﻿MUSSELS 
  IN 
  TRIBUTARIES 
  OF 
  UPPER 
  MISSOURI 
  RIVER. 
  

  

  11 
  

  

  Upper 
  Cretaceous 
  formations 
  are 
  wanting, 
  so 
  that 
  the 
  glacial 
  deposits 
  

   overlie 
  immediately 
  the 
  Lower 
  Cretaceous, 
  Niobrara, 
  Benton, 
  and 
  

   Dakota 
  formations. 
  The 
  Dakota 
  formation 
  is 
  of 
  particular 
  interest 
  

   as 
  being 
  the 
  principal 
  source 
  of 
  .the 
  artesian 
  wells 
  which 
  yield 
  such 
  

   abundant 
  flows 
  of 
  water 
  and 
  have 
  a 
  profound 
  effect 
  upon 
  the 
  agri- 
  

   cultural 
  development 
  of 
  the 
  region 
  (as 
  about 
  Mitchell, 
  Huron, 
  and 
  

   Artesian). 
  Finally 
  beneath 
  the 
  Cretaceous 
  (Triassic 
  and 
  Jurassic 
  

   being 
  wanting) 
  there 
  is 
  encountered 
  the 
  Algonkian 
  granite 
  and 
  Sioux 
  

   quartzite, 
  the 
  latter 
  forming 
  the 
  bedrock 
  over 
  a 
  large 
  part 
  of 
  the 
  

   valley. 
  

  

  The 
  James 
  River 
  intersects 
  three 
  low 
  terminal 
  moraines 
  which 
  

   form 
  long 
  loops 
  directed 
  southward. 
  Previous 
  to 
  their 
  formation 
  

   the 
  ice 
  had 
  covered 
  the 
  whole 
  area 
  to 
  a 
  depth 
  of 
  several 
  hundred 
  feet 
  

   and 
  pushed 
  south 
  and 
  west 
  to 
  the 
  vicinity 
  of 
  the 
  Missouri 
  River, 
  

   where 
  it 
  rested 
  for 
  a 
  time 
  and 
  formed 
  the 
  first, 
  or 
  Altamont 
  moraine; 
  

   then 
  retreated 
  and 
  formed 
  the 
  second, 
  or 
  Gary 
  moraine, 
  about 
  

   Mitchell, 
  and 
  finally 
  the 
  third, 
  or 
  Antelope 
  moraine, 
  which 
  is 
  found 
  

   west 
  of 
  Wolsey. 
  Between 
  these 
  moraines 
  many 
  lateral 
  valleys, 
  gen- 
  

   erally 
  dry, 
  lead 
  mto 
  the 
  James 
  River. 
  

  

  Wliile 
  jjerennial 
  streams 
  are 
  rare, 
  springs 
  are 
  not 
  uncommon 
  along 
  

   the 
  river. 
  Shallow 
  wells 
  may 
  be 
  had, 
  although 
  these 
  are 
  not 
  per- 
  

   manent 
  except 
  when 
  located 
  m 
  the 
  valley 
  or 
  basin, 
  since 
  they 
  depend 
  

   for 
  supply 
  upon 
  the 
  surface 
  waters, 
  which 
  are 
  very 
  limited 
  in 
  amount. 
  

   There 
  are 
  deeper 
  pump-wells 
  in 
  which 
  a 
  tubular 
  or 
  force 
  pump 
  is 
  

   often 
  necessary, 
  or 
  where 
  the 
  water 
  supply 
  is 
  reached 
  after 
  passing 
  

   through 
  an 
  impervious 
  layer. 
  Three 
  distinct 
  geological 
  horizons 
  

   supply 
  such 
  water 
  in 
  this 
  area, 
  particularly 
  in 
  the 
  northern 
  part, 
  

   viz, 
  (1) 
  the 
  sands 
  below 
  the 
  till; 
  (2) 
  either 
  porous 
  strata 
  or 
  crevices, 
  

   probably 
  in 
  the 
  chalk; 
  and 
  (3), 
  of 
  most 
  importance, 
  the 
  sandstone 
  

   below 
  the 
  chalk, 
  which 
  is 
  the 
  first 
  regular 
  water-bearing 
  stratum 
  of 
  

   the 
  Benton-Dakota 
  series. 
  It 
  is 
  from 
  this 
  source 
  that 
  the 
  great 
  

   artesian 
  wells 
  of 
  this 
  district 
  derive 
  their 
  supply. 
  (Todd 
  and 
  Hall.) 
  

  

  The 
  drainage 
  area 
  of 
  the 
  James 
  River 
  lies 
  in 
  a 
  region 
  of 
  moderate 
  

   rainfall, 
  the 
  average 
  annual 
  precipitation 
  being 
  between 
  20 
  and 
  25 
  

   inches, 
  occurrmg 
  principally 
  from 
  May 
  to 
  August. 
  The 
  annual 
  pre- 
  

   cipitation 
  in 
  this 
  valley 
  fluctuates 
  widely. 
  The 
  following 
  data 
  from 
  

   the 
  Weather 
  Bureau, 
  ''Summary 
  of 
  Climatological 
  Data 
  for 
  the 
  

   United 
  States 
  by 
  Sections," 
  may 
  serve 
  as 
  illustration: 
  

  

  