• 

GROUND WATER FOR IRRIGATION IN LODGEPOLE VALLEY, 

WYOMING AND NEBRASKA. 

By OsCAR E. ·MEINZER. 

INTRODUCTION. 

LOCATION AND CRARACTER OF VALLEY. 

Lodgepole Cr.eek rises in the Laramie. Mountains, in Wyoming, and 

flows eastward and southeastward across the Great Plains to its 

junction with South Platte River. (See :fig. 3.) Its course across the 

10a...=-ooo=:0;.,........,_.;2;::,0 ====>40tAILEft 

FlGUliE 3.-M:ap showing the drainage basin of Lodgepole Creek and a~acent areas; 

plains, not including meanders, is about 165 miles long, of which 

65 miles is in Wyoming, 95 miles in Nebraska, and 5 miles in Colo:.-

rado. · Its valley resembles other valleys of the Great Plains in that 

it is· a flat-bottomed, steep-sided trench, formed by stream erosion 

and later partly refilled by stream sedimentation. , 

Lodgepole Valley is traversed by the mainline of the .:Union Paci:fio 

Railroad from Egbert, Wyo., to the place at which it opens into the 

broad, flat valley of the South Platte above Julesburg, Colo., and 

by the Lincoln Highway from Egbert, Wyo., to Chappell, ·Nebr. It 

is crossed at Sidney, Nebr., by the Chicago, Burlington & QUincy 

R8ilroad, and near the mountains by the Colorado & Southern Railway. Along the Union · Pacific line in Lodgepole Valley there are 

many ranches and several towns, the largest of which is the ente'r37 
CONTRIBUTIONS TO HYDROLOGY OF. UNITED STATES, 1917. 

prising little city of Sidney. Thirty miles west of Egbert the Union 

Pacific line passes through Cheyenne, the capital of Wyoming~ Above 

Egbert the valley is settled only at a few cnttle and sheep ranches. 

PURPOSE AND SCOPE OF INVESTIGATION. 

In recent years the residents of Lodgepole Valley have been interested in projects for extending irrigation by pumping shallow ground 

water or by discovering artesian water, and have repeatedly requested 

the Federal Government to investigate the subject. It has nbt been 

practicable for the Geological Survey to make a thorough study of 

the ground-water supply of this valley, but in September, 1915, the 

writer made a brief field investigation, the general results of which 

are presented in this paper. The datn on cost of pumping for irrigation, by H. C. Diesem (pp. 67-69), were generously furnished by the 

division of irrigation investigations, Office of Public Roads and Rural 

Engineering, United States Department of Agriculture. · 

. PHYSIOGRAPHY. 

The drainage basin of Lodgepole Creek comprises a long~ narrow 

belt between the much larger basins of the North Platte and the " 

South Platte, from which it is separated by inconspicuous divides. 

It is about 175 miles long, 12! miles in average width, and approximately 2,200 square miles in area.1 It includes narrow segments of 

two very distinct physiographic provinces, the Laramie Mountains 

and 1the Great Plains. The mountain segment is about 13 miles 

long and 5 miles in average width, and comprises about 65 square 

miles, or 3 per cent of the total drainage basin. All the rest of the 

drainage basinis in the Great Plains. The mountain segment ranges 

in altitude from about 7,000 to 8,000 feet above sea level; the upland 

surface of the plains segment from about 7,000 feet near the mountain front to less than 4,000 feet near the mouth of Lodgepole Creek. 

The steep-walled, flat-bottomed valley that the creek has cut into 

the generally smooth surface of the plains averages about 1! miles 

in width and ranges in depth from less than 100 feet to fully 250 feet. 

The flood plain of the creek is bordered by terraces that stand at 

different elevations. In the upper part of the valley there are two 

rather definite terrace levels. In the vicinity of Ariosa and Pole 

Creek ranches the first terrace is about 15 feet above the stream, or 10 

feet above the flood plain, and the second terrace is 30 to 50 feet above 

the stream. Below Pinebluff the second terrace is about 65 feet above 

the stream, and is well marked throughout most of Kimball County. 

In the vicinity of Sidney there is but one distinct terrace, and it is 

only 10 to 20 feet above the flood plain. 

The upland surface of the Great Plains is interrupted by two prominent escarpments, about 250 feet high, one near Islay and the other 

• Price, D .• D. Nebraska Board oflrrlgatlon, Highways, and Drainage Tenth Blenn. Rept., p. 37, 1914. 

' ' 
GROVND WATER .IN LODGEPOLE VALLEY, WYO.-NEBR. 39 

near Pinebluff. Th.ese escarpments trend tra:ft.sverse to the co~rse 

of the valley and face the west. On the west side of each is a low, 

flat plain that coincides in level with the floor of Lodgepole Valley 

and forms essentially an expanded part of the valley. The upland on 

' the east side of each escarpment is a part of the general surface of the 

Great Plains, which slopes gently toward the east. The descent from 

the upland surface ~ast of the Islay escarpment to the lowland surface 

on the west side· of the Pinebluff escarpment is for the most part 

gradual, but there is an east-facing escarpment of some prominence 

in the vicinity of Egbert. 'fhese escarpments appear to be erosion 

features in the nature of hogbacks. The valley is deepest and narrowest where Lodgepole Creek cuts through the upland back of the Islay 

escarpment. 

GEOLOGY. 

Lodgepole Valley is underlain by sedimentary formations of great 

aggregate thickness, which rest on pre-Cambrian granite and other 

crystalline rock;s. The following generalized section of these formations in the vicinity of the Laramie Mountains in southeastern 

Wyoming is given by Darton and Siebenthal,l The Ogalalla formation, which occurs extensively along Lodgepole Valley, has been 

added to the section. 

Generalized section of formations that outcrop in the vicinity of the Laramie Mountains 

and extend beneath ·the Great Plains. 

[After N. H. Darton and C. E. Sieben thai.] 

System. Formation. Character of rocks. Tbiclrness, 

in feet. 

., Ogal~la formation a. Poorly assorted deposits of clay, sand, and 0-30J gravel with much calcareous cement. Arikaree formation .. Sand, gravel, and boulder beds, with local 200-250 Tertiary ..••••••••••.•.. limestone lens. 

Brule clay •.•••.•..•• Massive pinkish sandy clay, with gravelly 250 

streaks. 

Chadron sandstone .• Massive brown sandstone, merging into sand 

and gravel. 20-100 

r--- Grak sandstone and sandy shale ..•........•... 700+ Pierre shale .•....... Dar -grahshalewith thin beds of sandstone .... 5,000 

Cretaceous .•.••••••••••. Niobrara limestone •. Impure c alky limestone and gray limy shale; 

massive gray limestone at base .....•........ 321\-400 Benton shale .....••. Gray shale and some sandstone. . . • . . . . ....... 700-1,000 Cloverly formation .. Hard gray sandstone and purple to gray sandy 70-100 clay. [Includes Dakota sandstone at top.] 

--- Cretaceous or J urJSsic ... Morrison formation. ·1 Massive pale green to maroon shale with thin 150-200 limestones and sandstones. 

1 urassic.... . . . . . . . . . . . . . Sundance formation ·I Buff slab by sandstone and sandy gray shale .... ---- 30-60 

Triassic or Permian ..... , Chugwater formation! Red sandy shale and fine-grained sandstone, . 1 and beds of gypsum near base. 80-1,000 

Carboniferous............ Casper formation .•.. j ·Gray to red sandstone, gray to purple lime- 800-1,000 . stone,andredshale. Gray to reddish brown ! sandstone and conglomerate at base . 

Pre-Cambrian ••••.•.... . .. ... ..... .......... ·I Granite, gneiss,schist •.......•.......•••.•••.....•.•.••• 

<> This formation is not found near the Laramie Mountains but occurs extensively on the plains adjacent to Lodgepole Valley. , 

• Darton, N.H., Blackwelder, Eliot, and Siebenthal, c. E., u. S. Geol Survey Geol. Atlas, l•1mmieSherman folio {No. 173), 1910. • 
40 CONTRIBUTIONS TO HYDROLOGY 01)' UNITED STATES, 1917. 

Below the Great Plains the formations older than the Tertiary lie 

nearly horizontal, but in a narrow belt along the edge of the mountains -they are bent sharply upward and in some places overturned, 

faulted, or complexly warped. The Tertiary beds are nearly horizontal in this region, not only below the Great Plains, where they 

completely conceal the older formations, but also near the mountains, 

where to some extent they overlap the deformed and eroded edges of 

the older formations. In some parts of western Nebraska the Cretaceous strata younger than the Pierre shale are absent and the 

Tertiary beds rest on. this shale.1 

As the Tertiary formations are important in connection with the 

ground water of this region, they will be briefly described .. 

The Chadron sandstone, which lies at the bottom of the Tertiary 

system, crops out near the Laramie Mountains, where it is a bed 20 

to 40 feet thick overlapping the older formations. 2 Eastward it 

passes under the Brule clay, but whether it is a continuous formation 

in the vicinity of Lodgepole Valley is not known. 

The Brule clay is a moderately .hard, compact, brittle, silty clay, 

prevailingly pale pinkish or flesh color. It has indistinct but regular 

bedding planes, and where it is weathered it is much jointed and 

broken into more or less cubical blocks. This is the formation that 

many of the drillers in Lodgepole Valley call "hardpan." 

The Brule clay is at or near the surface over most of the !slay lowland between the !slay escarpment and the older formations that 

fringe the mountains (Pl. IV). It forms the lower part of this 

escarpment, outcropping to a height of about 70 feet in a locality 

southeast of the Van Tassell ranch, but it passes beneath the upland 

east of the escarpment and beneath the valley 2 or 3 miles east of the 

Heasman ranch. It again appears in the vicinity of Egbert, 45 

miles farther east, where it is reached by the Egbert Railway well 

(p. 56) and comes to the surface at the base of the eastward 

facing escarpment (Pl. IV). It is at or near the surface over a considerable area of the Pinebluff lowland, from the Egbert escarpment 

to the Pinebluff escarpment. It crops out to a height of about 150 

feet in the Pinebluff escarpment south of the village of Pinebluff but 

passes beneath the upland plain east of this escarpment. This formation apparently underlies the valley atno great depth throughout 

Nebraska, a distance of over 90 miles, and it is exposed at many places 

in the lower parts of the valley walls. 

As the base of the Brule clay is not exposed except near the mountains and has rarely been reached in drilling in this region, the total 

thickness of the formation is not definitely known. Thicknesses of 

Darton; N.H., PreHminary report on the geology and water resources of Nebraska west of the one 

hundred and tWrd meridian: U.S. Geol. Survey Prof. Paper 17, pl. 11, 19()3. 

• Darton, N. H., Blackwelder, Eliot, and Siebenthal, C. E., U. S. Geol. Survey Geol. Atlas, Laramie· 

Sherman folio (No. 173), p. 10, 1910. 
U. S. GEOLOGICAL 

17 

zo 

l6 

Zl 

16. 

· South 

R.69W. 

14 

hase of 

formation 

R.68W. R.6l w. 

15 

17 

zo Zl zz 

JO 29 

Base compiled .from General L<!nd Office -p.tats,topograph __ ic map by U.S.Geolog•cal · Survey, railroad alignmems, _anafield maps- · 

Bo.undaries of pre -Tertiary -formati ons after N .H.D ar·ton and c :!'. .siebentha 1 

