternating epochs of humid 

and dry climate or of high and low inclination of slope, but as the 

simultaneous product of branching streams of the desert habit, here 

running in a channel and there spreading thinly." d

The only point at issue among these writers seems to be whether 

the cause of the deposition of the material by the streams is to be 

sought in climatic changes which produced alternate periods of aridity and humidity, or in deformation movements of the earth's crust 

by which the eastern part of the Great Plains was elevated and the 

gradient of the streams lessened. With regard to this matter the 

writer does not express an opinion. The subject has been discussed 

by Johnson, to whose article the reader is referred.6

GENERAL CHARACTER OP THE TERTIARY DEPOSITS,

It has been stated already that the greater part of the rocks consists of clays, sandstones, and conglomerates with clays predominat0 Cummins, W. F., Notes on the geology of northwest Texas: Fourth A nn. Rept. Texas 

Geol. Survey, 1893, p. 201.

6 Hay, Robert, Water resources of a portion of the (Jreat Plains : Sixteenth Ann. Rept. 

U. S. Geol. Survey, pt. 2, 1895, p. 571.

< Haworth, E., Physical properties of the Tertiary: Univ. Geol. Survey Kansas, vol..2, 

1897, p. 283.

" Twenty-first Ann. Rept. U. S. Geol. Survey, pt. 4, 1901, 655.

e Ibid., chap. 2, p. 612-656.
U. S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY WATER-SUPPLV PAPER NO. 154 PL. X

A. EDGE OF TERTIARY ESCARPMENT. 

Showing alternation of hard and soft beds.

B. PECULIAR WEATHERING OF TERTIARY CLAY IN PALO DURO CANYON.
TERTIAEY AND QUATERNARY FORMATIONS. 29

ing. In color the clays are normally white, so white that when exposed they are frequently spoken of as " gyp " cliffs or " chalk" 

cliffs, although they contain neither gypsum nor chalk. However, 

the color of the clays is not invariably white; it often grades into 

the various other light tints. In structure the clay is usurlly so 

soft that it may be crushed with the fingers; but, on the other hand, 

the more calcareous members are frequently indurated and make a 

fair quality of limestone. Occasionally beds are found full of white 

calcareous lumps or concretions, which give to the rock a mottled appearance. The lime often cements the clay together in the form of 

elongated concretions, which, on weathering, have a resemblance to 

stalactites, as shown in PL X, 5, and form what one autho~ calls 

" P^y " concretions.0

Sand beds and ledges of conglomerate also constitute a considerable 

part of the Tertiary and Quaternary. The sand is usually in smooth, 

rounded, white or yellowish grains and the material is of quartz. 

The conglomerate is made up typically of smooth water-worn 

pebbles, usually composed of quartz, granite, porphyry, and other 

igneous rocks, varying in size from sand grains to bowlders as 

large as a peck measure. These pebbles most commonly occur in beds 

or layers sometimes as much as 25 feet thick, but often they are intermingled with fine sand and sometimes sprinkled through th^ clay 

members.

In a number of localities the gravel beds at the immediate base of 

the Tertiary contain considerable numbers of water-worn Gryphcea 

shells of lower Cretaceous age. It has been stated that at the present 

time there are no Cretaceous rocks exposed between the red beds and 

the Tertiary deposits in this part of the Panhandle, but that extensive 

Cretaceous deposits are found along the southern and western edges 

of the Llano Estacado. Whether these shells were derived from the 

lower Cretaceous rocks in place, or were transported by streams from 

beds farther west, it is impossible to determine, but in the light of 

available data the latter supposition seems probable.

The relative proportion of the different rocks enumerated above 

varies with the locality, but it is probable that three-fourths of the 

Tertiary and Pleistocene material exposed along the eastern edge of 

the Staked Plains is some form of clay, silt, or marl, the other onefourth being sand or conglomerate. Farther north, in Kansrs and 

Nebraska, the proportion of coarser material is relatively larger, 

often being more than one-half.

In all places on the plains, so far as known, these materials are arranged in a heterogeneous manner the clays, sand, pebblee silt, 

conglomerate, and other forms of rock occurring indiscriminately 

and without similarity of position. In one place a section of a hill

" Darton, Nelson H., Report on the geology and water resources of Nebraska west of 

103d Mer.: Prof. Paper U. S. Geol. Survey No. 17, 1903, p. I'o. 

1KB 154 06 M 3
30 EASTERN PANHANDLE OF TEXAS.

shows nothing but clay and silt; half a mile away bee's of sandstone 

and gravel occur; and still farther away the section reveals little 

besides sand and conglomerate. (PI. X, A, B, exhibits typical Tertiary structure.)

SAND HILLS.

There are two general classes of sand hills in the Panhandle, those 

derived from the disintegration of rocks in place and those blown by 

the winds from some stream channel. The sand hills of disintegration occur usually either along the base of the escarpment at the foot 

of the High Plains or along the divide between two river systems. 

The material of which these sand hills are composed has been largely 

derived in place by the disintegration of Tertiary rocks. As the clay 

and silt which make up a considerable part of the Tertiary deposits 

were removed by the action of water the sand and gravel remained 

behind and the finer materials have been shaped by the wind. In 

each of the four eastern counties of the Panhandle there are considerable areas of sand hills which have been formed in this manner. 

In Lipscomb and Hemphill counties sand hills occur along Wolf Creek 

and on the divide between that stream and Canadian River. Much 

of Wheeler County is covered with sand hills, particularly in the 

region between Sweetwater Creek and North Fork of Ped Eiver. In 

Collingsworth County there is a region 10 to 15 miles wide south of 

Salt Fork, extending entirely across the county, composed wholly of 

these sand hills, and in southeastern Donley County there are large 

areas covered with sand hills.

In the second class of sand hills are those formed of wind-blown 

sand derived from the stream channels. In the Panhandle region 

they seem to occur indiscriminately on both the north and south sides 

of the various rivers, usually along the flood plain between the channel of the stream and the bluffs. Hills of this character, which are 

composed of fine white or yellowish quartz grains, are usually barren 

of vegetation, as shown in PI. IV, A. They are present along 

practically all the larger streams, particularly along Canadian River 

and Salt Fork of Red River. Migrating dunes are not uncommon.

ALLUVIUM.

Along all the large streams in this region there have been deposited 

materials of greater or less thickness that have been brought by the 

streams from higher levels. In the valley of Canadian River is a 

broad belt of bottom land made up largely of alluvium, which here 

consists chiefly of fine sand and clay mixed with decayed organic 

matter and occasional coarser gravels, the whole constituting a sandy 

loam. As much of the clay is derived from the red beds, the loam 

often partakes of a reddish color. Along all the small streams
WATER RESOURCES. 31

emptying into Canadian River are bottom lands or flood plains composed of practically the same material, and there are deposits along 

the various tributaries of Red River. Along North Fork ard Salt 

Fork the bottom lands are from half a mile to a mile wide.

WATER RESOURCES.

UNDERGROUND WATERS. 

GENERAL CONDITIONS.

The underground waters of the Panhandle of Texas may be discussed under two general heads red-beds waters and Tertiary waters. 

Under the latter head is included water from the sand hill?. The 

water of the red beds occurs chiefly on the eroded plains at the foot 

of the escarpment in the southern and eastern part of the region. 

The water of the Tertiary is found on the High Plains and in the 

escarpment regions that is, on the greater part of the area under 

discussion. The water of the red beds is limited in amount and 

usually impregnated with mineral salts, particularly gypsum (CaCO4 ) 

and common salt (Nad), so that it is often unfit for general use, 

while the Tertiary water is uniformly abundant and almost always 

pure and wholesome. So different both in quality and quantity are 

the waters from these two horizons that it seems best to discuss them 

separately.

WATER FROM THE RED BEDS.

Character. Wherever the Permian red beds are exposed the water 

is unsatisfactory in quality, although it ordinarily is plentiful. 

Water from the red beds generally contains appreciable amounts of 

mineral salts, which in many cases are so abundant as to render it 

unfit for general use. To all this salt-impregnated water th°- common term " gyp *" water is applied. In point of fact, however, much 

of the water does not contain any considerable per cent of calcium 

sulphate. A number of other mineral salts are found in the red 

beds, the most abundant of which are sodium chloride, sodirm sulphate, sodium carbonate, magnesium carbonate, magnesium sulphate, 

calcium chloride, and sodium borate, in about the order named. In 

some instances all of these salts are found in the water of a single 

well; but in most cases only two or three of them appear in appreciable quantities.

It must not be understood, however, that all the water from the 

red beds is bad, for there are numerous localities where soft and 

pure water is found. Especially is this true of the localities where 

the water is obtained in the Quartermaster formation, which, as has 

been stated, consists largely of soft sandstones and sandy shales. In
32 EASTEEN PANHANDLE OF TEXAS.

this formation but little gypsum occurs, and the proportion of the 

other mineral salts enumerated above is not as great as in the rocks 

of the Greer formation. The general statement may te made, however, that water from the reel beds is not good water.

Occurrence. Water in the red beds is usually found under one of 

two conditions: first, in sandstones or sandy clay beds, and second, 

in underground veins, either joints in the clay or in gypsum caves. 

As has been stated, the red beds consist largely of red clay shale 

with occasionally interbedded members of sandstone and gypsum. 

In part the clays are composed of very fine-grained material which 

is practically impervious to water. Frequently they contain a high 

proportion of sand, in which case the interstices between the sand 

and clay particles are sufficiently wide for the seepage of water, and 

it is from beds of this character that perhaps the greater part of the 

wells obtain their permanent supply. In many parts of the red beds, 

especially in the Quartermaster formation, the arenaceous clay beds 

become a true sandstone and the relatively large space? between the 

sand grains afford ready passage for water.

Many of the wells, however, find their supply not in sand nor even 

in sandy shales, but, if the testimony of drillers is given credence, in 

joints in the red clay. Those who have had experience in drilling 

wells agree in stating that while the greater part of the water in the 

red beds is found in sand, many of the wells penetrate nothing but 

the red clay. It is not uncommon for the drill to strike a so-called 

vein in the clay, in which the flow is so strong that the water rises 

many feet before the tools can be lifted. It has been said that the 

red beds abound in sink holes and caves, and that from many of the 

caves springs issue. In a number of cases the drill has been known 

to penetrate these caverns, which thus become reservoirs for the wells. 

The depth of wells in the red beds varies from 20 to 190 feet, averaging 

60 feet.

WATER FROM TERTIARY ROCKS.

Character. Almost without exception the water obtained in the 

Tertiary and sand-hills deposits of the Great Plains is good. Analyses of water from a number of wells and springs in these formations in Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma, and Texas have almost invariably shown that the water contains little or no harmful mineral 

salts. There are to be founel small amounts of calcium sulphate, calcium chloride, calcium carbonate, magnesium carbonate, and sodium 

bicarbonate in the water of some of the wells, but the average amount 

of mineral salts in 7 samples was but 15 grains per gallon. The water 

on the plains is almost universally soft, pure, and wholesome, suitable 

for household and stock use.
UNDERGROUND WATERS. 33

Occurrence, In order to appreciate the underground-water conditions of the High Plains, an understanding of the rocks from which 

the water is obtained is necessary. As has been shown under " Geology," pages 25-31, the Tertiary deposits, several hundred feet thick, 

which cover this region, consist chiefly of alternating layers of clay, 

sand, and gravel. It is generally believed by geologists that the material which comprises these rocks was derived largely from the Rocky 

Mountains, and that it was spread out in the beds of streams which 

in time past flowed from the mountains and were lost on the plains. 

These streams left deposits, now of sand, now of gravel or clay, and 

now of pebbles, which, in time, were covered by other deposits, sometimes of the same, but more often of other material. This process 

was continued until several hundred feet of alternating bed? of the 

various kinds of rocks were deposited. From this it will be understood that the greater part of the beds must necessarily be irregularly lens-shaped in cross section, and in most cases will not be found 

continuous over large areas. In some places the greater part of the 

thickness consists of clay or silt, while in other localities sand and 

gravel predominate. In general, it is observed that the deposits near 

the base of the Tertiary have a greater proportion of the coarser 

material, consisting of sand and gravel beds, and that at a higher 

level they have clays and silts in greater abundance.

Most of the water of the High Plains is known as " sheet water." 

This is a term almost universally used in the western part of the 

United States to indicate any fairly constant supply of water at a 

more or less uniform depth beneath the surface. The term " underflow " is sometimes used to indicate practically the same phenomenon. 

The general impression seems to be that at some depth beneath the 

surface there is a regular " sheet" or " lake " of water, which if 

tapped by a well will yield a constant supply. In some places two 

or even three " sheets " are supposed to exist, and the expression 

u first sheet" and " second sheet," or " first water" and " second 

water " are common. Another prevalent notion is that the water in 

these u sheets " is constantly flowing, stream-like, beneath the surface, 

an idea disclosed by the expression u the underflow is to the south," 

or " the underflow is east." Much of this theory, however, is erroneous and not based on valid conceptions of the conditions found in 

the nature and relations of the water-bearing beds. Rounded grains 

of sand and gravel do not lie close enough together to fill all of the 

space, but have interstices between them. These pores or spaces 

are minute reservoirs for the water which, in its passage through 

such materials, seeps from one of these minute reservoirs to the next, 

and thus very slowly flows along underground. This movement is 

called " underflow," but it is not nearly so rapid as popularly sup-
34 EASTERN PANHANDLE QF TEXAS.

posed. Experiment has shown that even along; stream beds, such 

as the Arkansas River in western Kansas, the rate of underflow does 

not average more than 10 feet a day." On the High Plains, where 

the gradient is exceedingly low, it is doubtful if the water moves 

more than this distance in a year. This is a point, however, upon 

which there are practically 110 data, and estimates may be misleading. 

Dry ground, according to the theory just advanced, is ground the 

pores of which contain no water, while wet or saturated ground is 

that in which the pores are filled. Since water tends to sink to the 

lowest levels, there is in most regions a certain, but variable, thickness of beds filled with water in what is technically known as the 

u zone of saturation.'1 '' The upper surface of this zone of saturation 

is called the " water table," and this is often identical with the popular phrase u sheet water/ 1 Since water moves so slowly underground, 

this water table often becomes approximately similar in contour to

^T^^^^. pBg£: *«pj$

Impervious beds Tertia'ry marls, sardstonas 

and conglomerates

Water tables 

FIG. 3. Ideal section of Tertiary, showing first and second she?t water.

the surface of the ground, being high on the divides and low near the 

streams where the water may escape in springs.

