Evening star., 1950-05-03
Nations S Voter Supply
Found Not Decreasing
No Definite Cycle 0iseerned
In Ruinfoll, Geoloeist Reports
By Thomos R. Henry

BY lhoWoS X. Neny
There is no steady decrease In the water
supply of the United states.
This conclusion. based on rainfall sta
tistics for a century, was presented be-
fore the American Meteorological Society
here today by DIR. Joseph v. b. Wells OF
the United States Geological Survey.
1t cannot be denied. he said. that the
past so years have constituted q rela-
lively dry period when an average Of the
entire period was taken. But the years
between 1850 and 1900 were wet after a
30-year dry period very similar to the
present.
No Cycles Established.
The records before 1900 for much Of
the country are 30 scant. DR.. Wells ex-
planned. that 1t is impossible TO establish
rainfall and drought cycles or any sort
OF orderly progression of wet and dry
periods. In some cases 1t has been neceS-
sary to consider tree stumpS in old lake
bottoms and wagon wheel tracks left by
the Forty miners in estimating rainfall
before 1850.
A so year dry period, he emphasized
does not mean that every year has been
exceptionally dry Some actually may
be wetter than generally are experienced
in wet period But there will be ex-
ceptionally dry years which will bring
down the average.
The present dry period. DR.. Wells
Drought out, may have reached its cli-
max IN the great droughts OF the early
30s but there can be no assurance that
there Will not be a recurrence before the
present dry epoch ends.
1t is clear he said, that there are no
continuous upward and downward trends
Development of water shortages in re-
cent years has led to the belief that
stream-fiow all over the country IA de-
Ginning. Actually, he said, Geological
Survey studies fail to reveal any con-
sistent pattern in stream flow for the
country as whole.
Called insignificant.
1T may be concluded" he declared,
that decline in surface water supply
on countrywide basis Is not yet sig
nificant. With a few exceptions the
problems which have sprung up through
decreased Stream-f1 flow can be met largely
through better utilization"
The entire operation Of the as ,OOO-
square mile iva area is closely meshed
with special weather forecasts for 26
hourS in advance, now being supplied
by the Weather Bureau, 1t was reported
by Theodore W. KleinsaSSer of the
Weather Bureau.
The major forecasts of interest TO
the engineers are of probable rainfall,
but predictions also cover temperature
which determines the heating load, and
degree of cloud cover which affects the
use OF power for lighting. This close
gearing is possible. Mr.. Kleinsasser
stressed, because OF the great extent
OF the area.
Sea water contains a mysterious food
substance - apparently a carbohydrate
related to sugars or starches.
1t is present in extremely minute
amounts ranging from a 10,00Oth of an
ounce to about l.000th of an ounce In
quart of water The amounts are
extremely variable from day to day.
Oysters. and perhaps other molluSks.
are sensitive to the substance It NAV
play an important part In their nutri-
ton and be a significant factor in the
whole economy of sea life.
Detection Of this mysterious substance
recently has been reported TO the Amer.
lean Association for the advancement
of Science by three Pensacola scientists
who have worked with the facilities OF
the fisheries research station of the
United States Fish and Wildlife station
there.
When the amount of this substance
present falls to a low level, these in
vestigators headed by Albert Collier re-
port. oysters stop pumping water through
their systems. which is their way Of
obtaining food. The higher the con-
centration the more water the bivalves
pump and consequently the more nour.
ishment they get
Oysters Test Water.
II the carbohydrate level falls below a
certain critical value-somewhere around
5.000th of an ounce a quart-ths
oysters stop pumping. Then at inter-
walls of two or three hours the mollusks
will test the water, pumping for q brief
interval apparently to determine whether
there is enough Of the mysterious SUBJ
stance present to make further effort
worth while. If there is enough to
satisfy them. they continue pumping
until the concentration falls again.
The higher the temperature Of the
water, the Pensacola scientists dis.
covered. the greater the amount Of the
carbohydrate necessary to induce the
oysters to continue feeding. They have
observed this behavior for days at
time. the experimenters say. Four
oysters have been observed for so days
"a hours day. They have succeeded
in extracting minute quantities Of the
substance but about all chemical tests
show is that it acts like a carbohydrate.
1t does not vary with the saltiness Of
the water. Concentration in a single
sample of water will remain constant for,
about four days at room temperatures 81
The smallest amount which will start.
an oyster pumping varies greatly from
mollusk to mollusk, the Pensacola
group found.
a.
q.