Mountain Home maverick. [volume] (Mountain Home, Idaho) 1906-1911, 1908-03-12
FLOWING WELL
BELT IN IDAHO
D. S. Geological Survey Locates Ar.
tesIan District In 0wy.
hee County.

obtained in a NUMBER OF ofStriCts
in southeastern region and south
western Idaho, according to report
issued by the u. S. Geological
survey as Water Supply Paper. No.
70. This report, which was pre-
pared by the late Prof. !. c. Rus
sell, is the result of geological
investigation in parts of Canyon
and Owyhee counties, Idaho, and
and Malheur ana Harvey coutics,
Oregon, made with the special OBJ
ject of discovering localities where
flowing wells can be obtained by
drilling.
The presence of artesian condi-
tions in an area is frequently in
ferred by biologists by a study OF
rock structure. In what is proper
ly termed an artesian basin the lay
ers of rock are bent downward, so
as to resemble pile OF shallow
plate-shaped dishes, placed one in
side the other. One or more of the
beds of rock is porous and allows
water supplied by rain on its up
turned edges to percolate into IT.
Above and below the water charged
layers are close texturcd rocks, like
clay, that prevent the escape of the
water in the bed between them. A
number of such structural lorna
tions we're found in the area stud
led by Professor Russell.
Confirmation of the supposition
that water under pressure exists in
any area is found at many places
in the occurrence of warm springs,
those with temperature ranging
from 90 to 100 degrees F. AS the
water in artesian basins has de-
scendcd from the surface, and as
the temperature Of the earth in
creases with depth, the deeper the
water has penetr ated into the
rocks the warmer it will be. The
increase in the temperature OF the
earth below a depth of about SO feet
in temperate regions is about l de-
gree F. for each sixty feet but
there is cons iderable cvicncc favor
ing the coclusion that in southern
Idaho and adjacent parts OF Oregon
that the rate of increase is ap-
proximately one degree for each as
feet in depth. At the depth OF
fifty feet the temperature corre-
spends to the mean annual temper
allure of the locality chosen, which
in this region is approximately SO
degrees so that if a spring in this
region has temperature OF o5 de-
grccs F., or IS degrees apove the
temperature of the stratum OF no
seasonal variation, it would be safe
20 conclude that the water rises
from depth of at least CTS feet be-
low the surface. Such a spring
would therefore serve as an in
dication of the the depth to which
a we'll should be bored to penetrate
the water charged rock layer.
Professor Russell calls attention
to the fact that while the warm
springs may indicate the presence
of a water charged layer that woulC
supply a flowing well, a no
spring, or one having temperature
of more than 100 degrees, is not
favorable indication. Hot srping:
ordinarily rise from a depth 81
great that even if they come from {
w ell defined water-charged layel
it would be unavailable as a source
of supply tor most purposes to
which artesian water is used, a:
the expense of drilling would be un
Unstable.
The report referred to which ma,
be obtained free of charge by apply
ing to the director of the the Geo
logical survey at Washington. d
c., contains . discussion of the ar
tcsian conditions illustrated by dia
grams, and describes the variou
basins, whose locations are show
by a sketch map. A detailed &C
count of the wells and springs {
the region is given, and suggestion
are made in regard to the size Q
drill holes, castings of wells, an
preservation of we'll records, tn
importance of which is too ofte
overlooked.
The necessity of legislation r.
stricting the utilization, or rath
the waste of subsurfacc waters,
also emphasized. Owners shou
be compelled by law 10 case ever
drill hole in an artesian basin
that is, to place in the hole an in
a casing or tube made sufficient
right to prevent water from risil
outside of it Such a casing shou
be placed in every well that renal