R .64W. .31 .3Z .33 

0 4 5 6.M!LES 

~~~----~-----~--~----~--~~--~ 

The formations shown on the map have th e foll owi ng succession: 

Ogal a ll a formation } 

Ari karee formation Te rtiary. 

Brule clay 

Stratified formations older tha n Brul e clay (Carboniferous to Chadron sandstone of the Te rtiary, in clusive). 

Granite (pre-Cam brian). 

The Ogalalla and Arikaree formati ons and the Brul e clay lie nearl y horizonta l. Where th e Arikaree formation is 

abse nt the Ogalalla formati on rests directly on the Brule clay. Th e pre-Te rtiary stratified formati ons are greatly deforme d. 

The Ogalalla a nd Arikaree formations are in genera l water bearin g; the Brule clay general ly yie lds on ly meager s upp lies but in some places in the va lley it furnish es large supplies. 

Hachu res indicate boundari es of va lley, wh ich contains water-bearing alluvium. In the va lley the water table 

is generally less tha n 100feet below the surface; in a reas indicated byshad ingthewater table is generally within 

25 feet of the surface . 

Continuous line indi cates pe rman e nt stream, with water tab le practicall y at surface; broken line indicates stream course that is us uall y dry, with water tabl e some distance be low surface . 

R.63W~ 

17 

MAP OF LODGEPOLE VALLEY IN LARAMI E COUNTY, WYO., SHOWING GEOLOGY AND GROUND-WATER CONDITIONS. 

R. 66W. 

lo II 

.13. 1(\ 

z 

formati n 

9 

16 IS. 

Zl ~2.2! 

~0 

R.61 W. 

4 

R.65W. 

z 

of Ari ka ree f orma ibn 

by gnivr.l!yde'posit 

.14 13 J() 

Z3 19 

WATER-SUPPLY PAPER 425 PLATE IV 

T.!SN. 

17 

Brule 

33 

4 
GROUND WATER IN LODGEPOLE VALLEY, WYO.-NEBR. 41 

250 to more than 600 feet have been observed by Darton • in adjacent parts of Nebraska and Wyoming. In a well 400 feet deep at 

Julesburg, Colo., 160 feet of "yellow clay," which is probably Brule 

clay, was found below the alluvial gravels. Below this clay there 

was a few inches of sand, below which blue shale-probably a Cretaceous formation-was penetrated 200 feet. 

The Arikaree formation consists mainly of soft, fine-grained, light 

gray sandstone containing numerous large concretions that are very 

characteristic.= It appears in typical character in the Egbert escarpment and for some miles west of Egbert, outcropping in the valley 

walls at least as far as the middle ofT. 15 N., R. 64 W., and in tributary ravines a few miles west of Burns (Pl. IV). It is penetrated by 

many wells in the valley and on the upland from the vicinity of 

Egbert to the vicinity of the Pole Creek ranch. It is generally 

mantled by gravelly deposits, which west of the Pole Creek ranch 

form the entire valley wall and completely conceal the typical sandstone of the Arikaree formation. The Arikaree formation is not 

seen in the Pinebluff escarpment, nor at any point farther east near 

Lodgepole Valley. It is not found in typical character in the Islay 

escarpment, but the gravelly beds overlying the Brule clay are 

believed by Darton 3 to represent a coarse phase of the Arikaree. 

The fine-grained concretionary sandstone appears to be merely a 

lens between the Brule clay and overlying gravelly deposits. 

The Ogalalla formation, which lies on the Brule or the Arikaree, 

consists of irregular beds of poorly assorted clayey, sandy, and 

gravelly materials, and much calcareous cement. The less cemented 

parts are pinkish, but the calcareous beds are mOTe nearly white or 

cream-colored. This formation underlies extensive areas of the 

Great Plains. It is exposed in the upper 100 feet of the Pinebluff 

escarpment and in the upper parts of the valley walls generally from 

Pint~bluff nearly to the lower end of the valley. In the entire region 

adjacent to Lodgepole Valley east of Pinebluff, so far as known, the 

Ogalalla formation underlies the upland plain and rests on the Brule 

clay. 

In the Islay escarpment southeast of the Van Tassel ranch the Brule 

clay is overlain by 70 feet of clean arkosic conglomerate, above which 

is about 40 feet of cemented gravelly beds, which resemble somewhat 

the Ogalalla formation but which are believed by Darton to be for 

the most part a gravelly phase of the Arikaree. Three miles below 

the Heasman ranch the entire valley wall, 250 feet high, appears to 

1 Darton, N. H., Preiiminary report on the geology and water resources l>f Nebraska west of the one 

hundred and third meridian: U. S. Geol. Survey Prof. Paper 17, pp: 37-40, 1903; and Darton, N. H., Blackwelder, Eliot, and Siebenthal, C. E., U.S. Geol. Survey Geol. Atlas, Laramie-Sherman folio (No. 173), 1910. 

• An excellent description of this sandstone is given in Prof. Paper 17, pp. 25-29. 

• Darton, N.H., Blackwelder, Eliot, and Siebenthal, C. E., U.S. Geo!. Suney Geol. Atlas, I,aramie· 

Sherman folio (No.l73), p. 11, 1910. 
42 CONTRIBUTIONS TO HYDROLOGY OF UNITED STATES, 1917. 

consist of poorly assorted gravelly and clayey beds-evidently coarse 

outwash from the near-by mountains. These gravelly deposits 

extend eastward indefinitely but become much thinner in the vicinity 

of Burns and Egbert, where at many places they rest with sharp 

contrast on the very different beds of the typical Arikaree formation. 

The valley is underlain through almost its entire length by recent 

alluvium, which generally includes considerable coarse, clean gravel. 

The deposit is, however, not thick, the well records indicating 10 to 

15 feet at Pinebluff; 35 to 50 feet or more at Bushnell, Kintbal1, and 

Potter; 25 feet at Sidney; 20 to 30 feet at Zunol; 15 to 20 feet at 

Lodgepole; 35 feet at Chappell; and 40 feet at JUlesburg. On much 

of the lslay lowland and the lowland between Egbert and Pinebluff 

the alluvium is absent or very thin. At some places below Egbert 

.the creek has cut into the Brule clay. 

A gravelly deposit that is probably intermediate in age between 

the OgaJalla formaiion and the recent alluvium covers a considerable area of lowland west of Islay, and gravels of intermediate age 

are found also on the terraces throughout the valley. 

PRECIPITATION. 

The following table, compiled from the published recordt;~ of the 

United States Weather Bureau to 1909, shows that Lodgepole 

Valley is in the semiarid region, in which dry farming is practiced 

but in which production can be greatly increased by irrigation. The 

precipitation is greatest in spring and summer and least in fall and 

winter. It is no doubt somewhat greater in the mountains than on 

the plains, but on the plains it does not decrease very much from 

east to west. The precipitation in the valley is probably not much 

different from that on the adjacent upland. 

Average monthly precipitation, in inches, at points in or near Lodgepole Valley. 

[Compiled from the published records of the U.S. Weather Bureau to 1909.] 

Ap-_ 

prox1-

Place. mate Jan. Feb. Mar. Apr. May. June. July. Aug. Sept. Oct. Nov. length 

of record. 

Dec. 

- ---------------------- Years. 

Che,-enna. ......... · 39 0.38 o. 54 0:98 1. 73 2.48 1. 65 !!.06 1. 47 l-00 071 o. 41 0.39 

Pineblnlf ••......•. 9 .16 .62 1.16 2. 51 2.51 1. 88 2.58 1. 48 1.00 .73 . 31 .45 

Kimball ••......•.. 19 . 45 . 66 1. 09 2.08 2. 70 2.12 2. 71 1. 42 .91 . 63 .42 .54 

Sidney and Lodge- polecz ............ , 29 . 46 .59 • 91 1.80 2. 75 1.73 2. 51 1.91 1.04 • 74 .25 .38 

• Lodgepole since 1894. 
GROU~D WATER IN LODGEPOLE VALLEY, WYO.-NEBR. 43 

Lowest, highest, and average annual precipitation at points in or near Lodgepole VaUty. 

Place. 

Number 

of complete 

years Lowest. Highest. Average. covered 

by the 

record. 

Cheyenne •••••••••••••••••••••••••• : ••••.••.••••••••••••••••••• Pinebluff ..................................................... . Kimball ..••••••••••.•...........•............••.••.•.••.••.... 

Inches. 

37 6.04 

8 10.90 

15 11. 13 

Sidney ........................................................ . 20 7. 70 

SURFACE WATERS. 

Inches. 

22.08 

26.24 

25.59 

26.92 

Inclles. 13.80 

1/i 29 15.74 

15.07 

The north and south forks of Lodgepole Creek head in a number of 

branches in the Laramie Mountains and unite on the Islay lowland at 

the Van Tassell ranch. Thence the creek leads to South Platte River, 

into which it discharges about 5 miles above Julesburg, Colo. The 

length of the creek from its sources to its mouth is about 175 miles if 

measured along the main trend of the valley but much more if measured along its intricately meandering channel. In its long course 

through the Great Plains it receives storm waters from innumerable 

gullies and the underflow from numerous tributary valleys and no 

doubt from the adjacent uplands, but only a few of its tributaries 

carry a perennial flow of surface water, and these are small. 

Lodgepole Creek does not persistently decrease ·in volume downstream, like most desert streams, nor does it persistently increase, like 

most streams in humid regions, but its flow increases and decreases in 

alternating reaches and in three reaches its channel is normally dry. 

No gaging station has been maintained on Lodgepole Creek, but 

current-meter measurements have frequently been made at many 

places bythe United States Geologic~l Survey and the State engineer 

of Nebraska, the results of which are giv~n in the table on page 46. 

At the time the valley was examined, in September, 1915, the flow of 

the creek was measured or estimated at the points indicated below. 

The differences in flow were due to some extent to diversions that were 

not specifically noted. 

About half a mile abote the Heasman ranch, where the creek leaves 

the Islay lowland and .enters the gorgelike valley, its flow, as measured with a current mJter, was about 71 second-feet, most of the 

water being contributed by branches that head in the. mount.ains rund 

little gain or loss being made on the Islay lowland. From this point 

to the diversion dam, about 14 miles downstream, in the NE. t sec. 

36, T. 16 N., R. 67 W. (see Pl. IV), the flow appeared to decrease 

slightly. At this dam the surface water and presumably ne-arly all 

the underflow was diverted, the total being probably somewhat less 

than the flow above the Heasman ranch. For a short distance below 
44 CONTRIBUTIONS TO HYDROLOGY .OF UNITED STATES, llU7. 

the dam· the channel was dry; but at the Ariosa and Pole Creek 

ranches the flow was fully 1 second-foot. A few miles below the Pole 

Creek ranch, however, the stream disappeared and the channel was 

dry for a distance of nearly 10 miles. 

From a springy area near the. west margin of sec. 26, T. 15 N., 

R. 64 W., to a point north of Egbert, in sec. 13, T. 14 N., R. 62 W;, 

a distance of about 15 miles, there was a continuous stream, which, 

however, probably nowhere carried more than 1 or 2 second-feet. 

From Egbert to its junction with Muddy Creek, just southwest of 

Pinebluff, a distance of a little more than 10 miles, Lodgepole Creek 

was entirely dry, and the fact that its channel in this stretch is cut 

through the alluvium into the Brule' clay indicates that there is but 

little underflow here. 

At Pinebluff, a short distance west of the Wyoming-Nebraska State 

line, Lodgepole Creek is replenished by two tributaries, both of which 

rise on the Great Plains. In September, 1915, Muddy Creek, the 

south-side tributary, discharged approximately 1 second-foot, and 

Spring Creek, the north-side tributary, discharged approximately 3 

second-feet into the channel of Lodgepole Creek. Considerable 

underflow along these streams also entered Lodgepole Creek, so that 

2 miles below the mouth of Spring Creek, at the road half a mile east 

of the State line, the measured flow of Lodgepole Creek was about 

6 second-feet . 

. In September, 1915, Lodgepole Creek contained flowing water 

from its junction with Muddy Creek nearly to Dix, a distance of about 

33 miles. It was intercepted by the Kimball reservoir, in T. 15 N., 

R. 57 W., but some water was escaping under the dam of this reservoir .. 

Half a mile below the dam its flow was fully 2 second-feet, and at 

Kimball it had increased to more than 6 second.-feet, as measured 

with a current meter. Farther downstream, at the west margin of 

sec. 25, T. 15 N., R. 55 W., its flow decreased to about 3 second-feet, 

and at the west margin of sec. 27, T. 15 N., R. 54 W., to about 1 

second-foot, and bef.ore reaching the road that extends northward 

from Dix the channel became entirely dry .. 

The channel was dry from the vicinity of Dix to a point below 

Potter, a distance of about 12 miles, but this part of the valley is 

underlain by gravel and no doubt carries considerable underflow. 

The stream reappeared in sec. 9, T. 14 R., R. 52 W., and thence 

flowed without interruption so far as observed at least to the Colorado 

State line. It was reported that near its mouth the creek again sinks, 

at least in some seasons, but this report was not verified. About 

midway between the east and west margins of sec. 2, T. 14 N., 

R. 52 W., 2 or 3 miles below the point where the creek reappeared, 

its flow was somewhat more than 4 second-feet, as measured with a 

current meter, and at Sidney it was about 6 second-feet. Below 
GROUND WATER IN LODGEPOLE VALLEY, WYO.-NEBR. 45 

Sidney it showed some irregularities, but in the ~cinity of Lodgepole 

it was enlarged to perhaps 10 second-feet by . contributions from 

several springs and from the underflow of tributaries entering the 

valley from both sides. Farther downstream the flow decreased, 

and a float measurement made about a mile west of Chappell indicated 

that it was about, 5 ~e.cond-feet, Still farther downst. ream, however, 

it increased consider*bly, and in sec. 12, T. 1~ N., R. 45 W.,,not far 

from the Colorado State line; a float measurement indicated that it 

was about 15 second+feet. Apparently the amount of underflow also 

increased considerably in the lower part of the valley. According to 

older :ctipotts the c~e~k is sometimes dry in the lower part of 'J.'. 14·N., 

R. 51 W., largely because of the diversion of water for irrigation,b 

and near Colton,. where the water sinks. a The data given in the 

following table show that the creek is sometimes dry or very small 

at other places, but these minor fluctuations are. in large part the 

result of irrigation: · · 

Miacellaneoua measurements of Lodgepole Creek, Wyo.-Nebr.c 

Locality. Date. 

Flow, ln 

s.econdfeet. 

NE.ti!00.23,T.16N.1R.69W,II .............................................. Sept.17,1915 '1.4.'1 

Wyommg-Nebraska Smte line ................................................. Aug. -,181)5 S.liG 

Do .......................................................................... May 2,1904 4.311 Westmarginsec.12,T.14N.,R.69W.~ ................................ ; ..... ; Sept. 21,1915 6.09 

One mile east of Wyoming-Nebraska State line................................. May 2, 1904 4. 60 Sec.12,_T.14N.,_R.69W ................................. < .................... July 30,1901 2.90 

Sec.8,T.14N.,.tt.68W ....................................................... May 3,1904 34.50 .Sec. 3, T. 14 N;, R. 68 Y'/ ........................................................ Aug. 8,1900 6.23 

Sec.2,T.14N.,R.68W ....................................................... May 26,1900 9.23 . Do ........... ., ................... ~ ......................................... June 3,1903 1

1

0

2._ 341 , Sec. 33,T.15N.,n. 57W ............. , ........................................ Aug; 10,1900 

Sec.31,T.15N.,R.57W ...................................................... June. 1,1903 15.8' 

Sec.33,T.15N.,R.57W ......................................... : ............. June 2,1903 12.8 

Sec.36..T.15N.,R.57W ...................................................... May 25,1900 , 4.75 

Sec.31;"1'.15N.,Ri56W ....................................................... JulY 2,1902 10.5 

. B~:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::·:::::::::::::::::::::::::::: I~ ~:~~ 12:~ Westlinesec.33,T.15N.,R.56W .................................. .' ......... Apr. 28,1904 14.4 ' 

g~::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: ~~ ag:~~ ~~J Sec. 27, T. 15 N., R • .SO W ............ , ................... • ............ .' ....... ,, July 31,1901 . 6. 2 

FourmUeswestofKimball ........... · ......................... , ................ Aug. 9,1899 7.43 

Three miles below sec. 31, T. 15 N., R. 56 W .; ............ ; ................... ·. July' 23,1903 7.5 

Three miles west of Kimball. ................................... · .............. ,.. Sept. 8,1904 8. 6 

~::J!:.~:-~~-~-::.~:.~~:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: ·~~ =:t5 . iH Sec.~ T.11i~,_,R.56W ....................................................... July 2,1902 7.5 

Westnnesec.:&01 T • .J5N.,R.56W ............................................. July 23,1903 7.4 

One mile west or Kimball.................... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Sept. 10,1900 1. 29 

Do .............. : ................. i. ................ ;.: ..................... Aug. 9,1899 2.4L 

