The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1909-03-18
GA To1
Bears the q The Kind You Have Always Bought
s's, at &Mzzazzzzx
Ground Waters of Southern Maine
A LAND OF LAKES AND RIVERS.

"a LAM or LANDS AMI NV EhS.
No other tract of country of the same
extent on the North American continent is
so well supplied with surface waters as
Maine. 1t contains more than l, 800 lakes,
which have total area of 2, 300 square
miles, making one lake to each 20 square
miles of territory and l square mile of
lake surface to each 14.3 square miles of
land surface; and this enumeration does
to the rivers, which are themselves noted
for the uniformity of their flow and the
uneXcelled water powers they afford
POLLUTION OF STREAM WATERS.
Because of this abundance of lakes and
streams the people of Maine have until
recent years felt little necessity for seek
ing sources of water supply below the
surface, and the underground waters
of the State have on the whole
been but slightly utilized except in GER
tain small areas where, for one rea-
son or another, the surface waters have
not been suitable for domestic or manu-
featuring purposes. But with the in
crease in the number of factories on the
principal waterways the rivers have be-
come less and less valuable as sources of
supply, partly because of the waste pro-
ducts poured into them from the factor
les and partly because of the increased
amount of sewage which they must carry
in consequence of the growth of the
manufacturing communities on their
banks. AS a result of these conditions
communities drawing public supplies
from streams are beginning to complain
of the quality of the water and are turp-
ing toward lakes or wells for relief.
REPORT ON GROUND WATERS.
Available knowledge regarding the
underground waters Of Maine has here
tofore been rather scant. The deep
wells that have been drilled have been
sunk at random, without attempt at
scientific forecast of the amount or the
quality of water that might be obtained
at any particular point or with a well OF
any particular'type. But people are now
like other prospecting, must be conduct
ed in accordance with certain well-defined
scientific rules if it is to be satisfactory
or economical to owners and drillers
AS the result of an investigation I'M
dertaken in response to many requests
for information in regard to the occur
renee or the quality of Maine ground
waters, the United States Geological
Survey has issued, as Water-Supply
Paper 223, report on the underground
waters of the southern part of the State.
by Frederick G. Clapp, with records OF
the deep wells-those more than so feet
deeply w. S. Bayley. The field work
for this report was done chiefly during
the summer of 1906, but publication has
been much delayed.
1t was originally intended that the
entire State should be covered by a single
report, but the field Investigations show
ed the subject to be much broader than
was at first supposed. The portion OF
the State north of the forty fifth parallel
will be covered by separate report.
In order to meet the needs OF all classes
of readers the report is so subdivided as
first to describe the general water re.
sources of the region, the dependence OF
quantity and quality on character OF
rocks, the location and types OF wells,
ETC., and then to discuss in detail t, the
conditions in the various counties. The
table showing the location, depth, and
other features of the deep wells, com,
piled by Professor Bayley, is appended
for the benefit of persons desiring to
| drill wells.