Abbeville progress. (Abbeville, Vermilion Parish, La.) 1913-1944, 1915-11-13
MAKING TEXAS RIVERS
WEALTH PRODUCERS
State and Federal Governments 20
operate and Are Working to
That End.

Austin. Textile Investigation OF
stream flow in Texas, for which the
thirty fourth legislature made an ap
propriaiion, to be expended under the
direction of the state board of water
engineers. is being carried on under
co-oucrative agreement between thdt
board and the United States Gcolosl-
cal survey. Duplication of work by
federal and state organizations operat-
ing in the same field will thus be elm
mated. and the state will benefit not
ONLY the federal money available
for stream rauging work In Texas, but
also by the long experience OF the fed
eral bureau in such work.
\ branch of the United states geo
logical survey was recently establish
ed in Austin with Engineer e.. \. Gray
I'm charge Engineer Gray in explain
ing the methods of stream gauging
said:
The necessity for strcam-gauging
data was recognized in connection
with the problem of retaining the
West bv irrigation. \ stream that one
year might furnish sufficient water to
irrigate tract Of land. might the next
year. because Of drOuth, furnish only
half of the supply required. knowl-
edge of the quantity of water carried
by the stream. its distribution from
day to day and year to year. and es-
pecially of the minimum flow in long
period OF years. is therefore essential
not only to the determination of the
feasibility of an irrigation project, but
TO the planning of the works and the
operation of the systems.
Full information in regard 10 the
quantity of water available is also nee
essary to determine the economic inn
portance and feasibility of develop
ment of the power sites afforded by
many of the streams Of the state.
That most if not all of the undevelop-
ed water power of the state eventually
will be utilized can not be questioned.
Radical changes in the water power
situation have taken place within the
present generation.
Another problem requiring for its
solution study of stream flow arises
from the menace of floods, to which
many of the streams of the state are
subject. Adequate measures for pro-
lection from floods can be planned
only in the light of full information
la, Il To Z h. - -
ried at flood stages.
'To obtain this information for any
stream the engineers of the survey Sc
lect for study a section that affords
favorable conditions and establish a
gauging or measuring station, placing
in the stream a gauge by means of
which the height of the water surface
may be observed daily. The gauges
used are of several types, some of
them being read by an observer who
reports to the engineer in charge and
others furnishing an automatic record.
The quantity of water that passes the
gauge at different stages of the stream
Is determined by measuring the width
Of the stream, and by means of an in
strument called a current meter, the
mean velocity Of the water at many
points across the stream where the
depths have been determined-points
depending upon the width OF the
stream. From the results of current
meter measurements and the record OF
observed gauge heights the mean
daily and the mean monthly flows are
computed.
THE funds available under the CO.
operative agreement will allow the
maintenance of approximately thirty
gauging stations scattered throughout
the state, and stations have already
been established on the Brazos and
Colorado rivers. Concho river and its
north forks, Frio and Guadalupe
rivers. Llano river, north fork OF the
Llano, and Nueces. Pecos, San Saba,
San Antonio, San Marcos and Trinity
rivers"