DEVILS LAKE, NORTH DAKOTA. 



15 



writer found the water to be slightly brackish, though not disagree^ 

 able, and when used for cleansing purposes it was satisfactory, 

 though soap will not produce a lather with it. 



In order to determine to what extent the water varies in the sev- 

 eral representative portions of the lake, samples were obtained from 

 the stations shown upon the chart accompanying this report. Fol- 

 lowing are the results of the analyses, the specimens being designated 

 by the laboratory numbers of the Bureau of Chemistry : 



Analyses of Waters of Devils Lake, North Dakota, 1907. 

 [Parts per million.] 



Description. 



Carbonic acid ion.. 

 Bicarbonic acid ion 



Silica 



Chlorin 



Iron 



Calcium 



Magnesium 



Sulphuric acid ion. 



Sodium 



Potassium 



Station 

 2, off 

 moutli 

 Creel 

 Bay. 

 (4838) 



107.8 



49.5.4 



20.8 



856.8 



7.1 



18.6 



493.8 



,654.0 



,987.8 



186.2 



Station 

 4, off 

 wharf 

 Creel 

 Bay. 

 (4840) 



108. 



499. 



21. 



866. 



9. 



22, 



504. 



4,774, 



2,0.30, 



187. 



Station 

 3, Mis- 

 sion Bay, 



(4839) 



119.2 



527.4 



23.0 



876.1 



11.0 



24.9 



509.2 



4,8,56.9 



2,075.0 



195.7 



Station 



5, Largo 



Lake. 



(4841) 



125.1 



538.9 



26.6 



900.3 



14.8 



26.3 



530.5 



4,977.9 



2,108.3 



199.7 



Station 

 1, Six- 

 mile Bay. 



(4837) 



128.7 



546.5 

 37.8 



906.1 

 15.3 

 31.0 



545.5 

 ,206.0 

 ,193.8 



204.7 



Station 

 6, East 

 Lake. 



(4842) 



154.9 



5.55.6 



44.0 



1,122.0 



16.4 



31.2 



601.6 



6,254.4 



2,725.3 



250.0 



Hypothetical Combination. 

 [Parts per million.] 



Description. 



Potassium chloride 



Sodium chloride 



Sodium sulphate 



Magnesium sulphate 



Magnesium carbonate. _ 

 Magnesium bicarbonate. 



Calcium bicarbonate 



Ferrous bicarbonate 



Silica 



Station 

 2, off 

 mouth 

 Creel 

 Bay. 

 (4838) 



354.8 



1,135.7 



4,749.5 



1,810.8 



151.6 



503.0 



75.2 



22] 6 



20.8 



Station 

 4, off 

 wharf 

 Creel 

 Bay. 

 (4840) 



3.57.9 



1,149.7 



4,863.9 



1,865.4 



1,52.0 



498.7 



92.6 



31.5 



26.6 



Station 

 3, Mis- 

 sion Bay. 



(4839) 



372.9 



1,153.3 



4,997.7 



1,855.5 



167.6 



513.2 



100.7 



35.0 



23.0 



Station 



5, Large 



Lake. 



(4841) 



380.5 



1,187.3 



5,058.8 



1,955.1 



179.9 



505.9 



106.3 



47.1 



21.0 



Station 

 1, Six- 

 mile Bay, 



(4837) 



390.5 



1,189.5 



5,319.7 



2,020.0 



181.0 



508.0 



125.0 



48.7 



37.8 



Station 

 6, East 

 Lake. 



(4842) 



476.4 



1,478.4 



6,607.8 



2,243.0 



217.8 



511.4 



126.1 



52.2 



44.0 



Considerable variation may be observed in the chemical character 

 of the water in the several portions of the lake. 



For a general understanding of the significance of these analyses 

 given above the explanation of the term " alkali " may be useful. 

 An " alkali " is a compound of hydrogen and oxygen with any one 

 of the metals — lithium, sodium, potassium, rubidium, cesium, or the 

 radical ammonium. The alkalis are all soluble in water and are 

 capable of neutralizing acids and turning red litmus blue. Aqueous 

 solutions of the alkalis of moderate strength act corrosively upon 

 animal and vegetable substances. Two main classes may be distin- 



