The Waterbury Democrat., 1938-08-22


 Great bodies of water have been located under the arid Panhandle district and scientists believe that the amount is sufficient for perma- nent water well irrigation through out the entire southwestern dust bowl area of Oklahoma, Texas, Colorado, Kansas and New Mexico
 Several irrigation wells are in op- eration now, one of them having flowed 1000 gallons of water min- ute for the past year. It was drilled by the state board of agriculture at the Panhandle A. & M. college Goodwell, near Guymon.
 In one place, a body of water 800 to 700 feet deep was located 250 feet below the surface.
 Broad Program Outlined
 Results from other experimental work conducted by the U. s. Geo. logical survey, the state Geological survey and the U. s. Department of Interior, prompted F. L. Vaughan, Oklahoma City, director of the wa- ter resources division for the state Planning and Resources Board, to outline and extensive program.
 While several wells are being drilled by farmers, Vaughn reveal ed that he would ask the next Okla homa legislature to set up huge program directing a new type of farming the dust bow sector.
 Irrigation districts will be mark ed off The drilling, spacing and flow from the wells would be taken over much as the state has taken over oil production through a conserva- ton division.
 All of the experimental reports show there is plenty of water" Vaughan said, eff 1t is used judici- ously and not wasted"
 WPA Aid to Be Sought
 Works Progress Administration aid will be asked for the drilling. Estimated cost of a well is $2,500. Under the reclamation proposal, one well would be drilled to serve two to four farmers and the amount of land to be irrigated would be limited to about 50 per cent of their entire acreage, Vaughan said.
 For each acre under irrigation, each farmer would be allowed about 20 acre inches of water year." he said.
 Vaughan returned recently from conference on Ground Water Studies at Austin, Tex, where sim liar program is being formulated.
 The first research into ground water was conducted about a year ago when the U. s. Geological sur vey sent geologist to study the sub surface water supplies in the Okla homa and Texas panhandle.
 Vast Extent Indicated
 His report, as yet unpublished, shows that there are sands satur- ated with water throughout the en- tire dust bowl area, Vaughan said. They vary in size from 40 feet in thickness to 100 feet.
 Joe c. Scott, president of the State Board of Agriculture, said that the report also included the description of a large body of water covering vast area.
 "The geologist was unable to de- termine whether 1t was running wa ter or whether 1t was an under ground lake," Scott said. Tt is 800 to TOO feet deep and is believed to have its source in the Rocky Noun tain area of Colorado.
 Tt was impossible to determine It's size"
 Well Irrigates $40 Acres The experimental irrigation well at Goodwell was drilled in August, 1887, and has been used to irrigate 64o-acre farm belonging to the agricultural college.
 The college also has second well, drilled last January, flowing 600 gallons minute on the campus. The 1000-gallon minute well gushes through 10-inch pipe.
 Under the plan proposed by Vaughan, farmers would be permit ted to irrigate half of their land so that truck gardens might be grown to provide subsistence farms. Also, they would be permitted to grow some alfalfa.
 Then" Scott said, If their wheat crops were damaged. they would have at least enough to get along on.
 Two thirds of the 500 varieties