Attention has been called to the conditions under which these beds 

were laid down. As originally deposited they must have had an 

irregular outline and surface, especially when laid down in swamps 

or lakelets. Where the material is clay or very fine sand its interstices are very minute and practically impervious to water. Such 

fine deposits are often overlain by sand and gravel in basins or channels, and these in turn by other fine-graiiied deposits in varying succession, so that the alternation in water-bearing and impervious beds 

is most irregular, as shown in fig. 3. If such deposits are penetrated 

by a well the first sand encountered will supply water, the quantity 

of which depends upon the size of the water-bearing deposit, its 

coarseness of grain, the height of its edges, etc.; in the next coarse 

sand bed a second water stratum is found, and so on ur til finally the 

main water table is penetrated. This may be considered a probable

0 Slichter, Charles S., The motions of underground waters : Water-Sup, and Irr. Paper 

No. 67, U. S. Geol. Survey, 1902, pp. 41-43.
UNDEKGROTTND WATERS. 35

explanation of the " first and second water,'' " first and second sheet," 

etc. It also possibly accounts for conditions similar to the one found 

near Groom, Gray County, where records obtained from a relatively 

small area show well depths ranging from 300 to 360 feet, except in 

one well where water is obtained at 228 feet, This shallower well 

probably finds its source of supply in one of these buried basins.

Wells throughout the Tertiary area usually secure water at depths 

varying from 20 to 500 feet. On the High Plains the average of 

twenty wells, taken at random from half a dozen counties, was 258 

feet, The deepest wells are found along the line of the S^nta Fe 

Railroad on the high divide south of Canadian River, in Carson and 

Gray counties, where the wells are from 350 to 500 feet deep. On 

the High Plains in Hansford, Ochiltree, and Lipscomb counties, 

north of Canadian River, the average depth is 240 feet. In Armstrong County, along Prairie Dog Fork of Red River, the average 

depth is less than 200 feet. In certain parts of the region, notably in 

Hansford and Carson counties, the driller sometimes fails to obtain 

a water supply, and instances are reported where the entire thickness 

of the Tertiary has been penetrated without finding an adequate 

amount. It is the experience of drillers that if the " red clay" 

(evidently red-beds clay) is encountered without finding a sufficient 

amount of water, it is useless to go deeper.

SOURCE OF THE UNDERGROUND WATER.

Local precipitation is the source of the underground water of the 

High Plains. The rainfall at Amarillo, Tex., a few miles west of 

the region here discussed, averaged 21.94 inches annually for a period 

of twenty years.

Rainfall on the surface of the earth is disposed of chiefly by evaporation, run-off, and sinking, or seepage into the ground. It is estimated that in general the amount of water disposed of in each of the 

three ways is about equal, but the relative amounts in different regions 

depend upon several local conditions. For instance, on a steeD slope 

the greater part runs off; in a warm, arid climate the greater part 

evaporates, while in loose soil the greater part soaks in.

On a considerable part of the Great Plains, where the surface is 

level and the drainage systems undeveloped, there is no run-off, and 

the rainfall is either absorbed by the ground or evaporates. After a 

rain the water which does not evaporate immediately or is not absorbed by the ground accumulates in broad, shallow depressions on 

the surface, known as " buffalo wallows," or " lakes,'1 and tl °.re remains until it evaporates. Johnson estimates that not more than 3 

or 4 inches annually soak into the ground, an amount which would 

not saturate more than about 1 foot of sandy strata.0 This estimate

« Johnson, Willard D., The High Plains and their utilization: Twenty-second Ann. 

Rept. U. S. Geol. Survey, pt. 4, 1902, p. 646.
36 EASTEKN PANHANDLE OF TEXAS.

of the amount of water absorbed seem? rather small, 

but in all probability not more than G inches of 

rainfall are added to the ground water each year.

THE WATER TABLE.

As stated on page 34, the u water table "" or u water 

plane " is the subsurface plane beneath which the 

ground is saturated with water; in otHr words, the 

level at which the top of the ground 'water stands. 

It varies constantly from place to place, from year 

to year, and even from day to day. It is supplied 

chiefly from rainfall and is lowered when the water 

is removed, as, for instance, in the case of springs, 

by artesian wells, or by heavy pumping. Ordinarily 

it. is at a considerable distance below the surface, 

but occasionally it reaches the surface level, as in 

springs, swamps, or marshes.

On the High Plains the water table is located at 

the upper point of saturation of the pervious beds. 

Well records show that this water level for the High 

Plains, as a whole, averages approximately 250 feet 

below the surface. So far as known, this level is 

fairly constant, the amount of water taken away by 

springs and wells being approximately equaled by 

the amount added each year by precipitation. Fig. 4 

shows an east-west section of the plains and the position of the water table.

USE OF WINDMILLS.

As the Panhandle is chiefly a grazing country, 

most of the wells have been put down for the purpose of furnishing water for cattle. On the greater 

*» number of the larger ranches wells are located 2^ to 

3 miles apart, and windmills are almost universally 

used to bring the water to the surface.

Often upon the prairie the only object in view to 

indicate that the locality is inhabited is a solitary 

windmill. These mills are placed upon towers 20 

to 30 feet high, constructed of wood or steel. All 

'**** types of factory-made turbines are used, but the 

steel mill with a wheel 8 to 10 feef in diameter 

seems to be most effective for general purposes. 

Larger wheels, some even 20 feet in diameter, are 

FIG. 4.-East-west sec- employed to elevate the water for tH entire suption of High Plains, ply of some of the larger towns, as, for instance,

showing position of -r, , ,, i /~v i -n. /r>i ATT i \ r\ u, water table. Panhandle and Ochiltree. (PI. XI, A.) On the
U. S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY WATER-SUPPLY PAPER NO. 154 PL. XI

A. WINDMILL AND TANK AT OCHILTREE, TEX.

Ji. TYPICAL WINDMILL AND TANK.

* '*
UNDERGROUND WATERS. 3V

range the water is pumped into large steel or wooden vats or into 

shallow basins (locally called "tanks") excavated in the ground or 

formed by damming a shallow draw. These tanks are of various 

sizes, but ordinarily they have a capacity of several thousand barrels and are very serviceable, since the soil is of such nature that when 

thoroughly compact and saturated it permits but little seepage. 

Typical views of windmills and tanks are shown in PL XI, A, B. 

The mill is allowed to operate continuously, and is visited occasionally 

by a rider for purposes of repairs or oiling. Wind is such a constant factor on the plains that little concern is felt regarding the 

power to raise the water, and in very few instances are provisions 

made, or are other means necessary, for lifting it. In a few instances gasoline engines are installed for use in case of emergency. 

In the Panhandle a week seldom passes without wind to dr; ve the 

mills so that they will supply sufficient water for the stock.

DEEP-SEATED WATERS.

The project of obtaining artesian water in various parts of the 

Panhandle, particularly in the red-beds areas at theJ foot of the High 

Plains, is often considered. In general, the arguments advanced in 

favor of the project are based on the mistaken idea that there is an 

underground source of supply from the High Plains or the Rocky 

Mountains.

From what has been stated already it will be understood that the 

water supply of the High Plains is derived wholly from the rainfall, 

and while the part which sinks into the ground and is added to the 

ground water may amount to 5 or 6 inches a year, the geologic structure is not favorable for artesian conditions. Between the Tertiary 

and the underlying red beds there is everywhere a pronounced unconformity, and the rocks of the red beds beneath this unconformity are 

composed chiefly of impervious clays and shales, through which the 

water can not pass readily. These conditions, then, preclude the 

probability of artesian water supply having its source on the High 

Plains.

That the Rocky Mountains are a source for an artesian supply 

through the red beds is also improbable. These red beds, which are 

covered by the Tertiary of the High Plains, reappear in New Mexico 

beyond the western escarpment of the plains, and are exposed along 

the eastern base of the mountains at a higher altitude than in the 

region east of the plains escarpment. Some of these beds are coarsegrained, and doubtless they contain water in some places, but whether 

they could be reached by deep wells and would yield water in the 

Panhandle region remains to be determined. Their general relations 

are shown in PL II and fig. 3. In the eastern part of the Par handle
38 EARTEEN PANHANDLE OF TEXAS.

these beds must be very deep seated, probably more than 2,000 feet, 

and the drill has never reached this depth in the red beds anywhere 

in this part of the plains. The only place where the red beds have 

been well explored is along their eastern margin in eastern Oklahoma, 

where, however, artesian .water was not found.

At Childress, Tex., 20 miles south of the southeastern corner of the 

region discussed, the Fort Worth and Denver City Railroad has 

drilled a well to a depth of 1,300 feet in search of water for engines 

and shops. From the surface to the bottom of the veil the drill 

passed through nothing but red clay shales containing a few ledges 

of sandstone and gypsum. Several horizons of salt water were encountered, but no fresh water was obtained.

At a number of points in Oklahoma wells have be°.n drilled in 

search of coal, oil, gas, and water, but so far artesian supplies have 

never been found. At Fort Reno the Government sunk a well to the 

depth of 1,400 feet in search of water for the post, but none was 

secured. Near Oklahoma City a well 2,050 feet deep passed out of 

the red beds at 1,550 feet. No artesian water was found.

From all data at hand the conclusion must be dr?,wn that the 

chances are very poor for finding artesian water in the red beds under 

the plains. The red beds present difficulties to very deep drilling 

which usually have been insurmountable, and if artesian water does 

exist in the lower members of this series it is doubtful if it can be 

reached at a cost which would be generally profitable. However, it 

is to be hoped that at some time the experiment will be tried of testing all of the red-bed strata.

SPRINGS.

There are in the region under discussion two general classes of 

springs those from the red beds and those from the Tertiary and 

sand hills. Both in amount of flow and in character of water these 

springs differ considerably, and for that reason it is thought best to 

describe the two classes separately.

RED-BEDS SPRINGS.

Springs in the red beds are of infrequent occurrence, and those 

present are rarely strong. They may be classified, according to the 

character of their water, as salt springs, gypsum springs, and freshwater springs.

Salt springs. Along the branches of Red River, Prairie Dog, 

Salt, and Elm forks, there are a number of weak salt-water springs, 

often little more than seeps. The horizon from which the water comes 

is usually near the base of the Greer formation. On Elm Fork of Red 

River in western Greer County, Okla., 5 miles east of the Texas line,
SPRINGS. 39

there are two salt plains of considerable size, fed by a number of 

strong salt springs, the combined flow of which approximates hundreds of thousands of gallons of salt water a day. No springs as 

strong as these are found in any part of the Panhandle. Some salt 

springs occur, however, but so far as known the salt brine of Texas 

springs is not used, and it is not probable that the salt water of the 

Panhandle will ever be utilized, on account of the mucl larger 

amounts near at hand in Oklahoma.

Gypsum, springs. Practically all the gypsum springs in the Panhandle issue either from beneath or in close proximity to the massive 

gypsum ledges that make up a considerable part of the Greer formation. Such springs occur along Elm Fork of Red River in Collingsworth County and on the branches of Prairie Dog Fork in Collingsworth, Donley, and Armstrong counties. Sometimes these 

springs are mere wet-weather seeps, but in a number of cases they 

are strong, boiling, perennial springs derived from underground 

streams, flowing from beneath ledges of white gypsum.

Fresh-water springs. The greater number of the freirh-water 

springs of the red beds issue from the Quartermaster formation, 

which, as has been stated, consists largely of sandstone and sandy 

shale, with but little gypsum or other mineral salts. The conditions 

are ideal for springs, provided there is a source of supply, end in a 

region of greater rainfall a large number might be expected to exist. 

In the Panhandle, however, the number is small. In the Quartermaster formation there are very few bold flowing springs. This is 

due to the peculiar lithologic character of the rocks, mostly soft sandstones and sandy clays, which, as stated on page 21, usually weather 

into peculiar rounded knobs and buttresses and into narrow canyons. 

It is in the latter that the springs occur, and it is not uncommon 

to find at the head of a little canyon an outcropping ledge of sandstone, beneath which the water seeps out of the bank. The flow is 

rarely strong, but it is often very persistent, and the water usually 

accumulates to form a tiny rill in the bottom of the canyon. Ranchmen and farmers frequently take advantage of the soft rock to hollow 

out a small basin, in which the water collects, often in quantities 

sufficient to supply a farmhouse, or even to furnish water for a number of cattle.

Springs are occasionally found in the Dockum beds, issuing from 

beneath ledges of sandstone or from under the conglomerate members. These springs are usually weak and unimportant and so far 

as noticed not utilized. This latter fact may be attributed cliefly to 

their inaccessibility, for the Dockum is exposed only along the steep 

escarpment at the foot of the High Plains.
40 EASTEBN PANHANDLE OF TEXAS.

TERTIARY SPRINGS.

Throughout the High Plains region the Tertiary deposits yield 

numerous springs, which are always of good water and have long 

been most advantageous to the settlers and travelers. Camps, forts, 

farms, and even cities have been located with reference to the proximity of a Tertiary spring or spring-fed creek. In the Texas Panhandle there are thousands of such springs. They are found, usually 

in great numbers, in every one of the twelve counties described in 

this report.

The source of supply of the Tertiary springs is chiefly in the 

ground water, otherwise called the " sheet water," or " underflow," 

"of the High Plains, and they are usually found where deep canyons 

have been cut into the highlands.

Not infrequently springs occur at the line of contact between the 

Tertiary deposits and the clay strata of the upper part of the red beds. 

This condition is due to the ready seepage of water through th£ 

Tertiary sands to the top of the impervious red beds, where it flows 

laterally until it reaches the surface. Many of these contact springs 

do not issue from a single opening, but the water finds its escape 

along a zone of seepage extending sometimes for hundreds of yards 

along the side of a cliff. In such cases the amount of water discharged at any one place is not large, but the aggregate is often 

considerable.

Excellent springs frequently occur in the sand hill? at the contact of the sand and the relatively impervious underlying strata. 

The flow from these sand-hill springs is seldom strong, but the water 

is pure and wholesome. Springs of this type occur chiefly in the 

sand-hill regions of the four eastern counties.

In a region where the underground supply is scanty the water 

that issues from springs is necessarily limited in amount. Very few 

of the springs discharge half a second-foot of water, aiic1 perhaps the 

greater number of them will not average one-tenth of that amount. 

The water usually flows but a short distance and then disappears in 

the sand. Where there are a number of strong springs in a locality 

the water unites to form a small creek, which is sometimes perennial, 

but usually intermittent.

