137 



The drainage area of tliese springs can usually be defined witli a fair 

 degree of accuracy, and is as important to know as in the case of surface 

 water, for it must not be forgotten that the water of these springs is just 

 as certainly conditioned by rainfall, as the water of surface streams. The 

 criteria of rainfall and run-off, discussed above, apply here with equal 

 force, though it is probable that a somewhat larger percentage of the rain- 

 fall is available than in the Knobstone region to the east; at least the 

 run-off is more regular. 



If the element of catchment area be analyzed, it will be perfectly ap- 

 parent why so few of the springs of the region are adequate for municipal 

 supply without impounding the wet-weather flow. The great Shirley and 

 Leonard springs, near Bloomington, drain an area of about six square 

 miles. During the storage season the flow of these springs must be at 

 times several million gallons per day. At the end of the dry season of 

 190S the writer estimated their combined flow at less than 100,000 gallons 

 per day. At that time the writer gaged the Hottel spring in Bloomington 

 and found a flow of 12,000 gallons per day. At the same time also the 

 Rogers springs, just east of Bloomington, had a flow of 10,000 gallons per 

 day. All of these springs have the local reputation of being very strong 

 springs. The Stone spring, at the Bloomington water-works, during the 

 same season had an estimated flow of about 20,000 gallons per day. On 

 the other hand, Wilson's spring, on Blue River, is estimated by Tucker^ to 

 have a dry-weather flow of neai-ly 10,000,000 gallons per day. It is said 

 to be the largest spring in Indiana. 



Several attempts have been made to obtain water in quantity from 

 deep wells in the limestone region. Invariably the water so obtained has 

 been mineral water. The wells at French Link and West Baden are 

 typical. The writer is unable to state definitely the yield of these wells, 

 but from a rather intimate acquaintance with those that are still flowing, 

 it would be safe to say that none of them, except the Ritter well, has a 

 flow greater than that of the Pluto spring. The flow of this spring is 

 said by Blatchley= to be nearly 2G,000 gallons per day. The water con- 

 tains about 300 grains of mineral matter per gallon. The flow of the Rit- 

 ter well was at first much greater than this, and the water was less 



> Tucker, W. M., Water Power of Indiana, 3Dth Ann. Rept. Indiana Dept. Geol. 

 and Nat. Res., 1910, pp. 34-37. 



' Blatchhji. ir. .S'., Mineral Waters of Indiana, 26th Ann. Ropt. Indiana Dept 

 Geol. Nat. Res., 1901, p. 102. 



