374 



FORESTRY AND IRRIGATION 



August 



ARTESIAN WELL NEAR ROSWELL, NEW MEXICO. 



about 75 feet of allu- 

 vium, an equal thickness 

 of red sandy clay, and 

 to penetrate the porous 

 sandy limestones to a 

 depth of 70 to 80 feet 

 before the main flow is 

 obtained. In the region 

 of Hagerman and Arte- 

 sia the red sandy series 

 is represented by about 

 600 feet of sediment, and 

 as the overlying gravels 

 are somewhat thicker, the 

 total depth to the main 

 flow is correspondingly 

 deeper. 



Pressure. In the wells 

 thus far examined the 

 pressure varies from 8 to 

 80 pounds to the square 

 inch. The number of 

 pressure measurements 

 which have been taken, 

 however, are not great, 

 and subsequent investi- 

 gation may modify these 

 figures. The strongest 

 pressures are found in 

 the vicinity of Artesia, 

 where at present the 

 greatest development in 

 well boring is taking 

 place. Some of the lar- 

 ger wells in this region 

 have a flow of 1,700 gal- 

 lons per minute, but the 

 average flow is much less. 



Decrease in Flow. At 

 the present time there 

 are at least 40 well ma- 

 chines at work in the dis- 

 trict, some of which are of 

 the most improved type. 

 Many new machines are 

 also being brought in. 

 As a result many wells 

 are being completed each 

 month. At present there 

 appears to be no evidence 

 of a decrease in flow, but 

 it is feared that the mul- 

 tiplicity of wells may 

 eventually lower the wa- 

 ter plane, and provision 



