634 THE JOURNAL OF GEOLOGY. 



inquiries concerning the water resources, a thorough investigation 

 was made, under the direction of Major Powell, as to the popula- 

 tion of the lands of the national domain. The result shows that 

 settlement has followed the streams of the great west to a 

 remarkable degree, and that it has clustered about the foothills 

 of the higher mountain ranges, which, from their abruptness of 

 topography, insure a perennial supply of water for irrigation. 

 There is hardly a spring, creek, or small river, whose waters are. 

 not utilized by the farmer. As a consequence, the surface 

 of the great desert of arid land is everywhere dotted with oases.. 

 The water which is thus utilized is that which is most readily 

 available. There is much that is still unemployed. Both the 

 great supply of storm waters, and the underground supply, are 

 scarcely touched. The utilization of this unappropriated water 

 is the first condition for the further development of the arid and 

 semi-arid lands. In order that it may be utilized, a careful 

 investigation should be made, in order to furnish the information 

 which is needful before new enterprises can safely be entered 

 upon. 



In the past, the hydrographic work of the Survey has been 

 limited, because of the small sum available for gauging the 

 streams, and for studying the various problems involved. Such 

 results as have been secured were rather an incidental result of 

 the brief irrigation survey which was practically suspended in 

 1 89 1. The scope of the requests for information shows the 

 popular appreciation of the best work in this direction. From 

 this standpoint the inquiries are encouraging. At the same time 

 they are embarrassing, in that it is assumed that the Survey has 

 extended its investigation over the whole field, when, as a matter 

 of fact, the work has been carried on in a restricted way in but 

 a few of the more important localities. 



The nation as a whole is interested in the question of its 

 water resources, as vital to the future of the public lands. It is 

 also interested in the general question of water for domestic 

 purposes, especially in thickly settled districts. The economic 

 and effective search for waters for this purpose involves a knowl- 



