Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1896-01-16

do not know but that it is very
large IN the aggregate there can
be no question.
Sandstone of the compact type
such as is sometimes used for
building. purposes will hold, when
its pores are full of water, the
equivalent of a depth of ~ inches
for each foot of thickness, while
the loose sands such as underlie
the marshes we are considering
will contain for each foot of depth
not less than four inches of water.
About 40 per cent. of this water
will quickly flow into any suit
able we'll On the basis of these
figures 100 feet of the most COM
pact sandstone likely to be found
in the region under consideration
should yield not less than five
of water and the most open sand
not less than 20 feet. That is to
say the amount of available
water is equivalent to that of a
lake from five to twenty feet deep
for each 100 feet in depth of sand
or sandstone and whose area is
that covered by the sandstone
itself. This water supply too
lies so near the surface that it
may be obtained by lifting the
water through a distance not to
exceed 20 to % feet.
The factor of greatest uncer-
tainty regarding this water sup
ply is the rate at which the water
can be made to enter the we'll.
At Babcock there are two five
inch wells "A feet and 50 feet
deep respectively, which go
through the sandstone to the
granite These wells, | am in
formed by Mr.. ]. w. Booman,
have each a measured capacity
of 76,SOO gallons Of water per
"a hours.
At the city water works of
Tomah they have an open we'll
through the sand and clay "a
feet and 4 feet into the sandstone
which has a maximum capacity
of 200 gallons per minute or
2SS,OOO gallons per day of "a
hours. These are the only wells
in the district under considera-
ton from which | have obtained
data regarding their actual
capacity.
The Babcock wells being near
the northern boundary of the
water bearing strata, and the
Tomah we'll a shallow one,
give results which are likely to
be under rather than over the
amounts which may be expected
from other localities of the dis
trict where a greater thickness
of sandstone exists.
Let us then consider the pos
sibilities of a we'll having the
capacity of those at Babcock,
that is, 76,SOO gallons per day
of "a hours.
1t will not be impracticable to
pump 10 hours per day regularly
and in case of emergencies the
pumping may go on day and
night. Pumping 10 hours per
day such well would yield an
acre-foot of water in 1912 days
If we suppose the loss of water
from a reservoir by evaporation
and by percolation to be at the
mean rate of one inch in "a hours
then a reservoir which could be
maintained full by the well could
have an area Of 1,175 acres. A
reservoir of this size and three
feet deep backed by a water sup
| ply of the size stated would main
tain and amply protect, | think,
a cranberry marsh of seven acres.
Now it seems to me from what
is known Of the geology of the
region and the capacity of the
wells at BabcOck, that there is
much assurance for the belief
that nearly every quarter section
of the Is to 20 government town
ships of marsh land in Adams,
Portage, Wood, Jackson, Monroe
and Juneau counties might be
provided with a water supply
from the two sources now con-
sidered which could amply main
tain and protect not less than
seven, acres of cranber1-ies in first
class condition.
The third and largest supply of
water which might be used in de
veloping the cranberry and other
agricultural interests of the
counties in question is the flood
waters Of the Wisconsin and
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