STREAMS. 

CLASSIFICATION OF DRAINAGE.

The drainage of this region flows into Mississippi River. The 

water from the northern part of the area flows into either the Canadian or the North Fork of the Canadian, tributaries of Arkansas 

River, while the water from the southern part reaches Red River. 

The drainage may be classified as follows:
STREAMS. 41

North Fork of Canadian drainage. Coldwater, Palo Duro, and 

Wolf creeks are tributary to North Fork of Canadian River.

Canadian drainage. Canadian River flows northeast across this 

region into Oklahoma, traversing Hutchiiison, Roberts, and Hemphill 

counties. It receives as tributaries a number of small creeks which 

rise on the plains both north and south of the river, cutting their way 

through the escarpment and entering the river nearly at right angles. 

The width of the basin from watershed to watershed averages not 

more than 35 miles.

Red River drainage. Five main branches of Red River either 

rise in or pass through this part of the Panhandle. Beginning 011 

the north they are as follows: (1) Washita River, which in Oklahoma 

and Indian Territory becomes a stream of considerable size, rises in 

southwestern Hemphill County and flows east; (2) North Fork has 

its source in Gray County and flows east across Wheeler County into 

Oklahoma; (3) Elm Fork has its origin in northwestern Colliiigsworth County and flows southeast; (4) Salt Fork rises in northern 

Armstrong County and flows east across Collingsworth County 

before reaching Oklahoma; (5) Prairie Dog Fork rises on the High 

Plains far to the west, and in this region flows through Palo Duro 

Canyon across the southwest corner of Armstrong County. These 

four branches, North, Elm, Salt, and Prairie Dog forks join at the 

southeast corner of Greer County, Okla., forming Red River, a 

tributary of Mississippi River.

STREAMS IN DETAIL.

Cold-water Creek. In its upper course this stream is known as 

Rabbit Ear Creek, from the fact that it rises near the Rabbit Ear 

Mountains, two volcanic peaks in northeastern New Mexico. It flows 

southeast across Dallam and Shermaii counties, then turning northeast crosses the northwest corner of Haiisford County, passes into 

Beaver County, Okla., and empties into Beaver Creek at the town of 

Hardesty. In its course through Haiisford County it has cut a 

canyon 1 to 3 miles wide and approximately 100 feet deep into the 

Tertiary rocks of the High Plains. The stream is fed by Tertiary 

s-priiigs. Consequently its water is fresh.

Palo Duro Creek. This stream flows diagonally across Haiisford 

County from southwest to northeast. It is a typical High Plains 

stream. Rising on the level prairie, it soon begins to cut a trench, 

which becomes deeper and wider until in Haiisford County it is a 

canyon 1 to 3 miles wide and 100 feet below the level of the plains. 

Only in parts of its course is there water the year around. At Haiisford, the county seat, the stream is dry except after heavy rains, but
42 EASTEKN PASTHASTDLE OF TEXAS.

15 miles downstream running water appears. This stream also 

empties into Beaver Creek in Beaver County, Okla.

Wolf Creek. Wolf Creek rises on the High Plains a few miles 

southwest of Ochiltree, the county seat of Ochiltree County, and flows 

east across Ochiltree and Lipscomb counties into Woodward County, 

Okla. At old Fort Supply it joins Beaver Creek, forming North 

Fork of Canadian River. In its upper course it has cut a narrow canyon with precipitous bluffs. Farther down it passes out of the High 

Plains and enters the sand-hills region, where the bed is wide and 

sandy. The creek is fed by small branches Camp, Willow, Cottonwood, Plum, Mammoth, and others the water of which comes from 

Tertiary springs among the sand hills. Wolf Creek hrs the reputation among the cattlemen of being the most constant stream in the 

Panhandle.

Canadian River. The largest stream in the Panhandle of Texas, 

Canadian River, has its headwaters among the high peaks of the 

Rocky Mountains in northern New Mexico. In its upper course it 

receives a number of tributaries which are fed by mountain springs. 

After leaving the mountains it flows southeast first across a plain, 

composed of upper Cretaceous rocks, then for nearly 100 miles 

through a canyon 500 to 800 feet deep in the Dakota sandstone, 

finally reaching the red-beds plain in the region north of Tucumcari, 

N. Mex. At this point it changes its direction to the northeast and 

so flows out of New Mexico and across the Panhandle of Texas into 

Oklahoma, where it again turns southeast, finally joining Arkansas 

River in the eastern part of Indian Territory. Of the 700 miles of 

its course only about 100 miles are included in the par4" of the Panhandle under discussion. Across this region it flows in ?, broad curve, 

convex to the north, crossing southeastern Hutchinron, northern 

Roberts, and middle Hemphill counties before passim g into Oklahoma. Throughout this distance the river has cut a broad canyon in 

the High Plains. In places the headlands between the tributary 

creeks approach almost to the river, but at most points tl ? flood plain, 

usually a sandy flat, is 2 to 4: miles wide. The channel of the river 

itself is a sand bed averaging three-quarters of a mile in width.

Canadian River is perhaps more treacherous than any other 

stream of the plains. The stream is either dry or a raging torrent. 

The river may have been dry for weeks at a time, when suddenly, 

without warning, a wall of water several feet high rushes down the 

channel, sweeping everything before it, and for a number of days 

the river continues high, then gradually subsides, following this 

period of abnormal flow the sand in the stream becomes " quicksand," 

or loose sand which appears firm but gives way suddenly under foot, 

rendering the stream extremely dangerous to cross. Many a herd of
U. S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY WATER-SUPPLY PAPER NO. 154 PL. XII

FRESHET ON RED DEER CREEK AT MIAMI, TEX.
STBEA.MS. 43

cattle has been mired in Canadian River, and every year loaded 

wagons and even teams are abandoned. The cause of the sudden 

and rapid rises is not yet fully understood, but most of them are 

caused by heavy rains near the head of the stream.

Such sudden rises are not confined to the Canadian River, or to the 

larger streams, for the small streams exhibt the same phenomena, 

though on a much diminished scale. PI. XII, J., B, shows a rise 

which occurred on Red Deer Creek, a tributary of the Canadian, 

at Miami, Roberts County, August 16, 1904. The town lies in 

a rather narrow valley cut by the stream into the High Plains. 

There had been no rain at Miami for several weeks and the bed 

of the creek was a dry sand flat. A heavy rain occurred at the 

head of the creek a few miles southwest, and two hours later the 

water came down the stream channel, a narrow tongue of white 

foam, as shown in PL XII, A. This was followed by a wall of 

turbid, yellow water that filled the banks of the stream. In half an 

hour the flood was at its highest, a seething, foam-capped torrent. 

By next morning the water had disappeared except from a few pools 

in the channel, as shown in PL XII, Z?, and by noon even thes*1- were 

dry.

Canadian River does not receive any large tributaries in its course 

across the plains. In three counties which it crosses in the region 

to which this report relates there are a number of small creekr none 

more than 25 miles long, emptying into the river. Of these the most 

important are Spring, Kit Carson, Dixon, Antelope, Blue Bear, Walnut, Buffalo, White Deer4 and Red Deer, all of which rise on the High 

Plains and cut their way through the escarpment before reaching the 

river.

Washita River. Only the upper course of Washita River is in 

Texas, where it is a small creek, not differing from scores of others 

which take their rise in the escarpment and sand-hill regions. It 

flows east across the southern part of Hemphill' County. Farther 

east in Oklahoma the valley of the Washita lies almost entirely in 

the red beds, and it is there known as the muddiest stream of the 

plains. In Hemphill County, Tex., however, it has not y^t cut 

through the Tertiary, and is here a clear, fresh-water stream.

North Fork of Red River. This, the northernmost of the four 

branches which make up the Red River, rises on the High Plains, in 

Carson Comity, breaks through the escarpment in Gray Count7, and 

flows northeast into Wheeler County, then southeast into Oklahoma. 

East of the Gray-Wheeler county line the stream has cut through the 

Tertiary deposits and into red beds, which are here exposed along its 

north bank, while on the south side sand hills occur. Across Gray 

and Wheeler counties the bed of North Fork is sand choked and has
44 EASTEBN PANHANDLE OF TEXAS.

a surface flow only part of the year. The chief tributaries of North 

Fork are McClellan Creek, which drains southern Gray County, 

emptying near the Wheeler County line, and Sweetwater Creek, 

which drains northern Wheeler County and passes into Oklahoma 

before joining the main stream. All of these streams are fed by 

Tertiary springs, and even where the surface sand is dry water may 

usually be obtained by digging a few feet.

Elm Fork of Red River. Northern Collingswortl and southern 

Wheeler counties are drained by Elm Fork, which .rises along the 

escarpment, but soon reaches the red beds, across which it flows for 

the greater part of its course in Texas. The water of the upper 

branches is derived from the Tertiary springs in the sand hills along 

the escarpment, but as soon as the river enters the red-beds formations, gypsum and salt water flow into it, until by the time it reaches 

the Oklahoma line the water has lost its purity. Shortly after 

entering Greer County it receives water from a number of salt 

springs, and from that point is considered to contain the saltiest 

water of any stream of the plains.

Salt Fork of Red River. Salt Fork is a typical stream of the 

plains. It rises far out on the Llano Estacaclo in southern Carson 

County, crosses northeastern Armstrong County, and flows entirely 

across Donley and Collingsworth counties before reaching the Oklahoma line. In its upper course it is but a shallow draw in the level 

prairie, but eastward it soon flows in a trench, and 10 miles from its 

source this deepens into a canyon with cliffs of white Tertiary beds. 

Up to this point the stream receives no water except the run-off, but 

a few miles lower in its course it reaches the Tertiary springs level 

and has a surface flow the greater part of the year. Eastward the 

bed widens and becomes sand choked, until in central Donley County, 

north of Clarendon, it cuts through the lower members of the Tertiary 

and enters the red beds. From that point almost to Maiigum, in 

Greer County, Okla., it flows between red-beds bluffs on the north side 

and sand hills on the south side. It is a sandy, treacherous stream, 

dangerous to cross except when low.

Prairie Dog Fork of Red River. This stream flows southwestward across Armstrong County in Palo Duro Canyon, which has 

been discussed under u Topography," page 12. This canyon is perhaps the most notable canyon in the High Plains. lTear its mouth 

the walls are approximately 1,000 feet high, composed of red beds 

in the lower part and of Tertiary deposits above. Several creeks 

are tributary to this stream, the chief of which, Spillers and Mulberry creeks, drain parts of southern Collingsworth and Donley 

counties. These streams do not differ materially from others in this 

region. Spillers Creek rises in the sand hills of Collingsworth 

County and flows southeast across the red beds into Childress County
U. S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY WATER-SUPPLY PAPER NO. 154 PL. XIII

A. BUFFALO WALLOW.

B. LAKE ON HIGH PLAINS.
DRAINAGE, 45

before joining Prairie Dog Fork. Mulberry Creek rises on the High 

Plains and has cut a deep canyon entirely through the Tertiary to a 

depth of several hundred feet into the red beds.

DRAINAGE OF THE HIGH PLAINS.

From what has been said it will be understood that there is a considerable portion of the Panhandle which has no developed drainage; 

in other words, from a great part of the High Plains there is no rimoff. The headwaters of the various small streams tributary to Canadian or Red rivers have cut into the slope of the escarpment, but so 

far, except in a few isolated localities, the flat upland has not yet 

been invaded and remains still uneroded. It is graphically described 

by Johnson,* who says the plains are the remnants of an old debris 

apron, unscored by drainage, yet standing in relief.

Scattered at irregular intervals on this flat surface are saucershaped depressions, in which water collects. In size these depressions vary from the ordinary " buffalo wallow," a few feet across 

(PL XIII, J.), to lakes hundreds of rods in diameter (PL XIII, B}. 

In a few instances, particularly in localities near the edge of the 

plain, the basins are deep and bowl shaped, as shown on PL XIV, B. 

Often the lakes are perennial and afford an abundant supply of stock 

water the year round; others are ephemeral, being filled by rains but 

soon becoming dry, while still others contain water part of the year. 

These lakes occur with 110 regularity. In some localities on the High 

Plains there are none of these basins for miles, while in other sections 

there are scores of them in a single township. PL XV represents the 

conditions on the High Plains in parts of Carson and Gray counties.

Many of the larger depressions have extensive drainage basins, 

which sometimes collect the water from a number of-square miles. 

Small prairie streams receive the run-off from the outer part of the 

basin and lead to the lake. It is not infrequent in traversing the 

High Plains to encounter a sag in the surface along which storm 

water is carried to a near-by lake. These small stream beds, however, rarely exceed a mile or two in length. In view of the adm irable 

treatment of the subject by Johnson,'' there seems 110 need to enter 

upon a discussion of the origin of these lakes. The writer agrees 

that the u innumerable hollows in the High Plains surface, large and 

small alike, are due to ground settlement rather than to some process 

either of original construction or of subsequent erosion.""

The influence of these lakes upon the settlement of the country has 

been important, for on the High Plains the matter of water supply is

« Johnson, W. D., The High Plains and their utilization : Twenty-first Ann. Rept U. S. 

Geol. Survey, pt. 4, 1901, p. 626. 

"Ibid., pp. 695-711. 

° Ibid., p. 702.

IRE 154 06 M 4
46 EASTERN PANHANDLE OF TEXAS.

vital. Iii the early history of the Panhandle, before wells had been 

sunk, these lakes constituted the only source of supply, and thus it 

happened that the early cow camps were located beside some permanent body of water. In a number of instances a town grew up at 

the site of the cow camp, and to-day some of the largest county seats 

for example, Clarendon, Claude, and Panhandle owe their location 

to the presence of such basins. Although windmills are now used to 

draw water for household use, as shown in PL XI, JL, B, a great part 

of the stock water still comes from the lakes.

IRRIGATION. 

NEED OF IRRIGATION.

The Panhandle of Texas is located in the semiarid belt of the Great 

Plains. The annual rainfall averages approximately 20 inches, but 

the greater part of this amount is from dashing rains. During certain seasons there is little or no rain. The soil is extremely fertile, 

and if water were present it is capable of producing abundant crops. 

