486 EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. I Vol. 36 



Oregon, " deals with irrigation possibilities of the Harney basin region, but 

 more especially with the development of Harney Valley and Silver Creek 

 Valley. . . . 



"The features to which the Harney report has special reference are (1) irri- 

 gation development in Harney Valley by the storage and use of water from 

 Silvies River to include, first, the higher development of approximately 60,000 

 acres gross area of land now under a crude flood system of irrigation from 

 Silvies River, by complete storage control and a more scientific use of their 

 water supply ; second, the irrigation of approximately 40,000 acres additional 

 land not now reached by Silvies River diversions, through storage of water now 

 wasted; and (2) Blitzen Valley development and the possibility of using Blitzen 

 River water for the irrigation of a part of Harney Valley, together with the 

 possible drainage and irrigation of a part of Malheur Lake bed. . . . 



" The features to which the Silver Creek report has special reference are 

 (1) irrigation development of nev,- lands in Silver Creek Valley and Warm 

 Springs Valley by the storage and use of water now wasted from Silver Creek 

 into Harney and Silver lakes, and the higher development of lands already 

 irrigated; and (2) the possibilities of further development in Warm Springs 

 Valley by pumping and storage, to promote a better utilization of the Warm 

 Springs flow." 



Artesian Avater for irrigation in Little Bitterroot Valley, Montana, O. E. 

 Meinzek {U. S. Gcol. Survey, Wafer-Supply Paper ^00 B (1916), pp. 0-37, pis. 

 4, figs. Jf). — This paper deals with the physiography and geology of an area of 

 about 385,000 acres in northwestern Montana and reports an investigation of the 

 occurrence, head, yield, and quality of the artesian water in the area, with 

 special reference to its use for irrigation. 



"The principal artesian-water bed lies about 300 ft. below the lake plain, or 

 somewhat more than 200 ft. below the level of Little Bitterroot River. . . . 

 Flowing wells can be obtained over about one-fifth of Little Bitterroot Val- 

 ley. , . . 



" In general the level to which the water from the artesian bed rises is con- 

 siderably above the water level in dug wells that end at higher horizons. On 

 the bottom lands, where the water table nearly coincides with the river level, 

 the difference is greatest and amounts to a maximum of about 70 ft. Under the 

 lake plain at some distance from the river the water table is considerably above 

 river level, and the difference is not so great. In .some places where there is 

 perched water . . . the water table m:iy stand higher than the level to which 

 the artesian water will rise. . . . The flowing wells in Little Bitteri'oot Valley 

 interfere with each other, the effect being most noticeable in wells with slight 

 head when other wells are drilled near by at considerably lower levels. . . . 



" The ground waters in Little Bitterroot Valley are not highly mineralized, 

 the samples examined ranging in total dissolved solids from ISO to 480 parts 

 per million. They are nearly all sodium carbonate waters, and most of them 

 have an odor of hydrogen sulphid, but they differ considerably in mineral con- 

 tent and in this respect fall into two or more groups. The deep artesian 

 waters . . . are very low in calcium and magnesium and relatively high in 

 sodium; they are relatively high in bicaibonate, moderate in chlorin, and very 

 low in sulpliate. ... A notable feature of the artesian water is its high tem- 

 perature. The water from a few of the wells is hot, though that from other 

 wells has a normal temperature or a temperature slightly above normal. . . . 



" .Jetting or hydraulic drilling rigs are now used in Little Bitterroot Valley 

 and are well adapted to the conditions that prevail there. In those rigs water 

 pumped down through hollow drill rods comes up on the outside and cutting 

 drill bits are operated by the spudding method. ... In 1915 the prevailing 



