56 MISC. PUBLICATION 43 4, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 



The quality of ground water in the plains, according to Riffenburg 

 (31) and others, varies considerably according to the geological forma- 

 tion from which the water is drawn, depth of well, and other factors. 

 His data on analysis of water from several hundred wells indicate that 

 a high percentage of the wells in the northern prairie-plains have from 

 1,000 to 2,000 p. p. m. of total dissolved solids and that water sources 

 with only 150 to 400 p. p. m. of dissolved solids are rather scarce in the 

 Dakotas. The shallow waters lying entirely in beds of glacial material 

 are much less mineralized than those from deeper strata. 



Data furnished by E. C. Reed of the Nebraska Geological Survey, 

 regarding quality of Nebraska ground water, indicate that ground 

 water is generally less heavily mineralized in that State than in the 

 Dakotas. Table 14 is based on analysis of about 140 samples of 

 Nebraska water. Reed states that practically all the samples which 

 contained over 800 p. p. m. came from wells 500 to 2,000 feet in depth. 



Table 14. — Mineral content of Nebraska ground water l 



Solids (p. p. in.) 



Wells in 

 each class 



Solids (p, p. ni.) 



Wells in 

 each class 



0-100 



Percent 

 0.0 



6.6 



43.1 

 22.6 



500-600- 



Percent 

 13.9 



100-200 



200-300 



600-700 



700-800 



2.9 

 2.9 



300-400 



Over 800 2 



7.3 



400-500 







i Analyses by C. J. Frankfurter, University of Nebraska. Data supplied by E. C. Reed of the Nebraska 

 Geological Survey. 

 2 Maximum was 7,529 p. p. m. 



Before a nursery site is chosen it is strongly recommended that a 

 sample of water be obtained from the depth which is to supply the 

 irrigation water, and that it be analyzed by a competent hydrologist. 

 A gallon glass jar or jug, thoroughly washed out and then rinsed several 

 times in distilled water, is suitable for sampling. Water taken from 

 a faucet should be allowed to run for several minutes. If water is to 

 be obtained from a stream, some consideration must be given to the 

 time of year of sampling and the stage of the river. Very often, as 

 the level of the stream is lowered by lack of rainfall in summer, the 

 salt concentration increases. If use is made of a city or town water 

 system, analyses already made can probably be obtained from the 

 State geologist or may be found in one of a number of U. S. Geological 

 Survey Water Supply Papers for the area in question. 



Table 15 presents an analysis of water in an Abilene, Kans., well 

 which is considered barely acceptable for irrigation, its total dissolved 

 solids running to 648 p. p. m. ; but since most of the dissolved material 

 is in the form of calcium carbonate and bicarbonate (items 18 and 17), 

 which are not particularly harmful to deciduous nursery stock even in 

 moderately large quantities, adequate underdrainage of the nursery 

 soil would probably keep this well from building up an alkali-problem 

 nursery, except possibly after prolonged use of the nursery site. 



