The Morning Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Okla.) 1919-1927, 1919-06-22
Tulsa. Okla. March 1. 1919.

Tulsa. Okla, March l, 1919.
To the Honorable Mayor aud City Com.
missioner Tulsa. Okla.
Gentlemen: In accordance With your re-.
quest. have madrp examinations and
studies for future water supply for the
city, aud beg leave TO make the follow ing
report
You have stated that thi, in,ssus.tion
should be for supply Of water not only
for the present city but such a. can shs
utilized when the city has reached the pop.
ulaiion Of 200 600 10 $50 600 n Is evident
thai " vodd be unwisc for the city 70
spend money In thc construction Of dams,
eonduits or other structures for a source
Of supply that would be- inadequate A. the
city population increases necessitattng Z
the abandonment OF these works and the
construction Of others a. new source.
II is not necessary that the entire works
he built for full capacity OF the require
ments ot city OF 200 900 people, but IL
10 important that the source of the water
shall have this capacity and that whatever
structures are built shall he such that they
can continue 20 be utilized with the future
growth OF the city and ita waterWorkt
system.
Tho study Of this additional water SUP.
ply has covered every pracisahle source
for the city, and one by one those sources
have been eliminated n 10 has been found
that they are inadequate or undesirable. or
that they have not a. great advantages -
q supply A. some other. it has been tho
effort 10 make this report As brief ~ pos.
sible In order that IL may be brought 20
the attention Of all Interested 'ritirenG The
statements, however, made herein are based
upon extensive personal examination, ana
lNsts surveys and computations that have
In every case gone far enough to show
without the least question or doubt A.
TO tho relative merits VI each Of the sources
considered
The AfkAnsas River.
II
the city Is uusaus'Actory as to quality A.
Is well known 10 al citizens I, has been
suggested that tho supply might be taken
from the Artansas A. point farther up
stream, perhaps above the junction Of the
CimArron and the Salt Fork thus obtaining
better quality oi water The cNamnatioG.
however. Of tho water Of this river shows
that iis quality Is not good for domestic
purposes even above tho Junction Of The
two branches in fact Is not Of good qua.
itv A. IL outcrs tho state Of Oklahoma from
Kansas.
Ground water
water from wells either shallow or deep
should always ho taken into consideration
- supply Tor a city but the extensive
drilling that has already been done near
Tulsa the quantity Of water obtained from
these wells and particularly the quality.
shows clearly that this city should not de-.
rrnd upon such supply 81 the present
time. and rersiu'y not in tho future when
ils demands VIII he marh greater,
Bird Greek
This stream is within 30 miles of tho eity
hat ts drainage area is too small and ihs
quality ~ the water makes Il untt FOR
municipal use. and Bird creek has there
fore been eliminated
Caney River.
This river within 30 miles Of the city
"a Of quality that could not hc used a.
4 city supply being salt and otherwise
rhsmlcst'y unfit, and is therefore elm
mated
Verdigris River
The NrrligriA is much larger stream.
fowiug from the state Of kansas and me
records Of ITS flow for comfortable periods
are available Throughout the greater part
Of most wears there would be sufficient
water iu Tho Nrrdirris ior the uFc ~ the
rity Of Tulsa The river becomes extremely
urhl after rains and remains 30 for long
periods OF time Anv supply taken for
Tulsa would necessarily he from tho river
o. point above tho junction Of Bird creek
ard Cancv rveL a. these two branches add
considerable salt 10 the main stream. The
intake would hc necessarily % 90 30
nles from the city A dam would be 70
ouirsd across tho vcrdirris IN order 10 get
storage through dry periods Tho very