The Parker post., 1913-02-22
GREAT WATER
RESOURCES
ENORMOUS SUMS INVOLVED IN
WATER DEVELOPMENTS
PORT BY UNITED STATES GEO.
LOGICAL SURVEY ON SUBJECT.

The water supply of the United
States is undoubtedly it's greatest
single mineral resource. The study
Of water resources is therefore one
of the most important governmental
Investigations The United States
Geological Survey has been making
a systematic study of the rivers and
other water supplies in the United
States and during the last II years
)as published over 800, reports pre-
senting the results of this work. Per
haps the most useful phase of the
work is the measurement of the flow
IF streams Records of stream flow
are absolutely essential to any in
telligent river development, whether
it be in the interest of navigation, of
flood prevention, of irrigation, of
land drainage, or Of power develop
ment. In a report just issued by the
Survey dealing with the surface wa
ter supply of the Ohio River basin
Water Supply Paper 2S3-attention
is called to the Importance of long
time records of stream flow, mas
much as all rivers vary greatly from
year to year. Experience has shown
hof q
stages from absolute maximum to
absolute minimum and should em
brace periods of 5, TO- or for some
streams even 20 years At first
glance these may seem excessive
lengths of time for the simple de-
termination of a rivers capacity, but
when the vast interests involved in
river development are considered il
will be recognized that great care
should be taken to obtain trustworthy
information.
obtained at nearly 1000 different
points in the United States. The
surface water supply of small areas
in Seward Peninsula and the Yukon
Tanana region, Alaska, and in Hawaii
has also been investigated. During
1910 regular gaging stations were
maintained by the Survey and coop
Grating organizations at about LOO
points in the United States and
many discharge measurements We're
made at other points. Data were al
so obtained in regard to precipitation,
evaporation, storage reservoirs, river
profiles, and water power in many
sections of the country and will be
made available in the series of pap
ers ON surface water supply pub
lished by the Survey and in special
reports issued from time to time Con
sideration of the large expenditures
made by nation, States, and indivi-
duals shows the need of this basic
study of streams.
Enormous Expenditure in Water De-
veIopment.
In developing inland navigation the
Federal Government alone has ex-
pended in the heighborhood of
$3OO,O00,O00, and prospective expen
ditures will approximate or exceed
this sum. 1t is obvious that the
expenditures for this purpose in the
determination of stream flow is
I'll
of these large disbursements. In ir-
rigation the United States governmen
is now eXpending on reclamation sys.
TENS about $700.0OO,0O0, and this ann
ount is far exceeded by the private
expenditures for this purpose in the
arid West. 1t is further obvious that
the integrity of any irrigation sys-
tenn is based absolutely Oh the am
cunt of water available. The high
est use of water is the use for do
mestic supply, and in connection with
this phase of the subject not only
quantity but uaqlity of water is of
prime Importance. In very recent
years water power has become a mat
ter of great national moment Be,
fore the day of improved electric
transmission the Importance of water
was confined largely to the locality
at which it was generated, but it has
now become a public utility in which
the individual citizen is vitally con-
cerned, and as the amount of water
power that may be made available is
dependent on the flow of rivers, the
investigation of stream flow is a
prerequisite to the intelligent mana
cement of this source of energy.
Drainage of Swamp and Overlooked
Areas.
The drainage of the vast swamp
areas of the cOuntry-aDDrOxima