~~~~ :ggl E::{·a~rlJgeT. 15 N .; R. 56 w................................... Sep~ 1o, 1900 ~- ~ 

~~~: :f:m:}:~~:.·:.::. -·:··::.::: :· .. ::::!: :.,_::·::::.: '·::~-:::.:: ·i ~;· 1r 

Ei:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: =· 1g:~:g: 1~:: , . . 

a DartOn, N. H.1 Preliminary re}ll!rt on the ge"logy and water resources of Nebraska west of the one hundred and thirn meridian: U. B. Geol. Sur' ey Nineteent,h .Ann. Rept., pt. 4, p. 770 1898, · b Price, D. D., Nebraska .Bdard of. Irrigation, Highways, and Dra1nage Tenth Bfenn. Rept., p. 311, 

1914. ' I 

<See Hoyt, J. c., and Wood B. D. Index to the hydrographic progress repqrts of the United States 

Geological Survey, 1888 to 100il, p. Iii, 19Q5; and Price, D. D., HydrOgraphiC report of Nebraska, 11114, 

pp. 333-335. ' 

dMeasuremeu.ta by 0, E. Meinzer. · 

74351°-19-WSP 425-4 
r------ ----~------------~---- ---- ------

i 46 CONTRIBUTIONS TO HYDROLOGY OF UNITED STATESJ 1917. 

Miscellaneous measurement& of Lodgepole Creek, Wyo.-Nebr.-Continued. 

Locality. Date. 

West line sec. 29, T. 15 N ., R. 55 W .••••.•• , • . . . • . . • . . . . • . •• •• . • . . . . . . . . . . •• . • . July 24,1903 

Do .........•....•.......•.......• -.......................................... Oct. 30,1903 

Do ......•..•.••..•.•.••.••....•.•••••••...•••••.•.•....•.......••.•.••.••.. Nov. 7,1903 

Do ....•..••••••.•..•.•..•.•..•..•••••••••.•.••.•..•.•........•••..•.••....• Nov. 16,1903 

Do......................................................................... May 4, 1904 

Kimball • •..•................. : ...•.... ·-····································· Sept. 23,1915 Three-fourths mile east of Kimball ......•...••........ ." .....•.•.•.............• Aug. 11,1899 

~::!_~:_;~-~-::.~::_~~~:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: tj~ ~:i5 Sec. 251 T. 15 N., R.li5 W ....•....•..•.••.....•.•.......•.•.................... Apr. 25,1902 

West hne sec. 30, T. 11; N., R. 54 W.. ••• • • . . . . . . •. . . . •• • . . • . • . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . July 24,1903 Westllnesec.3,T.14N.,R.52W •................•.••••••..................•. July 25,1903 

Near west margin SE. t sec. 2, T. 14 N., R. 52 W.a .•.••.••••••.......•......... Sept. 23,1915 

Cen~~~~:-8:?:.~~~::~:~.~-~.:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: i~r.. ~;~= 

Sec.~~~--~~.~::.~:-~~:!_::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: ~~~~ ~;~r'~ 

~::.j~~~~:~~-~-::~~-~~~~:5:1:~:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: t~ ~J5 Center sec. 10, T. 14 N ., R. 51 W ••..••................... , . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . • . . . . • Apr. 27,1904 

Scc.J~-~--~~-~.":.~---~~ -:!.:: :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: }!~~ g; ~= Eastlinesec.H,T.14N.,R.51W ....••.•............... : ..•............•..•.• July 25,1903 Sec.15, T.14 N.., R. 51 W .......•.••••..•.•...........••.....•............•..•...... do ...•..• Sec. 20, T. 14 N., R. 50 W ...................................................... Dec. 7, 1904· 

~~~f~~:~·::~:-:~~~:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: ?~i. ~t~= Three miles east of Sidney..................................................... May 15,1899 One-halfmilewestofJonesdam,sec.34,T.l4 N.,·R. 49W ..................... M~ty 15,1900 Sec. 29, T-. 14 N., R. 48 W ...................................................... July 2,1901 Sec. 31, T. 14 N., R. 47 W ...................................................... May 18,1900 

