The Vinita daily chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1902-1913, 1911-11-16
WHAT Our RIVERS CARRY.
Enormous Loads % sscimsnts And
Dissoiyeo chsmjeslS-lmportsnee d
Wster Investigations Ey United
states Geological surrey.

Colorado river discharges during an
average year into the Gulf Of California
$4,000 900 tons Of mud and silt al
suspended matter. In addition 70 this
the dissolved substances 10 the water
include 4,550. 900 tons of sodium chlor-
ide, Or common salt. 5,740,000 tons oi
Giauber'g salts; 4,OO00DO tons of lime,
z.500. 900 tons Of gypsum. and 100000
tons " Epson salts. 10 spite " oll
this dissolved material the Colorado
~ sts mouth n not considered to be {
stream " unusually high mlneraliza.
tlon for that region of the country.
The reason II that the river algo car.
rles 70 enormous an amount of water
that the dissolved salts constitute q
comparatively small proportion of the
total discharge. Other streams In the
country contain dissolved salts In
greater concentration - for example,
the Elm Fork Of Red River. IN Okla.
homa. discharges nearly 1905 900 tons
Of common salt annually. Although
this amount Is not 80 great ~ tliat
discharged by the Colorado II Is much
greater IN proportion 10 the size Of the
area drained. The discharge Of salt
from the Colorado Is equal 10 % tons
annually TO each square mile drained
by the river. but the salt In Elm Fork
Of Red River is equal TO $50 tons per
square mile Of area drained. The same
river discharges annually 177000 tons
of magnesium chloride 10000 tons
Of EPSON salts. 800 900 tons Of gypsum.
and $4,000 tons Of lime These quail
tiles, too. are considerably greater
than those carried IN the Colorado in
proportion 70 the size Of the drainage
area.
Belle Fourche River, ~ Belle
Fonrehe, s OAK, discharges l9l 900
tons of gypsum. 10000 tons of Glau.
ber'a salts. and 100000 tons Of EPSON
salts The mud and SIT carried III sua.
pension by this river amount TO l.10O,-
900 tons. MIX river at IIayre. Mont.
discharges annually 1900 tons Of
soda; payette river. IA Idaho. dis
charges 10000 tons. Salt river at
Roosevelt. Ariz discharges 2ss, 900
tons Of salt and 10000 tons of Epson
salts; and the Rio Grande discharges
245.000 tons Of lime and 36s 900 tons
Of Glauber's salts
Determines Practical Value Of Waters.
The foregoing are a few Of the fig.
ures Of incidental interest presented
by Watersupply Pape IA OF the Unit.
ed States Geological Survey, entitled
"some stream waters OF the western
United States" The work reported by
this volume Is, however. OF higher prac.
tical Importance than the above state.
ment would indicate II II the result
Of m investigation OF the quality 81
western stream waters made for the
purpose Of determining their ayalla.
billty for use for irrigation and other
purposes For a watersupply system
the quality Of the water available de.
termines its usefulness quite as much
as the quantity Some waters contain
ingredients that make II impossible to
use them for irrigation unless certain
precautions are taken in applying them
to the land In draining them off. Ger
tain ingredients in water make is un.
available or destructive II used In boil
ers and the quality of water used In
manufacturing plant may very largely
determine the quality of the product of
manufacture. The report Just pub
llshed therefore can not fail to be of
material value to the manufacturing
and agricultural interests OF the west;
and the proper consideratio nof the In
formation that II contains viii prevent
many costly mistakes in connection
with the industrial development Of that