14 DEVILS LAKE, NORTH DAKOTA. 
Ice commences to form about the middle of November and remains 
until the middle of April. Mr. E. J. Glass, the observer of the 
Weather Bureau at Devils Lake, states that the main body of Devils 
Lake will not freeze solid, 4 feet being considered a good estimate of 
the thickness of ice formed, which is more or less porous, with big 
cracks, often 3 feet wide. During the warmer days the ice in expand- 
ing closes the cracks and, bending downward, forms V-shaped grooves, 
or upward, solid walls. The intense dry cold, according to the same 
observer, will often cause the ice to evaporate without liquifying, and 
ice walls thus formed have been observed gradually to disappear. 
QUALITY OF WATER. 
In June, 1906, with a view to ascertaining whether the water of 
Devils Lake was injurious to fish life, and, if so, to what extent, 
Messrs. C. M. Fisher and Charles E. Taylor, residents of the com- 
munity, forwarded to the Bureau of Fisheries for analysis 2 gallons 
of water from Creel Bay.t This specimen was submitted to the 
Bureau of Chemistry, which furnished the following report: 
ANALYSIS 3064 Misc. 
Parts per 
million. 
Cet nV Thee Eh I ee ey Re ee ape 29. 66 
di IG 2a aS} 3 0) 01 ee RIS InN Oy. ERNE Sale LS ic EN ie eT ei te 452. 48 
Sj O0 UU) 16 Qiecgeat tae em ® estan LI eh tna Lhe bcerh ee A PIAL ceva nn Sal) bolls, Ty eee NS UN deal So, 2, 118. 50 
CHIOrine@ 22 = a Bo Sa 8 ee ee 821. 84 
Suiphurie tacidwlomes bas oe alae Bese Pere ee ee eee 4, 345. 84 
Carbonic ACG ions 2 te ee ee ee 119. 16 
IB ICATD OIG: VCH VO ra IE oe yee Ee OE ae 629. 82 
TRO Be a ap ed 8, 517.3 
HYPOTHETICAL COMBINATION. 
Parts per 
million. 
Catcium *hicarbonates=~ 32 =e ee 119.8 
Masnesium ~bicarbontite =s2222 2 = 2 eee ee eee 647.6 
Magnesium scarbonatie 22220 =e ee EY a ee 167.0 
Ma STOSi I SUlp eae et a a a 1, 470. 0 
Sodium “sulphate: 2-225 2252 822 eee ee ee 4, 758. 9 
Sodium. Chlorides 22S 2= See ee eR aS ae ee ee 1, 354. 0 
Wotal 2 2tc2 2. 25 ee es Bape ee ee a 8, 517.3 
The water of Devils Lake possesses many qualities that render it 
unsuitable for drinking and for engine boilers, etc. It is reported 
that in former years, before the level of the lake dropped to its pres- 
ent plane, it was quite generally used for drinking, but at present 
this is not the case, though cattle are said to drink freely of it. The 
“The analysis given above may be compared with that of 1907,,station No. 4, 
on page 14. 
