The Saint Paul globe., 1905-01-25
TODD DESCRIBES
HURON QUADRANGLE
The Government GeoIoaist Let's
Loose Information of
Interest
Globe Special Washington Service,


WASHINGTON, d. c., Jan. "A mi
mute description of South Dakota, which
is known technically to the geological
survey as the Huron quadrangle, is given
by j. e. Todd, who has recently made an
examination of this region for the sur
vey. No valuable minerals were found.
The region embraced in Mr.. Todd's exam
ination lies in the valley of the James
river, and includes portions of Beadle,
Sanborn and Jerauld counties 1t has an
area of about S57 square miles.
The region is in general fiat, and its
features are, with few exceptions, those
of very subdued glacial topography, the
basins being shallow and widely separ-
ated and the swells very low. Deposits
OF building stone, clay sand and gravel
are found in the quadrangle, but they are
unimportant, and by far the most valu-
able natural resource of this area is wa
ter. which Mr.. Todd discusses as surface
ana Underground waters. Under surface
waters are included lakes springs and
streams, and under underground water
the sources which furnish Shallow wells,
artesian wells, and tubular wells
4, me ralnIall OF this region varies greatly
IN IN dl1ferent seasons, but averages about
20 inches a year. After a succession of
wet years the. lake beds over the whole
district are full of water and are usually
filled in spring, if there has been much
snow during the winter. In the latter part
OF the summer most of the ponds become
uH' Wltnln the iaSC twenty-five years
some of these lakes have remained
throughout summer with 10 to Is feet
OF water, while few years later they
have been dry enough for tillage. One OF
the largest and most notable is Lake Ca
your, which usually has considerable
surface of open water.
James river is the only stream that
can be depended on to contain water
throughout the year, although z or 8
miles of the lower portion of Sand creek
and or miles of the lower portion of
Pearl creek are rarely entirely dry. Since
tne opening of large artesian wells a few
otner water courses contain running wa
ter Permanent springs are rare in this
quadrangle, though few occur.
SHALLOW wells are common and usually
oobtam water at depth of from 10 to
80 feet. They do not afford a copious
or permanent supply except when located
near the bottom OF a large depression or
near channel that drains a considerable
area. The reason for this is that the wa
ter comes from the rainfall only, and the
region is often subject to continued
drought. -
-; Tubular ;ul wells are those deeper wells in
winch tubular or force pump is usually
necessary. In the quadrangle there are
many of these in which the. water rises
10 Levels standing between and 25 feet
OF the surface. They derive water from
the sand and gravel at the base of the
drnt, from stratum in the Pierre clay
low the chalk.
AfteSlan wells are common in this area
as the quadrangle is underlain by three
Well,dehned Water-bearing strata In the
north central part of the quadrangle there
ail uIh; Ill Inc waters from all these horizons.
aS Wen as the soils of the QUADRANGLE are
described by Mr.. Todd.
Walter E. Clark.