The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1896-09-15
AWATER PROBLEM
Prof. Haworth's Forthcoming
Report on Kansas
And the Water Supply Of Its
Western Portion.
CAN BE IRRIGATED
In Tracts of at Least Five
Acres Each
Over Nearly the Entire Western
Portion.
AN BE IRRIGATED


investigating the subject of irrigation
in the western portion of the state. A
commission was appointed with Prof.
E. Haworth Of the state university as
one of the advisory members, and
work was begun at once. 1t has been
prosecuted assiduously ever since and
Prof. Haworth expects to make COM
plete report on the water question ear
" in November.
To a representative Of the press he
has given. however, the gist of the re-
port stripped of it's mathematical and
geological details.
The portion of the state to be inves-
tigated was divided into half a dozen
sections with at least two men in each
section. These men separated and
worked slowly westward, covering
strip about y miles wide at each trip.
The inevitable bicycle was used very
largely as means OF SpOrtatlOns
and was found to be more satisfactory
than the regular horse and wagon.
The ground was thoroughly examin-
ed in regard to the strata, the amount
and depth of the underground flow, and
the character of the soil with its capac-
ity to sustain life. Wells were, Of
course, the principal source of infOrma-
ton, since they have a record Of the
substance passed through and show the
exact depth of the water beneath the
surface Gullies, pools, springs and
everything else that would give an in
dication Of the surface formation were
closely scrutinized and the results will
be tabulated in the forthcoming re-
port.
The water question depends almost
altogether upon stratiagraphy, a fact
which makes all former investigations
of the subject practically worthless.
The number and character of the strata
and their inclination and the everything
material must all be taken into consid-
Grafton in determining the possibilities
of Irrigation
Now in western Kansas. the condi-
tons are comparatively simple.Above
the deposits of the earlier geological
periods with which the report has moth
ing 10 DO are round nrSt the enormous
and mysterious red beds, the enigma
of the American continent. The color
of these beds, as the name indicates,
is SO red that in the localities where
they form the surface the mud after
rain storm is a deep crimson, as If
there had been a wholesale massacre
near by. Biologists are at lOggerheads
about them and their present name is
q compromise, for the scientists can
agree only as to their color.
Above the red beds are the Comanche
rocks. then the Dakota, the Benton,
the NiObrara, and the remaining strata
OF the upper cretaceOus period. Above
them, however, is a wholly different
formation, the deposit of another geol-
ogical era, the tertiary. 1t consists OF
a loose material. shale, clay, sand, soil,
varying in depth from so to $50 feet.
This forms the surface of the land and
is spread over the area without respect
TO the under formations. It appears to
have been put on like suit Of clothes
to save the bushes and warm the bones
or naked old Nature Now, while the
surface, as every one knows, slopes
away directly towards the east. the
rock formations below dip gently to the
northeast; consequently their distance
from daylight is somewhat greater in
the northern than in the southern part
of the state. Their depth, too, is var
led by the courses of the streams, some
FlV in anti Vsea1rr
away. exposing the rocks OF the Gre
taceOus period
These soft, cretaceous rocks form
the floor OF the country A bed of lime
stone, contrary to the popular opinion,
viii not hold water like a bed of shale.
Any movement Of the land, and inper-
ceptble earthquakes are occurring con-
stantly, viii fracture the lime stone,
and let the water through like a broken
crock: but shale viii shift quickly in
and fill up a fault, soon becoming again
practically imperViOus to the water.
Hence, the water in the west flows
along slowly to the eastward upon its
cretaceous bed and beneath its terti-
airy cOVerlet- This is the water fallen
in the form of rain all over the Rocky
mountain slope
The wells in the western part Of the
state are sunk merely through the up
per coating and an abundance of water
IS found. Whenever, too, a stream has
cut its channel down through the ter
tiary deposits almost or quite to the
cretaceous rocks, springs are likely to
be found. This is why that in western
Kansas, the dryest spot on the globe
not a desert, the most enormous
springs are situated. At what was in
the boom times the county seat of
Logan county, Russell Springs, water
bursts from a hill side in a dozen Jets
larger than mans wrist; and a nat
ura1 fountain not far from Meade yields
by actual measurement three cubic
feet of water each second. The springs
would be larger and far more numerous
he I'M nat ion of Faa 1ar OF
50 slight. Owing to the mildness of the
declivity, the underground water flows
not faster than a foot day, thus en-
abling the springs now in existence to
carry off any superduity. A year of
heavy rainfall, however, gives birth to
numerous ephemeral springs
The portion Of Kansas selected by
Prof Haworth for personal inspection
selected as the most typical Of the
whole, is q space Of some 1900 square
miles comprising parts Of Ford, Clark,
Gray and Meade counties, and enbrac-
ing the famous srtesian we'll district.
Here he is conducting his work under
three authorities, the state irrigation
commission. the state geological sur
weys and the photographed bureau of
the United States geological survey.
His conclusions are interesting and
some are highly surprising
The artesian district is of a lozenge
shape, a long ellipse, one focus Of which
IS at Wilbur and the other at Meade
Crooked creek. appropriately named
for it is the crOokedest Of the crooked
creeks in America. forms the long axis
Of the elipse- This little section of
country is probably the best W-atered
portion OF Kansas It is merely q de-
preston in the land, a sink, where the
upper crust is worn away almost to
the water level, and the water Itself
comes from the higher lands to the
west. If western Kansas could be
caught and skinned. the whole country
would be an artesian district
Within this favored region an arte-