The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1906-12-09
WATERS OF SIERRA
ARE SUPERIOR
Examinations Conducted by
State and Federal Gov
ernments Are Interesting
COAST RANGE FREAKS
By Nj. e. Crane

WASHINGTON, Dec. S.-The results
Of water examinations carried on dur
ing the last year under cooperative
agreement between the State OF Cali
fornia and the United States Geological
Survey have recently been described in
a report made by the director of the
survey to the State Board of Examin-
ers- In this report the purposes of the
work and the conditions under which it
has been performed are outlined, and
extracts are presented herewith.
The object of the investigation is to
procure information concerning the dis
solved and suspended matter carried in
the water of the typical streams of CAL
ifornia and the variation that takes
place from day - day and season to
season in its amount and nature. The
investigation viii be OF benefit to the
people Of California in a number of
ways:
1. BY affording information con-
corning the rivers whose waters are
best adapted for municipal uses. The
character Of California waters varies
widely according to the geologic ma
ture of the regions through which
they flow A river draining q lime
stone country, for example. will fur
nish water markedly different from
that draining a granite region; while
the water in a river draining an al
kali country VIII contain ingredients
that are more objectionable than
those contained in that from the
limestone country. So the investiga-
tiOns have been designed TO show the
character and amount OF these in
rivers supply the best water for muni-
clpal purposes and which should be
?. BY affording information as to
which waters may be best adapted for
irrigation. Some waters contain in
greolents harmful 70 crops; and while
il is probably true that almost every
natural water in the State of Cali
fornia can be used for Irrigation the
water must be applied intelligently
and after careful consideration of the
ingredients Lands to which water
containing large amounts of alkali
or common salt are applied must be
drained well, and the water must be
placed upon them in such a way that
IL viii not rbe allowed to evaporate
and deposit Its deleterious ingredients
By afondiing, information by
used best adapted to industrial uses
some waters are highly damaging
when used in steam boilers. while
cesses. may inJure the products of
manufacture. In order that region
may be wisely developed from an eco
nonlic standpoint, 1t is necessary TO
have accurate information concerning
these matters, SO that industries NAV
not prove Improbable by reason of
the use OF untaVorable waters. IL is
highly proper that the State and the
nation should collect such data. be-
cause in the majority of cases the
people and the promoters OF the indus
tries are unable to do this for them
selves.
4 BY affording information bv
which systems of water purifcation
may be adapted 1T present California
rivers are remarkably free from in
fictitious pollution, but such a condi-
ton cannot continue indefinitely. with
the growth of municipalities in the
state greater and greater pollution
Of the streams must take place aod
then the important question will he
how the waters of these streams can