Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1902-09-18
NATURES CLEAR GIFT.

Arteslan System OF South Dakota q
Boon to the Stock Grower and Hus-
handman. .s. a. a.s.
The artesian system, says State
Geologist G. E. Iodd. Is one OF the
most valuable gifts Of nature to Dako-
Ia. 1t has been developed most In the
James river valley, particularly in
Sanborn, Dawson, Hutchinson and
Yankton counties, where copious wells
have been obtained from a depth OF
300 to 600 feet. Also, in counties bor-
dering the Missouri as far up as
Chamberlain. and again In the vicinity
Of Pierre, and in the James river vail
ley in the counties of Beadle, Hand.
| Hyde, Hughes, Potter, Faux, Sphinx
and Brown. In these latter regions.
however, 1t is necessary to go 500 to
100 feet, according to the altitude.
In many cases a pressure OF from
100 to IT'S pounds is obtained, which
when the flow is large, affords splen-
did power for Touring mills and feed
mills, while several cities on the
James and Missouri rivers have wells
which furnish water for city use, fire
protection and power for electric light
| plants. A flow of 5000 or 1000 gal
ions a minute has been obtained from
eight-inch wells.
Where the wells are shallow they
are of great value in dairying. They
supply a spring house for keeping
milk, abundant water for cattle, and
by irrigating the pasture, abundant
feed. Hence, some townships have as
many as thirty-five or forty wells.
The Dakota formation consists OF
three Or four principal strata of sand
stone, ten to fifty feet in thickness,
separated with greater thicknesses or
clay. These sandstone strata are SUBJ
divided in some localities. Hence
there are as many different water
bearing strata which may be struck
at any point. These flows" as they
are called, differ much from one an
other in the quality Of water. 1ne
upper ones are usually soft, o as
rain water is the common express
sion; the lower ones are usually hard
and charged with an abundance or
lime, magnesia and iron salts. 1t Is a
common thing for farmers to nave
two wells, one a pump well, SOFT, the
other a flowing we'll, hard. Sometimes
both flow, and occasionally both hard
and soft are obtained from the same
/ we'll.
The pressure usually increases IN
the lower flows SO that power wells
are usually supplied from them.
One of the peculiarities OF the ar
tesian system is that its pressure In
creases towards the west, SO thai al"
though 1t is not sufficient to produce
flowing wells on the tableland De-
tween the James and Minnesota
| rivers, west of the James 1t furnishes
flows over all the surface except the
higher points, /. e., the SUBMITS or
the divides. On the other hand In the
Minnesota valley the surface Is so low
that there is a belt Of flowing wells
crossing the center of Grant county
from this same formation. The pres
sure height of the wells in the James
| river valley Is about 1000 feet o
! the sea. Around the Black Hills 1t Is
over 1900 feet.
There are now flowing over 1900
wells, furnishing about 1900 0 gallons
a Minute.
AS there are strong reasons for be-
Iieving these waters are being con-
tinually supplied from the rainfall
upon the upturned edges of the Da-
kota strata near the Rocky Noun
| tains, from the seepage Of such
streams as the Missouri, Yellowstone,
Big Horn. North Platte, ETC.. where
they cross these strata, and as 1t Is
not unlikely that a considerable stored
supply may exist under Wyoming high
enough to afford flows in much OF the
James river valley, we may believe
that the supply IL wisely husbanded
may sustain these flowing wells an in.
definite period Of years.