, 1922-09-21

the report of the Weiland Engil
preliminary surveys. The next
Letting and piping the water to
Sage Creek offers the only avail
able water supply that can be de.
livered by gravity to the City OF
Rawlins at such a reasonable and
fair cost that 1t is we'll within the
ability Of the city to finance the
proposition.
There can be no argument ad.
vanced against the statement, that
with on assured and adequate sup.
ply. which meets all the require
ments of a pure. wholesome potable
water, fit for all domestic and manu-
featuring purposes, a gravity system
is greatly to be preferred over any
system that injects the elements of
machinery and man supervision Of
machinery. filters and treating.
In order to determine the feasibil-
ity or non-feasibility of the Sage
Creek supply, a field party was
placed on a detailed investigation
covering a period Of about ten weeks.
Accurate Information was sought
relative to the following matters:
In this article the following will be
presented:
% The. drainage area c%ontribut-
ing to the water supply.
(2) The geological formation OF
the drainage 9
(3) The amount OF water available
and the minimum flow.
90 The chemical salts dissolved in
the water.
(5) The temperature Of the wa
90 Additional supplies that lie
between Sage Creek and Rawlins
that might be made a part OF the
Sage Greek system. .
Drainage Area
This drainage area consists OF
three distinct creeks. namely, Beaver
Creek, Sage Creek and Donald
Creek. The field investigation shows
that the total drainage area contains
approximately IL square miles. all
Of which contributes its water to the
springs which constitute the source
of supply Of a Sage Creek system.
The average elevation OF the
springs on this drainage area is about
1900 feet above sea level: the high
est point in the area being about
$500 feet above sea level or about
800 feet above the springs. The
rainfall and snowfall on this area is
approximately Is inches annually
with a probable minimum Of .
inches and a probable maximum Of
FL inches.
Geology
There are certain geological form
atoms which very rapidly absorb the
rainfall and melting SHOWS. One Of
such formations is known as the
vTnptioNv which 10 N0nNnncah rnnSf1ys
OF very coarse sand and gravel in
timately intermixed with clay loan
and shale. In the Sage Creek basin
this tertiary formation covers the
entire drainage area of this basin.
1t lies principally on top OF the Da-
kota Sandstone, and forms a wonder
full region for the absorption Of rain
fall and melting SHOWS. A painstak-
ing examination was made of this en-
tire area. and It was found that there
was in the Sage Creek basin no run.
off from the snow banks when these
banks were melting from the middle
Of June to the middle Of August. In
fact all the water from these snow
banks and from the summer precipt'
tation passes Immediately into thit
tertiary formation which 10 from {
to 500 feet thick yer this. Sage
Greek drainage ~ This watel
then passes downward and outward
until 1t outcrops on the Dakota
Sandstone In the form Of springs
The rims Of the several draanaSa
areas Of Sage Greek basin are yer!
steep and the snow collects in grea,
depths along these tertiary rims ant
in the ravines. This makes the con
ditions for . continuous and practic
ally constant supply OF water quite
certain.
Amount Of Water Available
A thorough investigation into tn
history Of spring supplies for munici
paltties reveals that this kind Of sup
ply 10 one of the safest and most re
liable possible to obtain. 1t issfount
that practically all springs pas
through . cycle OF varying dtscharg'
or yield.
From definite knowledge Of similal
conditions to those existing on tn
SAGE Creek area; from actual IN
yestigation OF the flow OF the spring.
ON the sage Creek area and from tn
best Of reliable verbal evidence % Il
the yearly performance OF the Sage
Greek springs. conclusions relauvs
to the amount Of water available
and the absolute minimum that vii
eyer ccur, have been drawn.
This evidence 10 also supported py
the study Of the drainage Area, the
reoloNeal forHation and the rainfall
ia snowfall OF the AralAA8o aaee
NJ, there y - avesag0 p9ecipteetA01
II, NM tertiary area e. - SQUARE
ySs. ASnnnnR m