At various times on the High Plains farming has b-?en attempted, 

and often with success for a few years, but usually seasons of drought 

have ensued and the effort has been abandoned. In general, practically all the crops that have been raised successfully on the High 

Plains are such forage plants as kaffir corn, sorghum, and milo maize, 

which are able to mature with a minimum of moisture. At the foot 

of the plains, particularly along some of the stream valleys, the 

culture of corn, oats, cotton, and alfalfa is now being rttempted with 

considerable success. Crops are frequently abundant for several 

successive years, but occasionally fail during periods of drought.

It will be readily understood that in a region with climatic conditions such as those in the Panhandle, irrigation k necessary for 

successful farming. This fact has long been recognized and a number of desultory attempts have been made to irrigate small tracts, 

but nothing approaching a large system has ever been projected.

POSSIBLE METHODS OF IRRIGATION.

It is proposed in the following pages to discuss four possible modes 

of irrigation which might be put into operation in the Panhandle of 

Texas, viz, (1) irrigation from streams, (2) springs, (3) storm 

water, and (4) wells.

Irrigation from, streams. It has been shown above that the larger 

streams of this region practically all flow in broad, shifting, sandchoked channels, contained between low, sandy banks, and that the 

water varies constantly, the stream being at one time a rushing torrent, at another nothing but a dry sand bed. Only one of these 

rivers the Canadian has its headwaters in the mountains; all the
U. 6. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY WATER-SUPPLY PAPER NO. 164 PL. XIV

A. ORCHARD AND GARDEN AT CLAUDE, TEX.

B. JACOB'S WELL, IN A DEEP BASIN NEAR EDGE OF HIGH PLAINS.
TKEIGATIOlSr. 47

others take their rise on the High Plains and are fed by local rains 

or by springs.

There are no Government gaging stations in the Panhandle of 

Texas, and no accurate data are available regarding the amount of 

flow in the various rivers. It is known, however > that enough water 

passes down the streams each year, particularly during times of 

flood, to irrigate considerable areas of valuable land. In most cases, 

however, there would be great difficulty in storing these flood waters. 

In the first place, so far as known, there are no available dam sites 

along the larger streams. The broad, shallow channel, sometimes 

filled to a depth of 100 feet with fine sand, precludes the construction 

of masonry dams. Besides this, in most cases material for dp.ms is 

rare, or, indeed, entirely wanting. There are few hard rocks in this 

region except an occasional local ledge of sandstone or dolomite in 

the red beds and some indurated Tertiary limestone along the bluffs. 

Again, the sandy nature of the soil along the streams present? difficulties in the way of the construction of ditches.

Along some of the smaller streams irrigation has been carri°-d on 

with more or less success. Along Palo Duro Creek, near the postoffice of Mulock, in northeastern Hansford County, Robinson 

Brothers have a plant in operation from which 35 acres are irrigated. 

The difficulty at this place has been in securing a suitable site for the 

dam, and the scarcity of material with which to construct it. In 

former years several dams here have been washed out during tines of 

high water. Other similar plants are projected farther down Palo 

Duro Creek; one at Range, Okla., 12 miles below Mulock, hae been 

in successful operation for a number of years. In eastern W eeler 

County the water of Sweetwater Creek was formerly utilized to irrigate a tract of 60 acres, but in the last few years the project has been 

abandoned. There are a number of smaller streams where small 

plants sufficient to irrigate 10 to 25 acres might be successfully installed. Particularly are there opportunities for such projects along 

Mammoth, Wolf, and Sweetwater creeks, the upper branches of the 

various forks of Red River, and some of the short tributaries of 

Canadian River.

Irrigation from springs. Since only springs that have a con^iderable flow can be utilized for this purpose, irrigation from springs 

must, at best, be confined to limited areas. In the Panhandle it is 

rather an unusual occurrence for a spring to be located where the 

water may be led off to irrigate a tract of land, but in a few cases 

there are springs which are so located that they might be thur utilized. So far as known there is no irrigation directly from a single 

spring in this region, but there are localities, in which a small creek, 

formed by a number of springs uniting, might be deflected from its 

channel and carried by a ditch over a tract of land. Examples of
48 EASTERN PANHANDLE OF TEXAS.

this condition might be cited along the smaller tributaries of Wolf 

and Sweetwater creeks and Canadian River.

litigation from storm waters. Much of the rainfall of the Panhandle occurs as dashing showers at irregular intervals, chiefly during the spring and summer months. After a shower the water on 

the High Plains accumulates in shallow sags which empty into broad, 

shallow " lakes; " while among the breaks and at the foot of the 

plains it passes into the streams. In numerous places the sags on the 

High Plains or the dry channels among the breaks have been dammed, 

forming reservoirs, known locally as " tanks," to hold stock water, 

and in a few instances a ditch has been led out from one of thes? 

artificial ponds to irrigate a few square rods of garden or orchard. 

While it is obvious that irrigation of this character can never be 

practiced on a large scale, it is nevertheless possible for hundreds of 

families in the region to be provided with home-grown vegetables 

and fruit by irrigation from storm waters.

Irrigation from wells. In the discussion of the subject of artesian water in another part of this report, the conclusion was reached 

that the probabilities for artesian supply in the Panhandle are not 

good. On the other hand, however, ordinary wells, which are common in all parts of the region, usually supply considerable amounts 

of water, often more than is needed for stock water and domestic use, 

and the surplus might well be used for irrigation. The chief difficulty in the way of the utilization of well water for thQse purposes is 

the matter of expense in lifting the water to the surface. In this 

region wind power is almost universally used for this purpose. In 

localities where wells are shallow, as, for instance, along stream valleys 

or among the sand hills, it has been found profitable to use water from 

wells for irrigating areas of considerable size. In th^ greater part 

of the Panhandle, however, the water is too deep to b?, used in this 

way. As has been stated, the average depth of the wells on the High 

Plains is over 200 feet, while on the eroded plains the wells average 

nearly 100 feet in depth. It is obvious that under s"ich conditions 

little more can be done than to irrigate a garden or" an orchard, and 

so far as has been observed this is all that is ever attempted. PI. 

XIV, A, page 46, shows an orchard and garden at Claude, which is 

irrigated from a well over 250 feet deep. Examples similar to this 

are not uncommon.

In the sand-hill regions, where the water is not so dea-p, there are a 

number of instances of small plots irrigated with vrater obtained 

from a well. On the red-beds plain there is less irrigation by this 

means, partly because the gypsum water is not suitable for irrigation, 

but chiefly because the need of irrigation is not realized.
U. S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY

o i 3 * 5 $ miles

MAP SHOWING LOCATION OF LAKES ON A PORTION OF THE 
WATER CONDITIONS. 49 

FUTURE OF IRRIGATION.

Taking into account the local facts it seems very doubtful if there 

will ever be any extensive irrigation in the region under discussion. 

The supply of water is not sufficient for this purpose except along 

the larger streams, where the conditions are such that dams can not 

be constructed. Small streams, springs, artificial ponds, and wells 

supply water for limited irrigation, sufficient often to raise vegetables 

and fruit for a family, but not more. As time goes on and the region 

is more thickly settled, these small plants will increase in number. 

There is little to warrant the hope that the water supply in tin Panhandle will ever increase, and unless some more efficient mears than 

the ordinary windmill be secured to lift the water from deep wells 

to the surface it is extremely improbable that anything like extensive 

works can ever be installed. On the other hand, it is obvious that 

only a very small part of the available water is now being utilized. 

It is possible that the future will witness in this region thousands of 

small pumping plants, each capable of supplying sufficient water to 

irrigate a garden and an orchard.

WATER CONDITIONS BY COUNTIES.« 

LIPSCOMB COUNTY.

Topography, Lipscomb County is in the northeastern corner of 

the Panhandle. Its surface is a level plain trenched from rrest to 

east through the middle by the valley of Wolf Creek. This valley 

is like a great sloping groove, 250 feet below the level of the High 

Plains at the west line of the county and 500 feet below at the east 

line. The High Plain along the northern line of the county is being 

cut into by branches of Beaver Creek. Wolf Creek Valley separates 

the county into two areas of plains, one forming the table-land between Wolf Creek and Beaver Creek drainage basins, the othe1* lying 

between Wolf Creek and Canadian River. Sand hills are present in 

the northeastern part of the county and between Wolf Creek and the 

southern line.

Geology. The rocks of the surface in Lipscomb County are en0 There are no Federal public lands in Texas. This State, when it came into the 

Union by annexation, retained its public lands, and the general system of township and 

range lines, by which the lands of the greater part of the United States are surveyed, is 

not employed. No regular section lines exist, but various-sized tracts are laid off, 

usually in blocks of square miles as they were selected by the land-grant railroads or 

purchased by individuals. Some of the .earliest surveys employed the Spanish vara, 

which equals 33.385 inches (1,897.7+ varas equal 1 mile). With such a systen of survey the roads are irregularly distributed, no correction lines exist, and the location of 

points by township and range is impossible. In the eastern part of the Panhanile, however, the counties are uniformly 30 miles square, each containing 900 square miles, a 

condition which tends to obviate much of the difficulty otherwise encountered in attempting to map the region.
50 EASTERN PANHANDLE OF TEXAS.

tirely of Tertiary and Quaternary age. Gray sandstones and clays 

predominate and form conspicuous bluffs along the larger streams.

Water supply. The two largest streams in the county are Wolf 

Creek and its tributary Mammoth Creek. Wolf Creek enters from 

Ochiltree County near the center of the west line of the county and 

flows directly east; Mammoth Creek rises in the northwest part of 

the county and flows southeast, joining Wolf Creek in Oklahoma a 

few miles east of the State line. These creeks, as well as a number 

of other smaller tributaries of Wolf Creek, are spring fed, but in 

their lower courses flow through sand-choked beds. Ordinarily the 

amount of water is small, flowing but 1 or 2 second-feet, and at places 

entirely disappearing under the sand. The streams are subject to 

sudden rises of a few hours'1 duration, at which time the creeks flow 

several hundred second-feet. In this county the drainage is so well 

developed that few lakes exist on the High Plains. Lipscomb has 

the reputation among cattle men of being the best watered county in 

the Panhandle. The sand strata, both that of the Tertiary and in 

the sand-hill regions, furnishes an abundance of good water, issuing 

in the form of numerous springs, which reach the surface along the 

streams. Although their flow is seldom large, these springs are constant in volume and usually perennial in their character. The water 

is pure and wholesome and almost always free from notable amounts 

of salts. It is these springs which feed the numerous tributaries of 

Wolf Creek and render the water so abundant in the county.

Wells on the uplands in the county range from 130 to 333 feet in 

depth, with an average of 150 feet. In the valley? a maximum 

depth of 50 feet usually secures an abundance of water, but along 

Wolf Creek and some of the smaller streams many of the best wells 

are not more than 20 feet deep. Of the well records secured in Lipscomb County, the average depth was 121 feet.

OCHILTREE COUNTY.

Topography. Ochiltree County is in the northern part of this 

region, lying almost wholly on the High Plains and having uniform 

plains topography. Near the center it is trenched by the head 

branches of Wolf Creek, in a valley which gradually deepens to the 

east. Some of the small side branches of Canadian Ki^er which head 

in the southern part of this region are actively eroding the plains, 

forming rugged breaks. A few of the small branches of Beaver 

Creek, which head in extreme northern Ochiltree County, have caused 

but little erosion.

Geology. The rocks are entirely Tertiary and Quaternary, and, 

with the exception of the regions of the breaks near the streams, the 

surface is flat. Along the bluffs there are ledges of Tertiary clay and 

sand.
WATER CONDITIONS. 51

Water supply. There are two drainage systems in this county. 

The eastern portion is drained by Wolf Creek, which has its source 

in the central part of the county, where it is a small fresh-water 

stream, fed by perennial springs, and flows through a wide gorge 

in the Tertiary rocks. Canadian River drains the southern portion, 

and branches of this stream, which have their origin in Tertiary 

springs along the breaks, flow south into Roberts County. A few 

minor branches of Beaver Creek drain the northern part.

The High Plains surface is entirely without drainage, and shallow 

lakes are abundant and often of relatively large size, sometimes covering 100 acres or more. Ochiltree County has an abundance of good 

well water, but ordinarily it is found at a considerable depth. In 

the southern part of the county, near the breaks, the depth to water 

exceeds 400 feet, while farther north water is obtained in abundance 

from 150 to 300 feet. In the Wolf Creek Valley the wells are shallow, many of them finding good water at 50 to 100 feet. The average 

depth of twenty-four wells in Ochiltree County is 245 feet.

HANSFORD COUNTY.

Topography. Hansford County is in the northwestern par* of the 

region to which this report relates. It includes a portion of the 

High Plains, trenched by two streams, Palo Duro Creek, which rises 

in the extreme southwestern portion of the county and passes into 

Oklahoma near the northeast corner, and Coldwater Creek, also 

known as Rabbit Ear Creek, which enters the county near the center 

of the west line and flows across the northwest corner, passing into 

Beaver County, Okla. The greater portion of the county retains its 

original plains features, while a lesser part consists of valleys and 

breaks. The entire county presents a gradual slope to the east. The 

highest point in this part of the Panhandle is attained in this county, 

just south of the center, along the west line an altitude of 3,750 feet.

Geology. Nearly all of the surface rocks of Hansford County are 

of Tertiary and Quaternary age. In the extreme northeast corner 

Palo Duro Creek has cut through the Tertiary and exposes the underlying reel beds. Along Coldwater and Palo Duro creeks Wuffs of 

hard Tertiary rocks occur, but for the most part nothing appears on 

the surface except ledges of soft Tertiary marl exposed along prairie 

draws.

Water supply. With the exception of a small portion at the 

south which drains into Canadian River, all the waters of this county 

find their way into the Beaver Creek drainage system. Palo Duro 

Creek is a small stream which rises in the southwestern part of the 

county, and gradually deepens its valley in its passage northeast 

until at the county line it has attained a depth of approximately 

300 feet below the level of the High Plains. Its numerous lateral
52 EASTERN PANHANDLE OF TEXAS.

branches receive the drainage from a considerable area, and at times 

of heavy rains these discharge their waters into a main trunk, which 

for a short time becomes a torrent. In its central and lower courses 

there are fertile valleys which afford good farming land, especially 

adapted to alfalfa culture. Several small irrigation works have 

been constructed along the lower part of Palo Duro Creek. The 

difficulty in maintaining these plants is that the dams, built of 

rough stone uncementecl, wash out in times of freshets. Coldwater 

Creek crosses the northwest corner of the county, entering from 

Sherman County, Tex., and passing northeast into Beaver County, 

Okla. It is a small stream flowing through a well-developed gorge. 