sec.~,"¥."i4":N.;-:iC47w:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: M~ ~;~:f Sec. 36, T. 14N., R. 47 W ....................................................... Apr. 13,1902 Lodgepole station ... ~ ...... ,.......................................... . . . . . . . . . Oct. 8,1900 Sec. 31, T. 14 N ., R. 46 W...................................................... July 3,1901 East line sec. 31, T. 41 N., R. 46 W •............................................ Sept. 8,1904 

~~~: ~: :f: ~~ ~:: ~: :~ ~:::::::::::::::::::::::: ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: r~r -~u= 

~=~pf~~~~a~~-:~~~~5!.:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: ~~: :!;i5 Sec. 12, T.12 N., R. 45 W ...................................................... May 22,1900 

a Measurements by ·o. E. Meinzer. 

Flow, In 

secondfeet. 

6.6 

15.5 

21.6 

20.4 

20.5 

11.2 

2.09 

6.34 

12.64 

4.6 

12.0 

.o 

3.2 

4.20 

3.5 

8.62 

5.6 

3.8 

6.62 

•5.4 

3.8 

7.25 

2.34 

2.35 

.. o 

2.9 

4.4 

6.7 

3.86 

6.42 

10.95 

6.26 

4.0 

2.6 

2.5 

2.2 

4.0 

2.12 

3.4 

3.3 

2.26 

2.85 

3.11 

3.12 

1.34 

1.33 

According to State Engineer Price, Lodgepole Creek is noted for 

its early spring floods, due to melting snows. and heavy spring rains. 

The largest flow that has been measured was 48 second-feet, but 

Mr. Price states that during short flood. stages the flow greatly 

exceeds this amount.1 In the upper part of its course, where it 

receives its water from the mountains, the creek fluctuates greatly 

in volume, but these fluctuations have little effect on the flow in 

the lower parts of the stream. Near Egbert the flood waters sink 

rapidly into the gravels, and the freshets rarely get far except in_ 

winter, when the ground is frozen. At no time during the summer 

of 1915 did the water flow across the road leading northward from 

Egbert. It is reported that at Potter no water flows in the ~reek 

bed even during heavy rains, and the infrequency of floods is indicated by the fact that there is a well on the bed of the creek and a 

house hardly 5 feet higher. 

1 Price, D. ·D., op. cit., p. 37, 

. ---~-·-~----~---~ ~----'----- -------~----~-~· 
GROUND WATER IN LODGEPOLE VALLEY, WYO.-NEBR. 47 

WATER TIS" ALLUVIAL GRAVEL AND· ~UllJACENT :aEDS. 

OCCURRENCE. 

The alluvial gravel in Lodgepole Valley and the porous or cavernous parts of the formations immediately . under the gravel form a 

reservoir in which is stored a part of the water that falls as rain or 

snow in the valley. The alluvial gravel is generally clean and coarse 

and therefore can hold much water and yield it freely, as is shown 

by records of such wells as the city wells of Kimball, Sidney, and 

Chappell, the railroad well at Chappell, and th~ irrigation well of 

Mr. Gus Forsling. (See pp. 56-61.) Its total capacity as a reservoir 

is, however, limited by the shallowness of the alluvial deposit, especially in the !slay and Pinebluff lowlands. . 

In most of the valley below Egbert the alluVial gravel is underlain 

by Brule clay, locally known as "hardpan." In general this formation is a poor water bearer, but at many places where it underlies 

the gravel it appears to yield water very· freely, as is indicated by 

the records of the city well at Pinebluff, the railroad wells at Egbert 

and Pinebluff, the Campbell irrigation well, and otl1er wells mentioned on pages 56-61. This capacity to yield water freely appears 

to be due to joints or other. crevic.es in the clay where it lies belo .v 

the alluvial gravel. The storage capacity of these crevices is, however, probably not great, so that the clay is dependent on the overlying gravel for reserve supplies. Where the gravel dep·osit is very 

thin, as in the Pinebluff lowland and along the Il',largins of the valley 

generally, the Brule clay is not always a reliable source of water, 

and some wells that end in it yield only small amounts. · 

Between Egbert and the Pole Creek ranch ·the alluvial gravel is 

underlain by sandstone of the Arikaree formation, which contains 

much water but which, on account of its fine grain arid its incoherence, 

does not part with its water so freely as the gravel or the vesicular 

clay. By using coarse screens, cleaning out the w~lls thoroughly, 

and inserting gravel if necessary, large supplies could probably be 

obtained from this formation. 

The sections of the city and railroad wells at Potter suggest that 

the water-bearing qeds which there lie below the alluvium may belong 

tO the Ogalalla formation. Both these wells yield the large quantities 

of water that would. be expected from wells that end in gravel beds 

of the Ogalalla formation. 

THE WATER TABLE. 

The underground reservoir formed by the gravel, sand, and vesicular clay is filled with water aboht, to the level at which the water stands 

in wells. Thle water. table, or surface below which the deposits are 

saturated, is, of course, not entirely level but slopes downstream 

with approximately the same grade as ~he valley floor, and also no 
48 G'ONTRIBUTIONS TO HYDROLOGY OF UNITED STATES, 191'7. 

doubt generally slopes from the margins of the valley toward the 

stream channel. The average grade of the water table is about 27.5 

feet per mile from the junction of the north and south forks of Lodgepole Creek to the Wyoming-Nebraska State line, 16 feet per mile in 

Kimball County, 15 feet per mile in Cheyenne County, and 15 feet 

per mile in Deuel County. 

The depth to the water table is one of the most important factors 

determining the lift and therefore the cost of pumping. The water 

table comes practically to the surface along tho.se parts of Lodgepole 

Creek in which water is flowing, as is indicated by springs, wet ground, 

and salt· grass. It generally passes beneath the surface on each side 

of the creek and also in the reaches where the creek is dry. 

According to the rapid survey made in September, 1915, the floor 

of Lodgepole Valley, including the terraces, covers about 150,000 

acres. In about 60,000 acres of this area the depth to the water 

table is less than 25 feet, and in most of the rest it is less than 50 

feet. ThA area in which the water table is less than 25 feet below 

the surface is distributed about as follows: Laramie County, 15,500 

acres; Kimball County, 10,500 acres; Cheyenne County, 23,500 acres; 

Deuel County, 10,500 acres. · 

In the dry reach below the Pole Creek ranch the depth to the water 

table increases for several miles down the valley and then gradually 

decreases. On September 14, 1915, the water in a well in the NE. i 

sec. 20, T. 15 N., R. 64 W., stood 18 fe~t below the surface, or about 

8 feet below the level of the streatn channel, and that in a well in the 

SE. i sec. 26, T. 15 N., R. 64 W., stood 17 feet below the surface, or 

about 7 feet below the level of the dry channel. Along the channel 

in sec. 26 there are trees that evidently reach ground water, and at 

the east margin of the section the ground water reappears in springs. 

In September, 1915, the second dry reach began in sec. 13, T .. 14 N., 

R. 62 W., and it was reported that in only one summer in recent 

years has the stream reached the ea~t margin of this section except 

during occasional freshets. In a dug well, 26 feet deep, in the 

NW. i sec. 18, T. 14 N., R. 61 W., the water stood 23 feet below the 

surface,· or about 13 feet below the dry channel. In a dug well near 

the northeast corner of sec. 30, T. 14 N., R. 61 W., only slightly above 

the valley floor, the water stood 25 feet below the surface. In a 

drilled well in the SW. i sec. 10, in the same township, the water 

stood 46 feet below the surface. In a drilled well in the NE. i sec. 21 

the water stood 55 feet below the surface, or about 30 feet below the 

level of the dry channel due south. In a well near the east margin 

of sec. 26 the water appeared to be about 30 feet below the dry 

channel. Down the valley from Tracy siding the ground water 

apparently comes nearer the surface; in a well in the NE. i sec. 32, 

T. 14 N;, R. 60 W., in September, 1915, it was only 9.5 feet below . . . , 
· · GROUND WATER IN LODGEPOLE VALLEY, WYO.-NEBR. 49 

the surface, and along the valley of Muddy Creek it appeared at the 

surface. · · · . I 

The tl:)ird. dry reach began east of the east margin of sec. ·29, T. 

15 N., R. 54 W. In a drilled well in the NW. i sec. 26, .the water 

stood 35 feet be~ow the s]gface, or about ·23 feet below the dry channel. In a wellm the SW. i sec. 30, T. 15 N., R. 53 W., the water 

stood 17 feet. below the surface, or only about 11 feet belo:w the dry 

channel. In a well near the southwest corner of sec. 30, about 30 

feet above the dry· channel, the _depth to water was reported to be 

38 feet, and on still higher·gro1md, about a mile farther south, the 

depth to water was reported to be about 100 feet. In a drilled well 

in the NW.'i sec. 36, T. 15 N., R. 54 W., on the south side of the road 

about 2 feet below the level of the railroad; the depth to water was 

• 57 feet. In a welll.n the NW; 1 sec. 2, T. 14 N., R. 53 W., about 55 

feet above the dry channel due north, the depth to the water was 

reported .to be about 100 .feet, or 45 feet below the level of the dry 

channel. The water in a well near the middle of the east margin Of 

sec. 2, ·on ground 15 or20 feet lower, was reported to be 60 feet below 

the surface, and in a well a mile farther east 49 feet below the surface. 

In a well drilled in the NE. i sec: 1 the water stood 32 feet below the 

surface, or fully 20 feet below the level of the dry channel and 40 feet 

below the first terrace. A well in the NW. i sec. 6} T. 14 N., R. 52 

W., was dry at aslevel 18 feet below the stream channel. Just west 

of Potter, where the railroad crosses the creek, the water in an excavation made a few years ago was found to be 22 feet below the level 

of the dry channel. In the city well at Potter the water was 33.5 

feet below the surface, or about 12 feet below the level of the stream 

channel ·due south. In a. well 30 feet deep in the stream channel due · 

south of. the Potter city well the depth to water was said to be 14 feet. 

A little more than a mile farther down the valley the ground water 

eomes to the surface. ' 

The. smking . of ~he water table to· considerable depths below the 

surfaQe and the consequent drying up of the stream in several parts 

,of the vlilley may b~ due to irregularities in the grade of either the 

valley or the water table. Irregularities in the grade of the water 

table could be ·produced by differences in the quantity of water c<;>ntributed ·to the underground supply or in the porosity of the alluvium. 

The water table will be high where the in:flo.w is great and also where 

the ground water is more or less impounded by relatively impervi~us 

alluvium:. Difference ·in .inflow is certainly one of the causes of 

variation in level,· but the interrelationS of the various factors can not 

be determined until an accurate. profile of the stream channel is 

made. . · · 

On account ··of the slope of the water table the ground water moves 

constantly but slowly downstream~ . The· rate. of movement dependsi 
r-----·-·-:----~--------,-··-·----~---· --·----·--- ·-----·- -~--

! 

--- ""- ---·---·----------·-----·--··----·- ------·----·-----· """' -------,1 

50 CONTRIBUTIONS TO ;HYDROLOGY OF UNITED STATES, 19l'J. 

on the porosity of the material and on the grade of the water table. 

According to underflow measurements that have been made by the 

United States Geological Survey, the average rate of movement irl. 

the general direction of the valley is 8 feet per 24 hours in the valley 

of ArkansaS River near Garden City, Kans.,t 17 feet in the valley of 

the South Fork of Republican River near St. Fra.ncis, Kans.,' and 

6.4 feet in the valley of the South Platte near Ogalalla, Nebr.1 The 

slope of the water table at the localities where the measurements were 

made amounted to 7.5 feet per mile in the Arkansas Valley and 10.7 

feet in the valley of the South Fork of the Republican. The alluvia] 

gravels in Lodgepole Valley probably conduct water as freely as the 

similar gravels in: the valleys where the underflow measurements 

were made and the grade of the water table is somewhat steeper 

(p. 4~). Where the ground-water supply is, replenished to such fill • 

extent that the -underground reservoir overflows, the surplus w&ter 

is carried away as a surface stream at a rate much more rapid than 

that of the underflow. 

SOURCE AND DISPOSAL. 

A ·rough balance between intake -and discharge of ground water is 

maintained naturally in Lo"dgepole Valley from year to year. The 

underground supply in the valley is replenished by (1) downward 

percolation of water that falls directly on the valley as rain or snow: 

(2) downwat:d percolation of water that reaches the valley in permanent streams or in freshets; (3) un4erflow from the alluvial deposits of tributary valleys; and (4) percolation from the waterbearing members of the Ogalalla; Arikaree, and other formations 

· that underlie the uplands adjacent to the valley. Practically all 

this water is derived froi;Il the precipitation on the drainage basin of 

Lodgepole Creek. The underground supply; is diminished by (1) 

evaporation where the water table is near" the surface, (2) transpiration of plants, (3) seepage· into the creek bed, and (4) underflow 

hito the South Platte Valley ... The water that seeps into the· creek 

bed either returns to the atmosphere by evaporation and transpiration, 'flows into the South Platte, or percolates back iritO the underground reservoir. Considerable surface water that reaches the valley flows through to the South Platte because the underground reservoir of the valley is. full or so nearly full that but little water can 

percolate into i~. · -

· If ground water is pumped in large quantities, the water table will 

· be somewhat lowered. 4s a result, there will be smaller loss by 

1 Sllchter,C. s., The underflow In Arkans!IS Valleyln western Kansas: U. S. Geol. SUI'\11YWater-Supply 

Paper 11i:i, p. s, 1906. - , 

•Wolft,H. C.,.The utiHzatlon _of the underflow near St. Ji'raDcis, Kans.: U. s. Geo!. Survey Water· 

Supply Paper 258, p. 119, 1911. , · · 

•SIIchter,C. S.,and Wolff, H. C., Theunderflowonhe South Platte Valley: U.S. Geol. Survey WaterSupply Paper 184, p~ 11, 1906. 

:1 
_;\. -

GROUND WATER IN LODGEPOLE VALLEY, WYO.··NEBR. 51 

' . 

evaporation, transpiration, and seepage into the creek, and greater 

replenishment from stream water that would otherwise reach the 

South Platte and frol;ll ground water on both sides of the v:alley. 

Thus a new balance will tend to become established between the 

intake and the withdrawal, includirig the withdrawal by pumping. 

If the pumpage in ~tny section of the valley is increased beyond the 

limits of possible adjustment~ there will, of course, be progressive 

depletion of the supply. The total quantity of water utilized, and 

hence the total acreage of land irrigated, can be increased by pumping from wells, because pumping will eliminate a part of the natural 

waste that now occurs through evaporation, transpiration from plants 

of little or no value, and escape. of surface water; but there is probably' no practicable way of effecting this increase in total recovery 

without reducing the flow of the creek. 

The total appropriations for irrigation from Lodgepole Creek 

amount to nearly 400 second,-feet,l bU:t the natural flow of the creek 

at any point is only a fraction of the amount appropriated. · If the 

water of the creek is diverted at some point, other water will seep 

into the channel.below the poirit of diversion, and not far below there 

is likely to be a co.nsiderable stream. Obviously, tlie channel of the 

·creek ·where it is not normally dry has somewhat the function of a 

. well. It extends below the ground-water level, and hence when its 

water js removed the supply is replenished from the Underground 

reservoir. Thus the underground reservoir is already utilized, water 

beirig artificially drawn from it in the irrigation season through the 

ditches that lead from the. creek. Pumping from wells would, in a 

· ''s~p,.se, be an extension of the same process and would result in a still 

triore effective use of the underground reservoir. .Puri:Lping from wells 

·:.extending to the 'subjacent formation-the second' or lower water. 

homons-would interfere less with the stream :tl6w· than pumping 

from' shallo'Y wells. :ay ~ringing to,the surface water that had.been 

corifined by an impervious bed pump~ from the deeper wells might 

even rai~e the water table'and add to tlie stream flow. . .. 

In order to m~ke ~ve~ an appro~ate estimate of the quantity of 

water. that could '.be .recovered by pl.\:plping from wells, ~t would be 

necessary to have much more ,4lformation· than is at present avail;. 

able in regard to the average annual discharge of Lodgepole Creek, 

the loss by evaporatioJ:l and transpiratiOn, and other fac.tors that are 

involved. . · · According to· .official 'records of the States of Wyoming and · Nebraska, the area irrigated from Lodgepole Creek and its tributaries 

amounted in 1912 to about 23,500 acres.~ A large part of the water 

• Price, D. D., N'ebrsska State BOBrd of Irrigation, Highways, and Dralnage Tenth Blenn. Rept., p. 49, 

1914. Jabelmann, Louise, Tabulation .of adjusted rtghts iD water dhision No.1, pp. 12t-US, WfQllliDI! 

State Board of Control, 19111. , 

'Price, D. D., op, cit., p.ll7 Jal:!e!ID3Jin, Loui$e. op. cit., pP· 121-lzt 

.. 
r-~- ~--,--~-~-~--~ ~-~~-~· 

i 

• 

52 CONTRIBUTIONS TO HYDROLOGY OF UNITED STATES, 191'7. 

applied in irrigation percolat.es back to the underground reservoir . 

. U it is assumed that the net annual withdrawal of water for irrigation 

is 2 acre-feet per acre,. and that 23,500 acres_ are irrigated, the total 

. net withdrawal is 47,000 acre-feet a year, or less than 3 per cent of 

the precipitation on the drainage basin of Lodgepole Creek. . If tile 

. deposits underlying Lodgepole Valley are assumed to have an available porosity of 20 per cent, this amount of water is stored in 1! feet 

of depth of the underground reservoir. H, on these assumptions, the 

irrigated area were increased 20 per cent by pumping from wells, 

the average lowering of the water table caused by pumpii:tg during 

an irrigation S@ason would not. exceed 0.3 foot, and there would probably be almost complete r~overy· through recharge during the rest 

. of the year. If the irrigated area were doubled the lowering du'ring 

an irrigation season would be within 1! feet, but it would probably be 

enough to interfere seriously with the stream flow. Moreover, there 

would probably not be complete recovery by recharge in unfavorable seasons and thus the lowering might _progress from year to year. 

Of course, the more widely distributed are the areas irrigated with 

well water the greater will be the salvage and the less will be the 

average effect on the water table and on the stream flow. ·. 

QUALITY. 

The table on pages 54-55 _gives two analyses of water from 

Lodgepole Creek and 20 analyses of waters from wells in ·or near 

