Lincoln County times. (Jerome, Idaho) 1911-1919, 1912-08-22
ERECTING A PUMPING STATION
supply In Valley Than on the
Messs or Plateaus.

- INAAP " pAohNf lAt bO4lEt Vi S4DDlgs =
the ground-water. must be thoroughly
Investigated as TO quantity and quail '
lily. It is impossible to lay down hard {
and fast rules regarding the occur I
renee OF underground waters which
Will apply TO all sections alike.
Naturally, we should be more certain
OF obtaining water in a valley, having
a large drainage area and through
which flows a perennial stream. than
on the mesas or ~plateaus neal the
base OF a mountain range, writes H.
l.. Bixey In the Denver Field and
Farm. The supply is not found at a
uniform depth in any section. the
depth often varying within a radius
of two or three hundred feet. After
drilling a well II may be found that
the flow is inadequate 70 supply the
required needs. Another we'll may
be put down a distance Of 1000 feet
or even less and be found TO yield an
abundant supply. The topography OF
the country and geological formations
Of the sub-strsta have a great deal
to do with the occurrence Of ground
water and the obtaining Of the same
at economical depths. In a section
where 1t is proposed to institute pump
ing for irrigation it is wise to hire a
professional well driver and have him
put down a test we'll OF the size
thought 10 be suited to the needs OF
irrigation-trom six inches TO twelve
inches. Several interested persons
should bear the expense Of such a
well. each paying his pro rata. AS
the well IS put down. a log Of the
various depths should be carefully
kept. taking samples at every foot to
determine the character Of the vari-
, Gus materials encountered. Thus
; when the we'll IS completed or drilled
to d satisfactory depth It will be
known at what depth or depths the
water was found and the character Of
the strata. II the water-bearing STRAIT
UNI is found in a good gravel form NJ
teen TO twenty feet in depth. very
favorable conditions obtain and a good
o flow OF water IS almost invariably as
sured. Under such conditions. a good
flow being certain. the well may be
operated as a community proposition
or the various interests may be pur-
chased by one person. the well thus
becoming his sole property II the
well is a failure. those interested may
consider that the money was well
spent and that considerable money
has been saved. Some one may say
at this point; suppose that water
were encountered only az great depth.
hen the we'll would De useless. as
there is a limiting depth beyond which
IL is improbable and impracticable
to pump.' This Is all very true and
the importance OF sinking the vel
!. before investing in expensive machin
le cry IS the more strongly emphasized
Ell by this query. In many sections Il
Is unnecessary to sink test wells. a:
es successful pumping plants are already
e In operation. In many OF our noun
II tain valleys there seems to be an IN
'n derground water supply sufficient 10
en almost any number OF pumping plants
)" Some wells WELD more than others. al
~ the gravel strata are found al varying
depths and character. The creates
Si difficulty encountered IS in the han
On ding the Quicksand- Where n
ne ~auicksand occurs with a coarse grave
KS a good we'll is almost always certain
er as the ~quicksand can be pumped frol
OF the gravel. leaving open spaces /
ne the gravel through which the waite
III will flow more rapidly. giving the We
a larger supply than when there
10 only %ouicksand. one should not d
be sire too coarse a gravel. as difficult
OF is found I'm sinking the casing or r.
moving large boulders from the vel
In case the first stratum OF waite
, hearing gravel encountered does 10
az give large enough flow. the well vi
either have to he enlarged or sun
deeper with the view to striking W
- second or third stratum. Water iour
nj lower depths will often rise. thu
" adding 10 the total supply Of the We
and giving the desired mount Nhe'
two or three strata are encountere
perforated sections Of pipe. preterao
j., standard well strainer. Of the san
- diameter rs the standard well casir
are inserted between couplings 81
lowered to their respective deptf
"a, The first casing put down when q
49, well is drilled is then pulled up. lea
~ ing the strainers exposed and IT.
~ from dirt and sand. 1t is not so'
nractice to have the strainer Of q
same length as the depth OF u
No. waterbearing stratum. as the wat
ley 1 is generally down by the pun
vim 50 that the strainer may not be Il
tle lizirg its full length or II MAJ des'r
the suction Of the pump TO a certa
extent. in which case the efh'ien
inc of the pumping plant will be lo"er'
As an example 1t may be said IN
,ne for a gravel bed twenty feet In DEP
a,s n ~twelve-foot strainer should he us'
or even less. and the strainer eNter
cd 10 the bottom Of the bed SO n
,a,s there will be a depth Qf gravel aoo
the ton Of the strainer. One OF