The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1892-02-05
Our Artesinn Basin,

The following Washington special con-
corning tho report of Col. Nettleton,
chief engineered the irrigation lnvestlga-
tioT gives q clear and comprehensive
idea OF the extent and boundaries OF the
artes,an basin underlying the state:
Col. Edwin S. Nettleton, chief engineer
OF the irrigation Investigation, has com
pleted his report on the seasons work.
His commission having expired he is
now out OF the service OF the government
and his staff has been disbanded.
Nothing will be done on the subject OF
irrigation until congress passes some OF
the bills which have been introduced.
Col. Nettleton's investigations embraced
q strip OF country from the Manitoba
line to the Gull OF Mexico and from Min
nesota to the Pacific coast. Hedeclares
river valley is the largest ever discov-
cred. While it underlies that valley
from one end to the other, it extends far
beyond OH the west side and covers
altogether about 10000 square miles,
or a body larger than the state OF Ohio,
The truth OF this is fully established by
the character OF the wells that have been
drilledin all parts of the basin and on
either side of it. The arteslan rock OF
that immense basin tips to the north,
though the pitch is not continual. The
water is struck at a depth OF from 500
to 600 feet at Yankton or along the
northern line of Nebraska, and at 1900
to LOO at Devils Lake in North Oak
otl, and between that place and tile
Manitoba line. The bottom OF the well
at Devils Lake is l,52O from the surface
and AZ feet below the level OF the sea-.
The Yankton we'll is 1.295 feet above
se4sstT4a ee irBe4.-- The 30 tam Of ltis 4 Sent.
above sea level. The dip of the artesian
rock from Yankton to Devils Lake is
thus shown to he about 100 feet. The
opinion prevails that the basin lies
wholly between the Missouri and the
Red rivers, but Prof. Nettletondissipates
that notion. 1t is demonstrated that
the eastern line OF the great reservoir is
west Of the Minnesota boundary, but it
Missouri river. The same body ofwater
is 81 fi,ck Mandan, Chamberlain and,
at point almost as lar west as Dead
sad. 4. can Observation-Disclosures
sssfheacoteaus Orathe Bad Lands. The Red
river valley between Fargo and Mamto-
ba now has between 400 and 500 drive
wells. by this system q flow OF water
Is obtained by drilling on an average of
about 200 feet. The supply is mex
haustlble, but the force lis nothing like.
that OF the attesian basin to the. west.
The water which the Red river valley
people are thus obtaining IL carried be-
tween layers of rock and clay which.
pitch to the eastward. While the same
water which can be found as far west as.
the james river and even beyond it re-
qflires the depression of the Red river
valley to make it available. From 427,
tfthese Red river valley wells there is a.
conltant flow Of 4,585 gallons per min
ute, an amount sufficient to cover
twenty acres to a depth Of one foot in
tw~enty-four hours, The Professor is an.
enthusiast on the subject of irrigation.
md advises allfarmers to use it, even il
they cansdo nj better than to employ
Acheap windmill in ordinary wells. for
the irrigation Of truckgardens. He.sayss
that every farmer on the pra1rIes should
store The surplus water. The point is
that ~irrigation y & on the smallest
scale s Important Ia