The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1906-02-22
Government is Securing Cansider-
able Valuable Data.
VERY IMPORTANT TO THE ENGINEERS
SOURCES AND EFFECTS OF POL,
LUTON OF THE MUNICIPAL
WATER SUPPLIES.

The government is devoting consid-
cradle energy to the accumulation of
facts concerning the behavior of water
from the time it reaches the earth as
rain or snow until it joins the ocean
or great navigable rivers Public ap-
probation of the value of this work
has steadily increased and urgent
demands for it's extension have come
from all sections of the country, is the
report that comes from the national
capital. The work includes the col
surface streams, researches on the To-
cation and movements of underground
waters, and the investigation of the
physical characters of these waters,
such as hardness, color, turbidity, etc.
The sources and effects of the pollu
ton of municipal water supplies have
also received much study.
AS a means of obtaining reliable
records of stream discharge in the i'm
portant river basins of the country,
approximately 500 gauging stations
were maintained. The records fur
nished by these stations are used by
manufacturers and investors in plann-
ing the development of water power,
by municipalities in studying problems
of water supply, and by irrigators in
o;,N;Y, inL
reclaimed from desert conditions and
the crops which can safely be planted.
Important to Engineers.
They are also of great Importance to
engineers. who obtain from them data
for the study of many problems, such
as the relations between rainfall and
run-off. the effects of forests upon
stream flow, the occurrence and con-
troll of floods, etc.
Throughout the eastern part OF the
United States the surface waters have
great value as a source of cheap power
and the demand for stream gauging
data is constantly growing as manu-
featuring enterprises are developed. In
the interests of their more extensive
utilization for manufacturing pur-
poses, the slopes of a few rivers IN
the east have been determined. In
densely populated sections problems Of
water supply and sewage disposal have
also become urgent and are often
complicated by the fact that cities not
only draw their supply of potable
water from convenient streams, but IN
many cases empty their sewage into
them as WELL In such thickly settled
regions even small and insignificant
streams must be utilized to their 1ul-
lest capacity. In the central states
underground as we'll as surface waters
are used for both industrial and mu-
nicipal purposes.
The value of property situated on
the banks of rivers makes its protec-
ton from destructive floods matter
of great Importance, and attempts u
control such flood waters will not De
successful unless based on complete
knowledge of the discharge and run
off of the rivers.
Problems of Supply.
Problems of underground water
supply require for their solution the
determination of the occurrence ana
extent of water bearing strata anu
the knowledge of the photographer
must therefore be supplemented pS
that of the geologist. The work OF the
corps engaged in such investigation
includes the collection and carelol
studv of we'll records from all parts
of the country, and detailed stuoles Vi
localities. where the determination OF
underground supply is of speclal III
nortance. AS results of this Worh
NAV be mentioned the location OF the
artesian basin underlying the Urea
Plains region, particularly accessloi'
in North Dakota, South Dakota ant
Nebra ska, and the location of minor
basins in Washington, Oregon ane
Idaho.