The Logan Republican. [volume] (Logan, Utah) 1902-1924, 1916-06-20
GroundllWater For
Irrigation In Ark.
slow Moving Geologic Events Pro.
dues Ideal Conditions For the
Cultivation Of Rice

An extensive area in Arkansas ly.
ing north Of Arkansas River. east of
tho Ozark Hills and west OF Crowley
Ridge. has in the last IL years un.
dergone an important transformation
through the introduction Of the grow
ing Of rice, irrigated with water
pumped from wells.
Prior to 1904 the principal occupa-
ton of the rather thinly scattered
nopulation was numbering and stock
raising the soil and subsoil being
noorlv drained and in general Inn
perfectly adapted to the cultivation
oe the common American crops. In
that year an enterprising citizen or
Ionoke County, who had seen rice
growing on similar soils in Louisiana
conducted successful experiments
with this cereal in his home county
and started an industry which in
ten years has grown SO that 1t COW
ers an area of over 100000 acres and
Yields a crop Of 100000 bushels an
nually. AS only small percentage
Of the land adapted to rice growing
has been put under cultivation. the
industry may be said to be still In
its infancy.
The area is nearly level. mostly
timber covered lowland but contains
n considerable proportion of open
grassy prairies forming irregular
matches of large and small size IN
the interstream areas. Crowleys
Ridge. which rises $50 to 200 feet
above the lowlands and ranges from
to 70 miles in width, forms the
eastern boundary of the main rice
growing area, separating it from the
Mississippi lowland proper. The
ridge ia the remnant of an upland
which once extended eastward acros;
the area of the present Mississippi
lowland and westward to the .OzarF
Hills.
In early Pleistocene time Mississ
ippi River flowed from Cape Girar
deau, Mo-. southwark on the wes
side of Crowleys Ridge and one
River flowed southwark east OF tn
ridge in the present valley of TIL
Mississippi, the two streams Ioinih'
somewhere south of Helena, Arkan
sas nv the processes known as mean
dering and side cutting the Missis
sippf carved outs Of this ancient M
land a broad, fiat bottomed trough
900 feet or more In depth and part
lv refilled It with alluvial Giavels
sands. clays and loans, to dept
of $50 to 200 feet-that Is, to the le
vel OF the present lowland. IN
gravels and sands, particularly in tn
basal portion OF the alluvium, Dc
came the reservoir for the very lars
supply of water which is now bein
drawn upon for irrigation in the ric
growing areas. Later the lower pal
OF the Ohio captured this part Of tn
Mississippi, and the channel west
the ridge was abandoned.
By a combination Of natural PR
cesses operating on vast scar
there was thus produced set
conditions almost ideal for the GU
ture of one Of the worlds stapl
foods. BY pumping the water fro'
its comparatively shallow unde
ground storehouse and spreading
upon a soil previously regarded 3
Of little agricultural value, nouris
ment is provided for great number
of the aarth's inhabitants.
A report on the geology an
ground waters OF northeastern Arka
sas, prepared by l.. w. Stephenson
A. F. Crider, and r. b. Dole, ms
lust been issued by the United State
Geological Survey as Water supp
Paper 399. The report treats OF u
photography, geology and grouf
waters of this interesting area al
gives a section on the early histo'
and development Of the rice grown
industry, laying particular empi'as
on the adaptability of the ground W
tiers to rice culture.
The report may be obtained IT.
Of charge on application to the
rector of the United States Geolos'
al Survey at Washington, d. c.