Lakes similar to those in other parts of the region occur upon the 

High Plains. Hansford County has an abundance of good well 

water at depths varying on the High Plains from 190 to 300 feet, and 

rarely does a well fail to encounter an ample supply. In the valleys 

springs occur, the water from which is like water from the Tertiary 

beds, pure and wholesome. The average depth of thirteen wells in 

this county is 235 feet.

HUTCHIN8ON COUNTY.

Topography. Hutchinson County lies in the western part of the 

region to which this report relates. The surface of its northern part 

is High Plains. The central and southern part is occupied by the 

canyon of Canadian River and the breaks on either side formed by 

short tributary creeks.

Geology. Along Canadian River and along the small streams 

flowing into it in the central and southwestern part of the county 

there are extensive exposures of Permian reel beds, consisting of 

reel clays and shales with interbedded dolomite and gypsum members. 

These rocks have been provisionally referred to the Quartermaster 

formation. The remainder of the county is composed of typical 

Tertiary and Quaternary deposits, the former beingf exposed as 

bluffs along the streams and the latter as sand hills and alluvium.

Water supply. The entire drainage of this county flows into 

Canadian River, which crosses the county from southwest to northeast. On the north side there are several small streams, the chief 

of which are Kit Carson and Coldwater creeks, while from the south 

flow White Deer, Spring, Bear, Dixon, and Antelope creeks. Thus 

the greater part of Hutchinson County is well drained. It has an 

abundance of good water, and, with the exception of some wells in 

the Canadian Valley and in its tributary creeks, which find their 

supply in the reel beds, the water is wholesome and free from injurious 

salts. West from Plemoiis a number of strong spring? occur at the 

line of contact between the red beds and the Tertiary. On the
WATER CONDITIONS. 53

High Plains water is obtained at depths ranging from 1£6 to 320 

feet, and in the valleys at less than 20 feet. The well records collected show an average depth of 243 feet.

ROBERTS COUNTY.

Topography. Roberts County lies in the north central part of the 

region embraced in this report. The surface of the southern portion 

is High Plains trenched to the east by the gorge of Red Deer Creek. 

The northern portion is occupied by the valley of Canadian River, 

with its, broad flood plain bordered by a region of breaks on either 

side. The breaks are so extensively dissected by the smaller stream 

canyons that the northern portion of Roberts County is one of the 

most rugged localities in the Panhandle.

Geology. The surface rocks are mostly of Tertiary age, with the 

usual sand hills along the streams. In the northwestern portion of 

the county Canadian River has cut down into the red beds which 

are exposed in the bluffs along the north bank. Alluvium deposits 

occur along this river and its tributaries.

Water- supply. The drainage belongs entirely to the Canadian 

River system. This river flows through a broad flood plrin occupied occasionally by low sandy marshes. The waters of a considerable portion of this country reach the river by parallel streams 

rising in the south central part and flowing north. Few streams 

enter'from the north side, and those which do are short, steep, and 

intermittent. Red Deer Creek, a tributary of Canadian River, rises 

in the southern portion of the county and flows northeast into 

Hemphill County. Ordinarily this stream has no surface flow, but 

it becomes a raging torrent when there are sudden storms about its 

head. Tertiary springs occur along the breaks and canyons and supply a number of small creeks. Wells in the High Plains area are 

150 to 350 feet deep, and in the valleys water is obtained at from 0 to 

20 feet.

HEMPHILL COUNTY.

Topography. Hemphill County is in the eastern portion of the 

Panhandle. Its topography is varied, for Washita River rifes in the 

southwestern corner and its northern portion is crossed by Canadian River. These two river systems have removed practically all 

of the original High Plains level and reduced the region to broad 

valleys with undulating surfaces between. Along Canadian River is 

a wide, sandy flood plain, occupied by sand hills in scattered areas. 

Sand hills also occur in the north, central, and eastern par*s of the 

county.

Geology. The rocks are chiefly Tertiary deposits, sand rills, and 

wash. Small areas of red beds are exposed along the Canadian and
54 EASTERN PANHANDLE OP TEXAS.

Washita rivers in the eastern portion of the county. Along the 

streams there are bluffs and outliers of white Tertifry rocks, but 

the greater part of the county consists of rugged breaks and undulating sand hills.

~Water supply. The drainage system is well developed. The water 

from more than half of this county finds its way into Canadian 

River through a number of short, swift streams, many of which are 

perennial, having their source in Tertiary springs. The southern 

portion of the county is drained by Washita River, a stream which 

becomes a prominent river in Oklahoma, but is only a small creek in 

the Panhandle. Its water, being derived from the Tertiary springs, 

is fresh and free from the injurious salts so common in the large 

rivers. Springs are not uncommon in this county, *rnd the water 

obtained from both springs and wells is almost uniformly soft and 

pure. The depth at which water is found in Hemphill County varies 

greatly. In the north, south, and southwest the Tertiary beds of the 

High Plains furnish fresh water at depths ranging from 100 to 333 

feet. In the northern sand-hill regions water occurs at depths of 75 

to 150 feet. In Canadian and Washita valleys wells are less than 20 

feet deep. Records of nineteen wells at various places in this county 

show an average depth of 94 feet.

WHEELER COUNTY.

Topography. Wheeler County lies in the eastern part of the Panhandle. The surface is a part of the eroded plains, except small 

areas in the northwest and southwest. The region is p rolling plain 

dissected by two principal streams Sweetwater Creek and North 

Fork of Red River with their tributaries. There are extensive 

sand-hill regions, one of which, 5 to 10 miles in wid^h, and being 

widest near the center of the county, extends along the south side of 

Sweetwater Creek almost the entire length of the county. An area 

of very prominent sand dunes occupies part of the northeastern corner of the county. The hills are mostly low ridges from one-eighth 

of a mile to 1 mile long and 10 to 20 feet high. Broken ridges and 

knolls occur everywhere and blow-outs are common. A third sandhill region is found in the southwestern part of the county, between 

North Fork and the headwaters of Elm Fork, and a fourth region is 

in the extreme southeastern part.

Geology. Red beds belonging to the Greer and Quartermaster 

formations appear along North Fork of Red River and the branches 

of Elm Fork in the southern part of the county. Gypsum, dolomite, 

and red shales of the Greer formation and the red sandy shales and 

thin sandstones of the Quartermaster formation may be seen in the 

vicinity of Shamrock, and red bluffs outcrop along the north side 

of North Fork entirely across the county. The greater part of the
WATEE CONDITIONS. 55

surface rocks, however, consist of sand derived from the Tertiary 

deposits and of alluvium along the valleys.

Water supply. The drainage of this county is through three 

streams, Sweetwater Creek and North Fork and Elm Fork cf Red 

River. The first named, farthest to the north, is a small perennial 

.stream which rises just beyond the limits of the county and in the 

eastern part was formerly used to some small extent for irrigation. 

North Fork of Red River crosses this county from west to east a 

little south of the center. Ordinarily it is a small stream flowing 

in a sand-choked bed and receives no important tributaries in this 

county. The waters of this river are highly impregnated with calcium stilphate and sodium chloride. The extreme southern part of 

the county drains to EJm Fork of Red River. As might be expected in a region of sand hills, there are in Wheeler County a, number of fine springs. Six miles southwest of Mobeetie is Anderson's 

spring, which boils up out of the sand and runs off down a little 

canyon. It is one of the strongest springs in the Panhandle and 

flows perhaps 1 second-foot. It is said to be artesian in character 

and the water if confined will rise 15 feet. Other noted springs in 

the county are Nasby Spring (which fills a 3-inch pipe). Broncho 

Spring, and Stanley Spring (both of which have a very strong flow). 

Well water from the Tertiary and sand hills is obtained through the 

greater part of the county at depths of 80 to 200 feet. In the redbeds region, in the southern part, wells are not so deep, rarely exceeding 50 feet, and the water is usually not good, contairing a 

considerable percentage of mineral salts. Records of nineteen wells 

in this county show an average of 71 feet.

GRAY COUNTY.

Topography. Gray County occupies the south central part of the 

region here discussed. The surface is a portion of the High Plains 

cut into by two streams North Fork of Red River, which flows 

through a gorge crossing the county from west to east, and McClellan Creek, flowing in a similar gorge from southwest to northeast, joining North Fork near the eastern line of the county. Wide 

breaks border the gorge of these two principal streams.

(Geology. With the exception of a small area of red beds neir the 

mouth of McCellan Creek along the eastern line, the rocks of Gray 

County are entirely Tertiary and Quaternary. High white cliffs 

are exposed along the edges of the High Plains, and along the breaks 

and streams there are alluvial deposits and sand hills.

Water supply. The greater part of the drainage is through North 

Fork of Red River and McClellan Creek. The former stream, which 

rises in Carson County just west of the Gray County line and flows 

east, drains only a limited region at the south through a few short
56 EASTERN PANHANDLE OF TEXAS.

tributaries, none of which are -more than 5 miles in length. The 

southern portion of the county is drained by McClellan Creek, a 

branch of North Fork, which rises west of the south central part of 

the county. Springs from the Tertiary and sand hills occur in a 

number of places along the streams. Many are frori small seeps, 

but several have an estimated flow of 40 gallons per minute. On the 

plains good water is obtained at depths ranging from 100 to 280 feet. 

In the valleys depths to water do not exceed 35 feet. Along North 

Fork in the eastern part of the county a few wells pfford gypsum 

water; otherwise the supply in this county is pure and wholesome. 

Records of eleven wells show an average depth of 166 feet.

CARSON COUNTY.

Topography. Carson County lies in the western part of the 

region. With the exception of Ochiltree County, Carson contains 

a larger proportion of the High Plains than any other county here 

described. The northern part is dissected by tributaries of Canadian River and a very small portion of the eastern part is occupied by 

the headwaters of Salt Fork of Red River. With th°se exceptions 

its surface is the uniform level of the High Plains, dotted at intervals 

by shallow lakes.

Geology. In the extreme northwestern portion of the county along 

the canyons of Antelope and Dixon creeks, tributaries of Canadian 

River, there are exposures of the red beds, consisting of red clays and 

shales with ledges of gypsum and dolomite. With this minor exception, the rocks are Tertiary and Quaternary. Along tl °s breaks high 

Tertiary cliffs are present, but the flat, upland Tertkry constitutes 

the greater part of the rocks of the county.

Water supply. The drainage of Carson County is into two systems, Canadian River and Red River, between which is a great flat 

table-land divide. The former stream receives the water from the 

northern part of the county through a number of creeks the most 

important being White Deer, Spring, Dixon, and Artelope all of 

which have their rise near the central line of the comity and flow 

north. The headwaters of Salt Fork of Red River occupy a few 

square miles in the southwestern part of the county. Most of this 

county, however, has no drainage other than that whicl finds its way 

into the shallow lakes on the level upland and disappears by seepage 

and evaporation.

In the southern part of Carson County the water tal 1(i- seems to be 

very deep, for while a few wells secure permanent flows at depths of 

less than 250 feet, many of them are obliged to penetrate 400 to 450 

feet for an adequate supply; but water when found is both abundant 

and pure. Among the breaks and along the creeks ir th« northern
WATEE CONDITIONS. 57

part of the county the wells range from 50 to 200 feet. Few swings 

occur, those which are found being near the base of the Tertiary 

in the northwestern part of the county.

ARMSTRONG COUNTY.

Topography. Armstrong county is in the southwestern part of the 

region. It is a level plain cut by three canyons trending southeast. 

The central and northwestern part of the county has the uniform 

surface of the High Plains. The northeastern portion is trenched by 

the upper course of Salt Fork of Bed River, which has its source near 

the center of the north line of the county. Mulberry Creek Canyon 

crosses the county from northwest to southeast. In the southwestern 

portion is Palo Duro Canyon, through which flows Prairie Do,^ Fork 

of Red River. Twenty-five miles of this gorge, 875 feet deep and 

5 miles wide, lies in Armstrong County. The sides of the canyon 

are frequently precipitous and exhibit typical banded structure so 

rough that the canyon is passable by wagon only along selected routes.

Geology. The best geological sections obtainable in the Panhandle 

are found along Palo Duro Canyon in Armstrong County, where all 

the formations discussed in this report are exposed. The Greer 

and Quartermaster formations of the Permian red beds are particularly well exposed in this canyon. The Dockum formation outcrops 

halfway up the escarpment, and Tertiary clays, sand, and conglomerate lie along the upper part of the bluffs. The level upland in other 

parts of the county exhibits the ordinary Tertiary and Quaternary 

rocks.

Water supply. Northeastern Armstrong County is drained by the 

headwaters of Salt Fork of Red River, and Mulberry Creek receives 

the drainage from the central and southeastern parts of the county. 

Prairie Dog Fork of Red River in Palo Duro Canyon, in the 

southwestern part, has no large tributaries in the county, rnd although it flows through a great canyon the stream itself ordinarily 

has little or no surface flow, but, like other streams of the plains, is 

subject to rapid rises after heavy rains near its head. The drainage 

of a large portion of the county is undeveloped, and the shallow lakes 

which occur at frequent intervals often reach considerable size. 

Springs are not common, but a few are found at the base of th°- Tertiary and among the red beds. On the High Plains water is obtained 

in abundance in wells ranging in depth from 120 to 320 feet. Few 

wells have been sunk in the red beds, but those that have be^n dug 

usually find water of rather poor quality at depths ranging from 20 

to 100 feet. Records of eighteen wells in Armstrong County show 

an average depth of 20T feet.
58 EASTERN PANHANDLE OF TEXAS.

DONLEY COUNTY.

Topography. Donley County lies in the southerr part of the 

region. The northern and western portions are level High Plains. 

On the eroded plains which occupy the eastern and southern parts of 

the county the surface is rolling and dissected by many streams. 

Even on the High Plains the streams occupy well-marked courses and 

have so dissected the surface that only in a few instates is the upland sufficiently level to permit the water to collect in lakes. The 

western extension of the sand-hill region, which crosses Collingsworth 

County south of Salt Fork of Hed River, finds its terminus in the escarpment at the base of the High Plains in Donley County.

Geology. Both red beds and Tertiary rocks are exposed in Donley 

County. The red beds, including both the Greer and Quartermaster 

formations, outcrop along the streams,' particularly along North 

Fork of Hed River in the region northeast of the center of the 

county and along Mulberry Creek in the southwestern part. Along 

the latter stream the Dockum beds occur. Tertiary rocks constitute the High Plains in the northern and western parts of the county; 

while the sand hills derived largely from Tertiary deposits occupy 

considerable areas in the central and southern portions. Alluvium 

is found along the stream valleys.

