8 
Colorado Experiment Station 
valley north of the Rio Grande aggregates 2,000 second-feet for sev¬ 
eral months during the year and a very considerable amount at all 
times. There is no doubt in regard to the source of the artesian 
waters found throughout a large portion of the valley. It is assumed 
to be from the streams flowing from the mountains, mostly from the 
north and west, and also from the east, but in a smaller measure. This 
artesian water has received attention from several writers as a supply 
for irrigation. I have made some inquiry and have failed to learn of 
its application for this purpose. It furnishes an excellent water sup¬ 
ply for stock and perhaps for irrigating some small areas but I have 
no definite information of such excepting lawns. The ranches depend 
upon the ditches for their irrigating water. The Rio Grande, Cone¬ 
jos, and some other streams furnish the ditch water but of these the 
Rio Grande is by far the most important. 
ANALYSES OF RIO GRANDE WATERS 
The course of the Rio Grande extends many miles into the moun¬ 
tains west of the San Luis Valiev. We did not go up the river further 
than just above the mouth of Willow Creek near the town of Creede. 
We took samples of the water from here down to the State Bridge. 
We present the analytical results in the order in which the samples were 
taken beginning just above the mouth of Willow Creek and going 
down the stream. This will present such changes as we found in 
their natural order. 
SAMPLES TAKEN ABOVE MOUTH OF WILLOW CREEK 
Analytical Results 
Percent 
Carbon . 1.685* 
Silicic acid . 43.395 
Sulfuric acid . 6.096 
Carbonic acid. 13.352 
Phosphoric acid . 0.229 
Chlorin . 0.907 
Calcic oxid' . 19.845 
Magnesic oxid . 3.791 
Potassic oxid . 2.886 
Sodic oxid . 6.759 
Ferric oxid . 0.610 
Manganic oxid (br). 0.657 
Sum . 100.212 
Oxygen equivalent to 
Chlorin . 0.212 
Total . 100.000 
The total solids in this water was 
ignition 1.2 grains. 
Combined 
Grains per Gal. 
Carbon . 0.090 
Calcic Sulfate . 0.553 
Calcic Carbonate . 1.497 
Magnesic Chlorid .... 0.066 
Magnesic Carbonate . . 0.148 
Magnesic Phosphate .. 0.019 
Magnesic silicate . 0.283 
Potassic Silicate . 0.255 
Sodic Silicate . 0.542 
Ferric oxid . 0.035 
Manganic oxid. 0.033 
Excess Silicic acid.... 1.899 
Total . 5.420 
.39 grains per imperial gallon. Loss on 
*The carbon was separated during the drying necessary to render the 
residue anhydrous and is given as such in the analysis. Of course, it was 
present as organic matter which could not be burned out of such a mixture 
without altering its composition and yet this organic matter rendered the solu¬ 
tion very difficult to work if not destroyed. 
