ACTIVITIES 51 



1 91 6 says that the Survey "is becoming more and more a 

 repository of information concerning the mineral resources of 

 the country, much of which it furnishes through corre- 

 spondence, giving detailed information which cannot be cov- 

 ered by publications, such as the location of deposits of min- 

 erals, both those that are developed and those that are 

 undeveloped, and names of those who can supply the differ- 

 ent minerals." 



The numerous problems raised since the beginning of the 

 war by the shortage of basic minerals have resulted in an 

 unprecedented demand on the part of other agencies of the 

 government for exact data as to the occurrence, production 

 and utilization of these minerals. This demand the Survey 

 has been able to meet by reason of its unique accumulation, 

 over many years, of data of this type, and its trained organi- 

 zation ready to obtain new classes of data as new demands 

 have been made for them. 



Survey of Water Resources. In the course of its topo- 

 graphic and geologic surveys, and of its search for mineral 

 deposits, the Survey, needless to, state, collects a vast amount 

 of information relative to the water supplies of the country; 

 and its resulting topographic and geologic maps are of the 

 highest value to one investigating the utilization of the water 

 resources of any area covered by them. The Survey supple- 

 ments the data collected and published in this connection, 

 which have reference primarily to the location of the surface 

 water supplies, with a survey designed to disclose also their 

 quantity and quality, and to locate sources of underground 

 supply. 



The specific investigation of water resources by the Survey 

 dates from the appropriations made in 1888 and 1889 for the 

 investigation of the arid public lands and the extent to which 

 they can be reclaimed by irrigation. The operations under 

 those appropriations and the failure of Congress to make spe- 

 cial appropriations for them between 1889 and 1894 were re- 



