The Calumet news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 1907-1938, 1913-02-20
GREAT WATER RESOURCES.
Enormous Sums Are Involved in Wa.
ter DEVELOPMENT

The water supply OF the Unite,
states is undoubtedly It's greatest
single mineral resource. The Study
! 81 water resources is therefore one of
! the most important governmental i'm
/ Ncslisations. The United States Coo
. logical Survey has been making q s,s-
'rmatic study of the rivers and other
. water supplies in the United STATES
ana during the last Il years has pub
lishcd over 300 reports presenting the
results OF this work. Perhops the most
/ useful phase of the work is the mems
ufencnt oi the flow of streams. Rec
"rds of stream flow are absolutely ns.
SentiaI to any intelligent river devel-
'pln"hJ whether it bee ia the interest
"I navigation. Of Hood prevention. of
IfIsHuon 81 land drainage. or of DOW
'f development. In report just issued
JOY the survey dealing with the sur
iace water supply Of the ohio river
hasin-Water Supply Paper 2S3-at
tehtioh iS called To the importanc. of
i"hs- time records of stream flow. in.
tSmuch as all rivers vary greatly from
ear 10 year Experience has shown
mat such RECORDS should cover all
stages from absolute maximum To- alb
Solutc minimum and should embrace
periods of r. 10. or for some streams
even 20 wears. At first glanc. these
may seem excessive lengths of time
FOR the simple determination of n riy-
"rs capacity, bat when the vast inter
ests involved in river development are
considered it will he recognized that
great care should be taken to obtain
Trustworthy information
Records of stream flow have been
obtained at nearly 1000 different
points in the United States. The
surface water supply of small areas
IN Seward peninsula ana the Yukon
Tannana region, Alaska. and in Ha-
wall has also been investigated. Dur
inI 1910 regular gaging stations were
maintained by the survey and Coop
Grating organizations at about LOO
points in the United States. and many
d's'hHrge measurements We're made AT
other points. Data was also OBJ
tanned in regard to precipitation.
''''' ''''if N''lbNt ItStfNblIS, river
proiiles anu water power i'm many see
lions of the country and will he made
available in the series of papers on
surface water supply published by the
survey and in special reports issued
from time Ia time. Consideration of
the large expenditures made by ma
tior, states. and individuals shows the
need OF this basic study of streams
Enormous Expenditures.
I'm developing inland navigation the
federal government alone has ex-
pended IN the neighborhood of
100000 600, ana prospective eXpendi-
lures viii approximate or exceed this
sum IL is obvious that the deter
mination of stream flow is necessar.
Ia the intelligent direction of these
large disbursements. In irrigation the
United States government is now eX-
pending on reclamation systems about
300 000. 600. and this amount is far
exceeded 10y the private expendi-
lures for this purpose in the arid
west. II is further obvious that the
integrity OF any irrigation system
is based absolutely on the amount Of
water available. The highest use of
water is the use for domestic supply.
and i'm connection with this phase of
the subject not only quantity but quail
ity of water Is of prime importance.
In very recent years water power has