Lodgepole Valley. Twelve of these analyses were made under contract for the United States Geological Survey by S. C. Dinsmore in 

connection with the present investigation, nine were made by the 

Un,ion Pacific Railroad Co. under the direction of N. F. Harriman, 

chief chemist, and one was made by the Kennicott Water Softener Co; 

'fhree of the analyses (Nos. 13; 14, and 22) are of water from shallow 

wells that end in the alluvial grav-el; seven (Nos,.S, 9, 11, 12, 17, ts; 

and 21) of water from the Brule clay, underlying the alluvitim, with 

more or less admixture of water from the alluvium; two (Nos. 15 

and 16) apparently from the Ogalalla forinat~on underlying the 

alluvium; one (No. 4) from the ~pland gravel'deposits above the 

sandstone of the Arikaree format.ion; two (Nos. 7 and 10) from the 

sandstone of the Arikaree for~tion; and one (No. ~) :probably 

from the Fox· Hills formation, - _ - . 

The water of the streams that flow from the granitic area of the 

mountain province (No. 1) is low in total solids and is of the calcium 

carbonaLe type. In passing over the outcropping sedimentary rocks 

the mineral content of_ the stream watet· appears, however, to be. 

more than doubled in the course of a few miles, _a large part of the 

, addition evidently being from the gyps,um beds of the Chugwater 

formation that outcrop at the. edge of the mountains (see analysis 

No.3), · 

____ _j 
GROUND WA~R IN LODGEPOLE ,VALLEY, WYO.-NEBR. 53 

None of the groun~ waters that were analyzed differ to any great 

extent from the sample of stream water; and inviewof their rather 

wide geographic distribution and the diversity of their geologic 

sources they are remarkably similar to each other in total dissolved 

solids and in the proiPortions of the various constituents. None of 

• them are highly mineralized, but all contain a moderate amount of 

dissolved mineral ma~ter, the principal constituents being calcium and 

the bicarbonate radiqle. They range in total solids from 212 to 501 

parts per million, in dalcium from 34 to 75 parts, in magnesium from 

9.4 to 18 parts, in sqdium and potassium from 1.9 to 65 parts, in 

bicarbonate from 130 to. 371 parts, in sulphate from 12 to 70 ·parts, 

and in chloride from 12.6 to 20 parts. 

The water from tb,e Brule clay contains. on an average somewhat 

mqre mineral mattet than the rest. The largest content of total 

solids was found in slample No. 21, which was taken from the Brule 

clay at a depth of 90 feet, the water from higher horizons being shut 

out. Some of the u:rjland wells that end in the Brule clay are said to 

yield poor water, but no analyses are available to substantiate this 

report. The analyse~ given in the table also seem to indicate a slight 

general increase in Jlilineralization in the downstream direction. ' 

So far as is shown by the analyses, the waters of this region are all 

satisfactory for irrig~tion, the content of sodium in none of them 

being high. They are also in general good for domestic uses except 

that their rather high conteut of calcium and magnesium renders 

them moderately h11rd. They deposit considerable s6ft scale in 

steam boilers but are used without serious trouble in the locomotives 

on the Union. Paciifc and other. railroads and fo~ steam making 

wherever reqmred. At some pomts along the railroad, however, 

the water is treated a~ softening plants before it is used/in l~comotives. 

I 
Mineral a:nalyses and classification of waters in or near Lodgepole Valley, Wyo.-Nebr. 

[Parts per million except as otherwise designated.! 

No.I Owner or name. Location. Water-bearing formation. 

Depth to Date sample water was collected. 

le;·el. 

Feet. Ft. in. Ft. in. 

Analyst. 

North Fork of 

Lodgepole Creek. 

Near east mardn of sec. Cree1i: ..................................................................... Sept. 18,1915 S.C. Dinsmore. 

27, T. 16 N.,R. 'lOW.; at granite contact west 

2 I slay flowing wells ••• 

3 · Lodgepole Creek at 

of Isla;r, Wyo. Near-railroad station, Islay, Wyo. 

North flowing 150-300 .. ...... Fox Hills formation(?) ....................... do ....... . Do. 

well. 

Heasham ranch. 

Near east margin sec. 23, 

T.16N.,R.69W. 

Creek ............................................ , ........................ Sept. 17,1915 Do. 

4 W. H. Thompson. ••• S. ~ sec. 19, T. 16 N.,-R. Drilled well ... GSW. 5 Union Pacific R. R .. 6 ..... do .............. . 7 E. H. Heathman ... . 8 Union Pacific R. R .. 

Hil!sdalil, Wyo ................. do ........ . Durham, Wye~ .................. do ....... .. Burns1 Wyo .................... !lo ....... .. Egben, Wye~ .............. Dug well .... .. 

9 Bert TllClker ......... Egbert. Wyo., NW. l ..... do~-------- sec.18,T.14N.,R.61-W. 

10 Arnold Wilkowske ... Egbert, WY!_}:,. SE. t Drilledwell ... sec. 6, T.14.N.,R.61 W. - 11 Waterworks well .... PineblU1f, Wyo .. , ............. do ....... .. 12 Union PacificR.R ....... do ..................... Dug well. .... . 13 ..... do ............. _. Bushnell,Nebr ................. do ........ . 14 Waterworks well .... Kimball, Nebr., in val- Drilled .;ell ... ley north of city. 15 ..... do .............. Potter, Nebr., .near east ..... do ........ . edge of village. 16 UnionPac:ificR.R .. Potter,Nebr ............. , Dug.well.."- .. ~ 

17 Waterworkswell .... ;, -Sidney, Nebr., on Main ..... do .... : .... Street,· near ·north 

edge of city. 18 Union Pacific R. R.: 

260 . .. .. .. . Gravelly phase of Arikaree for- 251 0 Sept. 15,1915 

mation. · Do. 

4g~ 13 ~ :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::-~~~.do~·-~~~~- Union Pacific R. R. Do. 

13345 .. 1

.

6 ... 0

.. Arikareesandstone.......... .... . . .. . .. . . Sept. 20,1915 Brule clay underlying dry a!- 28 0 Jan. 25,1911 

!uvial gravel. 

S. C. Dinsmore. 

Union Pacific R. R. 

26 

179 

76 

25 

37 

30 

72 

. 37 

37± 

Allu>ial gravel and underlying 23 0 Sept. 20,1915 S.C. Dinsmore. 

Brulecfay. Arikareesandstone ............... 140 0 ..... do ....... . Do.· 

1 0 Brule clay below allU\·ial gravel. 16 0 Sept. 13, 1915 Do. 14 6 ..... do............................ 12 0 Sept. 15,1913 Union Pacific R. R. 

15 0 Alluvialgravel ........ , .................. Jan. 25,1911 Do. 

5 2 ..... do............................ .. .. .. .. Sept. 22, 1915 S. C. Dinsmore. 

12 6 Ogalalla formation underlying 33 6 Sept. 23, 1915 Do. 

allu,ial gravel ( ?), 

15 0 Ogalallaformation (?),. .......... {a) Jan. 25,1911 Union Pacific R. R. 

15 0 AlluYialgraveland Brule clay.... 2ii 0 Sept. 5,1915 S.C. Dinsmore. 

WellNo.l ....... Sidney, Nebr ................... do......... 33 12 0 Brule clay below alluvial gravel.. ........ Sept. 17,1910 Union Pacific R. R. 

Well No.2 ............ do .......................... do......... 40 16 0 ..... do ......................................... do........ Do. 

19 Union PacifieR. R ....... do .......................... do ................................................................ : .... Dec. 9,1902 KennicottWaterSoftenerCo. 

20 ;; ... do .............. Lodgepole,}<ebr .......... Dug_ and 56 ........................................... 8 0 Nov.11,1913 UnionPacificR.R. 

drilled well. 

21 J .. C. Johnson ............. do ............. , ....... Drilled well ... 22 Union Pacific R. R .. Chappell, Xebr ................. do ........ . 90 .. . .. .. • Brule clay below alluvial graveL. .. .. .. .. Sept. 8, 1915 

32 16 0 Allu i I g-ra. el....... ..... .. ..... 22 0 Sept. 17,1910 

a Fe .v feet aho e but tom. 

S. C. Dinsmore. 

Union Pacific R. R. 
I Determined, qnantities. Computed quantities.• ' Classitlcation. 

---~--~--~--~--~--~--~~~~~~ __ .----r---l-w--.---~~----.----1-------~----~----~----r----- l lg ~-;i • ~ .. ~ ~ - ~ -g .. .a . ~ I 

~ • ~~- ~~ ~ ~ ~i i . !~ t~ @: e~ ~~ ls .8~ l ;g ~ Mineral 

~ i '"~t 9 - j~ 8= .. o j ~ ~16 ~;8 ~~ =·fil ~ content. 

#. ~ ] !i~ J J Jl ~ !~ ~~ J ~~ ~ ~0 r~ ~ ! ~ ~ --- Quality Chemical for do- character. -mestlc 

use. 

Quality Quality ior boil- for irri- ers. gation. 

-,----l---1--1-1--1--------~nches. I ----- 1 . 17 Tr. •••••• 26 6.3 fiLO 0.0 100 6.5 3.0 0.0 113 90 100 3 (?) 680 Low ....... Ca-COa ~1 Good.:. Good •••• Good. 

2 ~33 Tr. •••••• 54 12 119.4 8.4 202 12 7.5 2.0 231 180 210 25 t?) 230 ModPrate •..... do ..• T .. do ••.. Poor.... Do. 

3 37 Tr. •••••• 55 10 67.5 9.6 · 161 38 5.0 .0 247 180 220 20 (?) 320 ..... dJ ........ do ..•. 1 

... do .•••... do.... Do. 

4 49 Tr. 54 11 U.S .o 183 21 8.0 8.0 245 180 230 12 (?) 250 ..... do •....... do .••. _ ... do .•..... do ..•. 1 Do. 

•5 20 ••.•.. 5.0 43 12 10 .o 146 34 16 .05 212 160 170 27 (?) 130 ..... do ••...... do .•.• Fair .•..• Fair..... Do. e6 60 ....•. 3.8 46 9.4 11 .0 173 15 13 .251 244 150 210 30 (?) 150 ..... do ..•..... do •..•... do .••. Poor.... Do . 

• ~ ~ -~~:. ·i::i-- ~ :~ :.~ 3 :8 ~~ ~~ 1~-S 18.05 ~~ f~ ~ ~ m ilg :::::~~::::r:~~:::: -~4~~·.-:: ·F:~:::: ~~: 9 30 Tr. •••••• 71 11 bL9 .o 212· 22 4.0 30 284 220 260 5 (?) 510 ...... do ........ do .... Fair .•... 1'oor.... Do. 

10 57 Tr. •.•••• 41 12 624 .o 216 14 5.0 5.0 266 150 200 65 N.C. 40 ..... do ........ do .... Good ..•. Fair..... Do. 

11 57 Tr. .•..•. 69 16 b26 16 266 30 · 11 4.0 372 240 290 70 N.C. 70 ..... do ..•..... do .•.. Fair ..... J·oor.... Do. 

•12 41 .•.••• .68 60 14 30 .o 272 29· 11 6.2 327 210 240 81 N.C. 47 ..... do .••• ; ... do .••.... do ....... do.... Do.· 

•13 43 ...... 2.0 51 12 23 .o 225 20 16 .12 280 180 210 60 N.C. 71 ..... do ..•..... do •••• Good ....... do.... Do. 

14 51 Tr. ...••• 68 16 b23 · .o 281 33 12 5.0 342 240 280 60 N.C. 120 .•... do ........ do .••• Fair ........ do.... Do. 

15 52 Tr. 51 13 b6.4 .0 193 13 7.0 16 246 180 220 17 (?) 270 ..... do ..•..... do •.•. Good ....... do.... Do. 

----~-~--~-- •1 ~ ~__g53_~_ -~T-·r·.·· ~U -~ _11

_

3

2 __ ~ 13 .o ~'"'-3"5__ 20 Tr. 262 190 220 35 (?) 100 .•... do .•••.••• do ••••... do ....... do.... Do. 

-,.16--- ~~:--If .ouu 1 !~ -li:o- ---s; u --as;- -roo ~"200 -~-;;-- -N"·e;-- -- 75- o-: •• • do ..•..... do .••.••. do. . . . Fair..... Do. 

•18 45 ..•... 2.2 52 14 21 .o 215 38 10 .25 289 1!'!0 220 60 (?) 140 ..•.• do .••..... do .••.... do .... Poor.... Do. 

Jg !~ :::::: l~· ~ ~; ~ :g ~ i~ ~6- ""i:i"'"' ~tl ~~ ~ 1~ N~ 6. ~ :::::~~::::: :::~~:::: -~-~~·:::: :::~~:::: ~~: 21 M Tr, •••... , 75 18 &65 .o 371 67 5.5 25 501 260 300 180 N.C. 19 .••.. do •••.•.•. do ••••... do ....... do.... Do. 

<22 36 · .36 65 12 42 .o 300 41· 9.3 .•••.••• 353 210 250 110 N.C. 31 ••••. do ••.••.•• do .•.•.•. do ....... do.... Do. I 

"The following formulas, adapted by Dole (U:. S. Geol. Survey Water-SuJ?ply Paper 375, pp. 1601 163-164) from those of Stabler (Water,Supply Paper 274) have been used for 

computing the total hardness (H) as CaCOa, the probable scale-forming ingredtents (s), the probable toaming Ingredients (f), and the tendency to cause corrosion (c): 

H=2.5 Ca+4.1 Mg.- S=Si0o+2.95 Ca+l.66 Mg. ·[=2.7 (Na+B:). c.-If 0.0828 Mg-0.0336 COa-0.0165 HCOa is positive the water is corrosive (C). If 0.0828 Mg+0.0503 

Ca-0.0336 C0,-0.0165 HCOsls negative no corrosion will occur because of the mineral constituents of the water (N. C.). If 0.0828 Mg-0.0336 COa-0.0165 HCOs is negative but 

0.0828 Mg+0.0503 Ca-0.0336 COa-0.0165 HCOs is positive corrosion may or may not occur (?). In these formulas 810., Ca, Mg, Na+K COs, and HCOs represent, respectively, the amounts in parts per million.of silica, calcium, magnesium, sodium potassium, carbonate, 

and bicarbonate. The comparative value olthe waters for irrigation haS been estimated by applying the formulas developed by Stab let for calculating the "alkali coefficient," which 

ls defined by him as the depth in inches of water which on evaporation would yield sufficient alkali to render a 4-foot depth of soil injurious to the most sensitive crops. The alkali coefficients (k) are computed by means of the following formulas: · 

k= 2-g:o if Na-0.65 Cl is zemor negative. k= Na!~~ Cl if Na-0.65 Cl is positive but not more than 0.48 so,. k- Na...,-0_32 ~~2 0.4a so, if Na-0.65 Cl-0.48 SO, Is positive. 

b Calculated. · • Reported by U)non Pacific Railroad Co. in hypothetical combinations in grains per gallon; recalculated into ionic fonnin parts per million, and carbonate expressed as blear· 

llonate. 
06 CONTRIBUTIONS TO HYDROLOGY OF UNITED STATES, 191'7, 

DATA CONCERNING WELLS. 

LARAJIIIE COUNTY, WYO, 

The few wells in the valley above Egbert are used only for domestic 

supply and for watering stock and, their capacity has not been thoroughly tested. Some of the wells between Egbert and Pole Creek 

ranch are drilled and most of them end in sand of the Arikaree formation. The alluvial gravels would no doubt yield large- supplies 

in much of this part of the valley, but they are not widely distributed 

and are generally not deep. The drilled wells in the vicinity of 

Islay are described on pages 63, 64. --

The railroad well at Egbert is 35 or 40 feet deep, 16 feet in diameter, 

· and is walled with stone laid in cement. It was sunk through dry 

gravel into "hardpan" which contains water-bearing crevices. 

The men in charge report that the well contains 7 feet of water, 

and that pumping at the rate of 150 gallons a minute lowers the 

water level very little. 

The well that supplies the Pinebluff waterworks is 76 feet deep; 

the upper 16 feet is a dug pit, the rest a drilled hole with 12-inch 

perforated casing. The water level is about 16 feet below the surface. 

When the well was sunk there was, according to Mr. M. Ekstrom, the 

driller, only 4 inches of water-bearing gravel, below which the well 

penetrated Brule clay, the crevices of which furnish nearly all of the 

water. The pump is set 15 feet below the water level, and pumping 

220 gallons a minute is reported by Mr. Ekstrom to cause a drawdown 

of 2.5 feet, indicating a yield of 90 gallons a minute for each foot of 

drawdown. 

The railroad well at Pinebluff is about 25 feet deep and 14! feet in 

diameter and, like the Egbert well, is walled with stone laid in cement. 

It was sunk through 8 feet of silty loam and a few feet of dry gravel, 

and ended in vesicular Brule clay, in which a satisfactory supply was 

obtained. The water level is about ·12 feet below the surface, and, 

according to authentic information, is lowered- 3 or 4 inches when the 

well is pumped at 150 gallons a minute and about 6 inches when it is 

pumped at 225 gallons a minute, indicating a capacity of about 450 

gallons a minute for 1 foot of drawdown. When the well was being 

sunk it is reported to have been pumped simultaneously by a 5-incb 

and a 4-inch centrifugal pump. 

The well of Mr. Ekstrom, in the sw: i sec. 10, T. 14 N., R. 60 W., 

about 250 feet from the creek, is 13 feet deep, 20 feet in diameter, 

and is walled with concrete. It extends through grav~l to the 

"hardpan." The water level is only 3 feet below the surface al!.d the 

water is derived from the gravel. The well failed to supply~ 5-inch 

centrifugal pump which has a capacity of 735 gallons a minute but 

is supposed to yield about half this amount, or approximately 35 

gallons .for each foot of drawdown. 
I 

GROUNJ? WA7'ER IN LODGEPOLE JALLEY, WYO.-NEBR. 57; 

A well dug by Mr. Ekstrom, 8 miles tuthwest of Pinebluff, only 

ab. out 30 ~-eet from. the_ banks of Muqdy . eek_, to .a depth of 20 feet!. 

ends in 11 hardpan''• but fails to supply 4-inch centrifugal pump< 

Some . of the w~. between Pinebluff nd Egbert yield supplies · 

inadequate for domestic use or for stock. I 

I . 

· . . XDIBALX. COli':NTY, *BR. 

The railro.ad well at Bushnell is 37 fee~ deep and 15 feet~ in ~ame­ ter and is walled with .stone laid in ce ent. It extends through 

gravel to the 11 hardpan." Pumping a tb,e rate of 170 gallons a 

mm:nte empties the well. 

The railroad well at Kimball, which i on the second terrace, ~0 

feet .above the level of the creek, is 93 fe t deep and its water level is 

about 60 feet below the surface. A 16-f .-thole was sunk to a depth 

of about 85 feet and was walled with stone laid in cement. This . I 

hole. extended .through d.ry gra. vel to a~depth of 30 or 40 feet and 

thence through 11 hardpan" to the bot om, where a thin layer of 

water-bearing sand and gravel was fou d. The yield was unsatisfactory, _and a ®le was drilled in the bo,~' tom of this well to another 

wate.r-bearin. g bed,'which is sai~ to consi t·of gravel. This incr~ased 

the supply so much that pumpmg at the ate of 170 gallollS a mmute 

is repqrted not to lower the waterlevel.greatly, but pumping at 285 

gallons a minute is reported to. empty Jthe well. The information 

regarding both the Bushnell and·. the Kimball railroad. wells was 

furn. ished chiefly. by Mr. J. R. McCart, inrharge of the Union Pa. cific 

water supply between Durham, Wyo., afd :Julesburg; Colo. · 

. The well that supplies the waterwork~ at Kimball is. in the valley 

abouLone-fourth mile from. the creek ar' d about 15 feet above the 

creek level. It consists of a 5 .. foot hole that extends to a depth of 

15 feet, ~here wa_ t. er was encountered, a~d- a 2-foot hole wit~ perforated casmg that extends down about 16 feet from the bottom of the 

5-foot hole. The entire well is in gravel. According to T. C. Thiele, 

who has charge of . the -pumping. plant, he :usual pumpage, as indicated by a meter, is 230 gallons a min te, and· pumping at about 

this rate for 8 hours has produced a dra down of only 1! feet, indicating a capacity of about 150 gallons a minute for each foot of 

draw down. 

The well of Mr. Gus; Forsling isjn:: t e NE. i sec. 34, T. 15 N., 

R. 57-W., near: the upper end of. the:-:• · ball reserloir. A 6.:.foot 

hole, walled with cement; goes to a·de th of 18 or 20 feet, and a 

14-.inch suction pipe with a screen 4 ortfee. t long extends below the 

bottom of the 6.,-foot hole to about 31 f et below the surface. The 

entire well is in ·gravel. When tested n September 21, 1915, the 

water level was 15.45· feet below the b ch mark, or about 15 feet 

below the surface, and pumping fQr 'on~ hour at an average rate of · 
58 CONTRIBUTIONS TO HYDROLOGY OF UNITED STATES, 191'1. 

445 gallons a minute, according to two measurements made with a 

current meter, lowered the water level to 18.05 feet below the bench 

mark, or a distance of 2.60 feet. This test therefore indicated that 

the well has a capacity of about 170 gallons a minute for each foot of 

drawdown. Mr. Forsling reported that in a 12-hour run the water 

level was lowered about 4 feet. Data in regard to the pumping 

plant are given on pages 65-67. 

Wells sunk by Anton Linder and J. F. Bogle for irrigation of land 

not far east of Bushnell are supposed to yield satisfactory supplies 

but· had not been severely tested at the time the valley was examined. 

CHEYEl'lNE COUNTY, NEBR. 

The well that supplies the waterworks at Potter is 72 feet deep 

and is lined with 12-inch casing to a depth of 48 feet and 6-inch casing 

to thebottom, the casing being J?erforated with numerous holes onefourth inch in diameter. The 'section, as reported, is as follows: 

Water at 35 feet; water-bearing sand and gravel to 48 feet; "rock" 

to 50 feet; soft white clay to 63 feet; water-bearing sand and gravel 

to 72 feet, well ending in graveL The depth to the water level September 23, 1915, was 34.65 feet below the platform, or 33.5 feet below 

the surface. The pumpage averages about 10,000 gallons a day. 

