Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1922-06-17

SUPPLY T'oIAST
5OYEARS ONLY
49, Y ~ Sf 49,
Prof. Simpson Says North
Dakota Basin YIN: IS \: Rapidly
Nearing Exhaustion.

Prof. Howard r. ansoson of the de-.
partment of geology OF the University
OF North DAKOTA, has returned IRON
Devils Lake. whittier he was called to
investigate water supply conditions.
IN IA actress before III Devils Lake
Rotary club he said that the Dakota
artesiani basin, which at the present
time is supplying e, 900 wells In the
state, mostly in the eastern part, will
pc completely exhausted inf about.
fifty years 40 .s&g Es5t.,
Mr.. simpson was called to Devils
Lake to investigate the possibility of
that city securing a supply of utility
to be prepared Tor the exhaustion of
the artesian Wei, from which the
city ut present draws its supply.
He said that in, the early days the
Dakota artesian BASIN was led by wa
ters from the Rocky MOUNTAINS, but
that years ago this sourcelhas ceased,
and the water now in the basin Is
merely that which has been stored
there for CENTURIES. The Iartesian
supply in the state has diminished
four-hfths since the first well was
sunk here many years ago, so that
there is only one-ifth of The original
supply remaining in the sandstone
reservoir, which I've a wide area
Va ASVACA oAu 0Oul1 DdhOL6. -
In order to preserve the supply,
Professor Simpson urged rigid COM
pliancs with the state. law relating, to
artesian wells. He said that in many
sections Of the state thousands of gall
Ions of water is being wasted because
the wells sA.e running wild" and UNI
less something is done to prevent a
continuance Of this waste, North Da-
kota will face a serious situation as to
water. The placing of the. proper
shut-off valves in the wells. he said,
will prolong the states water supply,
but it Is necessary that the farmers
Of the state awake at once to the
gravity of the situation and cooper
ate with the state government. He.
pointed out how many stool ~raisers
are using enouEhawater in a few head
of cattle to supply thousands, but now
these farmers refuse to heed the
warnings Of the biologists and water
with the amount of water they are
nov using.
Devils Lake Worried.
Professor Simpson has been asked
by the city commission to make a
survey of the water possibilities in
this city. The present we'll which
supplies the city has been in opera
ton since 1889, and many people in
the city fear that, it may become ex-
-hausted at any minute. Professor
Simpson said that it is the history Of
artesian wells to stop flowing sudden
ly and that there is no assurance
that the Devils Lake well will not
bear this out.
He is pessimistic, however, regard
ing a new supply of utility water for
the city, although he will return later
to make a complete investigation of
the district. The water supplied by
the present well is salty, and cannot
be used for drinking. This is due,
he said. to the fact that in the early
geologic times, North Dakota, with
| the exception of the Bad Lands, was
(; part of the Atlantic ocean, which
connected with the Arctic ocean, and
that the shale now found under the
surface in the state is nothing more
than the remnants Of the old ocean
bottom, and inasmuch as this shale
contains the same brackish proper.
ties that are in the ocean, the SALTY
substances runs through the water.