Deming graphic. (Deming, N.M.) 1903-1948, 1915-08-20
STUDYING HIDDEN WATERS
IN TINE WESTERN DESERTS

Of the United States obtain theil
domestic water supplies from under
ground sources. Ground waters ar,
also extensively used ihroughi ih,
orntiy for live stock. railroad, ant
,lhtr Industrial supplies and fol
irrigation. The United States Geo
',giral Survey carly recognized tn,
.ral Importance f. the ground wat
crs aud the numerous complex prob
EN-; rclalin. Ia III IL development f"l
human use. Hence for many years i
has carried on Investigations and
md surveys of these water Mncl
more work has been done IN certain
,tu,cs than in others. hut every stat
has received some attention. the pol
icy being Ia reach every section oi
the country but 10 do most of the
work where il will be- of the greatest
practical value Ia thu people. ~ n
result ui these Investigations the geo
.airnl survey has published nenrl,
80 repnris dealing with the ground
waters. aud Others are in the press
ur ~ preparation. There are still
larg, ARA that have had no invcs.
lioalinn or have been covered onl,
by rapid reconnaissance, but 1t l.
damned 10 continue the work from
year Ia year until the country has
beer covered by a detailed ground
yale- survey.
The published reports differ wide
" IN character IN account of th,
great differences IN the geologic
occurrence at the underground water
and the use, for which il Is Develop
cd in different parts of the country
Nor over. som" reports give the re-.
suits of intensive studies of small
areas, while others are based IN the
rapid examination of large areas.
IN 81 far ns is practicable theses re-.
ports give. for every locality that i,
covered. the depths, character. and
Weld, Of the underlying wntcr-bear-
ing beds, the height to which thu
he water from each bed will rise in
wells. and the prospects for obtain
ing flows. the quality of the water in
each bed for domestic industrial. ~
irrigation purposes; the best methods
for sinking wells. the cost of well,
md pumping, the depth below which
lrilling should not be carried, tbs
precautions that should be taken to
prevent pollution, and the total qnan
ity that can safely he pumped. Tn
account of the difficulties involved
this information j., of course, never
~ complete or 50 definite rs would
10 desired, even after the most care
ful Investigations have ben made.
The largest ground water derrl-
Ipmcnt in late years has been that
designed to provide water for irriea-
ion, and consequently most of the
geological surveys work has been
done in the western half of the coun-
try According to the census report
ij2 900 acres were irrigated in the
arid and semi arid states in 1909 with
well water. more than 'wo-ihirdS of
which was brought to the surface by
pumping. At the present time the
acreage j. considerably larger.
Most of the irrigation with ground
water il done in California, but fur
lher developments are possible in
every western state. Morcover.lrri-
cation with ground water j. no, con
fined to the arid regions. The census
report shows that in 1909 more than
| lO0wells were pupm cn id
100 wells pumped in Louisiana.
Texas. and Arkansas for irrigation
II 10000 acres of rice. and pumping
,lan,s for irrigaiing fruit and veg
tables are installed in several local
localities in the East. \ function
Of the geological survey is Ia show
where further development of ground
water for irrigation can profitably he
made, and, what is still more impor-
tant, to warn homeseekers against
settling on arid land and then at
tempting developments that are not
practicable.
Very brief reports have been pub
lishcd ON each of the states cast OF
the Mississippi. and more detailed
reports on southern Maine, Connect
cut, Long Island. Florida. Alabama,
Mississippi. the Blue Grass regions
of Kentucky, southwestern Ono,
rs,rth- central Indiana, nearly all OF
Michigan, and the costal plain oil
Virginia. North Carolina. Georgia and
eastern Tennessee. the reports on Al
ALBANIA, Virginia, and North Carolina
being published by the respective state
Surveys. A report ON the under
ground waters of Wisconsin, prepar-
ed by the Federal and State Surveys
will be published by the State, Re
ports have been published on south