Collection and Storage of Water in Kansas. 



BY E. C. MURPHY. 



(With Map of Kansas^. 



This problem is one of the greatest importance to the people of 

 Kansas. We have such a large amount of land which is practically 

 useless without water, and which is exceedingly productive when 

 irrigated. We also have a large amount of water running to waste in 

 our streams, which not only is doing us no good, but doing 

 much harm in the way of destruction of property along the banks. 



Some idea of the value of water for irrigating purposes may be 

 gotten from the prices paid for it in southern California. At Los 

 Angeles a flow of from 2 to 4 cub. ft. sec. for 24 hours sells for $2.00; 

 at Orange a "head" equal to about 2 cub. ft. sec. for 24 hours sells 

 for $2.50; at Riverside a flow of i cub. ft. sec. for 24 hours sells for 

 $3.00. Mr. J. P. Flynn, C. E., has estimated that a flow of i cub. ft. 

 sec. under favorable circumstances for all time is worth in southern 

 California 140,000. 



This is a very complex problem; there are so many factors on 

 which its solution depends. The principal ones are: physical features 

 of the surface, rainfall, evaporation and percolation. 



There are three possible sources of water supply in Kansas — surface 

 water flowing in the streams; storm water, which may be stored in 

 draws; and underground water. 



The rivers of Kansas with one exception, the Arkansas, are rivers 

 of the plains; their source of supply is the rain falling on the plains. 

 They have a large and sudden flood flow, and a very small flow during 

 dry spells. Some of them have no visible water in them for weeks at 

 a time. They rise quickly during a heavy rain and subside rapidly 

 after the storm is over. They flow over and through formations 

 which are readily eroded, and hence carry a large amount of sediment. 

 The beds of some of the larger ones being sandy have a considerable 

 underflow; this is especially true of the Arkansas and Cimmaron. 



The Arkansas, being a mountain stream, differs from the other 

 Kansas rivers in having a flood flow in May, due to the melting of 

 mountain snow. This flood flow does not last long in Kansas, as so 

 much of the water is used by the people of Colorado for irrigating 



(217) KAN. TJNrV. QUAR. VOL. Ill, NO 4, APRH, I, 1895, 