According to A. D. Irey, who is in charge of both village and railroad 

pumping plants, the well was tested at 120 gallons a minute, and 

this rate of pumping lowered the water level 3 feet, indicating a 

capacity of 40 gallons a minute for each foot of drawdown. 

The railroad well at Potter is 37 feet deep, 15 feet in diameter, and 

is walled with stone laid in cement. It is reported to extend through 

gravel, "hardpan," and "rock." The water level is only a few feet 

above the bottom of the well. According to Mr. Irey, the well is 

pumped at about 125 gallons a minute, and this rate of pumping for 

6 hours emptied the well in the fall of 1914 but not in the summer 

of 1915. 

The well that supplie.3 the waterworks at Sidney yields more than 

any other well that was examined. It is about 37 feet deep, 15 feet 

in diameter, and is walled with stone. It extends through gravel to 

a depth of about 28 feet, below which it is in "hardpan." At the 

time the well was dug the lowest 1-! feet of gravel was satura,ted 

with water; on September 5, 1915, the water level was 26 feet below 

the surface. This well supplies about 28,000,000 gallons a year, or 

an average of about 80,000 gallons a day. In a test made September 

5, 1915, it was pump.ed for one hour at 710 gallons a minute, as 

measured by the installed meter, and the water level was lowered 

only ·0.31 foot. Pumping for three.hours at about 650 gallons a 

minute is reported to produce a drawdown of about 8 inches. It is 

also reported that before any "hardpan" had been excavated the 

. ---~--- ---·-·-----~---------~--~---------. -.... ---~-------~----- -----~----------------------
GROUND WATER IN .ODGEPOLE Ly. WYO.-NEB~ 59 

well was pumped at 1,100 gailons a min te without emptynig it, all 

of the water presumably coming from th 18-inch layer of,satUl"ated 

grav~l. 

The Union Pacific Railroad Co. has t o . wells in Sidney that are 

somewhat similar to the city well. The ew wei}. is 40 feet deep, 16 

f~et in diameter, walled with stone lai in cement. It was sunk 

through dry gravel to the depth of 24 fe t and through "hardpan" 

from this depth to the bottom, the first w ter being struck. in crevices 

in the "hardpan'' at a depth of about 0 feet. Mr. J. R. McCart 

reports that while the well was beings it was p'lnnped 550 .gallons · 

a minute without exhausting the supply nd that the well .is usually 

pumped at abo~t 350 gallons a minute. The old well is not so deep 

as the new one and yields less water. 

Other wells in Sidney that yield conside able water are the Chicago, 

Burlington & Quincy Railroad well, tli.e schoolhouse well, and the 

well at the J. A. Reisdorff ice factory. . e railroad well is a large 

dug hole reported to have only about 4 feet of water but to yield, 

freely. The schoolhouse well has 7-inc casing and is said to be 

about 45 feet deep. It was pumped o September ·a, 1915, at 35 

gallpns a minute, at which rate it is freq ently pumped f<tr 10 or 12 

hours. The ice-factory well is a dug hoi about ;50 feet deep and is 

said to be a strong well, although it is pum ed at a. rate of only 10 or 12 

gallons a minute. 

The well that supplies the waterworl at Lodgepole is 100 feet 

deep, the ~pp~r 17. feet being a dug hole. and. the r~t a. drilled hole. 

14 mches m diameter. The first water as struck m gravel at the 

depth of 17 fe;t, and "hardpan" was re ched at 17! feet. Most of 

the supply is reported to have been ·fo d between the depths of 

50 and 75 feet. The well is usually p · ped at about 110 gallons a 

minute. This rate of pumping is report d to produce a drawdown, 

in some seasons of 5 or 6 feet, hut at the ime the well was examined, 

September 9, 1915, the dtawdown was on y about 1 foot. 

The railroad well at Lodgepole is 56 eet deep. It consists of a 

dug hole about 30 feet deep and three 3- ch drilled holes extending 

26 feet· downward from the bottom of th dug )lola. As reported by 

Mr. J. J. Finnegan, who is in charge of the railroad water supply at 

this place and at Chappell, the well pa.Ssed through water-'bearing 

gravel between the depths of 7 and 11 feet and through ·hard clay 

from 11 feet to the bottom. ·The water level is" about 8 feet below 

the surface. Pumping at the rate of 115 gallons a minute is reported by Mr. Finnegan ,to lower the water level about 2 feet in 

the fust hour of pumping, after which there is no noticeable lowering 

even though the pump is run all day. In tests made September 9 

and 10,.19i5, the drawdown was 1.35 feet after 20 minutes ol pumping and 2.1 feet after 1 hour and 15 minutes, 2 hours, and 3 hours of 
60 CONTRIBUTIONS TO HYDROLOGY OF UNITED STATES, 191'7. 

pumping. These tests therefore indicated a capacity of about 55 

gallons a minute for each foot of drawdown. 

A few wells have been sunk in Cheyenne County to obtain water 

for irrigation, but none of them were being pumped in September, 

1915. The dug well of Mr. Nels Olson, 2 miles west of Sidney, is 

16 feet deep, and in September, 1915, the water level was 9.8 feet 

below the surface. This well is equipped with a pump rated at 

750 gallons a minute, but no test of the yield was made. A shallow 

well, 8 feet in diameter, dug near the creek, on the Benjamin Glenn 

estate, in the SW.·i sec. 33, T. 14 N., -R. 49 W., was formerly provided with 1J. rather large pumping plant to be used for irrigation, 

but it is now abandoned. The Campbell wells, on land now belonging 

to Mr. George Graves, in the NE. l sec. 35, T. 14 N., R. 47 W., 

were sunk to obtain a supply for irrigation but were not in use in 

1915. There are five wells at intervals of25 feet and a little less than 

50 feet from the creek. As reported by Mr. J. C. Johnson, the driller, 

they were at first carried to depths of only 16 to 18 feet and were 

finished in gravel with 12-inch perforated casings. The depth to 

water level was about 7 feet. They yielded considerable water but 

did' not adequately supply the 6-inch centrifugal pump with wh~ch 

they were simultaneously pumped, Two of the wells were then 

extended as 8-inch uncased holes, through the "hardpan" to a 

total depth of 80 feet. Additional water struck in the "hardpan" 

rose to a level 2 or 3 feet -above the original water level. These 

two wells, according to Mr. Jo_hnson, supplied the pump. The 

discharge of the pumping plant is rep<'>rted to have been 1,380 

gallons a minute, but this report was not verified. ~ 

DEUEL COUNTY, NEBR. 

The well that supplies the waterworks at Chappell is 4 feet in 

diameter and 34 feet deep and extends through gravel to the top of 

the clay. The water level is about 28 feet below the surface. According to Mr. R. H. Libby, who is in charge of the plant, the well is usually 

pumped at a rate of about 85 gallons a minute but has been tested 

at 200 gallons a minute. It supplies 5,000 to 30,000 gallons a day. 

The railroad well at Chappell is 16 feet in diameter and 32 feet 

deep, and ends in gravel. The water level is reported to be about 

22 feet below the surface. When measured by Mr. Finnegan, in 

1916, pumping at the rate of 200 gallons a minute for several hours 

lowered the water level only 1! feet. 

The principal attempt in this part of the valley to recover ground 

water for irrigation was made by Mr. Skip McNew, who sank five 

14-inch wells near the creek on sec. 12, T. 12 N., R. 45 W., and 

installed a 6-inch centrifugal pump. In 1915 the plant had been 

abandoned, but from such meager information as could be obtained 
GROUND WATER IN. LODGEPOLE VALLEY, WYQ.-,NEBR. ·61 

it appears tl,tat the wells supplied the pump;. which probably. had 

a capacity of about 9~0 gallons a minute~ . 

Near the Colorado; St&!te line Lodgepo~e Vl\ll0y opens into. ·the 

valley of the South. Platte, which is, wider~ .hM :a aomewhat deeper 

deposit of alluvial gr.~y~. 1, a. nd t·o do11b.· .th!l$.-a·.·'t.arg.:er·s.up.p.Jy.,.of ... gr.o. und 

water.. At Jule!'lburg11 ()Qlo., ... ust below the mouth,,, af Lodgepole 

Valley, both city and·.J.lailr!'uid. pplies are. derived Jrom the, alluvi~ 

gravel, which is here a,pQut ,40tfeet thiCl~. .. ; 

The Julesburg Wltterwor~ are supplied by two. wells, 14 f~et . 

apart, both of whicl:t, according to Mr., C. H .. Lent, superintendent 

of the city waterwor~, are 40 feet deep and 'have 14-inch sheet-,iron 

casings with perforations 1! inches long and one-fourth inch wide. 

The water level i.s .about 12. feet below the. !'lurlace. It is reported 

that either of these wells will supply 750 gallons .a minute with the \ 

suction pipe extending 15 feet below .the water level. In a brief 

test made September 81 1915, the two wells together supplied 750 

gallons a minute, or somewhat more, with an. average, W:awdown of 

3.33 feet, indica,ting a capacity' for each well, when,, both. are being 

pumped, of about 110 gallons a ~ute for each foot of .<lr~J>w:~own. 

The railroad supply at Julesbu.rg is obtained from It -w-ell 16 feet 

deep and 12 feet in diameter,. ending in gr~vel. Tlw .wat.erJevel.is 

5 feet below the surface. In September, 19'15, the w,ell .. supplied 

300 gallons a minute, but in dry seasons it has b~Jl. e:J;nptied by 

pumping 200 gallons a minute. This. information was fwnished by . Mr. McCart. . 

WATER IN TERTIARY FORMATIONS .• 

The Tertiary formations, named in theit order ·from ·the top 

,downward, are the Ogalalla formation, the A:i'ikaree formation, the 

Brule clay, and the Chadron sandstone.. They are described on pages 

39-42; and their water-bearing capacity where they lie below the 

alluvium. is discussed on page 47. 

The Ogalalla formation, which underlies large· parts of the Great 

Plains, generally yielis abundant supplies of good water from the 

irregular gravelly be which it contains. This formation suppli'es 

mos~ of the we~ in he regi'on adjacent to Lodgepol? V~ley e~t 

of .Pmeblu:ff, but m so~e places the base of the formation IB so high 

above the valley that[ ~he water drains out of it and wells must be 

sunk into the underlying Brule clay. · . · · 

The Arikaree formation consists largely of sandstone, the lower -

part of which is saturated with water that it yields rather freely to 

wells. Most of the drilled wells ending in this formation are cased to 

prevent caving, but some of the dug wells are left uncased.. The sand 

causes some trouble by running into wells that are· finished with 

74351°-19-WSP 425-:---l) 
62 CONTRIBUTIONS TO HYDROLOGY. OF UNITED STATES, 1917. 

open ends or with large perforations in the casings and by clogging 

screens of finer mesh. So far as possible screens of fine mesh should be 

avoided, and the difficulty with sand should be overcome by thorough 

cleaning out and hard pumping at the time the wells are finished. 

If necessary gravel should .be inserted to hold back the sand. As 

shown by analyses 7 and 10 (pp. 54-55) the water from the Arikaree 

formation contains only a moderate amount of mineral matter, 

which consists chiefly of silica, calcium, and bicarbonate, the two 

• last named rendering it somewhat hard. It is of good quality for 

irrigation. The sandstone of this formation is reached by wells on 

the upland and in the· valley from the vicinity of the Pole Creek 

ranch to a point a little beyond Egbert. No traces of the formation 

were found farther east in or near Lodgepole Valley. 

Tho wells on tlie uplands for some miles east of the !slay escarpment are supplied by water from gravelly beds that overlie· the 

typical sandstone of the Arikaree formation. The water level here 

is rather deep, but the supplies are abundant and the water is good. 

A sample of the water was taken from the drilled well of Mr. W. H. 

Thompson in the S.! sec. 19, T. 16 N., R. 68 W. (No.4 in table on 

p. 54). This well is on the upland, 250 feet above the valley, in 

the region where the gravelly deposits extend down to the valley. The well is 260 feet deep and the depth to. water level is said 

to b~ 251 feet. The owner reported that it passes through "clay 

and gravel" and ends in water-bearing "sand and gravel." The 

lowest 20 feet of casing is perforated to admit the water. The well 

'yields freely and the water is good. East of the vicinity of the Pole 

Creek ranch the base of the gravelly deposits is generally above the 

water level and the wells penetrate the underlying sandstone. 

The Brule clay is in general too dense to be a good water bearer 

and some wells drilled into it have been failures. In most places, 

however, it yields supplies that are adequate for domestic uses 

and for watering stock, and in parts of the valley it yields very freely. 

The water generally comes from the joints into which the formation 

readily breaks, but a few wells end in sand that appears to be interbedded with the clay. Most of the wells between Egbert and Pinebluff end in Brule clay and some of them are unsatisfactory. Many 

of the upland wells near Sidney and in other localities east of Pinebluff have also been drilled into the Brule clay and most of these 

yield spme water. Although this formation yields water freely at 

many places in the valley, it becomes tighter near the margins of 

the valley, where wells have been drilled into it a few hundred feet 

without finding much water. The water from .the Brule clay apparently contains somewhat more mineral matter than that from the 

onrlying formation~. It would deposit large amounts of scale in 

\ 
GROUND WATER IN LODGEPOLE VALLEY, WYO.-NEBR. 63 

boilers but, so far as the analyses show, it is not generally too highly 

mineralized for domestic use or for irrigation. (See especially analysis 

No. 21, pp. 54-55.) 

So few wells have been sunk to the base of the Brule clay that there 

is little information regarding the Chadron sandstone, which, near 

the mountains, crops out below this clay. In the few deep wells that 

have been drilled either this sandstone was absent or it did not supply much water. The flowing well at the city pumping plant in 

Julesburg, Colo., passed through" yellow shale" between the depths of 

40 and 200 feet, and "blue shale" between the depths of 200 and 400 

'feet, where the drilling was stopped. .A 4-inch bed of sand between 

the two shale beds yielded a natural flow amounting to a fraction 

of 1 gallon a minute. If the "yellow shale" is the Brule clay, this 

thin bed of sand is at the horizon of the Chadron sandstone. Some 

of the other wells that reached sand after passing through the Brule 

clay may end in Chadron sandstone. 

WATER IN CRETACEOUS AND'OLDER FORMATIONS. 

The formations in the general section shown on page 39 doubtJess 

extend eastward beneath Lodgepole Valley, probably with some 

changes in character and thickness. The two notable facts regarding 

· this section are that the Dakota sandstone, which in the vicinity of 

the Laramie Mountains is included in the Cloverly formation, is a 

widespread and very important artesian horizon and that the Pierre 

shale is a very thick and impervious formation which will produce 

little water and that of poor quality. Throughout most of its great 

thickness the Pierre shale consists of a dark plastic homogeneous shale . 

.Above it and below the Tertiary system in this region there are alternating sandy and shaly beds (Fox Hills and other formations) which 

will yield some water, but which, so far as is now known, are not 

strong. water bearers. Below the Pierre shale-between this shale 

and the Dakota sandstone-lie the Niobrara limestone and the 

Benton shale, which also contain water-bearing members. Below 

the Dakota sandstone there are still other water-bearing formations, 

but they lie' too far below the surface in this region to be considered 

as sources of wa.ter supply. 

There are two flowing wells at Islay station and a 6-inch drilled 

well on slightly lower ground in sec. 27, in the same township, in 

which the water level in September, 1915, stood 3 feet below the surface, or 5.4 feet below the top of the casing. Definite information 

regarding the depths and sections of these wells could not be obtained, 

but according to N. H. Darton 1 they are from 150 to 300 feet deep 

'Darton, N.H., Blackwelder, Eliot, and Siebenthal, C. E., U.S. Geol. Survey Geol. Atlas, La.ralnieSherman follo (No.173), p. 17, 1910. 
- - ~ --- -- - -o- ----------- --- ----------- -~ 

64 CONTRIBUTIONS TO HYDROLOGY OF UNITED STATES, 191'7. 

and apparently derive their water. from the Fox Hills sandstone. 

On September 16, 1915, the south well at Islay flowed about 2 gallons 

a minute and the north well about 10 gallons a minute. The water 

is of good quality, as is shown by analysis No.2 (pp. 54-55). A well 

at Cheyenne, which is reported to have been 1,145 feet deep, passed 

through much sand and obtained a small flow but was not considered 

successful,~ A well on the farm of Mr. Frank Hand, about 6 miles 

south of Sidney, is said to have been sunk to a depth of about 1,000 

feet and to have obtained only a small yield. If the well reached 

this dep~h it probably entered the Pierre shale. At Sterling, Colo., 

in the valley of the.South Platte, a well is reported to have been sunk· 

to a depth of 600 feet, chiefly through blue shale. Artesian water 

that flowed 2 or 3 gallons a minute is reported to have been struck in 

a thin bed of sand at a depth of about 400 feet . 

. Too few wells have been sunk in this region to test adequately the 

water-bearing beds above the Pierre shale, and none of them were 

deep enough to reach the beds below the Pierre shale. There is some 

prospect of obtaining flowing wells by deep drilling in Lodgepole 

Valley from formations above or below the Pierre shale, but the 

prospect of obtaining adequate supplies at a cost low enough for 

irrigation by deep drilling must be regarded as poor. The formations 

above the Pierre shale could be tested by wells not more than 1,000 

feet deep, but unless the formations are much thinner toward the 

east than where they outcrop, wells sev;eral thousand feet deep 

would be required to reach the Dakota sandstone. 

IRRIGATION WITH GROUND WATER. 

The problem of irrigation with well 1water in Lodgepole Valley 

relates chiefly to the cost and to the quantity of water available. 

Several wells have been sunk in the valley to obtain water for irrigation, but. in 1915 only a few of these wells were used and some of 

them had been permanently abandoned. The supply has generally 

been large enough b.ut the difficulty has been rather in the work and 

cost of pumping and applying the water. • 

The cost of pumping varies within wide limits. Success or failure 

depends largely on the care and the ability with which the plant is 

installed and operated. With good management, pumping for the 

irrigation of staple crops should at present be economically practicable in those parts of Lodgepole Valley where satisfactory wells 

c8.n be obtained, where there is good soil to which to apply the water, 

and where the water table is within 25 feet of the surface. (See Pis. 

1 Darton, N.H., Prelimlnary report an the geology and underground-water resources of the central 

Great Plains; U. S. Geol. Survey Pr.of. Paper 3,, ·p. 366, !90S, 
U. S . GEOLOGICAL SURVEY 

T.ISN. 

I 

.lo 

81° 

