Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1911-11-05
Matter of Water Supply Most
Important Oklahoma Problem
No More Fertile Area in United States Than That Occu
pied by New State-Soil Is Spcndidly Adapted to
Great Variety Of Growth; lnadequacy Of Water

state would be permanently solved.
There Is enough water In Western
oklahoma for the present population;
there IN water enough for twice and
perhaps three times the present pop
ulatIon, but as the population In
oroascs. as II must inevitably Increase,
II win eventually be found that tho
water supply Is not adequate for tho
demand as made upon It. 4,
The sources OF water supply for
Western oklahoma are threefold, viz,
/ precipitation, streams and wells and
springs
II has already been stated that the
rainfall In this region averages from
/ 10 TO 30 inches per year. This
amount. which often falls as a few
violent showers, is not sufficient to
mature a large variety OF crops, Corn.
FOR Instance. requires so to 40 inches
OF rainfall per year. Cotton and
wheat nearly as much. Such crops
as Kaffir corn. broom corn and milo
maize thrive in Western oklahoma.
! but, unfortunately many farmers per-
slstcntly refuse TO raise these crops.
All the streams In Western Okla
homa flow down the plains; that Is,
they follow the general slope OF the
| country from the mountains TO the
1 Mississippi, this slope being approx
/ imately eight feet to the mile. Be-
ginning at the north, the largest
rivers are Salt Fork of the Arkansas,
Cimarran, North Carolina, South Car
ollna. Washita, and Red rivers, With
/ the exception of the Washita, which
/ is more like an Eastern stream, these
| rivers are typical streams of the
/ plains; that is they have low, sandy
banks. with little or no timber, and
broad, shallow, sand-choked channels.
| During good part OF the year these
streams contain little or no water, but
az irregular intervals without warn
ing, great volumes Of water, some
times many feet high. rush down the
channel. carrying everything with IT,
The stream will be hankful for sever
al days. or even weeks, when the
water will recede and the channel
win again he practically dry, possibly
for months. The origin OF these nfre-
Quent rises is probably due to viol-
ent rains near the heads of the
streams.
Western Oklahoma contains many
springs. The water from the springs
in the Redheds region, which occu-
pies many of the counties, Is often
lmpregnatod with gypsum and other
soluble salts. rendering 1t often unfit
for domestic use. The springs in the
Sandhius regions, which lie along
many Of the larger streams furnish
A large supply OF pure water. The
water form large number of these
springs often unite in supplying tho
small creeks which enter into the
larcer rivers
There is scarcely a locality in Wes-
tern oklahoma in which good we'll
water may not he found. This in the
case of springs, the wells in the Red
leds often encounter gypsum water
Those In the Sandhuls and on the
hieh plains usually furnish inexhaus-
uble supplies Of pure, soft water
II viii he readily understood that
with am Inadequate supply of rainfall
and relatively cow perennial streams
tho water problem in Western Okla
homa is a serious one. lrrlgaion has
been attempted on small scale IN
number of instances. Government
surveys have been made in several
localities in Western Oklahoma by
thee United states Reclamation Ser
vice. but so FAR no large projects have
been installed or any being attempted
at the present time. Several private
projects are now being projected.
The popular fallacy of change OF
climate incident upon the settling up
OF a new country. once so common IN
| Oklahoma, has been practically eN-
ploded This idea, always prevalent
on the plains, has been used as an
inducement FOR the various real es-
tate hooms In every state from 'he
Rio Grande to the Canadian lire, Peo-
Pile are beginning to learn, however
that climate is stable thing which
does not change within the memory
of single individual.
TO my mind the solution OF the
problem is threcfold-first the in