The enterprise. [volume] (Harlem, Mont.) 1899-1926, 1915-08-05
AFTER WATER IN MONTANA.

A special study of the UNDER
ground water resources of Montana
to meet the strong demand of its
settlers and citizens for informa-
ton as to where" and how much
water may be obtained in the state
is just announced by the United
States geological survey.
Those who are engaged in the
great movement to settle the west
and to bring about in this region a
condition in which the vast stretch
es of now sparcely populated land
shall more efficiently contribute to
the support of the people of the
United States, generally realize that
of all the problems to be met and
solved that of water supply is likely
to be the most critical. Yet it too
often happens that people reared in
the Well-watered east arrive in
western states unprepared to meet
the strikingly different conditions
OF aridity and alikalinity that i'm
mediately confronts them. Their
first need is to obtain water for do
mestlc use and for stock, but the
great problems of irrigation inme-
diately follow. 1t is not only to new
settlers, however, that these prob
lens of obtaining water supplies
present perplexing difficulties; even
to old residents they often become
almost insurmountab
In order to collect information on
the occurrence and quantity of
ground waters that may be used in
aiding citizens and municipalities
to solve these problems the United
States geological survey has for
years conducted field Investigations
of the underground water resour-
ces of the country but the force of
men engaged in this work has been
so small as compared with the work
to be done that there still remains
large areas in which no work of
this kind has been attempted. This
is true of all the eastern half of
Montana, and also of most of the
western half of the state. Numerous
requests for information are re-
ceived each year from settlers in
Montana, especially from those in
the eastern part of the state, but so
little is known of the underground
water conditions in that region that
it has not been possible to give in
curriers' satisfactory advice. Plans
have been approved, however, to be-
gin comprehensive investigation
of the underground waters of Mon
tana this summer. To make de-
tailed investigation of the entire
state will, of course, be very large
task, but the plan for present fiscal
year contenplates a somewhat
detailed survey of parts of south
eastern Montana and the collection
Of general information in other
parts of the state.
The Plan.
An important part of the work
will consist of collecting detailed
we'll records and samples of water
for analysis. W. A. Lamb, district
engineer of the United States geo.
logical analysis, is collecting data
of this kind by correspondence,
and beginning about August l, o.
e. Meinzer, of the United States
survey, the geologist in
charge of ground-water investiga-
tons, and A. ]. Ellis, associate geo.
logist, will conduct somewhat de-
tailed survey to prepare a report
for free distribution, which will de-
scribe the occurrence and extent of
the water-bearing formations and
the general quality and approximate
quantity of water that may be OBJ
tanned in different localities, to-
gether with advice as to the best
methods of developing it. Cooper
alton on the part of the people of
Montana, to the extent of furnish
ng data in regard to wells and
water supplies, will be an import
INT aid in the conduct of this work,
ind it is hoped that all information
hat can be furnished will be given
o the biologists on their visit or
sent to w. A. Lamb, Montana Nat
onal Bank Building, Helena, Mont.