~~~. ~~~ I 

rtr4-N;J 

I 

I 

't.13N· 

6 

R.53W. 

5 

7 

R .58W. 

30 

5 

15 

J3 34 

l J .18 17 

·ease complled.from General L~nd 'Office plats,topo~raphlc map·by U.S.Geo!ogtcal S u rvey, rat lroad altgnments,anofteld maps 

0 2. 4 5 

R.57W; 

28 

4 

16 

6 MILES - -- ----1 

52 w. R.51W. 

fl.56W. 

. Z. 

7 

If? 

23 "22 19. '20 

6 3 2 6 

R.4 9W. 

MAP OF LODGEPOLE VALLEY IN KIMBAl-L AND CHEYENNE COUNTIES, NEBR., SHOWING GROUND-WATER CONDITIONS. 

Hachures show boundaries of valley. Upland is underlain by Ogalalla formation, which generally yields water; valley contains water-bearing alluvium underlain in most places by Brule clay, which in its upper portion is fissured and generally water-bearing. In thevalleythewater table is generally less t han 100 feeL below the surface; in the area indicated by shading the water table ~ geuet·ally wiLhin 25 feet of the surface. Continuous line indicates permanent sLreaw, with water table practically at surface ; broken line indicat es stream course that is usually dry, with waler table some distance below surface. 

W ATEH-SU PPLY PAPER 425 P LATE V 

1.9 ·20 2 1 22 

T;ISN • 

Zl 

4 3 2. 6 5 T.13N. 

R.48W. R.47 W. R.46W. 
·GROUND ·WATER .IN LODGEPOLE VALLEY, ·WYO.-NEBR. 65 

IV, V, and VI.) Under favorable conditions pumping can probably 

be made profitable .even where .the depth to the water t~ble is somewhat more than 25 feet. One of the chief causes of failure in a. semiarid region, such as Lodgepole Valley, is th!lot in the years of sufficient 

precipitation the pumping plants are neglected and 1,1.1'6 consequently 

,. out of repair when they are again needed. 

