The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1878-08-19
Watering the Desert

IRRIGATION BT ARTEsIAN wELLs--How THE
PLAN WORKS IN TULARE COUNTY, CAL.
A mile and half from Upton, in Tulare
county, CALI is an artesian we'll. j. 4.
Scupham. assistant engineer OF the Cen
trail Pacific Railroad Company, who has re-
Gently returned to the city from that Sec
tion OF the country, makes report con-
cerning the supply OF artesian water, which
he regards as very important matter in
connection with the development OF the
land, and believes that a great reservoir un-
derlies the whole valley. He says he closely
examined the earth brought to the surface,
ascertained the temperature OF the wa
ter, and measured the capacity OF the
stream, and is convinced that CO.
pious streams Of water flow beneath
the plain, which is 200 miles in length
and SO miles in width. in boring
mountain debris was pierced for depth Of
$50 feet. and good supply of water was
not reached until stratum Of sandstone
from four to six feet thick, lying upon bed
OF auicksand, had been passed through.
The first flow was at the rate Of eight gal
Ions a minute from seven-inch pipe one
foot above the surface. Then five-inch
pipe was sunk thirty feet deeper, which
nierced q stratum OF blue clay containing
four separate layers Of sand, each OF which
contributed supply of water. The lower
one gave out considerable volume
OF water. 1t was decided to stop sink
ing at this step to secure the water
already discovered. The well at last ac-
counts was delivering $4,000 gallons day
out of five.inch pipe, four feet above the
surface OF the plain, and the supply is con-
stantly increasing instead OF diminishing.
The water, according to the statement OF
Mr.. Scupham, is very pure and shows It's
identity with glacier lakes. 1t has less than
six grains of solid matter to the gallon.
| The solid substance is chloride OF sodium,
which corresponds almost exactly with the
| waters OF Lake Tahoe. The we'll itself has
! the capacity for irr1gating 100 acres, and Its
cost is from $700 TO $1,000. 1t is believed
that water can be obtained, by sinking
| wells to the depth Of 800 or 400 feet, in
any part OF the Tulare Plains, and in the
opinion OF Mr.. Scupham these wells might
| be placed on every quarter-section OF
ground without the supply being materially
affected, or they might be sunk even closer
together without decreasing the flow. The
temperature OF the water is 72o, and the
soil on the surface needs nothing but water
to render it fertile, A few years since two
| hundred thousand eucalyptus trees were
planted in this locality by the Central Pa.
citic Company, and seventy-tive per cent. Of
| them are now in a thriving state. In five
years the trees will be big enough fol
ties and telegraph poles, and worth
Sl5O,OO0 to the company. The mountain
debris referred to is supposed to be
the ruins of extinct glaciers, which
eroded the Sierras to their present shape
Geologically speaking, this DEBRIS was car
rled at very recent period from the noun
tain slopes and SUBMITS and deposited in
the valley, and it is Scupham's idea that the
main portion Of the Sierra was at one time
more than 10000 feet high, and the loftiest
| peaks were at least 5000 feet higher. From
| the aerial currents from the west, heavily
charged with moisture from the ocean, i'm
| mense volumes of rain were condensed anc
precipitated on the mountain slopes toward:
the ocean, which, flowing to the plains
caused great lake, which is now extinct