The Goldfield news and weekly tribune. [volume] (Goldfield, Nev.) 1911-1947, 1917-09-01
WATER AVAILABLE
IN NEVADA DESERT
GEOLOGICAL SURVEY CAN DE-
TERNINE PRESENCE OF
WATER CHANNELS

In Nevada the bedrock forms a
corrugated surface consisting of
more or less parallel mountain
ranges and broad intervening
troughs that are filled to great
depths with rock waste washed
! from the mountains. These great
deposits of rock waste were in
large part laid down by %torrential
streams and are relatively coarse
and porous. Because these deposits
are porous the rain hat falls upon
them and the run-off that reaches
them from the mountains sink into
them, and the valleys in which they
lie are exceptionally ard.
These deposits, however, form
huge reservoirs in which the waite
is stored, and in which, to the limit
of the capacity of the reservoirs,
its is protected from evaporation.
So we'll is this water hidden that
it's existence was not suspected by
many of the early travellers, n
even today long desert roads on
which there are no watering places
lead over areas where ground
water could easily be obtained.
In a desert valley, even where no
wells have been sunk, it is general
" possible to ascertain and outline
the areas where ground water lies
neal the surface and to make an in
telligent forecast of the depth to
water in other parts of the valley.
If a sufficient number of observa-
TOMS are made it is also generally
possible to form a rough estimate
of the quantity of water that is an
nually available in such a valley
and to predict to some extent the
pacity of wells, the quality of the
water, and the cost of recovery.
In an investigation recently made
by O. E. Meinzer, of the United
States Geological Survey of the De-
partment of the Interior, in Big
Smoky Valley and adjacent areas
neal Tonopah, New, the character
of the Vegetation and other surface
criteria show that the ground water
stands within 10 feet of the sur
face over an area of 10000 acres.
The measurements made indicate
than tens of thousands of acre-feet
of water are annually contributed
by mountain streams and by rain
fall to the underground reservoir
and hal about the same quantity of
ground water is annually discharg-
ed into the atmosphere through the
soil and the plants in the shallow
water areas. II was estimated hat
in an area of 100000 acres the
ground water lies within so feet of
the surface, and that in IN area of
$4,000 acres it lies within 100
feet of the surface. Detailed maps
we're made showing the location and
extent of these areas.
Many prominent beach ridges
and other shore features were dis
covered, showing that at n time
the valley contained two large
lakes. One of these ancient lakes,
which has been named Lake Tono-
pah, was about % miles long. cov-
cred about IS square miles, and
had a maximum depth of about 20
feet, the other, which has been
named Lake Toyabe, was about 20
miles long, covered about 2&:'
square miles, and had a maximum
depth of about 40 Feet. The
greater part of the areas that were
submerged by these lakes are now
occupied by barren and desolate
alkali flats, beneath which, how
ever, a great quantity of water lies
hidden.
The report which gives the re-
suits of the investigation in Big
Smoky Valley, known as Water-Sup.
ply Paper 423. can be obtained free
of charge by applying to the Direc-
tor, U. S. Geological Survey, WASH
ington, D. c.