Water supply. The drainage of the county is through two branches 

of Reel River Salt Fork, which crosses the county, and several 

smaller branches of Prairie Dog Fork, which rise in the county 

and flow south. Salt Fork flows almost due east across the center of 

the county. It is a small stream with a sand-choked bed and a flow 

of but a few second-feet, the water being free from diss greeable salts. 

The southern part of Donley County is drained by the branches of 

Salt Fork, the chief of which is Mulberry Creek, rising in Armstrong 

County and flowing across the southwest corner of Donley County. 

It is an ordinary stream of the plains, with a wide, sand-choked 

channel and ordinarily little water, but at times of heavy rainfall it 

assumes the proportions of a river. Springs are found in both the 

sand-hill regions and among the red beds. On the High Plains and 

in the escarpment region wells are from 40 to 250 feet deep. In the 

valleys and lower portions of the county water is obtained at 20 to 165 

feet. The Tertiary and sand-hill water is good, while that found in 

the red beds is usually bad. Records from thirty wells show an average depth of 152 feet.
WATER CONDITIONS. 59 

COLLING8WORTH COUNTY.

Topography. Collingsworth County forms the southeastern portion of the region here discussed. This county, which is almost 

wholly in the eroded plains, presents the most diverse topography of 

all here described. It is trenched from northwest to southeast by 

three stream systems Elm and Salt forks of Red River, and Spillers 

Creek, a branch of Prairie Dog Fork. Just west of the center and 

extending entirely across the county, trending slightly west of south, 

are the Dozier Mounds, composed of hard ledges of sandstone underlain by stratified clays, shales, and sandstones. In the southwestern 

corner of the county these hills are deeply dissected by stream-?, rendering the region very rugged. On the south side of Salt Fork is a 

sand-hill region ranging from 2 to 9 miles in width, extending from 

northwest to southeast entirely across the county.

Geology. The greater part of the rocks of Collingsworth County 

belong to the Greer and Quartermaster formations of the red beds. 

Along the various streams ledges of gypsum and dolomite outcrop, 

while at a higher level soft sandstones occur. The extreme northwestern part of the county is in the escarpment region, and Tertiary 

and Quaternary sand hills appear south of Salt Fork of Red River.

Water supply. Elm Fork of Red River rises in the northwestern 

portion of the county and flows southeast, leaving the county 9 miles 

from the northern limit, thus draining the entire northern portion. 

Salt Fork of Reel River crosses the county from west to east in a tortuous course near its center and drains the middle portion of the 

county. Spillers Creek, a branch of Prairie Dog Fork of Red River, 

has its source in Donley County and flows southeast across Co1 lingsworth, draining the southwestern part. Except in the sand-hill 

regions south of Salt Fork, good water is difficult to obtain for the 

reason that the county is underlain by reel beds, which contain large 

quantities of gypsum and other mineral salts. There are a number of 

springs of good water among the sanel hills. Springs occur in the 

red beds also, but the water often contains salt or gypsum and is not 

suitable for general domestic use. Wells in the sand hills are 10 to 

220 feet in depth anel in the red beds 40 to 190 feet. Records1 from 

twenty wells in Collingsworth County show an average depth of 105 

feet.

IRR 154 06 5

INDEX.

A. Page.

Adams, G. I., on red beds................... 17

Allorisma sp., occurrence of................ 23

Alluvium................................... 1

occurrence and character of ......... 13,30-31

Anderson's spring, location of.............. 55

Antelope Butte, location of................. 23

Antelope Creek, rocks on................ 21-22,56

section on .............................. 22

Antelope Hills, location of................. 10

Arikaree formation, equivalents of ........ 25

Arkansas River, underflow on ............. 34

Armstrong County, area and location of ... 7 

lakes in ................................ 57

rocks in .......................... 20,22-23,57

section in............................... 14

springs in............................... 39

topography of .................. 8.10,12-13,57

water resources of ...................... 57

wells of, depth of....................... 35,57

Aviculopecten sp., occurrence of........... 23

B.

Banded gypsum structure, view showing... 12 

Beaver Creek, drainage of.................. 49-52

Beede, J. W., fossils identified by........... 23

Bibliography of Tertiary and Quaternary

formations...................... 24

Blaine formation, occurrence and character of........................... 15-16

Blanco formation, fossils from.............. 26

occurrence and character of......... 13,25-26

Breaks, The, See Escarpment

Briscoe County, rocks in ................... 23

Broncho Spring, location of................ 55

Buffalo wallows, occurrence of............. 35

view of................................. 44

C.

Canadian River, alluvium on .............. 31

character and course of............ 9-11,42-43

drainage of.......................... 52-53,56

reconnaissance on...................... 7

rocks on................................ 21-22

sand hills on, view of................... 12

tributaries of ........................... 41-43

irrigation from ..................... 47-48

valley of, character of............... 11,42-43

wells along, depth of............. ..... 35,54

Capulus (Lepetopsis) sp., occurrence of.... 23

Carboniferous rocks. See Permian rocks.

Carson County, area and location of........ 7

rocks in.............................. 21-22,56

topography of ........................ 8,12,56

water supply of......................... 56-57

wells in, depth of....................... 35,57

Cedartop gypsum member, segregation of.. IS

Page. 

Chandler, rocks near....................... 15

Chaney gypsum member, segregation of ... 18 

Chiidress, well at........................... 38

Clarendon, rocks near...................... 21-22

Claude, orchard and garden at, view of.... 46

section near............................ 14

Clay, water from ........................... 32

Clear Fork beds, equivalents of............. 17

Coldwater Creek, character and course c f.. 13,

41,51-52 

erosion by.............................. 9

Collingsworth County, area and location of. 7 

rocks in .......................... IS 20,22,59

sand hills in............................ 30

springs in............................... 39

topography of....................... 10-13,59

water resources of...................... 69

wells of, depth of....................... 59

Collingsworth gypsum member, segregation of.......................... 18

Cope, E. D., fossils found by................ 24,27

on Tule formation...................... 27

Counties in area discussed, list of .......... 7

Cragin, F. W., on red beds.................. 17

Cretaceous fossils, occurrence of ........... 29

Crops, character of ......................... 46

Cummins, W. F., on Goodnight formation. 26-28 

on Loup Fork formation................ 25-26

on red beds............................. 17,23

on Tertiary and Quaternary rocks...... 25

on Tule formation...................... 26

D.

Ball, W, D., on Goodnight formation....... 26

Barton, N. H., on High Plains rocks....... 25

Bielasma sp., occurrence of ................ 23

Bixon Creek, rocks on...................... 22,56

Bockum formation, divisions of............ 23

erosion of, view of...................... 24

fossils of.................... ........... 24

occurrence and characterof. 13-15,23-24,57-58 

relations of Quartermaster and......... 23-24

sandstone member of, view of.......... 22,24

springs from............................ 39

Bonley County, area and location of....... 7

rocksin..... ....................... 20,22,58

sand hills of ............................ 30

springs in.............................. 39

topography of ........................ 8,11,58

water resources of...................... 58

wells in, depth of....................... 58

Bouble Mountain beds, equivalents of .... 17

Bozier, rocks near....................... 20,22-23

Bozier Mounds, location of ............. 10,23,59

Brainage, of eroded plains................. 40-45

of High Plains...................... 8-9,45-46

See also individual counties 

Brake, N. F., on red beds .................. 23

61
 62 INDEX.

K. Page.

Edmonia sp., occurrence of ................ 23

Elm Fork of Bed River, drainage of........ 41,59

erosion by .............................. 9

rocks on................................ 20

section on, diagram showing........... 19

springs along........................... 38

valley of, character of.................. 12

Enid formation, occurrence and character

of............................... 15

Equus beds. See Tule formation.

Eroded plains, character of ................ 10-11

drainage of............................. 41-45

Escarpment, character of .................. 9-10

view of................................. 28

Evaporation, extent of..................... 9

F.

Field work, character of.................... 7

Flat Top, location of ....................... 10

Fluviatile theory of origin of Great Plains

Tertiary ........................ 28,33

Fort Reno, Okla., well at................... 38

Fossils, occurrence of................. 23-24,27,29

G.

Geology of area discussed .................. 13-31

See also individual counties. 

Goodnight formation, fossils from.......... 26

name of ................................ 26

occurrence and character of ........ 13,25-26

Gray County, area and location of......... 7

rocks of................................. 55

springs in............................... 56

topography of ..................... 8,12-13,65

water resources of...................... 55-56

wells in, depth of....................... 35,56

Greer formation, cave in, spring from, view

of............................... 18

members of............................. 18

occurrence and character of . 13-21,57-59 

section of, diagram showing ........... 19

sink holes in ........................... 18-20

springs from............................ 39

water from ............................. 32

Groom, well at.............................. 35

Gryphsea sp., occurrence of ................ 29

"Gyp" water, occurrence of............... 31

Gypsum, occurrence of, in red-beds waters. 31-32 

Gypsum caves, view of..................... 18

Gypsum ledges, view of..................... 12

undermining of, view of................ 20

Gypsum springs, occurrence and character

of............................... 32

H.

Hall County, topography of................ 10

Hansf ord County, altitudes in.............. 51

area and location of.................... 7

irrigation in ............................ 47,52

lakes in................................. 52

rocks iu................................. 51

topography of ..................... 8,13,41,51

water supply of......................... 51-52

wells in, depth of....................... 35,52

Haworth, E., on Kansas Tertiary........... 28

Hay, Robert, on Kansas geology ........... 27-28

Page.

Haystack gypsum member, segregation of. 18 

Hemphill County, area and location of.... 7

rocks of................................. 53-54

sand hills of ............................ 30

topography of ..................... 8,11,13,53

water resources of...................... 54

wells of, depth of....................... 54

High Plains, artesian water of............. 37-38

character of ....................... 8-10,33-34

drainage on ........................ 8-9,45-46

erosion on .............................. 8-9

evaporation on ......................... 35-36

lakes on ............................. 35,45-46

location of, map shewing........... 48

view of............................. 44

map of.................................. 10

precipitation on........................ 35

rocks of................................. 25

section of, showing water level ........ 36

streams on.............................. 9

topography of.......................... 8-10

modification of..................... 8

water of................................ 33-34

water table of, depth of ................ 36

wells on, depth of ...................... 35,48

Hills, location and character of............ 10

Hogback Butte, location of................. 23

Hutchinson County, area and location of.. 7 

rocks in'............................. 21-22,52

topography of........................ 8,13,52

water supply of......................... 52-53

wells of, depth of....................... 53

I. 

Irrigation, need of.......................... 46

possibilities of.......................... 46-49

Jacob's well, view of....................... 46

Johnson, VV. D., on High P'ains...... 28,35-36,45

K.

Kiger division, equivalents- of.............. 17

Kirk, C.T., work of ........................ 7

Kiser gypsum member, segregation of..... 18

Kit Carson Creek, characte- of ............. 13

L.

Lacustrine theory of Great Plains Tertiary. 

La kes, formation and charac ter of ...... 35,

influence of, on settlement.............

location of, map show^g..............

view of.................................

Lakes, playa, formation of..................

Land subdivision in Texas character of... 

Larkin, Pierce, work of ....................

Leiopteria sp., occurrence of...............

Lepetopsis sp., occurrence of ...............

Lipscomb County, area and location of....

rocks of.................................

sand hills of............................

springs of...............................

topography of .................... 8-9,11,

water supply of.........................

wells of, depth of.......................

Llano Estacado. See Staked Plain.

Long, C. A., work of........................

27-28

45-46

46

48

44

8-9

49

7

23

7

49-50 

30 

50

13,49

50

35,50
INDEX. 63

Page. 

Loup Fork formation, occurrence and

character of................. 13, 25-26

Loxonema sp., occurrence of .............. 23

M.

McClellan Creek, character of ............. 13

drainage of.......................... 44,55-56

Mammoth Creek, character and course of.. 13,50 

irrigation from ......................... 47

Mangum dolomite member, segregation of. 18 

Map of High Plains......................... 10

of High Plains, showing location of

lakes ........................... 48

of Texas Panhandle and vicinity....... 7

Map, geologic, of area discussed ........... 14

Marsh, O. C., on Great Plains Tertiary..... 27

Memphis, rocks near....................... 22-23

Miami, freshet at, view of.................. 42

Mobeetie, springs near..................... 55

Mortar beds, equivalents of................ 25

Mulberry Creek, canyon of, character of... 57 

character of............................ 13

drainage of....................... 44-45,57-58

erosion by.............................. 9

rocks on............................. 20-21,28

section on .............................. 15

Mulock, irrigation near .................... 47

Murchisonia sp., occurrence of............. 23

N.

Nasby Spring, location of .................. 55

North Fork of Canadian River, tributaries

of............................... 41

North Fork of Red River, alluvium on..... 31

character and course of ................ 43^14

drainage of.......................... 41,54-56

erosion by.............................. 9

tributaries of........................... 43

valley of, character of.................. 12

O.

Ochiltree, windmill and tank at, view of.. 36 

Ochiltree County, area and location of ...." 7

rocks of................................. 50

topography of ........................ 8,12,50

water resources of...................... 51

wells of, depth of....................... 35,51

Ogalalla formation, equivalents of......... 25

Oklahoma, Greer County, rocks in ......... 18

Greer County, springs in ............... 38-39

topography of ...................... 12

red beds in, divisions of................ 15-17

section of, diagram showing ....... 16

Roger Mills Countytopography of...................... 12

wells in................................. 38

Oklahoma City, Okla.,.well at ............. 38

P.

Paio Duro beds, equivalent of.............. 26

Palo Duro Canyon, character of.... 9-10,12,44-45

erosion in, view of...................... 20

rocks in ............................. 20-23,57

sections in........................... 14-15,57

views in ............................. 20,22,28

weathering in, view of................. 28

Palo Duro Creek, character and course of.. 13,

41-42,51-52

Palo Duro Creek, erosion by................ 9,52

irrigation on............................ 47,52

Panhandle, map of......................... 7

portion of discussed, area and location

of............................... 7-8

geologic map of .................... 14

geology of.......................... 13-31

topography of...................... 8-13

water resources of.................. 31-59

Permian rocks, divisions of ................ 15,17

occurrence and character of ........... 13-23

See also Red beds.

