RURAL ENGINEERING. 383 



The water resources of Butte, Mont., O. E. Meinzeb (U. 8. Geol. Survey, 

 Water-supply Paper 345-G (1914), PP- 79-125, pis. 3, figs. 4).— This paper 

 reports an investigation of the water resources of tlie upper Silverbow basin, an 

 area of about 83,200 acres, with reference to the supply of ground water under 

 the flat and the feasibility of developing it for industrial uses and for irriga- 

 tion. The principal conclusions reached in this investigation are summarized as 

 follows : 



" The bedrock will yield enough water in some localities for domestic purposes 

 but not enough for irrigation or industrial use. It has no artesian structure. 

 The basin formed by the bedrock is partly filled with more or less porous de- 

 posits of clay, sand, and gravel, . . . which are saturated with water below the 

 water table. In only small areas near the mountains does the water table lie 

 more than 100 ft. below the surface ; over a considerable part of the flat it lies 

 less than 25 ft. below; and in the principal stream valleys it is nearly at the 

 surface. 



" The valley fill is incoherent and poorly assorted. To develop maximum 

 yields, wells sunk into the fill should have casings perforated at the water- 

 bearing beds with holes at least i in. in diameter or width. . . . With proper 

 methods of construction a yield of 100 gal. per minute from a single well can 

 probably be developed in most parts of the flat. Flows with slight head are 

 likely to be struck at any point . . . where the ground water is near the surface, 

 but flows of large volume will probably not be found. . . . The quantity of 

 water annually received by and discharged from the valley fill . . . is probably 

 less than 10,000 aci'e-feet. A large part of this . . . could be recovered by 

 pumping from wells. If, by heavy pumping or other agency, the water table is 

 drawn down to a level below the floors of the principal stream valleys these 

 streams will contribute more largely to the underground supply than they do at 

 present. . . . 



" The typical soil of the flat is of good physical constituency, rich in soluble 

 minerals useful for plant growth, low in organic matter, and is slightly acid 

 but can be improved by the application of lime and manure. The ground water 

 is of satisfactory quality for irrigation. On account of the porous character 

 of the subsoil, the duty of irrigation water will be rather low, and frequent 

 applications of water will be necessary. A supply of 100 gal. per minute will, 

 however, be suflicient for a 10-acre truck farm. The cost of developing ground- 

 water supplies is high, but the cost of pumping is moderate, provided there is 

 proper equipment and efficient management. The costs need not be prohibitive 

 if intensive agriculture is practiced." 



Surface water supply of the United States, 1911. — VII, Lower Mississippi 

 River basin, W. B. Freeman and H. J. Dean (U. S. Geol. Survey, Water- 

 Supply Paper 307 {1913), pp. 90, pis. ^).— This report presents the results of 

 measurements of flow made on the lower Mississippi River basin during 1911. 



Ground water for irrig'ation in the vicinity of Enid, Okla., A. T. Schwen- 

 NESEN (U. S. Geol. Survey, Water-Supply Paper 345-B (1914), pp. 11+11-23, 

 pi. 1). — The first part of this report deals with the occurrence and distribution 

 of ground water in the vicinity of Enid, Okla., and with the possibility of its 

 development for irrigation and other purposes. 



The water-bearing formations are described as the Carboniferous " red beds " 

 and the Tertiary and later deposits. It is stated that in the agricultural dis- 

 trict around Enid many of the domestic wells derive water from the red beds, 

 all of which are shallow and tap the water-bearing standstones interbedded 

 with the predominating red shale. In most places one or more water-bearing 

 sandstone beds may be reached by drilling less than 100 ft. Pumping tests of 



