Plentywood herald. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1908-current, 1930-05-22
Shows
ArteSion Wells In
State Of Montana

That geology may render valuable
service to agriculture is shown by DR..
Eugene S. Perry of the Montana
School Of Mines, whose findings have
recently been proving of vital inter
est to farmers and stockmen Of Mon
Itana. DR.. Perry is now making pub
lie the results of his Investigations
last summer of underground water
conditions, with special regard to ar
tesian we'll possibilities, in 81 eastern
and central counties of the state. The
Buerau Of Mines and Geology, at the
Montana School of Mines, Butte, has
concluded that flowing water wells
can be obtained in many localities
lwhere wells have not been drilled and
where surface water is scanty or of
poor quality.
Eastern and central Montana has
an annual rainfall Of only 10 to 20 in
ches, and consequently much of the
region suffers from lack of moisture.
If a dependable water supply can be
obtained, most of the area is produc-
tive for agriculture or stock raising.
After his extensive study Of this part
of the state DR.. Perry says that sew
eral water-producing geologic hori-
IONS exist and that in many places
|~hydrostatic heads have been built up
where natural pressure of from n
to $50 pounds will bring the water to
the surface when wells are drilled. At
other points water is available for
deep-well pumping. Many ranchers
then, who suffer from drought may
actually have a plentiful supply of ar
I~tesian water undertook
According to DR.. Perry, the ground
water supply Of Montana may be divi-
ded into two distinct types: shallow
ground water, which %circulates thru
surface soils, sands and gravels, and
is the source of cupply for many COM
munities; and deep ground water,
which %percolates thru porous beds,
usually sandstone, comparatively far
underground, and is of great impor-
ltance to farmers and stockmen. Shall
How ground water is affected by all
conditions that affect surface water
and consequently may be disease car
Trying. Deep ground water has been
$50 thoroughly filtered that it may be
tsafely tested for household use by its
taste alone.
More than ten different biologists
formations carry water in eastern
and central Montana, from the old
lest and lowermost Quadrant forma-
tin to the youngest and uppermost
Fort Union Formation. In no local
lily do all of these ten formations sup
lply water, but in some places two or
three may be productive. Because
these beds are not everywhere pres
ent and because the sediments in
Montana rapidly change their char
~acteristics from place to place, the
state is divided by DR.. Perry into sew
eral small "artesian provinces" Be-
tween such areas of potential water
supply occur broad regions underlain
by 1000 to 1000 feet Of clay shale.
where drill holes obtain little or no
water, or water unfit even for stock
use because of a large amount Of
mineral content.
The best and most persistent water
carrying sandstones is at the base of
the Kootenai which corresponds to the
Dakota sandstones formation. How
ever through out much of Montana
this sandstone is at a depth of over
1000 feet which makes drilling ex-
pensive. Many wells which have PEN
etrated the lower Kootenai have flow
of good water amounting to one or
two hundred gallons per minute.
Perhaps the largest flowing wells
in the United States are supplied by
y the Quadrant formation; one such
well drilled by an oil prospector in
q Carbon county yielded an estimated
! volume of 1900 to $500 gallons a
e minute and spouted a fountain nearly
20 feet high. The Judith River form
alton near Havre is interesting be-
e cause of its alternating oyster beds
o and coal seams; its water is often un-
n Pleasantly alkaline, but the water of
a its geographical and geological part
+ ner, the Eagle formation, contains
Y, less mineral matter and has better
taste. More than $50 flowing wells
, in Powder River County are deriving
n their water from the Lance formation
which incidentally, contains remains
OF dinosaurs and land and glacial gra-
vel and by the Fort Union formation.
The Montana Farmer is now pub
fishing a series Of articles by DR..
Perry on artesian wells, and these will
be followed later by a comprehensive
publication or the subject to be is5u-
ed some time in the near future by the
state Bureau of Mines and Geology,
!, a branch of the Montana School of
' M;noc