Pleistocene rocks; erosion of............... 10

Plemons, rocks near........................ 21

springs near............................ 52

Pleurophorus sp., occurrence of............ 23

Pleurotomaria sp., occurrence of........... 23

Possum Peaks, location of.................. 23

Prairie Dog Fork of Red River, chara°ter

and course of.........;......... 44-45

drainage of............................. 41,57

rocks on................................ 20

springs along........................... 38-39

valley of, character of.................. 12

wells along, depth of................... '35

Precipitation, amount of................... 35,46

Public lands, nonexistence of, in Texas.... 49

Q.

Quartermaster formation, erosion of, view

of............................... 20

fossils in................................ 23

hills due to............................. 22-23

name of................................. 21

occurrence and character of..... IE-17,21-23,

57-59 

relations of Dockum and............... 22-23

springs in............................... 39

water from............................. 31-32

Quaternary rocks, bibliography of ......... 24

character of............................ 29

formation of, divisions of .............. 27

occurrence and character of ..... 13,22,25-31

stratigraphy of......................... 24-27

R.

Rabbit Ear Creek. See Coldwater Cree\. 

Rabbit Ear Mountains, location of......... 41

Ragged Top, location of.................... 23

Range, Okla., irrigation at.................. 47

Red beds, occurrence and character of .... 13

sand from.............................. 11

water from .......................... 31-32,38

See also Permian rocks.

Red Deer Creek, character and course of. 13,43,53 

flood on................................. 43

views of ............................ 42

Red River, branches of, character of....... 9,41

branches of, irrigation from............ 47

Reeds, C. A., work of....................... 7

River plains, character of.................. 11-13

Roberts County, area and location of....... 7

rocks of................................. 53

topography of........................ 8,11,63

water supply of......................... 63

' wellsof, depth of....................... 63

Rocking Chair Mountains, location of... 10,22-23 

view of................................. 22
64 INDEX.

Page. 

Rocks, hard, scarcity of .................... 47

Rocky Mountains, source of artesian water

in............................... 37-38

Salt Fork division, equivalents of.......... 17

Salt Fork of Red River, alluvium on....... 31

character and course of ................ 44

drainage of.......................... 41,56-57

erosion by .............................. 9

rocks on ................................ 20-22

springs ou ................. ............ 38

valley of, character of.................. 12

Salt springs, occurrence and character of.. 38-39 

Salton, Okla., section at, diagram showing. 19 

Salts, prevalence of, in red-beds water..... 31

scarcity of, in Tertiary rocks water .... 32

Sand, source of............................. 11

Sand hills, classes of........................ 30

migration of............................

occurrenceand characterof. 11,13,30,53-55,59 

springs from............................ 40

view of................................. 12

water from............................. 31

Saturation, zone of, character of ........... 34

Schizodus sp., occurrence of ................ 23

Section, geologic, across northwestern

Texas, flg ure showing.......... 8

in Palo Duro Canyon................... 14

Shamrock, rocks near....................... 22-23

Sheet water, character of .................. 33-34

Simpson, C. T., fossils found by ............ 24

Sink holes, occurrence of .................. 18-20

Spillers Creek, character of ................ 13

drainage of .......................... 44-45,59

erosion by .............................. 9

rocks on................................ 20

Spring issuing from cave, view of .......... 18

Springs, character and occurrence of....... 13,

38-40,55-56 

irrigation from......................... 47-48

Staked Plains, part of High Plains on...... 8

rocks of................................. 27

Stanley Spring, location of................. 55

Storms, water of, storage of................. 48

Streams, drainage basins of................ 40-46

irrigation from......................... 46-47

location and character of.......... 9-11,41-45

run-off of............................... 47

Strophostylus sp., occurrence of............ 23

Sweetwater Creek, character and course of. 13,55 

drainage of.......................... 44,54-55

irrigation from......................... 47-48

T. 

Tertiary grit, equivalents of................ 25

Tertiary marl, equivalents of............... 25

Tertiary rocks, bibliography of............. 24

character of ................... 13-15,28-30,33

deposition of ........................ 27-28,34

erosion of............................... 10

formations of, divisions of.............. 27

occurrence of........................... 25-31

sand from .............................. 11,30

section of, showing water beds......... 34

springs from......................... 40-41,53

stratigraphy of ......................... 24-27

Page.

Tertiary rocks, water from ..... ........... 31-35

wells ill................................. 35

Texas, northwestern, sections across, diagram showing.................. 8

Topography, character of .................. 8-13

See also individual counties.

Triassic rocks, occurrenc^ and character

of.............;........... 13-15,23-24

Tule Canyon, erosion in, vi-nv of............ 24

fossils from............................. 27

rocks in................................. 23

section on .............................. 15

Tule formation, fossils from................ 27

occurrence and character of........ 13, 25-27

Twin Mounds, location of.................. 23

Underflow, character of. 

Unios, occurrence of....

Washita River, character of................ 43

drainage of.......................... 41, 53-54.

valley of, character of.................. 12

wells in............................. 54

Water, artesian, occurrence of.............. 37-38

Water, underground, annual addition to... 35-37 

movement of........................... 33-34

source of................................ 35-36

Water beds, section of Tertiary showing... 34 

Water resources of area.................... 31-59

by counties............................. 49-59

Water storage, difficulty of................. 47

instances of............................ 48

Water table, position of.................... 36

position of, section showing............ 30

Weathering, in Palo Duro Canyon, view of. 28 

Wellington, rocks near..................... 22

Wells in red beds, depth of................. 38

in Tertiary rocks, depth of ............. 35,48

Wells, irrigation from ...................... 48

records of, source of.................... 7

See also individual counties. 

Wheeler County, area and location of...... 7

irrigation in ............................ 47

rocks in.............................. 22, .54-55

sand hills of ............................ 30

springs in............................... 55

topography of ....................... 10-13,54

water resources of ...................... 55

wells in. depth of....................... 55

White Deer Creek, character of............. 13

Wichita beds, equivalents of ............... 17

Windmills, character of .................... 36-37

use of ................................... 36

views of ................................ 36

Wolf Creek, character and course of .... 42,50-51

erosion by .............................. 9

irrigation from ......................... 47-48

tributaries of ........................... 42

valley of, character of.................. 12,49

wells in............................. 51

Woodruff, E. G., work of.................... 7

Woodward formation, occurrence and character of......................... 15-17

Worthenopsis sp., occurrence of............ 23
CLASSIFICATION OF THE PUBLICATIONS OF THE UNITED STATES GEOLOGICAL

SURYEY.

[Water-Supply Paper No. 154.]

The serial 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 the 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.

Most of the above publications may be obtained or consulted in the following 

ways:

1. A limited number are delivered to the Director of the Survey, from whom they 

may be obtained, free of charge (except classes 2, 7, and 8), on application.

2. A certain number are delivered to Senators and Representatives in Congress, for 

distribution.

3. Other copies are deposited with the Superintendent of Documents, Washington, 

D. G., from whom they may be had at prices slightly above cost.

4. Copies of all Government publications are furnished to the principal public 

libraries in the large cities throughout the United States, where they may be consulted by those interested.

The Professional Papers, Bulletins, 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; E, 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; 0, Underground waters; P, Hydrographic progress reports. 

This paper is the eighty-first in Series B, the twentieth in Series I, and the fifty-first 

in Series 0, the compete lists of which follow (PP=Professional Paper; B=Bulletin; 

WS=Water-Supply Paper) :

SERIES B, DESCRIPTIVE GEOLOGY.

B 23. Observations on the junction between the Eastern sandstone and the Keweeuaw series on

Keweenaw Point, Lake Superior, by R. D. Trying and T. C. Chamberlin. 1885. 124 pp.,

17 pis.

B 33. Notes on geology of northern California, by J. S. Diller. 1886. 23pp. (Out of stock.) 

B 39. The upper beaches and deltas of Glacial Lake Agassiz, by Warren Upham. 1887. 8t pp., 1 pi.

(Out of stock.) 

B 40. Changes in river courses in Washington Territory due to glaciation, by Bailey Willis. 1887.

10pp., 4 pis. (Out of stock.) 

B 45. The present condition of knowledge of the geology of Texas, by R. T. Hill. 18#7. 94 pp. (Out

of stock.)

B 53. The geology of Nantucket, by N. S. Shaler. 1889. 55 pp., 10 pis. (Out of stock.) 

B 57. A geological reconnaissance in southwestern Kansas, by Robert Hay. 1890. 49 pp., 2 pis. 

B 58. The glacial boundary in western Pennsylvania, Ohio, Kentucky, Indiana, and Illinois, by G. F.

Wright, with introduction by T. C. Chamberlin. 1890. 112 pp., 8 pis. (Out of stock.) 

B 67. The relations of the traps of the Newark system in the New Jersey region, by N. H. Darton.

1890. 82pp. (Out of stock.) - 

B 104. Glaciation of the Yellowstone Valley north of the Park, by W. H. Weed. 1893. 41 pp., 4 pis.
II SERIES LIST.

B 108. A geological reconnaissance in central Washington, by I. C. Russell. 1893. 108 pp., 12 pis.

(Out of stock.)

B 119. A geological reconnaissance in northwest Wyoming, by G. H. Eldridge. 1894. 72 pp., 4 pis. 

B 137. The geology of the Port Riley Military Reservation and vicinity, Karsas, by Robert Hay.

1896. 35pp., 8 pis. 

B 144. The moraines of the Missouri Coteau and their attendant deposits, by J. E. Todd. 1896. 71

pp., 21 pis. 

B 158. The moraines of southeastern South Dakota and their attendant deposits, by J. E. Todd.

1899. 171 pp., 27 pis. 

B 159. The geology of eastern Berkshire County, Massachusetts, by B. K. Emerson. 1899. 139 pp.,

9 pis. 

B 165. Contributions to the geology of Maine, by H. S. Williams and H. E. Gregory. 1900. 212 pp.,

14 pis. 

WS 70. Geology and water resources of the Patrick and Goshen Hole qua drangles in eastern

Wyoming and western Nebraska, by G. I. Adams. 1902. 50 pp., 11 pis. 

B 199. Geology and water resources of the Snake River Plains of Idaho, by I. C. Russell. 1902. 192

pp., 25 pis. 

PP 1. Preliminary report on the Ketchikan mining district, Alaska, with an introductory sketch of

the geology of southeastern Alaska, by A. H. Brooks. 1902. 120 pp., 2 pT s. 

PP 2. Reconnaissance of the northwestern portion of Seward Peninsula, Alaska, by A. J. Collier.

1902. 70pp., 11 pis. 

PP 3. Geology and petrography of Crater Lake National Park, by J. S. Diller and H. B. Patton.

1902. 167 pp., 19 pis. 

PP 10. Reconnaissance from Port Hamlin to Kotzebue Sound, Alaska, by way of Ball, Kanuti, Alien,

and Kowak rivers, by W. C. Mendenhall. 1902. 68 pp., 10 pis.

PP 11. Clays of the United States east of the Mississippi River, by Heinrich Ries. 1903. 298 pp., 9 pis. 

PP 12. Geology of the Globe copper district, Arizona, by P. L. Ransome. 1903. 168 pp., 27 pis. 

PP 13. Drainage modifications in southeastern Ohio and adjacent parts of West Virginia and Kentucky, by W. G. Tight. 1903. Ill pp., 17 pis.

B 208. Descriptive geology of Nevada south of the fortieth parallel and adjacent portions of California, by J. E. Spurr. 1903. 229 pp., 8 pis.

B 209. Geology of Ascutney Mountain, Vermont, by R. A. Daly. 1903. 122 pp., 7 pis. 

WS 78. Preliminary report on artesian basins in southwestern Idaho and southeastern Oregon, by

I. C. Russell. 1903. 51 pp. 2 pis. 

PP 15. Mineral resources of the Mount Wrangell district, Alaska, by W. C. Mendenhall and P. C.

Schrader. 1903. 71 pp., 10 pis. 

PP 17. Preliminary report on the geology and water resources of Nebraska west of the one hundred

and third meridian, by N. H. Darton. 1903. 69 pp., 43 pis. 

B 217. Notes on the geology of southwestern Idaho and southeastern Oregon, b^ I. C. Russell. 1903.

83 pp., 18 pis.

B 219. The ore deposits of Tonopah, Nevada (preliminary report), by J. E. Spurr. 1903. 3l pp., 1 pi. 

PP 20. A reconnaissance in northern Alaska in 1901, by F. C. Schrader. 1904. 139 pp., 16 pis. 

PP 21. The geology and ore deposits of the Bisbee quadrangle, Arizona, by P. L. Ransome. 1904.

168 pp., 29 pis. 

WS 90. Geology aud water resources of part of the lower James River Valley, South Dakota, by J. E.

Todd and C. M. Hall. 1904. 47 pp., 23 pis.

PP25. The copper deposits of the Encampment district, Wyoming, by A. C. Spencer. 1904. 107pp.,2-pls. 

PP 26. Economic resources of northern Black Hills, by J. D. Irving, with chapters by S. P. Emmons

and T. A. Jaggar, jr. 1904. 222 pp., 20 pis.

PP 27. Geological reconnaissance across the Bitterroot Range and the ClearwaterMountains in Montana and Idaho, by Waldemar Lindgren. 1904. 122 pp., 15 pis.

PP 31. Preliminary report on the geology of the Arbuckle and Wichita mountains in Indian Territory and Oklahoma, by J. A. Taff, with an appendix on reported ore deposits in the Wichita

Mountains, by H. P. Bain. 1904. 97 pp., 8 pis. 

B 235. A geological reconnaissance across the Cascade Range near the forty-ninth parallel, by G. 0.

Smith and P. C. Calkins. 1904. 103 pp., 4 pis.

B 236. The Porcupine placer district, Alaska, by C. W. Wright. 1904. 35 pp., 10 pis. 

B 237. Igneous rocks of the Highwood Mountains, Montana, by L. V. Pirsson. r>04. 208 pp., 7 pis. 

B 238. Economic geology of the lola quadrangle, Kansas, by G. I. Adams, Erasmus Haworth, and

W. R. Crane. 1904. 83 pp., 1 pi. 

PP 32. Geology and underground water resources of the central Great Plains, by N. H. Darton. 1905.

433 pp., 72 pis. 

WS 110. Contributions to hydrology of eastern United States, 1904; M. G. Puller, geologist in charge.

1905. 211 pp., 5 pis. 

B 242. Geology of the Hudson Valley between the Hoosic and the Kinderhook, by T. Nelson Dale.

1904. 63 pp., 3 pis. 