The most practical type of pumping plant for· Lodgepole Valley 

consists of on~ or more drilled wells, a· centrifugal pump with a 

capacity of not less than about 1 second-foot and not more than 

several second-feet, and an internal-c()mbustion engine adapted to 

the use of low-grade, inexpensive distillate, the water to be used in 

the vicinity of the pumping plant. ' 

Where the water is obtained from gravel the wells can be dug by 

hand, but in genel'f,lol adequate supplies can be obtained at less cost 

by digging only to the water level and below this level smking wells 

S to 14 inches in iliamet~r and using casings that .are abundantly 

perforated. In some localities it will be advisable to sink the wells 

into the "hardpan.". Where sufficient water is not obtained from 

one well, several welJs olin be sunk, 50 to 100 feet apart, and connected with the same pU:m.p. 

Where the water table is not more than 25 feet below the surface, 

horizontal centrifugal 'pumps are commonly used, these pumps 

being installed just above the water level and connected with the 

engine by a belt that makes an angle of not m~re than 45° with the 

horizontal. Vertical centrifugal pumps are generally submerged. 

They are adapted to use in wells in which the water level lies rather 

deep or fluctuates greatly. · 

A large central power plant with electric-transmission lines extending to the individual pumping units, such as have been installed 

near Garden City, Kans., and at Portales, N. Mex., would :probably 

have some advantage in economy and convenience over small engines 

installed at the pumps, but the installation of such 'a plant is not 

recommended at present for Lodgepole Valley, especially because 

pUIIiping on a large scale would probably interfere with existing rights 

·to the stream water. ' 

The following data in. regard to the pumping plant of Mr. Gus. 

Forsling :i:i:l the NE. i sec. 34; T. 15 N., R. 57 W. (see p. 57), were 

obtained in part 'from the owner and in part by a test made on September 21, 1915. In its general features this plant ls more or less 

typical of the pumping plants that are best adapted to the conditions 

in thiS valley. 
66 CONTRIBUTIONS TO HYDROLOGY OF UNITED STATES, 191'7. 

Data in regard to the pumping plant of Mr. Gus. Forsling, near Bushnell, Nebr. 

Well, 31 feet deep, 14-inch casing below cement-lined pump pit, ending in gravel. 

Pump, 5-inch vertical centrifugal. 

Power, IS-horsepower gasoline engine. 

Cost of well, pump, and engine, $867. 

Estimated total cost of plant, $1,000. 

Normal water level, below surface, 15 feet. 

Normal water level, below discharge, 33 feet. 

Drawdown, about 4 feet. 

Total lift, about 37 feet. 

Rated capacity of pump, about 1.5 second-feet. 

Yield when tested, September 21, 1915, 1 second-foot. 

Gasoline used, li gallons per hour. 

Cost of gasoline, 12 cents per gallon. 

Useful work accomplished (lifting 1 second-foot of water 37 feet), 4.2 horsepower. 

Energy expended, counting 1 pint of gasoline per horsepower-hour, 13.3 horsepower. 

Efficiency, 31.6 per cent. 

Gasoline required to pump 1 acre-foot of water (1 second-foot during 12 hours), 20 

gallons. 

Cost of gasoline to pump 1 acre-foot, $2.40. 

In the preceding table the estimate of yield of water is based on a 

test of about 1 hour, made September 21, 1915, but the estimate of 

the consumption of gasoline is based on a run of 19 hours. If in the 

longer run the water table stood higher or the yield of the pump was 

more nearly its rated capacity the conclusions as to efficiency and cost 

per acre-foot may be somewhat vitiated. The price of gasoline has 

advanced since the test was made, but distillates costing less than 12 

cents could be used. Where fuel is consumed in relatively small 

quantities kerosene, which is cheaper than gasoline, is frequently 

used. There are, of course, many other expenses besides the cost of 

the fuel, such as lubricants, repairs and renewals, labor, and fixed 

charges, such as taxes and interest on investment. 

According to Mr. Forsling the plant will irrigate 1 acre in 2 hours, 

and one irrigation will serve to raise a crop of fully 1 ton of alfalfa. 

According to the above figures, such an irrigation would be only 2 

inches deep, and even if the pump worked at its rated capacity it would 

be only 3 inches deep. This involves a much higher duty of water than 

is usually attained, even in regions having as much rainfall as Lodgepole Valley. On soil that is not too porous it should be possible on· 

the average to raise a ton of alfalfa with one-half or two-thirds of au 

acre-foot of irrigation water, although frequently the amount used is 

greater.1 If the Forsling plant were operated 80 days· during the 

irrigation season for ail average of 12 hours a day it would yield 80 

acre-feet of water, which, with a duty of two-thirdS acre-foot per ton 

of alfalfa, would produce 120 tons of this hay. 

1 Bark, D. H., Experiments on the economical use of irrigation water in Idaho: U. S. Dept. Agr. 

Bull. 339, 1916. 
U. S . GEOLOGICAL SURVEY WATER-SUPPLY PAPER 425 PLATE VI 

I 

B\o 

~~~· 

~~~. ~I 

i 

T . 14 N. 

6 5 

10 9 

R. 46W. 

T._l3 N. 

24 

30 

R.44W. 

Base complied from General Land Office plats,topograpliic map- by . U.S.Geologica I Survey, r ailroad align ments, ana field maps 

0 2 4 5 6MILE:5 

~~~----~----~--~----~----~--~ 

NEBRASl~ 

T.IZ N . 

--------------------------------------- COLORADO LINE 

MAP OF LODGEPOLE VALLEY IN DEUEL COUNTY, NEBR., SHOWING GROUND-WATER CONDITIONS. 

Area indicated by shading is underlain by water-bearing alluvium and has water table within about 25 feet of surface. Boundaries of va lley are i n d efinite but are out>ide of area indicat ed by shading. Along Lodgepole Creek water table is practically a t the 

surface. 

6 

7 
GROUND WATER IN LODGEPI.)LE VALLEY; WYO.-NEBR. 67 

The data given above indicate a cost for fuel of $1.60 for each ton 

of alfalfa raised. Ass~g that interest and taxes amount to 9 ,per 

cent and that ren~wals, repairs, and other expenses amount to 15 

per cent of the original investment of $11000, these items would add 

$2 per ton, making a total cost of $3.60 per ton, exclusive of· the cost 

of labor in pumping and, of course, exclusive of. the cost of planting 

the fields, applying the water, and harvesting the crop. 

Wells yielding enough water for practical irrigation can, be obtained 

in most parts of Lodgepole Valley, and the' total irrigated area could 

be considerably increased by pumping. However, the area now irri-

. gated is very large in comparison to the size of the stream; because 

ground water is supplied to the stream during the irrigation Reason. 

Extensive pumping of ground water would reduce the available sup-

·ply of strettm water, although the decrease in stream water would be 

less than the increase in pumped well water. Pumping on a moder.,. 

ate scale will probably not appreciably reduce the supply of stream 

, water and is doubtless practicable in Lodgepole Valley. 

Flowing wells could probably be obtained by deep drill:ing in some 

parts of the valley, but the prospects are not encouraging for obtain-

! ing supplies from deep wells in quantities or at costs practicable for. 

~- irrigation. 

i 

I COST OF PUMPlNG FOR mRIGATION IN WESTERN k NEBRASKA. 

By H. c. DIESE:M.l 

During the growing season of 1914 the rainfall was 2.49 inches 

below normal in the northwestern part of Nebraska, 1.40'inches below 

in the western part, and 1.60 inches below in the southwestern part, 

and the general average rainfall for the western half of the State was 

2.08 inches below the normal. -

During this and the preceding dry'seasons considerable interest was 

manifested in pumping, and numerous pumping plants were installed 

and operated throughout the State. In 1915 the precipitation was. 

above the average, and none of the pumping plants were- operated, 

but in the season of 1916 a drouth existed during the month of July 

and many of the plants were again operated., 

The Division of Irrigation Investigations, Office of Public Roads 

and Rural Engineering, United States Department of Agriculture, 

obtained recor~s of some of the pumping plants operated during the 

seasons of 1914-and 1916 but has not yet compiled the data for 1916. 

The records for 1914 have been arranged in the order of the cost 

of pumping an acre-foot per foot lift, which ranged from 4.35 cents 

I Division oflrrigation IuvestigatiQDS, 0111ce ot P11blio Rciada &lid Rural Engineering, U. S. Department 

otA~ture. 
-~-~------, 

68. CONTBIBUTIOl-TS TO HYDROLOGY OF UNITED STATES, .1917. 

to 13 cents. The operations during that season showed some very 

good runs,, ranging ·from 81 to 600 hours for the season, at a total cost 

of operation, :exclusive of labor, ranging from $36.19 to $185.76 for 

the season's pumping. The cost of pumping an acre-foot ranged from 

$1.502 to $3.636, but as the lift ranged from 28 to 45 feet a true comparison must be based on the cost of pumping. an acre-foot per foot 

lifL ' 

It is noteworthy that the maximum cost per acre-foot delivered 

was at a plant having one of the two lowest lifts. This fact can be 

due only to low efficiency of the plant. Though plant No. 1 delivered water at only4.35 cents per acre-foot per foot lift, plants Nos. 

2, 3, and 4, operated at a higher cost, furnished water on the land at 

a lower cost not only per acre irrigated but also per acre-inch applied. 

This difference is explained by the fact that the lift on No. 1 was 

greater and that the actual quantity of water applied to the land 

under plant No. 1 was but a trifle less than that from No. 2 and 

greater than that from Nos. 3 and 4. Plant No. 1 was also handicapped by not having a well of sufficient cap.acity to supply the 

pump; and though the engine is supposedly self-governing, it was 

not operated to its full capacity but was speeded down, and the plant 

was run below its rated capacity to avoid drawing down the well and 

sucking air, and thus breaking the suction of the pump. 

Results of operating certain pumping plants in Nebraska in 1914. 

Plant. Pumping. Cost. Area to which 

Total for Per acre-~ Per acre- water was 

No. Engine. Pump;a Lift. Time. Quantity. applied season. root. fggUf:'{. once. 

' --------------- ' Horsepower. Ftet. H.'m, .Acre-feet. . Cents. :Acres. 

1: ........ 25 5 T 45 436 35 40.11 $78.52 $1.958 4.35 100 

2 ......... 15 6H 34 487 00 47.07 70.69 1.502 4.42 104.6 a ......... 25 6 v 40 116 '55 19.68 37.27 1.894 4. 74 68 4 ......... 15 5V 28 190 00 27.23 43.65 1.603 5. 73 63 

5 ......... 20 6V 31 128 00 18.88 36.19 1. 917 6.18 41.5 

6 ......... 22 6H 43 96' 00 13.12 36.40 2. 774 6.45 35 

7 ......... 15 5 H• 32 600 25 80.06 185.76 2.320 7.25 220 

8 ......... 30 6 V' 44 81 00 15.79 54;11 3.426 7. 79 60 

9 .......... 15 6V 35 355 30 26.96 82.40 3.056 8. 73 120 

10; ........ 20 5H 33 176 00 14.67 43.48 2.962' 8.98 48.5 

11 ......... 18 5H 28 '151 QO 14.23 38.40 2.699 1 9. 63 28 

12 ......... 15 6H 28 90 00 11.70 42.54 3.636 I 13.00 20 . I a Centrifugal pumps. Figure indicates number .or size. H=horizontal, V=vertical, T=turbine. I 

·The last column shows the number of acres to which water was 

applied once; for .instance, plant No.' 7 irrigated 110 acres twice, 

which is equivalent to irrigating 220 acres once. 

· ThE! following ta:ble shows the number of times the crop·was irrigated and the cost of applying the water to that crop: 

I 
GROUND WATER IN LODGEPOLE VALLEY, WYO.-NEBR. 69 

Number and cost of irrigations at certain pumping plants in Nebraska in 1914. 

Water applied. Cost. 

Plant No. Crop lrri· Area ~e~f 1----.----1---...,---

ga.ted. irrigated, lrriga- Total m' Acre- Per 

In acres. tions. ' lnche •• Pe c ac e acre-feet. ade~e. r a re. ln~h-

---------1---·1------------------

1. ...... --------------- --·------ .. Com ...... 40.0 2 30.29 9.09 11.482 $0.16.• 2 ...... -- .......... -------- .••... Beets ..... 37.3 2 32.86 10.56 1.322 .1?F 

3 ••• ------- ...... ---- ---·.----.-. Com ...... 25 2 14.62 7.02 1.104 .158 4 •• -... ---- ..... -- ..... -- ........ ... do ...... 20 2 15.05 9.03 1.206 .133 

5 ....... ---- ... -- ..... ---------- . ... do ...... 10 2 9.38 11.25 1. 754 .160 6 .................... ------ ...... ... do ...... 35 1 13.12 4.50 1.040 .231 7 ................................ ... do ...... 110 2 80.06 16.01 1.689 .106 

8 ................................ ... do ...... 3 3 1. 76 7.04 2.008 .290 

9 ...... ------ ........ ---- ........ ... do ...... 60 2 26.96 5.39 1. 373 .255 

10 ................................ ... do ...... 48 1 13.54 3;39 .835 .247 11 ••••......••.••••••••..•••.••... ... do ...... 12 2 10.66 10.66 2.397 .225 12 ................................ ... do ...... 20 1 11.70 7.02 2.127 .303