778 EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. 



Ground water in Big Smoky Valley, Nevada, O. E. Meinzee. (U. S. Geol. 

 Survey, Water-Supply Paper 375-D {1915), pp. 85-116, pis. 2, figs. 2).— This paper 

 describes the geography and physiography and reports an investigation of the 

 underground water resources, with reference to their development for irriga- 

 tion, of an area of 3,250 square miles, extending from about the geographic cen- 

 ter of Nevada to a point less than 20 miles from the California line. 



" The drainage basin of Big Smoky Valley is divided by a low, gentle, alluvial 

 swell west of Manhattan into a north basin, which contains the upper valley, 

 and a south basin, which contains the lower valley. Each of these basins at 

 present contains an alkali flat. lone Valley, which lies west of Big Smoky 

 Valley proper and has a drainage basin of about 500 square miles, discharges 

 into the lower valley from the northwest and hence forms a part of the south 

 basin." The climate is arid and exhibits the characteristic features of aridity. 



It is concluded from the investigation that "several tens of thousands of 

 acre-feet of ground water is probably annually available for irrigation in Big 

 Smoky Valley, Most of this supply is in the upper valley, but a part is in the 

 vicinity of Millers in the lower valley. The water is in general of satisfactory 

 quality for irrigation. Nearly all of the poor water is in the southwestern part 

 of the lower valley, where there is practically no prospect for irrigation. A 

 small part of the ground-water supply can be recovered by means of flowing 

 wells, but full use of the supply can be obtained only by pumping. Throughout 

 the extensive areas in which the depth to the water table does not exceed 10 

 ft. the soil contains injurious amounts of alkali. In the areas in which the 

 depth to the water table ranges between 10 and 50 ft. there is enough good soil 

 to utilize all the ground-water supply. These areas, however, also contain con- 

 siderable gravelly, sandy, and alkaline soil. There are some prospects of ob- 

 taining flowing wells wherever the water table is near the surface, but the pros- 

 pects are best on the west side of the upper valley. The flowing-well areas will 

 be found to lie chiefly within the areas of alkali soil, but they may extend into 

 adjacent areas of good soil. 



" Full development of the ground-water supply for irrigation will not be 

 economically practicable until cheaper power or more valuable crops can be 

 introduced than are now in sight. Developments believed to be practicable at 

 present are (1) the sinking of flowing wells of moderate depths in the restricted 

 areas where fairly copious flows can be obtained and the soil is not irreclaimably 

 alkaline, and (2) the sinking of nonflowing wells and the installation of pump- 

 ing plants for raising high-priced crops and for raising ordinary crops in locali- 

 ties where the conditions are exceptionally favorable or where the well water 

 can be used to supplement surface-water supplies. The raising of high-priced 

 crops is practicable to only a small extent. Vegetables and small fruits could, 

 it is believed, be profitably raised in the vicinity of Millers to supply Tonopah, 

 Goldfield, and other local markets. 



"The principal favorable conditions that are necessary in order to make 

 pumping profitable for raising ordinary crops, such as alfalfa, are soil that is 

 not injuriously alkaline, sandy, or gravelly; small depths to the water table 

 (not much more than 10 ft.) ; and water-bearing beds at moderate depths that 

 will yield freely. 



" Existing conditions do not warrant the influx of a large number of settlers 

 nor of any without means to sink wells and make other necessary improvements." 



A contribution to the study of the actions of various waters upon lead, 

 H. Heap (Jour. Soc. Chem. Indus., 32 (1913), Nos. 15, pp. 771-775; 16, pp. 

 811-815; 17, pp. 847-856). — A historical review of work bearing on the subject 

 is given, and experiments are reported to determine the effect of various waters 

 and solutions on more or less impure lead pipes and on pure lead. 