PP34. The Delavan lobe of the Lake Michigan glacier of the .Wisconsin stag? of glaciation and

associated phenomena, by W. C. Alden. 1904. 106 pp., 15 pis.
SERIES LIST. Ill

PP 35. Geology of the Perry Basin in southeastern Maine, by G. O. Smith and David White. 1905.

107 pp., 6 pis.

B 243. Cement materials and industry of the United States, by E. C. Eckel. 1905. 395 pp.. 15 pis. 

B 246. Zinc and lead deposits of northwestern Illinois, by H. F. Bain. 1904. 56 pp., 5 pis. 

B 247. The Pairhaven gold placers of Seward Peninsula, Alaska, by F. H. Mofflt. 1905. 85 pp., 14 pis. 

B 249. Limestones of southwestern Pennsylvania, by F. G. Clapp. 1905. 52 pp., 7 pis. 

B 250. The petroleum fields of the Pacific coast of Alaska, with an account of the Bering River coal

deposit, by G. C. Martin. 1905. 64 pp., 7 pis. 

B 241. The gold placers of the Fortymile, Birch Creek, and Fairbanks regions, Alaska, by L. M.

Prindle. 1905. 89 pp., 16 pis. 

WS 118. Geology and water resources of a portion of east central Washington, by F. C. Calkins. 1905.

96 pp., 4 pis. 

B 252. Preliminary report on the geology and water resources of central Oregon, by I. C. Russell.

1905. 138 pp., 24 pis. 

PP 36. The lead, zinc, and fluorspar deposits of western Kentucky, by E. O. Ulrich and W. S. Tangier

Smith. 1905. 218 pp., 15 pis. 

PP 38. Economic geology of the Bingham mining district of Utah, by J. M. Boutwell, witl a chapter

on areal geology, by Arthur Keith, and an introduction on. general geology, by S. r. Emmons.

1905. 413 pp., 49 pis. 

PP 41. The geology of the central Copper River region, Alaska, by W. C. Mendenhall. 19C5. 133 pp.,

20 pis. 

B 254. Report of progress in the geological resurvey of the Cripple Creek district, Colorado by Waldemar Linclgren and F. L. Ransome. 1904. 36 pp.

B 255. The fluorspar deposits of southern Illinois, by H. Foster Bain. 1905. 75 pp., 6 pis. 

B 256. Mineral resources of the Elders Ridge quadrangle, Pennsylvania, by R. W. St7ne. 1905.

86pp., 12 pis. 

B 257. Geology and paleontology of the Judith River beds, by T. W. Stanton and J. B. Hatcher, with

a chapter on fossil plants, by F. H. Knowlton. 1905. 174 pp., 19 pis.

PP 42. Geology of the Tonopah mining district, Nevada, by J. E. Spurr. 1905. 295 pp., 23 pis. 

WS 123. Geology and underground water conditions of the Jornada del Muerto, New Mexico,, by

C. R. Keyes. 1905. 42 pp., 9 pis.

WS 136. Underground waters of Salt River Valley, Arizona, by W. T. Lee. 1905. 194 pp., 24 pis. 

PP 43. The copper deposits of Clifton-Morenci, Arizona, by Waldemar Lindgren. 190E. 375 pp.,

25 pis.

B 265. Geology of the Boulder district, Colorado, by N. M. Fenneman. 1905. 101 pp., 5 pip. 

B 267. The copper deposits of Missouri, by H. F. Bain and E. O. Ulrich. 1905. 62 pp., 1 pi. 

PP 44. Underground water resources of Long Island, New York, by A. C. Veatch and others. 1905. 

WS 148. Geology and water resources of Oklahoma, by C. N. Gould. 1905. 178 pp., 22 pis. 

B 270. The configuration of the rock floor of Greater New York, by W. H. Hobbs. 1905. 9fi pp., 5 pis. 

B 272. Taconic physiography, by T. M. Dale. 1905. 52 pp., 14 pis. 

PP 45. The geography and geology of Alaska, a summary of existing knowledge, by A. H. Brooks,

with a section on climate, by Cleveland Abbe, jr., and a topographic map and description

thereof, by R. M. Goode. 1905. 

B 273. The drumlins of southeastern Wisconsin (preliminary paper), by W. C. Alden. 1905. 46 pp.,

9 pis. 

PP 46. Geology and underground water resources of northern Louisiana and southern Arkansas, by

A. C. Veatch. 1906. 

PP 49. Geology and mineral resources of part of the Cumberland Gap coal field, Kentucky, by G. H.

Ashley and L. C. Glenn.in cooperation with the State Geological Department of Kentucky,

C. J. Norwood, curator. 1906.

PP 50. The Montana lobe of the Kewatin ice sheet, by F. H. H. Calhoun. 1906. 

B 277. Mineral resources of Kenai Peninsula, Alaska: Gold fields of the Turnagain Arm region, by

F. H. Moffit, and the coal fields of Kachemak Bay region, by R. W. Stone. 1906. 

WS 154. The geology and water resources of the eastern portion of the Panhandle of Texrs, by C. N. 

Gould. 1906. 64 pp., 15 pis.

SERIES I IRRIGATION.

WS 2. Irrigation near Phoenix, Ariz., by A. P. Davis. 1897. 98 pp., 31 pis. and maps. (Out of stock.)

WS 5. Irrigation practice on the Great Plains, by E. B. Cowgill. 1897. 39 pp., 11 pis. (Ou*. of stock.)

WS 9. Irrigation near Greeley, Colo., by David Boyd. 1897. 90pp., 21 pis. (Out of stoc'^.)

WS 10. Irrigation in Mesilla Valley, New Mexico, by F. C. Barker 1898. 51 pp., 11 pip (Out of

	stock.) 

WS 13. Irrigation systems in Texas, by W. F. Hutson. 1898. 68 pp., 10 pis. (Out of stocl.)

WS 17. Irrigation near Bakersfleld, Cal., by C. E, Grunsky. 1898. 96 pp., 16 pis. (Out of stock.)

WS 18. Irrigation near Fresno, Cal., by C. E. Grunsky. 1898. 94 pp., 14 pis. (Out of stocV)

WS 19. Irrigation near Merced, Cal., by C. E. Grunsky. 1899. 59 pp., 11 pis. (Out of stock.)
IV SERIES LIST.

WS 23. Water-right problems of Bighorn Mountains, by Elwood Mead. 1899. 2 pp., 7 pis. (Out of

stock.) 

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

stock.) 

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

86 pp., 15 pis. (Out of stock.) 

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 p">., 14 pis. 

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

WS 93. Proceedings of first conference of engineers of the reclamation service, with accompanying

papers, compiled by F. H. Newell, chief engineer. 1904. 361 pp. 

WS 117. The lignite of North Dakota and its relation to irrigation, by F. A. Wilder. 1904. 59 pp.,

8 pis.

WS 143. Experiments on steel-concrete pipes on a working scale, by J. H.Quinton. 1905. 61 pp., 4 pis. 

WS 146. Proceedings of second conference of engineers of the reclamation service, with accompanying papers, compiled by F. H. Newell, chief engineer. 1905. 267 pp. 

WS 154. The geology and water resources of the eastern portion of the Panhandle of Texas, by C. N.

Gould. 1906. 64pp., 15 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 O UNDERGROUND WATERS.

WS 4. A reconnaissance in southeastern Washington, by I. C. Russell. 1897. 96 pp., 7 pis.

WS 6. Underground waters of southwestern Kansas, by Erasmus Haworth. 1S97. 65 pp., 12 pis.

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. 1898. 56pp., 21 pis.

WS 21. Wells of northern Indiana, by Frank Leverett. 1899. 82 pp., 2 pis.

WS 26. Wells of southern Indiana (continuation of No. 21), by Frank Leverett. 1899. 64pp.

WS 30. Water resources of the lower peninsula of Michigan, by A. C. Lane. 1899. 97 pp., 7 pis.

WS 31. Lower Michigan mineral waters, by A. C. Lane.. 1899. 97 pp., 4 pis.

WS 34. Geology and water resources of a portion of southeastern South Dakota, by J. E. Todd. 1900.

34pp., 19 pis. 

WS 53. Geology and water resources of Nez Perces County, Idaho, Pt. I, by I. C. Russell. 1901. 86

pp., 10 pis. 

WS 54. Geology and water resources of Nez Perces County, Idaho, Pt. II, by I. C. Russell. 1901.

87-141 pp. 

WS 55. Geology and water resources of a portion of Yakima County, Wash., ly G. O. Smith. 1901.

68pp., 7 pis.

WS 57. Preliminary list of deep borings in the United States, Pt. I, by N. H. Darton. 1902. 60 pp. 

WS 59. Development and application of water in southern California, Pt. I. by J. B. Lippincott.

1902. 95 pp., 11 pis. 

WS 60. Development and application of water in southern California, Pt. II. by J. B. Lippincott.

1902. 96-140 pp.

WS 61. Preliminary list of deep borings in the United States, Pt. II, by N. H. Darton. 1902. 67 pp. 

WS 67. The motions of underground waters, by C. S. Slichter. 1902. 106 pp., 8 pis. 

B 199j Geology and water resources of the Snake River Plains of Idaho, by I. C. Russell. 1902. 192

pp., 25 pis.

WS 77. Water resources of Molokai, Hawaiian Islands, by W. Lindgren. 1903. 62 pp., 4 pis. 

WS 78. Preliminary report on artesian basin in southwestern Idaho and southeastern Oregon, by I. C.

Russell. 1903. 53 pp., 2 pis. 

PP 17. Preliminary report on the geology and water resources of Nebraska west of the one hundred

and third meridian, by N. H. Darton. 1903. 69 pp., 43 pis. 

WS 90. Geology and water resources of a part of the lower James River Vall?y, South Dakota, by

J. E. Todd and C. M. Hall. 1904. 47 pp., 23 pis. 

WS 101. Underground waters of southern Louisiana, by G. D. Harris, with discussions of their uses for

water supplies and for rice irrigation, by M. L. Fuller. 1904. 98 pp., 11 pis.

WS 102. Contributions to the hydrology of eastern United States, 1903, by M. L. Fuller. 1904. 522 pp. 

WS 104. Underground waters of Gila Valley, Arizona, by W. T. Lee. 1904. 71 pp., 5 pis. 

WS 110. Contributions to the hydrology of eastern United States, 1904; M. L, Fuller, geologist in

charge. 1904. 211 pp., 5 pis. 

PP 32. Geology and underground water resources of the central Great Plains, by N. H. Darton. 1904.

433 pp., 72 pis. 

WS 111. Preliminary report on underground waters of Washington, by Henry Landes. 1904. 85 pp.

Ipl.
SERIES LIST. V

WS 112. Underflow tests in the drainage basin of Los Angeles River, by Homer Hamlin. 1904.

56 pp., 7 pis. 

WS 114. Underground waters of eastern United States; M. L. Fuller, geologist in charge. 3904.

285 pp., 18 pis. 

WS 118. Geology and water resources of east-central Washington, by F. C. Calkins. 1905. 96 pp.,

4 pis. 

B 252. Preliminary report on the geology and water resources oi central Oregon, by I. C. Russell.

1905. 138pp., 24 pis. 

WS 120. Bibliographic review and index of papers relating to underground waters published by the.

United States Geological Survey, 1879-1904, by M. L. Fuller. 1905. 128 pp. 

WS 122. Relation of the law to underground waters, by D. W. Johnson. 1905. 55 pp. 

WS 123. Geology and underground water conditions of the Jornada del Muerto, New Mexico, by C. R.

Keyes. 1905. 42 pp., 9 pis.

WS 136. Underground waters of the Salt River Valley, by W. T. Lee. 1905. 194 pp., 24 pis. 

B 264. Record- of deep-well drilling for 1904, by M. L. Fuller, E. F. Lines, and A. C. Veitch. 1905

106 pp.

PP 44. Underground water resources of Long Island, New York, by A. C. Veatch and others. 1905. 

WS 137. Development of underground waters in the eastern coastal plain region of southern Caliiornia,

by W. C. Mendenhall. 1905. 140 pp., 7 pis.

WS 138. Development of underground waters in the central coastal plain region of southern California, by W, C. Mendenhall. 1905. 162 pp., 5 pis.

WS 139. Development of underground waters in the western coastal plain region of southern California, by W. C. Mendenhall. 1905. 105 pp., 7 pis. 

WS 140. Field measurements of the rate of movement of underground waters, by C. S. Slichter. 1905.

122 pp., 15 pis. 

WS 141. Observations on the ground waters of Rio Grande Valley, by C. S. Slichter. 1J05. 83 pp.,

5 pis.

WS 142. Hydrology of San Bernardino Valley, California, by W. C. Mendenhall. 1905. 124 pp., 13 pis. 

WS 145. Contribntions to the hydrology of eastern United States; M. L. Fuller, geologist in charge.

1905. 220pp., 6 pis.

WS 148. Geology and water resources of Oklahoma, by C. N. Gould. 1905. 178 pp., 22 pis. 

WS 149. Preliminary list of deep borings in the United States. Second edition, with additions, by

N. H. Darton. 1905. 175 pp. 

PP 46. Geology and nndergronnd water resources of northern Louisiana and southern Arkansas, by

A. C. Veatch. 1906.

WS 153. The underflow in Arkansas Valley in western Kansas, by C. S. Slichter. 19C6. 

WS 154, The geology and water resources of the eastern portion of the Panhandle of Texas, by C. N.

Gould. 1906. 64pp., 15 pis.

The following papers also relate to this subject: Underground waters of Arkansas Valley in eastern 

Colorado, by G. K. Gilbert, in Seventeenth Annual, Pt. II; Preliminary report on artesian waters of a 

portion of the Dakotas, by N. H. Darton, in Seventeenth Annual, Pt. II; Water resources of Illinois, 

by Frank Leverett, in Seventeenth Annual, Pt. II; Water resources of Indiana and Ohio, by Frank 

Leverett, in Eighteenth Annual, Pt. IV; New developments in well boring and irrigation in eastern 

South Dakota, by N. H. Darton, in Eighteenth Annual, Pt. IV; Rock waters of Ohio, by Edward 

Orton, in Nineteenth Annual, Pt. IV; Artesian well prospects in the Atlantic coastal plain region, by 

N. H. Darton, Bulletin No. 138. 

Correspondence should be addressed to

THE DIBECTOK,

UNITED STATES GEOLOGICAL SURVEY, 

FEBRUARY, 1906. WASHINGTON, D. G.

o